Out for Blood

Britain's Thorney Dyke Knife Murders

By: Gary C. King

Narrated by: Dan Orders

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the disturbing account of 31-year-old Joanna Dennehy, mother of two; the man under her spell, Gary Stretch, 47; and the murder investigation that led them and others to the Old Bailey for trial. A true crime short, plus 17 additional true crime stories.

It was the day before Easter 2013. A man out walking his dog on a rural road near Peterborough, United Kingdom, found a dead body lying in a ditch. The grisly discovery preceded two other dead body discoveries under similar circumstances, thus launching police on a massive countrywide manhunt for a self-mutilating female psychopath with an affinity for knives and her seven-foot three-inch tall companion and accomplice. Before their bloody rampage was brought to an end, they would attempt to kill two additional innocent people who likely never even saw them coming.

This volume also includes the bizarre, compelling, and frighteningly authentic true crime stories of several headline-grabbing cases as well as more obscure cases that received little media attention. In this audiobook you will find stories about serial killer Andrew Urdiales; Jodi Arias and the murder of Travis Alexander; the random serial stabber case; a killer who wanted to be like Dexter; a blood oath murder case out of Washington State; a story about a dead man who murdered two female victims; the case of Portland's Motel Hell bloodbath; and several other real-life true crime dramas chosen especially for true crime aficionados about killers who mostly had one thing in common: They were out for blood! Eighteen stories in all.

©2016 Gary C. King Enterprises (P)2016 Gary C. King Enterprises

OK but I would like a better performances

I love true stories but the narrator needed to show more emotions while he is in whichever character he is focusing on.

Great Stuff!!

"An exhilarating ride with plenty to satisfy even the most demanding True Crime Reader - and then some! I found myself rushing through the last few chapters as the pace increased and every moment was full of tension. Brilliant stuff."  "I was provided this audio book at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBoom dot com".  

Struggled through this one

Would you try another book from Gary C. King and/or Dan Orders?

Yes, I would.

Would you recommend Out for Blood to your friends? Why or why not?

You know, I would tell them that I personally had a very difficult time listening to the book, but to be fair, I know that it's because of the narration, so they may actually be quite fine with the book...since narration quality is a subjective experience. I would also tell them that there's nothing wrong with the writing, but it's also not stellar. At times it seems to drag a bit, and also rely on the same wordage repeatedly. But it wasn't horrible either.

What didn’t you like about Dan Orders’s performance?

I can't pinpoint precisely, as I have listened to other performances by Dan Orders and have not had the same experience. The other narration I have heard from him was much better. This leads me to feel that it must be the writing, and yet, again, I tried another book by the same author (it was the same author/narrator combo), and it felt like a different book. This book seemed to drag for me, it just seemed like a chore to have to get through at times. Kind of sluggish at points. But it wasn't horrendous, and the stories were sometimes quite interesting.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It would depend on who makes it and the budget.

Any additional comments?

I honestly don't know whether or not to recommend this particular book. Is this early in the writer and narrators' careers? It feels to be. Because at least the one other book I have experienced by the both of them is not weighed down like this one, and is a much easier listen.

I was provided a copy of the audio book free of charge by the author and/or narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Out for a book!

I was provided this audio book at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review.

So i liked this a lot.There are some cases here i really enjoy, and there is always fun with true storys. I never read a Gary C. King book before, and i am happy with the new company. The only thing i am going to complain about is Dan Orders. I see someone said here he talks slow. I could not agree more. Dan Orders is the worst thing about this book, and i am sorry to say that. Thank for a good story Gary C. King, next time get a better reader.

Short Form True Crime!

Any additional comments?

Gary C. King never lets me down when it comes to true crime. 'Out for Blood' is another one of his successes! This book includes many short true crime stories; these are especially good for when you don't want to invest 10 hours into one story! I would recommend this compilation to anyone who enjoys true crime.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

MUCH better at 1.5x speed!

Any additional comments?

In my opinion, the narration is wayyyyy too slow at regular speed. On my 4th generation iPod Touch, I'm unable to install the Audible app (incompatible iOS) so I don't have much flexibility varying the playback speed. I borrowed a friend's tablet and downloaded the Audible app so I could take advantage of the variable playback speed feature. I found the 'sweet spot' speed to be 1.5x for this audiobook. When listening to this audiobook at that speed, I have no further complaints about the narration :)

Notwithstanding some cheesy chapter titles ('The Little Girl and The Lusting Brute'??), the majority of the stories were generally quite interesting. Some of them were less compelling for me, because the endings were somewhat flat, the stories didn't really come to a conclusion or completion, or the stories themselves were only moderately interesting to me. The stories that I'd rate as 2 or 3 stars include: 'Did the Victim Have the Killer's Hair...', 'The Mother-Daughter Killings', 'Speed Freak Killer Paroled', 'The Little Girl and the Lusting Brute', 'The Mystery Motive of the Random Serial Stabber', and the final three stories.

Having said that, I felt that the rest of the stories in this collection were very, very interesting and so I have no regrets about listening to this audiobook. One of the downsides of audiobooks is that we don't get to see illustrations, but I found most of the stories so interesting that I did internet searches after hearing them so that I could see what the characters looked like in real life. So that, to me, is a hallmark of a compelling book - the reader is so interested that he/she is willing to explore the topic further, after the final page is turned.

Some of the things that I found interesting in the stories: the backgrounds/ motives/ emotions/ behaviours of people who commit murder; advances in forensics (e.g., hair analysis); how lack of access to information can complicate cross-jurisdiction cases; the randomness of some murders and how victims may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time; and, how long it can sometimes take to resolve cases. All fascinating stuff. I truly appreciate the professionals in investigation/ analysis/ law enforcement who live in this world every day....

This review is my personal opinion and was provided in exchange for a copy of the audiobook from the author, narrator, and/or publisher.

Tasty Morsels of Murder . . .

Don't let the title mislead you - this is a wonderful compilation of MANY crime stories in addition to the main one! Each chapter is a stand alone telling of a rather obscure or lesser known case. I only recognized a very few, so it was quite enjoyable to listen to such a great variety. It's perfect for when you have small blocks of free time available versus the single titled crime stories that require considerable more attention. I loved listening to one or two chapters as I worked on various projects, and would find myself actually stopping often just to sit there and listen. Lol!

As I have mentioned before, I am really liking these "mixed sampler" true crime books... There are always several cases that shock and amaze me enough to want to go look up further information about them afterwards. However, in this case, the author has done a fairly good job of not leaving much of anything out in the way of details!! (Thank You)

I enjoyed this narrator as well. He has a calm, gentle, soothing voice as he describes some pretty horrific and gruesome events. I look forward to more done by this author AND narrator in the future. I'm already loading up my Wish List :-)

Although I was given this audiobook at no cost from the author/publisher/narrator in exchange for an honest review.... I can honestly (and easily) say that I liked this one!

True Crime at its best

What did you love best about Out for Blood?

The stories and cast of characters. Narration was good for the genre and kept me interested till the end.

What does Dan Orders bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Strong, powerful narration with a gentle, yet soothing voice.

Any additional comments?

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

Some Good Stories, Some Not So Good

Where does Out for Blood rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Probably around 3-4

What was one of the most memorable moments of Out for Blood?

No one memorable moment for me

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator was rather slow reading

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

I was provided a copy of the audio book free of charge by the author and/or narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Narration speed is to slow

Some really interesting stories here. And a few not so much. But overall a great read for any true crime fan. The narration speed is way to slow. Had to speed it up to 1.5 to make is listenable.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.