This was a really interesting book that was a little let down by the writing style. Mager worked as a detective who interviewed a suspect that turned out to be a serial killer. The conversations between the two of them are fascinating, especially the ways in which she used specific techniques to keep him talking. The background on the killer (and of his victims) was also really well-researched. The part that I didn't love was when Mager inserted a lot of her own life into the story. This took me away from the meat of the story and made it feel more like a memoir to me, which wasn't what drew me to the book initially. I think if those sections had been taken out, it would have been much closer to a five-star read for me. Otherwise, it's still a solid true-crime book that is intriguing because of its look at the psychology of a killer.

3.5 stars

A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer  is a true-crime account of a serial killer targeting women in Ohio.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press (and in particular Natalie Sun for sending me a widget), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions):
The small town of Ashland Ohio is generally a very safe place to live.  However, in September of 2016, and in response to a 911 call from a woman who was abducted, raped, and held for three days,  a serial killer is caught.

Detective Kim Mager, who specializes in crimes against women and children, is called to interview both the victim, and the abductor.  Soon she discovers that this is more than just an kidnapping.   Shawn Grate is a serial killer. At one point, as other policemen leave to find evidence that Shawn is telling the truth, Kim realizes she is left alone to interview a killer.  All her back-up are out following up on other leads.  But Shawn makes no move against her.  He has latched onto her, and will ask for her again and again.  Kim will eventually spend over 33 hours interviewing him.  Building a rapport with Grate, she gets him to confess to much more than the abduction of "Jane Doe".

As the dead bodies slowly surface, Shawn only admits to them as they are discovered.  Although Kim is sure there are more dead bodies out there, it's going to be hard


My Opinions:
First, I have never heard of Shawn Grate, so this was a "new" serial killer for me.  I agree with the author, I think there are more dead bodies out there, and I don't think they'll ever be linked to this man.  But at least he won't be free to kill again.

The conversations with the killer were really interesting, as were the leads they had to follow.  I also thought the way the officers were portrayed was really well done. I loved Kim.  Knowing that these are real people, with real lives outside the force only made the story stronger - in some ways.

I did, however, had some problems with the book.  Parts that didn't relate to the actual crime (Kim's family life, and her early life), were really boring. A little would have been okay, but there was too much.  We didn't need to know her entire life story.  I wanted to know more about the victim's background and the killer's background -- we got that, but there was a lot of "fluff", and some repetition.    I found myself skimming. 

Okay, on another note.  It's a little scary that  if the "kidnapper" had not been overly talkative, the police may not have even known a serial killer was out there.  They certainly weren't looking for him. I'm not sure what this says about this county,  but it is scary.  

So, overall, the story of the killer and his crimes was really interesting.  The method of telling the story was a little "off" ... but that's only my opinion.  It's still a true crime story,  so if you are a fan, you should read it.  Especially if you are like me, and have never even heard of this guy.

A Hunger to Kill is a well written true crime book which also contains some added personal information about the author as she conducts her investigation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you to Net Galley for this e-copy of A Hunger to Kill by Kim Maher and Lily Pulitzer.This is a powerful first hand account of. Detective Kim Mager’s interviews of Shawn Grate, a serial killer who was apprehended in 2016 in Ashland, Ohio when a woman referred to as Jane Doe calls police to report she is being held captive in a house in the city.As Kim interviews Grate , he plays a cat and mouse game with her slowly revealing that he is responsible for 4 more murders.It is believed he is responsible for more but as their interviews continue detectives learn that he intends to hurt Kim and their interviews cease.This is a very insightful book into the mind of a killer and even though it is depressing at times it is a fascinating well - researched viewpoint of how our childhood experiences can lead to violent behaviors in adulthood.

I read the true crime genre to try to understand why people do what they do. I like my true crime to focus on the victims, and the investigation and then the perpetrator, finally the trial. In 'A Hunger to Kill' , Mager wrote in a totally different way that I have never seen with True Crime. We know at once who the perpetrator is, and then what he has done comes out in her interviews with him. It didn't work for me.

