Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Hunger to Kill:
A one-way love story.
Quick synopsis:
The story of how Detective Kim Mager helped put away an Ohio serial killer.
Fact for Non-History People:
From 1992-2019, Ohio has had 505 victims of serial killers.
Fact for History Nerds:
In that same time period, California leads the U.S. with 1,777 victims.
My Take on A Hunger to Kill:
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.)
Verdict:
Riveting. Read it. Buy it here!
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