In *A Hunger to Kill*, Detective Kim Mager delivers a gripping and chilling account of her relentless pursuit of Shawn Grate, Ohio's infamous "Ladykiller." Mager's expert psychological tactics and unwavering resolve shine through as she navigates the harrowing interviews that ultimately lead to Grate's confession. Co-authored with Lisa Pulitzer, this book not only unravels the disturbing details of the case but also highlights the profound courage of a woman confronting malevolence head-on. A must-read for true crime enthusiasts, it offers a compelling blend of suspense and psychological insight.

I love a good nonfiction book, and this one had me intrigued from the premise alone. I love that it was a spin on the typical books about serial killers. It made it more personal being that this was told from the detective's perspective. There was no glorifying the killer here. There was no making Mager seem like a superhero. She just told he story of her doing het job, and I really enjoyed this audio book. This story gripped me from the very beginning, and I was truly invested. It was nice to learn about the victims and not just the perpetrator. This was such a captivating read! One of the best true crime books I've read..

Jennifer Blom did a great job with the narration. I thought she had the perfect voice for the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

On September 13, 2016, a 911 dispatcher in Ashland, Ohio received a call from a woman who claimed she had been kidnapped. Officers located her and arrested Sean Grate. It turns out that Grate may be a serial killer. Kim Mager is a cop in Ashland and she forms a bond with Grate as she attempts to get him to confess to multiple murders.

I liked this book. It was okay. I thought it dragged in places and I got somewhat tired of Grate's self-aggrandizing. I understand that is often what serial killers do, but it seemed to me like the author used this to drag the story out more than was necessary. I thought that it could have been shorter.

4.5 stars. This true crime novel about the Sean Grate case in 2016 did a good job humanizing everyone involved. The detective, Kim Mager, who authored the book, shares her life as an officer of the law and how it affects her family. She also gives voices and empathy to the victims of Sean Grate, focusing on helping them heal and getting justice for them. As Kim recounts 33 hours of interviews with Sean Grate, you can't help feel like one of the jurors on the case: "I don't hate him, but I hate the things he's done." Kim writes of Grate's tough upbringing, which may offer some explanation for his crimes, but she still very much condones his behavior, expressing her frustrations when he fails to take responsibility for certain aspects of his crimes.

A small-town detective comes face to face with a serial killer in this true crime story. Over a series of interviews, the two build a "relationship" that involves establishing trust in order to gain Shawn Grate's confessions of five murders in Ohio.

The details outlined by Kim Mager as she recounts her time talking to Grate are absolutely chilling. I would have liked to hear a bit more about how other people working the case contributed, but I understand that Mager got a lot of information out of him that more heavy-handed interrogations might not have. This is her story to tell.

This is not a book for the faint of heart, which might go without saying, but there is a lot of graphic detail about how Grate committed his crimes as well as the condition of the crime scenes and victims.

Great audiobook narration by Jennifer Blom.

This was a unique true crime story to listen to. I enjoyed hearing from the perspective of Detective Kim Mager and the process she used to get the killer to confess. I felt that the book was really repetitive which made it harder to get through. It was constantly her just saying how she empathized with him and basically treating him with kid gloves and then he would confess to another crime. I also found the book hard to get into because of how pathetic and childlike Shawn Grate was.

This was a very powerful book that overall I really enjoyed. I felt that there were a few places where it seemed like they added some chapters or backstory that wasn't needed but overwhelmingly I really appreciated this read and thought it was thoughtfully done.

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.
The audio narration is really well done. The switch into the killer’s voice was creepy and the whole book had that slow small-town-Ohio feel.

It was a fascinating look into the techniques used by a detective to get into the mind of a serial killer, to get him to open up and tell her about more of his victims. He is originally caught after a victim he was holding captive was bravely able to call 911, leading to her rescue and his arrest.

It was I finished the book within a few days. I am fascinated by the psychology of serial killers and what drives them to do what they do. There were a lot of religious aspects to this story as well.

While I finished this audiobook quickly, because I was engrossed by the story, and at times had me on the edge of my seat. It did feel a bit bogged down in places, especially when the author is sharing her backstory. Overall it was a fascinating first hand account of a detective interviewing a serial killer. I don’t think I could have been as calm and collected as this detective.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this ARC audiobook.

Wow! Real & Raw! A must listen too. I went into this not knowing a single thing about this case and was blown away with so many details. The book draws you in and makes you wanna hug your love ones.


Thanks Netgalley for this audio version of this book.

