The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco flow Capri, a middle aged mom who runs a tour company around serial killers in San Francisco. Capri is in the unique place to run these tours because she is the granddaughter of a San Francisco serial killer. One night a murder takes place that seems to be a copy cat of her grandfather. This triggers a plan write a book and make a podcast about her grandfather's murders and explore if he was innocent or not. In an unexpected twist, the copy cat hit close to home and Capri becomes more directly involved in the current investigation.

This was an interesting take on this style of novel and I really liked the weaving in of really killers and the locations in San Francisco. If you are into this type of novel give this one a try. It was a good paced, solid mystery, thriller that is the good setup for what will be an on going series focused around Capri.

A sharp, engaging mystery set against the eerie backdrop of San Francisco’s true crime lore. The story follows Capri Sanzio, owner of a serial killer tour company, whose grandfather—an alleged killer—may have been wrongly convicted. When new murders copy his infamous style, Capri dives into the case to clear his name. The novel blends dark humor, family secrets, and a dash of historical intrigue with fast pacing and strong character work. It’s a smart, twisty read for fans of quirky crime fiction.

This one was so fun and quick! It read really well and was a perfect mystery without leading into the thriller genre. I can’t wait to read the next in this series.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was an okay read for me. It was entertaining, but I just really couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. Honestly, and I don't say this often, I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I listened to it instead of reading it on my Kindle.

I did like the true crime aspect, and ownership that Capri took regarding the things her grandfather was convicted of doing. There were definitely some entertaining parts, but the pacing really killed it (haha) for me. The beginning was good but then it just started dragging.

By all accounts, this should have been a great read. I loved the inclusion of San Francisco history and some serial killer facts, but overall, this didn't work for me on a lot of different levels. It felt like a slog to get through (even though it wasn't very long), and the tone just felt off in a lot of places. I think the writer was going for cozy mystery, but the nature of the deaths and some of the themes felt really heavy to me. This led me to feel like I shouldn't laugh at the humorous parts, which ended up making the entire book feel odd. I also kind of hated the ending. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the pay-off just didn't feel earned when I got to the conclusion. Maybe these types of books just aren't for me, but I don't feel the need to keep going with this series.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

I really enjoyed this. It was fun and suspenseful. The character development was great. I recommend it!

I loved this! This was such a fun read and I think if I listened to the audiobook version, it would be much better. The cover is what initially caught my eye but the synopsis sealed the deal. A tour that covers the city’s notorious serial killers? Sign me up. I loved following Capri’s POV and unraveling her family history while also trying to prove herself innocent after her mother-in-law turns up dead!
I’d be lying if I said it didn’t drag for me at times but it would quickly pick back up once I got more into it.
It was giving me Finlay Donovan vibes which I enjoy as I can see this being a fun series and the mysteries that Capri could solve could be endless.

I don't know what I expected from The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, but this was not it. I want more of the touring aspect and the grandfather's plotline. The story was fine, and I know several people enjoyed this, but I thought the author tried to incorporate too many plot points. It resulted in clunky pacing, and I lost interest at several points in the book. Also, I can't believe I am saying this, because this usually bugs me, but there needed to be more suspects or red herrings. It was too easy to figure out who the culprit was.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a creative and captivating murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. The storyline is well crafted, blending family drama with suspenseful twists and turns that kept me hooked from start to finish. The book is an entertaining read, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy for an honest review.

Note to self: Pay a little more attention to book blurbs instead of just looking at a cover and thinking, "Oh, this will be a cute mystery romcom!" It was not a romcom. Nor was it very cute, as there were a lot of descriptions about serial killers—Michelle Chouinard did a lot of research into them, which I found very interesting. THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO has a good mystery in it. I had a lot of fun reading and trying to solve it with Capri Sanzio, the FMC.

I enjoyed the book so much because it reminded me of THE VACATION MYSTERIES by Catherine Mack and the FINLAY DONOVAN series by Elle Cosimano. Both are fun and a little intense, and there's always a surprise at the end, just like this book was! I found this book to be slightly heavier and a little darker than the other two series, but I still laughed, and I'm happy there will be a second book!

