The granddaughter of serial killer finds herself in the crosshairs of a police investigation when a copycat killer starts working the San Francisco streets. Sometimes a title is all it takes to draw one in and this was true for me. New to me author, Michelle Chouinard married a love for the city of San Francisco with a clever murder mystery and I was happy to be along for the literary tour.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was a blend of women’s fiction and murder mystery. The protagonist is a middle-aged divorcee who runs a boutique tour company taking her clients on a fun and unique tour of San Francisco by way of killer views and hot spots. Naturally, many of her clients are as intrigued by her status as the granddaughter of Overkill Bill as they are the locations associated with famous killers. It puts bread on the table and helps her daughter through college. In her spare time, she researches her granddad’s case and anything she can learn about serial killers because Capri doesn’t believe William Sanzio was guilty and wants to prove it someday in spite of her dad telling her to leave it alone.

Then, the copycat killings start including her ex-mother in law and old money San Fran socialite, cold as ice as long as Capri knew her.

From the fun occasional chapter interludes to share a ‘tour stop presentation’ and the tone of the writing to the fully-fledged and entertaining cast of characters including Capri (never call her Capricorn- hippy mother, nuff said), this was an entertaining murder mystery to read. It was cozy in tone and especially since Capri and her coworkers and the longsuffering homicide detective working the case all give her the lead. One of her coworkers is a really good tech guy (think hacker) and Capri herself is a trained journalist and researcher.

It’s not far-fetched that she can one-up the police effort- especially since she had a habit of pocketing evidence or sharing convos with some witnesses, and checking it out before turning it over to the police. This isn’t because she thinks the law officers are incompetent or corrupt, but because she has a real fear of them looking no further than her or her daughter who both have motive, means, and opportunity and she’s convinced that being innocent won’t help her any more than it did her granddad. As a reader, I could see her fear got in her way of seeing the true picture of how the detectives were actually working the case properly and by the book so everything would hold up in court afterwards.

I enjoyed that San Francisco and a bit of its culture and the characters were so fully developed and added a lot of layer to the solid mystery plot. I had no idea who was guilty until the pieces fell into place and it was fun to be along as Capri investigated.

All in all, this was a wonderful surprise and lived up to that original interest caused by the title. Definitely recommend to the mystery lovers.

Despite being about two serial killers’ exploits, The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is actually a very pleasant cozy mystery. Its setting in San Francisco is used almost like another main character so it is part travelogue too.

Capri owns a small business running tours featuring famous movie sites and serial killer haunts around San Francisco. Capri has always been interested in serial killers because her grandfather, William, died in prison years ago after being convicted of murdering three prostitutes in the 1950s. He was infamous for shooting, stabbing and slitting the throats of each of his victims earning him the nickname Overkill Bill in the press. However, he always insisted he was innocent.

Capri is divorced and her daughter, Morgan, is a grad student. Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, was paying for Morgan’s education until she cut her off one morning without explanation. A day later, Sylvia is dead, killed in the same manner as Overkill Bill’s victims. The police zero in on both Capri and Morgan as the most likely perpetrators. However, another recent murder with the same MO doesn’t quite fit their theory. Capri feels obligated to investigate both the spate of copycat murders along with the original Overkill Bill deaths as well.

Despite calling this book a cozy mystery earlier, The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is also a good challenge for armchair detectives. As the book goes on, many of the suspects are eliminated by Capri so time is of the essence to beat her to the two solutions. There are plenty of red herrings and dead ends waiting to trip you up. However, the clues are definitely there as well making this book a good fair play mystery. I highly recommend this great combination of two mystery sub genres. 5 stars! Hopefully, this will be the start of a series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

San Francisco—the land of fog, overpriced coffee, and… murder tours? Enter Capri Sanzio, granddaughter of serial killer “Overkill Bill” and your guide to all things macabre. Capri, bless her dark and quirky heart, runs serial killer tours around the city, which honestly feels like the most San Francisco thing ever. I mean, what better way to pay homage to your family history than to turn it into a tourist attraction? But of course, when a new Overkill Bill copycat emerges, Capri’s life starts to spiral faster than you can say “unsolved murder.”

Capri’s investigation into the truth of her grandfather's past is part crime thriller, part podcast pitch, and all delightful chaos. Just when things are getting good, though, Sylvia—the ex-mother-in-law—turns up as the copycat’s latest victim. Capri's now suspect #1, along with her daughter, and suddenly the family legacy is a lot less fun when you’re a prime suspect.

