While I do not feel this rose to 4 stars, it was also better than 3. I was disappointed that this turned out to be far more of a memoir than a true crime book. The author did a good job of weaving the material into a story but there was too much material about the author. It began to feel as though the author was the focal point ant not the crime or sociopath who committed the crimes. too much time was spent ensuring that the reader knew how skilled and adept the detective was. Overall, it was an entertaining read but there was too much self-promotion in this book. Background info is great in a true crime book but it should not detract from the focus or topic. True crime is a difficult genre when it comes to writing and the author did a good job with ensuring overall flow and connections between the collection of evidence. It would have been so much better if there was far less highlighting and self-touting of the author. Can't give 3.5 stars but that is essentially where it stands for me.

What an interesting book! I love finding out information about crimes that have actually happened. This was very well-written and I couldn't put it down!

I received a free copy of, A Hunger to Kill, by Kim Mager: Lisa Pulitzer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Serial Killer, Shawn Grate met his match when he met, and was interviewed by Detective Kim Mager. Mr.. Grate thought he could control Kim like he controlled other women. This was a really intense but good read. Im so glad there are people out there like Det. Mager, who can put animals like Mr. Grate behind bars.

I am the type of reader who loves it when a writer just tells the story. That isn't to say an author can't try something new or put a new wrinkle in their narrative. But, I am simple man with simple tastes. If the story is interesting, tell it and don't try to get fancy just for the sake of it.

This approach is taken to perfection by Kim Mager with Liza Pulitzer in A Hunger to Kill. Mager was one of the detectives assigned to an abduction case which quickly turned into an investigation of a serial killer. Mager was the main interviewer of Shawn Grate. He is a terrible person on so many levels. However, Mager makes it clear she knows that, but also needs to interview him as if he isn't. This is how she will get him to talk.

There are a few minor things which Mager and Pulitzer do in the narrative which make this so readable. First, of course, is the sticking to the story which I have already ranted about. Second, Mager doesn't make herself out to be some super detective. Sure, she's highly skilled and this case is right up her alley. However, she makes it clear that while the story revolves around her actions and will take up much of the page count, every police case is a team effort. She takes center stage, but she's not the only actor. Third, backgrounds are kept to a minimum for everyone. You get what you need to in order to understand each character. The final aspect, which I appreciated immensely, deserves its own paragraph. So let's go!

I am very much over true crime which spends an inordinate amount of time on the killer and, in a way, glorifies them. On the surface, A Hunger to Kill might give people pause because a lot of ink is spilled on Grate. However, Mager makes sure the victims are given their due and most importantly, Grate is presented as the awful, confused, hypocritical, and pathetic person he is. In a way, Mager is treating him as an object just like he did his victims. Grate is a tool to give closure to the victim's families, justice to the town, and information on how to stop people like Grate in the future. If you love true crime, this is a must for you. No, it doesn't revolutionize the genre. It just tells a great story about putting away the bad guy.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.)

🔍 Just devoured "A Hunger to Kill" by Kim Maher and Lisa Pulitzer and it's a gripping true crime read! 📖💥 Maher and Pulitzer unravel the chilling story of a killer's insatiable thirst for blood with meticulous detail and suspense. From the shocking crimes to the intense investigation, every page keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you're a fan of true crime and love a story that leaves you breathless, this is a must-read! 🕵️‍♂️🔪 #TrueCrime #AHungerToKill #PageTurner #KimMaher #LisaPulitzer

I have heard/read a bit about Shawn Grate so when I saw this title, I knew I had to read A Hunger to Kill. This is a good, in depth book about the crimes Shawn committed against others, his victims, and the police that helped capture him.

I received an ARC of A Hunger to Kill thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for a fair review.

What a fantastic retelling of the serial killer,Shawn Grate. I live about 35 miles from the crime scene town of Ashland and remember seeing missing posters of Stacey Stanley Hicks in the area. It was so sad to hear of her fate. Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy of the book. It was awesome! #ahungertokill #netgalley #kimmager #lisapulitzer

This is the true story of a man who admittedly killed several women. This was written by the detective who was brought in to interview him many many times. This is her account of what happened.
I found only a handful of grammatical errors, which did not take away from the reading in any way. It being written, firsthand, by the detective, made this sink into my soul a bit more than it might have if it were written in a different point of view.
If you like true crime stories, this is a must read. Will definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

this was everything that I was hoping for from a true crime novel, it does the case respectfully and I enjoyed how everything was discussed. It was researched well and enjoyed the way this was written. Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer does a great job in writing this together and left me wanting more.

For all my friends who are a fan of true crime this is absolutely one you should add to your TBR! I love learning about the inner workings of crimes and how the investigators do what they do.

I was able to read an ARC of this novel thanks to St Martins Press, NetGalley and the author. I really enjoyed this novel that focused on the investigation surrounding the crimes of Shawn Grate in Northern OH. I was not familiar with this case prior to reading this however the author wrote this in such a way I was invested in finding out more. I really appreciate Kim Magee, a former police detective coming forward and working to write this novel and lay out the truths surrounding these horrific acts. As indicated in the novel, if we do not learn, then how can we keep this from happening to other victims? I would definitely read more novels focused on topics such as this and the writing style was great.

"...This book pulls all the punches of a primetime police procedural and Mager is a real-life Olivia Benson..." - Full review to appear in BookList.

Kim Mager is a good cop and a good writer. She tells a good story. For some reason I lost interest in the story and didn’t finish it.

