Hunting Killers

Excellent

Truly eye opening. Shocking but fascinating. Very sad stories. But excellent work by Mark and his team.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

An audiobook like no other ----

More people are listening to audiobooks than ever before. I've always loved books and since childhood have found great pleasure in reading; great escapism but disability pushed me towards audiobooks. Over this past couple of years I have enjoyed listening to quite a few audiobooks, some brilliant fascinating books, my preferred genre is True Crime but I also love Memoir but to date no audiobook has touched me at such a deep emotional level or got me thinking more than this audiobook: 'Hunting Killers'


This book is written and narrated by criminologist and investigative reporter and ex detective Mark Williams-Thomas.


Society is obsessed with true crime and I have always had a keen interest in crime and have always loved the authors work and I especially enjoyed his TV programme 'The Investigator' a brilliant program. His book however is on a whole other level and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


If you are a fan of audiobooks you will love this book but if you are new to audiobooks and you are looking to try out an audiobook as an alternative to another format, then this is the book for you. The narrator's voice will capture and engage you from the first line and it will transport you away from your own world.


When I first entered the world of audiobooks I got slightly frustrated and for a while I stepped away from this format. I have come across some very interesting audiobooks but for me the narrator's voice is the most important component of an audiobook. A very monotone voice can spoil the listening experience and indeed the wrong voice however brilliant the books contents, however thrilling and fascinating, the wrong voice can destroy an audiobook and for me personally, the narrator's voice can be a real deal breaker. There is nothing more frustrating and incredibly irritating and distracting than a very dull monotone voice which so easily can destroy the content of even the most brilliant book.


Mark Williams-Thomas has the perfect voice for an audiobook. I think his voice would fit with any audience. In this audiobook his voice is very clear, very smooth and indeed very engaging with an obvious down-to-earthness, in no way purposely polished --- and with perfect pacing and timing this audiobook is such a joy to listen to. But something that stood out to me as I listened to this audiobook is that his voice so beautifully communicates a very genuine compassion and true commitment and enthusiasm for his work and I think others will be very quick to pick up on this as they listen to this audiobook.


Sometimes when an actor narrates a factual audiobook something very important can get lost, the genuineness can get diluted and even a top class experienced actor/narrator can inadvertently destroy the true meaning behind beautifully written words, however genuine the words.


This audiobook is a joy to listen to because it is so beautifully narrated by the author. The vocal delivery of his beautifully written book will make you feel as well as think and this is what I especially love about this audiobook.


The audiobook is divided into 13 chapters and each one is captivating. The way the author details his very complex work in each chapter is compelling. Even for those who are familiar with the authors TV work this is an eye opening book and it gives an impressive insight into the inner complexities of investigative journalism. In the book he takes us on a journey into the world of investigative journalism and I found it riveting. I especially loved the part about the undercover work and the forensics chapter. Truly fascinating work. But from the perspective of a listener for me, the 'Interview with a Killer' chapter stands out. In this chapter Mark Wlliams-Thomas' narrator skills reach a whole new level.


I have a keen interest in true crime and have read various books and journal articles and watched many related TV programmes, but none have touched me at such an emotional level as
Hunting Killers. This book is all about the victims. Clearly the author has achieved an awful lot in his career, but the book is in no way about his personal achievements, it is all about the victims and that is what I especially loved about it. His unending compassion and commitment to helping other people is refreshing and this shines through throughout the entire book and it is this noteworthy component that makes it such a beautiful book to listen to.


Despite the subject matter it is not a gorey book at all, not scary but it is a very uplifting book because it is a beautiful reminder that despite all the darkness in this world, all the bad things that can happen to people, there are still good people around - people like the author who are willing to go to great lengths and take great personal risks to help others and get justice and importantly to give those who feel forgotten about, hope.


Everything about this book is first class:
The eye catching cover, the whole layout, the structure, the way the author moves back and forth between cases, it is seamless and very easy to follow and this makes it extremely easy to listen to.

I would describe it as a multilayered book. Lots of intriguing layers, lots of thought provoking content. It got me thinking about limited resources in policing and flaws in our criminal justice system and the impact of these issues on the wider society.


On one hand it is a very factual book and on the other hand it has all the appeal of a novel but throughout the book you never lose sight of what it is really all about: The authors unending commitment to helping people and getting justice.


This book is for everybody and it would make a great audiobook for someone going away on holiday and I think it would be a great audiobook to take on a long-haul flight or for the daily commute to work and in contrast a student or indeed any one with an interest in True Crime criminology or related subject would find listening to this audiobook, a great learning tool.


It has something for everybody. There is a beauty about this audiobook that I did not expect given the subject matter. As soon as I listened to the last word I missed the audiobook and I am sure sooner rather than later I will sit down and listen to it again and I would imagine I will get something even better and deeper from it the next time round.


You will come away from listening to this audiobook not feeling depressed or down in anyway but unexpectedly uplifted and feeling reassured that if something awful were to happen in your world, something akin to the cases the author discusses in such detail in the book that he is the man you would want on your case. It really is a fascinating book to listen to and everyone should download it and listen to it with an enthusiastic mind, willing to learn and think outside the box and enjoy it.


Mark Williams-Thomas has raised the bar in this genre of writing and in the context of the audiobook he has added another string to his bow.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Great Listen

If you like his TV shows you’ll love this. Very engaging and hard to turn off.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Incredible

Really well written, incredibly interesting and I think a very important book to get a lot of information out there, I had no idea for instance the press behaved as described! Very well worth your time to listen, highly recommend, just sad it's finished!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Hunting killers

Amazing book really admire Mark William Thomas fantastic man helping to bring justice an peace

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Interesting listen

I enjoyed this book. I think the work done by Mark Williams-Thomas is remarkable and I admire his skills and efforts. The book gives a really good insight into the world of modern crime. Sometimes sad and sometimes dangerous. The audio editing is a bit choppy though.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great true events he's some guy

This investigator is superb he just doesn't know when to give up. Giving families peace of mind when police have failed due to funding Mark starts and refuses to quit. Keep up the good work I hope I never need you

Depressing beyond Words

This was one of those books where I just could not find the will to continue to the end. It was beyond dark and although I concede the headline of the book intimated it was no fairytale of happiness I just lacked the motivation to seek further listening. I found each story without intrigue and felt the author did not really convey anything new. As most readers of non-fiction crime I am interested in the "how did they catch him" for invariably it usually is a him. I personally felt the author did not convey any tricks of the trade which may have intrigued me. The subject matters were noir and this coupled with the continual monotonous tone of the reading which has already been commented on by previous readers, I simply turned off. Such are the benefits of audible.

fascinating information but awful awful narration

I wish I could carry on listening but the staccato repetitive narration is beyond listening to

Superb informative book read by the author himself

Loved how this book was narrated by the author for a more personal experience