I really enjoyed this true crime book from the detective's perspective. Especially the female detective's perspective. Her interviews with Shawn Grate are fascinating. The breadth of his crimes was also quite fascinating. I hadn't heard of his story before and I really enjoyed learning about it in this fashion. I also liked how much time and care was given to his victims.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for this honest review.

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 finish it all in one sitting was because it was a very busy week, however I was racing back to it whenever I could!

I recently finished A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer, narrated by Jennifer Blom, and I have to say, it was an engrossing listen. I was already familiar with the story from a video documentary, but the book provided so much more depth and detail.

The narrative style is engaging, and the way Mager's tenacity and psychological acumen are depicted really pulls you in. It's like getting a front-row seat to one of the most chilling criminal cases in recent history. Mager’s dedication and skill in breaking down Shawn Grate’s defenses were truly impressive and made for a compelling read.

Jennifer Blom did a fantastic job narrating. Her pacing was spot-on, keeping the tension high throughout the book. She really brought the story to life, making it hard to hit pause.

If you're into true crime, this book is a must-read. It's not just about the horrors of Grate's crimes but also about the incredible detective work that brought him to justice. Highly recommend!

"A Hunger to Kill" offers a gripping, first-hand account of the investigation and interrogation of Shawn Grate, a notorious Ohio serial killer. Detective Kim Mager, the book's author and central figure, emerges as a real-life counterpart to fictional FBI agent Clarice Starling from "The Silence of the Lambs."

The narrative centers on Mager's high-stakes psychological duel with Grate over eight days of intense interviews. Her expertise in sex offenses and skilled interrogation techniques prove crucial in extracting Grate's confessions to five murders and numerous other violent crimes.
This true crime account promises to be both fascinating and deeply disturbing, offering readers an insider's perspective on the dangerous work of confronting a serial killer. Mager's personal insights and the collaborative writing with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Pulitzer suggest a well-crafted and compelling read.

The book appears to delve into the psychological aspects of both the investigator and the criminal, potentially offering valuable insights into the minds of serial killers and the law enforcement professionals who pursue them.
For true crime enthusiasts and those interested in criminal psychology, "A Hunger to Kill" seems to offer a unique and chilling glimpse into one of Ohio's most infamous criminal cases, told from the perspective of the detective who played a pivotal role in bringing the killer to justice.

To say I enjoyed this story sounds wrong, but this was a serial killer I wasn't aware of. This story was fascinating and well documented. If you like stories like this, this book doesn't disappoint.

I live in Southern Ohio and remember this case. What an interesting first hand account of how Kim Mager interviewed and broke the case open. It went from a kidnapped escaped woman to a serial killer and the department discovering the other bodies.

It’s well written and a detailed description of her cat and mouse interrogations with the killer. It describes in depth how she adjusted to get the answers she needed.

I’m always intrigued by the process and this type of in depth interviews hasn’t been a part of the other true crime books I’ve read. I do wish there was a little more about the rest of the investigation but this peak into the process was quite interesting.

Jennifer Bloom did a great job narrating this one and letting the material be the star.

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.

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. This was the audiobook version, which I really liked. I seem to be able to get really into audiobooks, as I can envision the characters and what was going on. 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.

I enjoyed listening to this true crime audiobook! From the beginning, I was drawn into the story. I was so hooked and wanted to know how it ended. The narrator did a great job with the voices and telling the story. Although I wish the narrator didn’t refer to their personal story so much and just stuck to the facts of the story, it was still good.

2.5⭐
Genre ~ true crime
Setting ~ Ohio
Publication date ~ July 23, 2024
Publisher ~ Macmillan Audio
Est Page Count ~ 309 (p+ 22 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 1 minutes
Narrator ~ Jennifer Blom
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ police procedural, serial killer

I listened with my daughter while we were on a road trip. It's a good thing my dog was breathing in my ear to keep me awake because I was a bit bored at times and my daughter zonked out after 16 minutes, so I was on my own.

I am a big fan of true crime and serial killer stories, but this felt really long and drawn out because a good portion of it was about Detective Mager's backstory. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in her life and how she first shot a gun at 9 years old. She'd get all the props for what she accomplished from me if this was a memoir, but it's not. I'm more interested in the background of the killer and why they did what they did. Personal preference perhaps. Now don't get me wrong she did a great job bringing him down, but this just wasn't what I was expecting.

So overall, it was fine as an investigative look at what goes on behind the scenes, but don't go into this one expecting there to be a lot of action on the actual killings.

Narration notes:
Well, on a whole she did okay, but I could have went for a little more emotion when she was talking about finding a body.