Blood Lust: Portrait of a Serial Sex Killer

"Blood Lust" represents good no nonsense true crime about a serial killer in Oregon. That seemingly peaceful and scenic State certainly has had more than its' share of sickos, as TC aficionados (and no doubt the natives) are well aware. In BL, the protagonist is one Dayton Leroy Rogers who killed and mutilated eight young Portland area women in the mid 1980s. There is little suspense here. The killer is identified from the outset. The reader's interest will revolve around the portrayal of the gruesome manners of the young ladies' deaths and how the local authorities find the corpses and compile their case against Rogers. Author Gary King strikes a solid balance between crime reporting and the human suffering of the victims. Since the perpetrator is known, readers may ignore the "Ann Rule rule" and peruse the centerfold where pictures of the demised humanize them. It's chilling to think that most likely there are more female of Rogers' victims somewhere in this vast area. This reviewer visited Oregon recently and appreciates how rural the state is once one leaves the Portland/Seattle metroplex and the I5 corridor. 12 reprintings since 1992 are a testimony to the obvious and well-deserved popularity of "Blood Lust".

This book was written with no holds barred...It was at times very hard to read the things that this animal did in some cases i had to skip through because i couldn't stomach the brutality of this maniac's terror he caused these poor women...Its hard to imagine that we have these lunatics running around our world but they are out there and every story that becomes public is pretty damn scarry...For a true crime reader the book is really hard to put down....

I found this book to be one of the most fascinating books I have read recently. As an avid reader of true crime, I appreciate a well written story. The detailed accounts of survivors of this monster are almost unbelievable. I too, wished there were more details about his family, and input from the killer himself, but overall, I really enjoyed it. What struck me as odd, is that this isn't a person that you hear alot about. It's always the more publicized killers like Gacy or Bundy, however, this guy certainly ranks up there with the rest of the weirdos.

This was a really chilling book, a great read. Wish there were more interviews with Rogers' family or Rogers himself. Other than that, I like the way the facts were laid out and the personal touches about law enforcement officials.

I read this book within 24 hours, I believe thats my personal record. It was written well and Gary really takes you there. I definately recommend this for a "true crime" reader!