Julie's Reviews > A Hunger to Kill

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 is a 2024 St. Martin’s Press publication.

This book doesn’t read like most true crime stories. This is a first-person narrative from the perspective of Kim Mager, the investigator who conducted the interviews and interrogations of the serial killer-Shawn Grate- in Northern Ohio, in 2016.

He was initially brought in for a kidnapping and rape charge after his victim escaped. Little did Kim know, at the time, that this interrogation would morph into the horrifying realization that she’s sitting across the table from a serial killer…

A good police interrogation can be riveting on television or in books. They have the benefit of an author’s finesse, a screenwriter’s talent for creating an atmosphere, a knack for drawing in the audience, as well as a professional group of actors portraying the good and bad guys effectively.

In real life, watching enough true crime and recorded interviews with suspects, it’s not always as suspenseful. In some cases, it’s straightforward- sometimes it challenges our ideals of ethical tactics- But, sometimes the detectives manage to set clever traps that lying criminals step right into- but they are rarely as spit and polished as they are in fiction…

Which is something you’ll want to keep in mind before you start reading this book. I found it fascinating to hear a firsthand account of how Mager handled her interview with the suspect. She had to glean specific details from him, see if he would lie, if she could also get him to open-up about a missing woman that might be connected to him, all while building his trust in her. Tricky. Not sexy, though- like on TV. Still, as the events unfolded and Mager and others working the case began to realize the situation they were dealing with, the narrative could be quite chilling.

The problem, I think, is that the interrogations were written out a bit like a police report- or transcript one might use in court. While the information is horrifying- and Mager is obviously very good at her job- it’s too dry to capture the dark, gritty reality of what was transpiring in that interview room, and some readers might struggle with the sparseness of the writing.

That said, Mager did a great job dealing with Grate, drawing him out- despite some of his creepy mind games. The case is more than unsettling, and I thought Mager handled things just an officer should- though there were a few times when, like some her colleagues, I thought there were some risky tactics employed- but thankfully no one was hurt… or worse.

An investigator, as Kim Mager is, does not typically add profiling to their list of duties- and Kim, frankly, didn't have time for that stuff- though she was pretty skilled at deaing with Grate on a psychological level. This all transpired in a relatively short period of time, and frankly, I’m amazed that she managed to get Grate to confess- and uncover the truth of what happened to several missing women in that short time frame.

Five murders solved- and justice served- I'd say that was more than a little impressive.

But this is also a personal story- Mager’s family and her community were all affected by this case and forever changed by it.

I think if you want an up close and personal look at how these things work in real life, this is a fine example of a day in the life of an investigator… not one who plays one on TV or a part of an author’s imagination- it’s real life and reads as such.

Is it the most polished book? No, the writing is raw and I stated earlier, it's a sparce, no frills account- no long unnecessary pontifications, or sermons- no in-depth analysis or profiles of fellow officers, no fillers- and no intention of adding entertainment value to the story- just a straightforward testimony of a law enforcement officer recounting a horrifying and notorious murder case, the art of interrogation, and a job well done - without all the self-glorifying ego- which, frankly, I found refreshing.

3.5 stars