This book was not terrible, but I just could not get into it. This was not what I expected. It took me a while to complete.

This gripping page-turner follows Capri Sanzio, a San Francisco tour guide specializing in the city's dark history of notorious serial killers, as she finds herself entangled in a present-day murder investigation with eerie ties to her own family's sinister past.

The foggy, brooding atmosphere of San Francisco provides the perfect backdrop as Capri, desperate for money to pay her daughter's tuition, decides to finally investigate her grandfather's decades-old murder conviction in light of a brutal new killing spree by a copycat. But when her former mother-in-law Sylvia turns up dead, Capri and her daughter suddenly become the prime suspects.

The author's meticulous research into real-life cases shines through, lending a disturbing authenticity to the story's twists and turns. Capri is a complex, relatable protagonist - an intelligent woman haunted by her family history who finds herself in over her head. The compelling dynamics between Capri, her troubled family, and the ghost of her notorious grandfather add rich emotional layers to the central mystery.

Fast-paced and cleverly plotted, "The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco" is an addictive thrill ride that will make you see the City by the Bay in a chilling new light. Chouinard has crafted a taut, satisfying puzzle of a novel that proves impossible to put down. True crime aficionados and mystery lovers alike will devour this bone-chilling page-turner. Highly recommended.

This was a cute, fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the story was unique. Even better to read ahead of an upcoming trip to San Fran!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I loved the premise of this book, as well as the first 50 pages of the book. However, it seemed to fall short for me. I felt like SO much of the book was about telling about research, but not showing any actual action. It also felt like the stakes weren't super high either. like it was all just a research project. I'm not sure why I should be caring about the people/ storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Not my usual style of book but the cover was just too good to resist! Shockingly I really enjoyed this book and loved the plot of it. The characters just flowed perfectly on the page and the overall book itself was wonderfully written. Thanks so much for letting me ARC!

3.5☆

I enjoyed this a lot! The writing was light and humorous while also keeping me intrigued in figuring out the mysteries. Even though I'd hate the matter at times, I loved all the drama and the mistrust. I was kept on my toes and the author kept me guessing and questioning my own theories. I just wished we'd gotten more about the podcast. I understand that wasn't the center of the book but I love books that include podcast excerpts and wished we'd gotten a little of that along with the alt chapters (which I found to be quite entertaining. I love little facts like that.). I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller that possesses a comedic element.

Thank you NetGalley for access to this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Capri Sanzio has eked out a career for herself giving walking and virtual tours of San Francisco's most notorious serial killers and their former haunts. And she's a bit of a subject matter expert, because she's the granddaughter of notorious serial killer "Overkill Bill" William Sanzio. So when a tech money San Franciscan socialite is found murdered in a copycat killing, Capri offers herself to the investigating detectives as a person who may have special insight into the Overkill Bill murders. But when a second murder victim is discovered, and it's Capri's ex-mother-in-law, she finds herself and her daughter at the center of the investigation...as prime suspects.

This is an easy, fun read for fans of cozy mysteries. It's a fascinating look at San Francisco history and landmarks through the lens of mayhem and murder.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

This was a really cute read. It got alittle hard to follow at some points but that could just be me lol!!! Really enjoyed the history lessons through out. Great story alot of twists and unexpected outcome!!!!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I do have to note that it was long but so so worth the read! From the very beginning I was interested and needed to keep reading to know more! The details of San Francisco and how it aligned with the tours just really set it apart - it made everything so much easier to visualize. I feel like relating to the Capri from the start was so easy - and trying to figure it out from her perspective was so enjoyable! I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book! I can't wait to buy the physical copy to add to my shelf!

I definitely was expecting a different tone from this- and the pace was incredibly slow. I don't think this book knows if it wants to be a serial killer horror novel or a tourist pamphlet for San Fransisco tourism.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance read! This story is about Capri, the granddaughter of famed serial killer Overkill Bill. As an adult, she now does tours in San Francisco based on various serial killer and serial killer adjacent themes. When women start getting killed and the MO is the same as her grandfather's (who she has always believed to be innocent), she decides she needs to solve the mystery of the killings and also absolve her grandfather's name. Before she knows it, she's wrapped up right in the center of the drama.