I read and listened to it. Reading with my eyes was wonderful, but listening to the book was exceptional! Stephanie Németh-Parker was an excellent narrator as Capri and all the background voices. Definitely recommend listening if you can't decide!

Thanks, Minotaur Books, for the arc!

Content warnings: murder, death (graphic descriptions), classism, infidelity, gaslighting, familial death

Mother of one and the granddaughter of a serial killer, our heroine is in her perfect job as a tour provider for Serial Killers of San Francisco”.
Then her ex mother in law and another woman are killed using very similar methods as the ones purportedly used by her grandfather. OVERKILL BILL.
She becomes involved in an attempt to solve the crimes when the police name her and her daughter as potential suspects.
A very good, relatively short novel with all the parts one requires in a mystery .
Very enjoyable, with the ends tied neatly at the ending. Enjoyed this very much.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC.

I thought this story was pretty fun. The mystery/crime was a little underwhelming. I really liked the main character though she kind of reminded me of Finlay Donovan, who I love, so that was super fun! However I wasn’t super into this story as a whole and found myself a little bored with it. But, overall it was an enjoyable experience. *I ended up doing the audio version of this story. The narrator was excellent!

This book description grabbed me right away and I was eager to dive in, unfortunately it just fell flat for me and didn't grab my attention. I think there was just too much plot for one book.

I was so excited for The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. It had to much going on at once. I found it hard to stay connected to both cases at the same time. For that reason I will be dnfing this one 50% in.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was really interesting.
It was slow to start, but then i got invested!
I liked how there were two mysteries to solve instead of the usual one.
I also didn't really expect the first killer, so that was interesting.
I also really liked that the main character was the supposed granddaughter of a serial killer. It made for an interesting POV. I also liked how she gave tours regarding serial killers and crimes.
The romcom lover in me also appreciated the smidgen of romance at the end!
Overall, it was an interesting book, and I would definitely recommend it!

Capri Sanzio runs a tour company specializing in San Francisco's dark history of serial killers, a topic close to home as she's the granddaughter of convicted killer "Overkill Bill." When a copycat murderer emerges and her daughter's grad school funding is cut off, Capri decides to investigate her grandfather's case, hoping to turn it into a profitable true crime podcast and/or book deal. But before she gets far, police discover another copycat victim—and suddenly Capri and her daughter become prime suspects in the copycat killings.

I flew through this book! I kept forgetting I was reading an e-book and would repeatedly go to Libby to start the audiobook version (which I don't have)—a testament to how engaging the story was. I think it would be fantastic as an audiobook with the right narrator!

This felt like a faster-paced cozy mystery with sequel potential (one is already coming later this year). It was refreshing to encounter a cozy mystery set in a large city with an entrepreneurial female main character in her 50s. While I enjoyed Capri's interactions with her coworkers Ryan and Heather, they seemed primarily there to move the plot along and provide explanations for the reader's benefit. I would have appreciated more depth to these supporting characters, though perhaps we'll get that in future installments.

I'd recommend this book for fans of Simone St. James's "The Book of Cold Cases" (though The Serial Killer Guide isn't as spooky) and Benjamin Stevenson's "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone." It's perfect for readers who enjoy true crime elements mixed with mystery and family secrets.

Big thanks to Michelle Chouinard, Minotaur Books (St. Martin's Press), and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I liked this book. The combination of the murders from the past and the murders from the present made for a fun read! The plot was a little slow, but the likable characters kept me engaged in the story to the end.

This was a fun read! I liked the mystery and the true crime feel to it. It’s a pretty quick read that kept me interested to see how the mystery would play out.

3.75 rounded up!! This was a quick and fun crime story, and while I don't want to call it "cozy," it was definitely more light-hearted than your typical mystery. As an amateur sleuth, Capri was very likable, and her progression throughout the story was realistic and well-paced. The stakes felt appropriate and held my interest consistently from start to finish!

While not as funny, I'd recommend this to fans of the Finlay Donovan series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a DRC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. We follow a woman who is the granddaughter of a famous serial killer. She gives serial killer tours of the city and she is trying to reexamine her grandpa's case because she thinks he is innocent.

This book sounded right up my alley but it just didn't keep my attention. I felt so bored throughout and nothing was really going on. The pacing was just off as well.

I hope others love this one.