A Hunger to Kill is the true-life account of Kim Mager, a detective tasked with interviewing a man accused of kidnapping a woman. From Kim's skillful interviewing, it becomes obvious that the police are dealing with a predator who has attacked multiple women.

Mager masterfully balances gruesome details and respectfulness of the victims. The focus on details keeps the story from gaining flow to grip the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's press for eARC.

I’ve become a big fan of true crime and the legal professionals who use their wiles to find the criminals and hold them responsible. This book is written by Kim Mager, a career law enforcement officer who has seen and heard more than the average human mind could wrap itself around. Her writing style is comfortable as if she’s talking to you, and it’s “just the facts, ma'am”.
On September 13, 2006, she was asked to interview a suspect. Little did she know that this would change her career path, sharpen her interrogation skills, and expose a serial killer who had flown under the radar for years. She kept pristine notes and used these to write this compelling book that gives the average person a glimpse of what it’s like to build a relationship with a dangerous criminal to solve heinous crimes and bring resolutions and answers to families. I was glued to her words from beginning to end. This book isn't for the faint of heart but is perfect for true crime enthusiasts, police procedurals, and a study in how to have a heart while working closely with evil.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 16, 2024.

Kim Mager did a great job describing the unique experience of a female detective interrogating a serial killer who killed several women over a period of at least ten years and probably others. Mager expressed a strong desire to get into the head of Shawn Grate no matter how difficult that was for her emotionally and psychologically and it was clear she developed a unique relationship with Grate that I think would have been hard for a male detective to obtain. Her dedication and commitment brought some closure to many families and friends and was an amazing example of how women can often do things men can’t in the furtherance of certain goals and results. It could not have been easy. I was very happy to hear of the support she had from her husband and family as well.

The book was a good length and went into just enough detail about the trial and aftermath. I appreciated that. Being able to view the relationship Mager developed with Grate was eye-opening and this book should be required reading for all homicide detectives. This is how it’s done! Kudos to Officer/Detective Kim Mager.!

A HUNGER TO KILL by KIM MAGER


This was quite a detailed account of the capture, interviews and trial of a serial killer.

I found the ways that she conducted the interviews extremely interesting.

This was a hard read but a good one. It is a long process to get information and it take a lot of different organizations working together to uncover everything.

I learnt a lot reading this book 📕

#ahungertokill. #kimmager #lisapulitzer

The harrowing story of serial killer Shawn Grate is hampered by a very heavily "yay police" narrative where the officer responsible for interviewing him (until it became apparent he'd turned his attention to her as his last victim) gets way to bogged down in reminding the reader how blessed we are as a country to have such a wonderful police force taking care of us at all times. It's also difficult to understand what, beyond listening to the man apparently willingly confess his crimes, Detective Mager actually did. Grate was caught entirely because his last victim managed to escape entirely on her own and no one was looking for him up till then. White it is certainly interesting to spend some time in the mind of a mad man this too often reads as a simple transcript of their conversations complete with "ums" and plenty of repetition. Mager periodically waxes poetic on how wonderful her squad is, despite several horrifying lapses in judgement that at one point leave her entirely alone with Grate, all the while ignoring how their compacency and lack of care toward the less fortunate in their community directly led to his ability to commit his crimes.

Imagine interviewing a kidnapping suspect and stumbling upon a serial killer. Sounds like fiction, right? It's not. This is the true story of Shawn Grate, who ended up in a police station after he fell asleep and the woman he kidnapped used his phone to call the police. While in custody, Detective Kim Mager is asked to interview Grate and he immediately takes a liking to her and starts to confess to multiple murders! These confessions take days, and they are chilling to listen to as he speaks with little emotion about strangling women. I have a lot of respect for Mager, and I found her to be very intuitive and intelligent, not to mention brave and courageous. Her recordings from their interviews are the basis for this book. I do think the book could have been shorter as it also ended up being a memoir for Mager. While I did find some of her personal information interesting, I felt it wasn't relative to Grate's story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Hunger to Kill is a detective's account of her experience investigating and interviewing Ohio serial killer Shawn Grate. This was a chilling account of a serial killer who went undetected for years & the bravery of one of his victims in her attempt to escape. I appreciated the authors' focus on the victims in this book, highlighting who they were before & after their attacks. True crime novels can be tricky to balance telling the story without glorifying the killer; this book struck that balance well. While I am sure Detective Mager is an incredible person, the insertion of so many personal life details did detract from this story. It's clear that she has strong faith but the religious input from her was also offputting. Trimming down these parts of the story would have lead to a tighter novel overall. Many thanks to both authors for tackling such a challenging topic with so much care for the victims.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the digital copy to review.