I actually enjoyed the slower pace of this book. There was a sense of multiple plotlines happening here, even though it all centered on Capri, and I think it needed to be laid out slowly and thoughtfully to make the story feel realistic. I felt some aspects of the narrative were throw-aways (for example, the podcast Capri sporadically records -- not necessary), but for the most part, everything hung together. The writing was great, which was a nice break from some of the more shoddily-thrown-together thrillers I've read before. I also experienced this more as a mix of a drama/thriller/whodunnit and less of one straightforward genre. I was pleasantly surprised that the ending was unexpected, somewhat complicated, AND explained in a manner that made sense -- rarely are you graced with all three. A couple minor complaints include 1) if it's not a love story, get rid of it, this always muddles up otherwise cool books with strong female leads and 2) the final "scene" was a little chaotic and I might have liked this actually expanded a little more, perhaps with Capri uncovering a little more of the mystery before the climax. I can easily get over these points, though. This is my first Michelle Chouinard book but I would love to explore more. Highly recommend!

I was expecting this book to be a little more quirky... Once again, I realize this is probably due to the fact that I only read the first line or two of the synopsis and largely choose books based on the cover/title...
I enjoyed the "tour" moments throughout and really great descriptions of areas in San Francisco.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Fransisco follows Capri, granddaughter of a convicted serial killer who is trying to both clear her grandfather’s name and solve a current case. This was a fun murder mystery with a side of family drama! I enjoyed following the investigation in real time but also diving into the cold case the book explores. The little tidbits about true crime that were added in between the chapters were a fun addition too!

Thank you for this Arc.

Loved the title, it was catchy, and the cover was eye grabbing.

By the blurb I knew I wanted to see what happened next.

It was a bit slow paced for me but I'm use to reading different paced books, but it was a good read.

Everything came together and solved in the end

Thank you for the opportunity to read this before publishing. The title is catchy and intrigued me immediately. As I was reading, I found the story moving slowly. Are we solving the grandfather's supposed crimes? Or are we solving the current murders? And what's with the tour business? Although we discover the answer to these questions by the end of the story, I wanted to see the connection earlier. This is just my expectations as a reader and not a reflection of the writing itself. I liked the characters and the setting.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one — it obviously isn’t a cozy mystery but it isn’t a fast paced action thriller either.

I really am loving seeing middle aged characters and Capri is just that. She’s a divorcee, has a kid in grad school and works as a crime tour guide in San Fran … oh and she’s also the granddaughter of an alleged serial killer.

The plot felt really dense at times and there were sections that I skimmed over but it did keep my attention enough to finish it. I just wish there was more anticipation for the ending, it seems like it missed the mark.

I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 57%. I really tried with this one. But I just felt like I had no desire to pick it up past the 100 page mark. I was initially intrigued by the synopsis as serial killers and mystery are some of my fav buzz words. The initial set up was good but then the overall story just started to drag. During the past week I’ve had to force myself to come back to it…leading me to my decision to just DNF it.

This reminded me a little bit of that movie Rumor Has It because of all the family drama and secrets! Yes, I realize these are two completely different since one is centered around a crime/murder, but just go with me! Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this one, I loved that as the reader, I was discovering everything with Capri, constantly shook with every new revelation. It was like we were in this together and I have to give kudos to the writing for making it feel that way. Even with all of the revealing things that came out, I never felt lost or confused on what was happening, if anything, I just wanted more drama! I also liked that Capri’s crush on the cop didn’t overwhelm or insert itself to much into the story, We stayed on track and I appreciated that!

Overall it was a great read! A morder mystery with family drama and some true crime facts creates for a fun and thrilling story and I’d definitely recommend!

I loved this book - binged it in a day! It was fun, witty, the whodunnit drama drawn out enough for interest, but not so much that it drug on. I enjoyed reading about characters NOT in their 20s/30s - 40 something’s can be MCs too. I wasn’t able to guess the culprit(s) ahead of reveal and I’m so thankful this was a novel and won’t be extended; I like when things all wrap up at the end of a book.