An interesting and thorough breakdown of the Shawn Grate case told by Detective Kim Mager. Mager illuminates the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication when obtaining confessions and information about Grate's life and crimes. Mager writes that as an investigator, "your survival is your ability to communicate", and she is able to utilize these skills under tremendous amounts of pressure. By "creating an environment, both physical and emotional, where a suspect feels comfortable", Mager was able to bring justice to five victims in this case. I appreciate her work and her ability to show that "being a girl should never stop you from reaching your goals."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this ARC!

While I'm far from a true-crime connoisseur, I had an empty spot in my review schedule and was intrigued by this story of an Ohio serial killer of whom I'd previously been unaware.

"A Hunger to Kill" is written by former Ashland, Ohio police detective Kim Mager along with Lisa Pulitzer.

The story kicks off on September 13, 2016. Emergency dispatchers in the small town of Ashland, Ohio (population under 20,000) received a 911 call from a whispering, obviously terrified woman who was claiming to be kidnapped. Against remarkable odds, police were able to rescue the woman and capture her kidnapper, Shawn Grates. What first seemed like a horrific kidnapping and sexual assault quickly became even more as Ashland, Ohio became yet another city in America to experience their very own serial killer.

Detective Mager was tasked with interviewing Grate over a period of eight days. With a combination of police-like precision and small town hospitality, Mager gained Grate's trust and extracted recorded confessions for five murders, kidnapping, multiple sexual assaults and more. Grate is currently on death row in Ohio with a current execution date of March 19, 2025.

While I'm not a connoisseur of true-crime writing, I was captivated by Mager's storytelling with a combination of matter-of-factness and quiet humanity. While we certainly get a strong focus on Grate himself, Mager makes sure we also get to know the women that Grate killed and their stories.

True crime writing is, of course, naturally dramatic. However, Mager really humanizes this story by allowing us to get to know her, her professional peers, the victims, and all that she learned about Grate along the way.

Mager powerfully captures the twisted and depraved mind of a killer, his interviews revealing a dark logic for his actions and a sort of exploitative sense of remorse. Mager, rather remarkably, captures the charm he was able to use to gain the trust of his victims and also how the littlest thing could alter the course of their interactions.

Similarly, Mager powerfully portrays the lives of these women. In most cases, they had a very specific vulnerability and Grate simply was able to exploit them. Yes, some of them had troubling backgrounds but Mager captures their humanity and reminds us very vividly that there isn't a poor choice that justifies Grate's actions.

Along the way, Mager also captures the challenges of small town police work and the frightening times she was actually in danger while interviewing him. This became especially true once he truly latched on to her and began making request after request to speak to her.

As is always a reality in true crime writing, "A Hunger to Kill" has its share of violence and graphic descriptions of sexual assault, violence, and murder. Remarkable in its detail of both top-notch police work and in capturing the very foundations of one man's hunger to kill, "A Hunger to Kill" is deeply personal, absolutely heartbreaking, and unforgettable.

I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary

The synopsis describes the story well. In-between discussions of the case, and subsequent interrogations, we also find a story about the area of Ashland itself. The author does a great job at focusing on the community, and the impact this situation had.

The book was highly impressive. In terms of intelligence gathering, the author showed a masterclass through the interrogations. The random tidbits about Ashland were also welcomed. Overall, a suspenseful, and amazing addition to true crime category.

WOW! this book is so good.

IF the author wants to get away from police work, she has a second career as a writer.

With a great blend of speed and restraint the author takes the reader on the way in which she connected with the serial killer Shawn Grate. She was the lead detective handling a sexual assault and kidnapping that would turn into so much more.

The author is the detective and with determination she pulls the reader along as she feigns a partnership with the serial killer. She is honest, she is patient, yet she needs information.

Due to her interrogation skills, the serial killer eventually confesses to at least 5 murders of women around the area.

The book winds its way from the 911 call, to the interview, to the jail, to places in which the bodies would be found, to the trial.

I could not put down this book. This is a great add to the true crime genre.

Ok this gave me goosebumps! What a captivating read. So much I did not know. I was addicted the moment I picked this book up! A strong recommended book for those seeking more information!

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
*******************************************************
In this fascinating & profoundly chilling account, Detective Kim Mager, a real-life version of Clarice Starling, reveals how she closed in on―and broke―one of Ohio’s most infamous serial killers.

On September 13, 2016, in the small town of Ashland, Ohio, emergency dispatchers received a 911 call from a terrified woman who claimed to be kidnapped. The man holding her hostage was Shawn Grate, a serial killer whom the press later dubbed “The Lady Killer.” A key to his conviction and death sentence were Grate’s extensive recorded confessions―all extracted by one Detective Kim Mager.
As an experienced specialist in sex offences, Detective Mager was assigned to Grate’s case upon his arrest. Grate immediately latched onto her, refusing to speak to any other law enforcement officers, convinced that he could somehow exercise his power over her in much the same way that he’d overpowered and controlled his female victims.

He was wrong.

Over a period of eight days, Mager conducted one interview after another, risking her life by sitting alone in the interview room with a malevolent predator. Using brilliant psychological strategy in a lethal game of wits, Mager successfully elicited his damning confessions to five murders, kidnappings, and multiple sexual assaults of women across Ohio.

Deeply personal and shocking, A Hunger to Kill takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most appalling criminal cases in American history from the woman who stopped his murderous rampage in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Pulitzer.

Oooooooh what a book --- I want and can see a Netflix series based on this. Mager is a rockstar of a cop – tenacious and determined and we can thank her for catching this animal and him being put in a cage…he deserves some painful euthanasia. Well written, it will appeal to individual readers and book clubs alike with its subject as it is just a fascinating book. Highly recommended. #shortbutsweetreviews

BTW LinkedIn continues to refuse to link (ironic) ... but posted there as well