Mager wrote a lot about herself. It was more like a memoir with a true crime thrown in. I feel that the memoir parts of the book just seemed to bog it down. I feel the way she grew up was not a vital part of the book. She came across as a caring person, I just didn't like that part of the book.

Other readers seemed to enjoy the book, so if you enjoy the True Crime Genre, you may enjoy the book. That's the great thing about books, two people can read the exact same book and get something different from it.

Published July 23, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Marger, and Pultizer for the E~ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🙂Happy Reading 😊

#netgalley #stmartinspress #kimmarger #lisapultizer #ahungertokill #truecrime #nonfiction

I had never heard of this serial killer, which kind of surprised me, but I was kinda busy with a new career when all this broke, so this story was all new to me. I liked the way it felt like the detective’s memoir - her backstory and how she got into her job, her family and her up-bringing, and the development of her interview/interrogation techniques made it more interesting than the gory, glamorizing-a-killer feel truecrime can sometimes give. It’s the Midwest, so of course there were a lot of references to god, and at times it felt a bit slow, but otherwise it’s a really interesting and well done book.

A fascinating look into the mind of a serial killer by the detective responsible for insuring he never walks free to terrorize women again. When Det Mager first questioned the man who was known as The Ladykiller, she was unaware of the magnitude of his crimes and the depth of his contempt for women. She pushed aside her fear and anger to get justice for his victims and closure for their families. The story is told in first person. Readers see Shawn Grate through Mager's eyes and hear his confessions first hand. An excellent book for true crime lovers.

This book details a case that I remember reading about in the news. This book gives a detailed account of what Mager went through as a detective on the case. She writes about interviewing the suspect and the work that went into ensuring that the truth was found. The book is paced well and the writing keeps the reader engaged.

This is the true crime story of an officer who made an arrest of an abductor whose victim managed to escape while he was sleeping. While interrogating him, he makes admissions to other victims dating back over 10 years and several jurisdictions. Through her questioning of him, we see her discover the depth of his crimes and just how depraved he really was.
While the story was fascinating because it kept unraveling right before your eyes, the author added a lot of her own personal backstory, which to me felt kind of unnecessary because it really wasn’t about her growing up years, in my opinion, but I guess who she was as a kid contributed to how she became the detective she was. I don’t know. It just felt like that part was a bit too memoirish. I would have liked more focus on his background than hers. And maybe more details on the crime scenes themselves but that’s my personal preference I guess

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed this book. The author really kept me on my toes from the first page. I had a hard time putting the book down. Highly recommend if you love reading about true crime.

This is a tense and gritty true crime story. The serial killer is caught when one of his victims escapes. Detective Kim Mager, after interviewing the rescued Jane Doe, became the lead detective, interviewing Shawn Grate for over 30hrs.
As Detective Mager fears, news of Grates crimes puts her small, close knit community, on the map for all the wrong reasons.
This book follows the case, from capture to trial and sentencing and keeps the readers interest all the way through.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to enjoy this True Crime e-ARC

This was a very interesting book. I believe I had heard of this case before, but I knew none of the details. It held me attend from start to finish and the only reason I didn't read it all in one sitting was because it was a very busy week.

Like many other people, I am intrigued by the thought processes of others; why people think, believe, and act as they do. This is especially true when it comes to trying to understand the thoughts of people who commit heinous and unimaginable crimes. There's a human need to understand why and how such things happen. We want it to make sense somehow, but it doesn't. How can it?

A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager tells of the author's attempts to answer those same questions. Mager is the detective who spent eight days interviewing Shawn Grate, a man arrested for kidnapping and raping a young woman in small town Ashland, Ohio. During her interviews with Grate, she skillfully establishes a rapport with him and discovers that he is a serial killer who has been killing for decades. He ends up confessing to five murders, and multiple other sexual assaults.