This was a combo of Detective Kim Mager’s memoir as well as her account of how serial killer Shawn Grate aka “The Ladykiller” was convicted, thanks to Detective Mager. As such, this did not quite work for me like other true crime books, as the two subjects did not quite flow together well. I definitely enjoyed the serial killer subject matter more and commend Mager for her work in getting him to confess all that he did, it was truly incredible what she was able to do. I listened to this via audio and thought it was great, narrated by Jennifer Blom.

A Hunger to Kill is not your typical true crime novel. While yes, there is the figuring out the serial killer, what crimes he/she has committed, and the procedural process behind it, but this is also part memoir of the detective who was able to interview evil and how it has impacted and effected her and her family and her own personal accounting of her thoughts and feelings as she moved forward. I greatly appreciated reading about the protection of the victims involved, being aware of protecting them from further harm, but also being able to be truthful with facts and real evidence of how this all unfolded. A different, yet refreshing take on telling the story behind the investigation. Highly recommend!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

A Hunger to Kill is a chilling look at an Ohio serial killer currently on death row and slated for execution in 2025. This book recounts in terrifying detail Sewn Grates multiple confessions in the five murders he was convicted of and the ominous unexplained innuendo that other victims may be out there. Although if directly asked he denied other victims law enforcement was never sure. It is a disturbing and tragic look into the genius mind of a killer. It recounts over 30 hours of interviews done by determined law enforcement officers and the female police officer determined to bring justice and closure to the victim’s families identified during this case. If you like police procedural true crime you will want to read this book!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer is a chilling and deeply personal true crime narrative that delves into one of Ohio’s most infamous criminal cases. The book recounts the harrowing journey of Detective Kim Mager as she unravels the dark and twisted mind of serial killer Shawn Grate, whose reign of terror left a small town forever changed.

Mager’s account is gripping and unsettling, providing an insider’s perspective on the relentless pursuit of justice. Her determination and resilience shine through as she navigates the complexities of the investigation, ultimately securing a confession that would bring closure to the victims’ families and the community. The collaboration with Pulitzer, a seasoned journalist, ensures that the narrative is both meticulously detailed and compellingly written.

The book excels in its portrayal of the psychological cat-and-mouse game between Mager and Grate. Readers are taken behind the scenes of the interrogation room, experiencing the tension and stakes firsthand. The authors do an excellent job of humanizing both the detective and the victims, making their stories resonate on a profound level.

For true crime enthusiasts, A Hunger to Kill offers a raw and unflinching look at the realities of criminal investigation. It’s a testament to the courage and tenacity of those who work tirelessly to bring justice to light.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A young women manages to make a phone call to police to save her life. After the arrest of the suspect and interview by police, one detective is able to make a connection to this man, gaining his trust and gathering important info that leads to the bodies of several other woman.
This telling follows the interview process in conjunction with the search teams on the ground trying to verify the suspect's confessions.

Interesting insight into police investigations that any true crime junkie will enjoy.

A Hunger to Kill
By Kim Mager

The author is a real life detective in a small city in Ohio. She wrote this book to tell the true story of how Shawn Grate, one of Ohio's most notorious serial killers, was arrested – and how her interrogations managed to wear away at his defenses and ultimately led to his convictions for many more murders than anyone originally expected.

Shawn Grate was first arrested when one of his chosen victims – after being abducted and brutally raped repeatedly – managed to escape with the help of a 911 dispatcher and local police. After interrogating the victim, Detective Mager was called in to question Mr. Grate about these crimes – but also to try to get information about some other missing women that he might have harmed or killed.

