Q&A with Kim Mager, co-author of A Hunger to Kill
By Lisa Pulitzer
July 24, 2024
A Hunger to Kill is a fascinating and profoundly chilling account of how Detective Kim Mager, a real-life version of Clarice Starling, closed in on—and broke—one of Ohio’s most infamous serial killers, Shawn Grate. Read on for co-author Lisa Pulitzer’s interview with Det. Kim Mager.
Lisa Pulitzer: What was the hardest part of writing your first book?
Kim Mager: In attempting to be authentic, I had to revisit every part of the case, including going to the crime scenes. I can’t say I’ve ever forgotten the majority of the case facts but part of my research was listening to the recordings of my eight interviews of Shawn Grate. During those interviews, I had a surreptitious recorder on my body and it picked up the sound of my heartbeat. Hearing that was surreal. The most difficult part of this project was trying to be respectful of the victims. I hadn’t intended to write a book until a victim’s family member approached me about how her loved one was being incorrectly described by some. I wanted to tell the truth from my perspective and to honor the victims.
Pulitzer: What do you hope this book will accomplish?
Mager: I am hoping that people become more aware as a result of reading the book. These victims could have been anyone. I pray that someone who needs to come forward with information regarding any case will be encourage to do so. I hope law enforcement can learn from my take on the investigation, both where we got it right, and also, where we didn’t. If we don’t learn from the case, then what is our purpose?
Pulitzer: How did you prioritize your cases?
Mager: I was assigned many cases that didn’t require urgency. For those, there was an opportunity to devise an investigative plan. While working those cases, more urgent situations arose. Many of those cases required immediate attention. There’s a sort of perpetual triage occuring for all detectives. You work the less emergent cases, and when something time-critical arises, you change gears. I have always tried to stay up on my caseload because you never know what is going to arise next.
Pulitzer: How do you balance your home life with your work life?
Mager: I have children, and they are all active in sports and hobbies. Being their mother is a priority for me. Over time, I learned to be flexible. I cook meals ahead of time just in case I don’t make it home. If I work late, my kids stay up late, even on school nights. I’ve worked with amazing officers who have always been willing to trade schedules when I’ve had functions to attend. There have been many times that I’ve worked cases for a couple of days straight. When that happens, I plan special times with my family to reconnect. My husband is all-in with our kids and that has been immensely helpful.
Pulitzer: Do you believe that you are over-protective of your children, knowing what dangers lurk in the world?
Mager: I am protective of my kids. I’ve tried to keep them safe without hindering them while they mature. I have always worried that my kids would be impacted by my job. They have seen and heard so much, even though I’ve tried to shield them. Sometimes, when I fear their perspectives are being marred, I tell them that there are so many good people in the world, I just happen to deal with the few who aren’t. When I’m not working, I involve my kids in volunteering and I try to surround them with positives.
Pulitzer: What do you do to decompress?
Mager: I have investigated over 1,000 sex offenses and crimes of violence. I’m sad to say, I have never been debriefed. I learned later in my career that finding solitude is imperative. I found it by accident while taking a walk after a particularly difficult case. I find it crucial to my well-being to be able to process my thoughts. I make a point to reflect on the positives and count my blessings every single day. I love the little things in life and I’ve learned not to take them for granted.
Pulitzer: Being a woman, tell us some of the challenges you faced in your career in law enforcement.
Mager: When I was hired, there were very few female police officers. As a matter of fact, at my department, there wasn’t even a female locker room….we shared with the guys. When I started my career, I recall my dad telling me to work as hard as I needed to work to get the job done. My parents taught me to be self-sufficient and to never expect anything to be handed to me. For the most part, I was embraced as an officer. There were some barriers to break, but I was able to hold my own. I was quickly alerted to the physicality of the job and I worked hard to hone in on my communication skills, somewhat out of necessity. That ended up being my strongest asset as a detective during interrogations.
Pulitzer: What does the future hold for you? What are you hoping to do next?
Mager: Right now I’m dedicated to the A Hunger to Kill journey, and I’m super excited to see where it leads me. I feel so fortunate to be in a position to positively impact others. Beyond that, I’m in the research phase of another writing project.
About A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager with Lisa Pulitzer:
In this fascinating and 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 Ladykiller.” A key to his conviction and death sentence were Grate’s extensive recorded confessions—all extracted by one woman: Detective Kim Mager.
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, kidnapping, and multiple sexual assaults of women across Ohio.