What I like about this book is that Mager makes it real for the reader. She tells it like it happened, and it feels as if the reader is an extra set of eyes and ears on the scene(s). I also appreciate that she impresses upon us the impact that such a malevolent person has on those around them. Not only the victims and the families and friends of the victims, but also the responders, the investigators, the families of these people, the near-victims, and even the town itself. The story is about more than Shawn Grate and his crimes and Mager shows that.

Some reviewers have taken her to task for this, apparently preferring the crimes and only the crimes. But nothing happens in a vacuum, does it? There's plenty of gruesomeness and gore to satisfy those looking for that, but there's also the reality that investigative interviews take time. Following up on leads takes time. Getting multiple confessions from a cagey criminal about crimes that no one else even knew about without having him shut down doesn't happen quickly. The story has a natural flow to it, and I had no trouble at all staying engaged with it.

I applaud Kim Mager for her service, her bravery, her skills, and her dedication to bringing Shawn Grate's crimes to light. I also thank her giving readers the complete picture of what such an investigation entails.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to access a digital review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions stated in this review are my own and are freely given.

“We have four seasons in Ohio, and each one is equally amazing. Fall is my favorite, with the changing leaves, the cooler, crisper air, the fresh-picked apples, stockpots of soup, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and the annual county fair.” This is NOT a serial killer quote but boy oh boy SAME #ILoveFall

A Hunger to Kill is the chilling account of Mager’s quest for justice for the victims in this book with the hope that this book’s publication will cause Grate to admit to the murders of even more victims of unsolved crimes. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

2.5 stars. I am typically very intrigued by serial killers and true crime stories, so naturally I jumped at the chance to read this book! I loved the premise of a bad ass female cop cracking a serial killer case. But I was not pulled into this story the way I usually am. I skim read quite a bit of it because it’s almost like just reading transcripts of their conversations. There is no real sense of urgency and the climax was just not climaxing. I do hope she gets her wish and he admits to more murders, if there are any, so that the families can have some closure.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the free copy.

While I live in Ohio and have heard about this case, this book was good and kept my attention start to finish.

A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager with Lisa Pulitzer is utterly unputdownable!

This true crime book is graphic in nature, as Detective Mager depicts the heinous crimes committed by serial killer Shawn Grate in small town Ohio. This book is a balance of profiling a killer with memoir-like additions to provide additional depth.

Background information into Detective Mager's history sheds light on how she gained knowledge outside her standard training and why she was tasked with interviewing Grate to achieve his confessions. There is a strong motherhood lense through which Detective Mager writes, allowing a further glimpse into why she strives so hard at her job and proves she has the same struggles as all parents.

Jennifer Blom provided a no-nonsense audiobook narration devoid of emotion, which was perfect for this books genre. Blom had a slight alteration to her voice for when Grate spoke, which made it easy to distinguish his dialogue.

This book would make a perfect gift for anyone who appreciates true crime and learning about the minds of serial killers! (Note that a portion of the proceeds of this books sales will benefit crime victims.)

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

The author is an experienced detective and has written this detailed account with compassion for the many victims. The reader sits with her as she interviews the suspect and develops a rapport that staggers our imagination. We learn of his responsibility for crimes and the pathway to justice. True crime books are never enjoyable but always informative. Good book.

This book, about an Ohio serial killer, was written by Detective Kim Mager, who investigated the murders of several women. It was a detailed description of the murders and the investigation. It included different tidbits to understand how this detective was able to talk to the suspect, Shawn Grate. It was a really description of the investigation and it kept my interest. I highly recommend it for those who are interested in reading about serial killers.

A fascinating well written look at a serial killer I had never heard of. A well written nonfiction look at a true crime.A replace turner.#netgalley #ahungertokill.

I dnf’d this 50% in. I liked the idea of the story but the repetitive nature wore on me after so long. I think a whole book on the interrogation of a suspect to confess wasn’t what I thought it would end up being.
I liked reading about the suspect and would have liked more. Maybe if I had read further I would have found it but I felt if I hadn’t gotten there by 50% , I just wasn’t interested anymore.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for the honest opinion.
2.5⭐️