This book deals primarily with the interrogation sessions: how the detective managed to psyche out the perpetrator's mind set and how she eventually convinced him to come clean and "do the right thing".

Reading about the mindset of a serial killer is a very scary thing. And to consider the strength and guile required of the detective to work with this sick mind to the end gives the reader pause to reflect on the men and women in blue who work every day to protect us from such monsters.

Thank you to the author, ST, Martins Press and Net-Galley for the copy of this book. I love a good crime book and this one was different from all the others I have read. I really enjoyed how Detective Mager wrote this book and made me feel like I was right there in the interrogation. I liked how she did her questioning of the suspect, how it was different from the other detectives and the FBI agent.

I had heard a little bit about serial killer Shawn Grate but not a lot. Reading all about his crimes was hard and sickening. My heart broke for the families and the victims knowing what they all went through. Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders have my support and respect as what they see and deal with on a daily basis isn't an easy thing and the toll it takes on them and their families is something I couldn't even imagine.

If you like true crime and a real eye opening book this one is for you.

This was my first non-fiction book about a serial killer and it was equal parts interesting and creepy. Hearing Grate talk and how Det. Mager had to hold in feelings of revulsion to "befriend” a sick individual to get his confession was inspiring and I'm thankful there are people in this world that stand between us and them every day. The book was good but there were times when some of her personal thoughts and life were distracting to the story although I loved how her son helped the case in the end.


Thank you to St Martin's Press for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

'A Hunger to Kill' is a memoir written by Detective Kim Mager focusing on the Shawn Grate case which occurred in Ashland Ohio. I was not familiar with this case prior to reading this book. Detective Mager outlines this book in chronological order of how the events occurred. Naturally, it started with Jane Doe and her 911 call. This horrific crime was not common to the area and shocked the community. I appreciated how the detective provided a break down covering her four days of interviewing Shawn, while conducting other aspects of investigating his crimes. She made a point to highlight the importance of paying attention to small details and looping back as Shawn was dropping hints to other crimes. This book really takes you through investigating the crime prior to the commencement of the criminal trials. While the book focuses on her own police investigation, the detective does discuss testifying in the criminal trials. She noted he was sentenced to death in 2025. I do wonder if all his victims were ever found.

loved this book. riveted from the beginning and couldn't put it down.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I love to read True Crime stories, escpecially ones like this. This was written by the detective who interviewed the Ohio serial killer, Shawn Grate. I really enjoyed reading her perspecive on the interview process she went through.

Though I’d seen a show about Shawn Grate on TV, I was anxious to read the details shared by the police detective who was part of this investigation, Kim Mager. Detective Mager shares this story of her part in bringing to light information about a serial killer, kidnapper, and sexual predator who assaulted women across Ohio.

When a kidnapped woman calls 911, the police find her in a house with a sleeping Shawn Grate. This is where Mager comes into play since she specializes in abuse and sexual crimes.

For those familiar with true crime books, this one might be different than you’re used to. In the case of this serial killer, you might say the story starts at the end, with the capture of Shawn Grate. Then this book focuses on Police Detective Mager questioning Shawn and gaining confessions of everything he has done. While this happens we also learn more about the detective's life.

This could be off-putting to those who like more suspense and unraveling of a crime, but it was still quite interesting.

A HUNGER TO KILL is a hard book for me to review.

This is true crime, about the (accidental) takedown of a serial killer in a small Ohio town, written by the female detective in charge of all the interviews. It’s also that detective’s memoir, of sorts. The combination didn’t work well because the two storylines conflicted with more than they complemented each other.

What I found fascinating:

-The way this killer was caught
-The various interviews with the killer, which the author recreated verbatim
-The unraveling of the murders, as the killer gradually opened up to the detective

What I didn’t enjoy:

-The chunks of time we spent learning about the author’s day-to-day life, her history, her husband and kids. All of this had nothing to do with the true crime aspect of the story, and the content simply didn’t flow well.
-Repetition of various information
-The author’s constant interjections about her feelings
-Somewhat clunky writing

A riveting story is waiting to be teased out of this, but I don’t think we quite get to it here.