The story is funny, suspenseful, and more than a little ridiculous—in the best way possible. Capri’s podcast idea to exonerate her grandfather? Gold. Her decision-making skills? Questionable, but relatable.

To be honest—Capri’s life choices gave me second-hand anxiety, and I’m still not over the fact that Sylvia had the audacity to get murdered right after cutting off tuition payments. Talk about inconvenient timing. But hey, that’s what makes San Francisco’s killer charm so… killer.

Capri’s voice is sharp, sassy, and, let’s be real, way too calm for someone with a handsome investigator breathing down her neck. But the pacing is solid, the twists hit just right, and the city itself feels like a moody, slightly murderous character all its own. If you’re looking for a true crime novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers a fast-paced, unputdownable story, this book is for you.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco opens the way you’d expect any good murder mystery to open: with a murder. In this case, it’s a socialite named Katherine Harper, who is killed in one of the most gruesome ways imaginable on a foggy night in San Francisco.

It’s not her murder we’re immediately interested in, though. The novel by Michelle Chouinard combines three murder mysteries in one, wrapping it all up in some complex family drama.

Overall, this is a fun, quick read that makes you want to keep turning the pages, and it definitely has a few surprises.

**Full Review is available on eulaliemagazine.com**
https://eulaliemagazine.com/2024/09/the-serial-killer-guide-to-san-francisco-is-a-fun-atmospheric-thriller-book-review/

This was such a fun and clever mystery! I loved the concept of this book. The plot was so creative and different from any other mystery I’ve ever read. I was hooked on the story from the very beginning and could not put it down, excited to find out what happened next. Capri was a great main character, and I really liked that she was an older MC and a mom. I found her very relatable (other than being the granddaughter of a serial killer!), and I would love to see this book become a series. This is a perfect cozy mystery to snuggle up with this fall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nice little cozy mystery style book. Capri the FMC has a grandfather who was a serial killer and after her divorce she started up a tour guide business based on serial killers of San Francisco.
I found Capri to be a nice change of pace as an older woman with a grown daughter. Other than her, I struggled to connect with any of the main characters.
As it was, I had figured out part of the mystery very early on, which made the slow pace very difficult for me to stay enthusiastic about.
Over all not a bad read at all. A solid 3/5 stars from me.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

First off, thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This had been on my TBR for awhile and when I saw I was approved I was thrilled.

Let me just start off by saying this book was a delight from start to finish. I was hooked from the first couple of chapters and every chance I got to take a break during work to sneak a few more chapters, I did.

What do you get when a true crime tour guide who is the granddaughter of a notorious, convicted serial killer finds herself enmeshed in the middle of an investigation into a copycat killer? A copycat killer who just so happened to murder her detested mother in law? An intrepid amateur detective hell bent on clearing her name and her daughter’s and in the process reconciling a haunting family legacy.

Capri was a breath of fresh air and I was rooting for her the entire time. This book is more than just a mystery but also delves into the complicated nature of family relationships, legacy, and the meaning of justice.

This was a quick, light read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This is a fun book. I love the connection to Capri history. Having a character with a family member who is a known serial killer, who works in tours dealing with murder and death I think is quite fun. I enjoyed how Capri was able to do research into her family’s past along with figuring out what really happened to her mother-in-law. This book is just well written and a treat to read. Everything comes together nicely and the journey getting there is one worth taking.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Despite the title and the plot centering on the main character set on clearing her convicted serial killer grandfather's name, this is really more a quirky cozy mystery than a thriller. It was initially fast paced and drew me in quickly, but then got mired down in a long and complex explanation of fraud schemes and business failures that became boring.

The narrative is in first person point of view, Capri Sanzio, who leads tours of famous murder sites and crimes in San Francisco. She is fixated on proving that her paternal grandfather, William (Overkill Bill) Sanzio, did not commit the 3 murders that landed him in prison where he eventually died. Apparently, though, her family can't escape their violent destiny, and new questions arise when her ex-husband's mother, Sylvia Clement, is murdered. And the MO of the killing is a copycat of her grandfather's.

As I said, though occasionally light and humorous, there is way too much going on in the character's head and my interest waned as her whole amateur sleuthing became more convoluted. I also didn't appreciate the insta romance with the cop nor her business friends -- all stereotypical with, of course, the techy guy who can hack and crack.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator was OK with the lines she had to work with even though the character got on my nerves. She could certainly turn on the drama when necessary. This production could have benefitted from having a male voice cast as well.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing for the ARC of 'The Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco' in exchange for an honest review.
Always a comfort to plunge into a good solid whodunit, loaded up with clues, red herrings and plenty of suspects to consider. And this book even throws in a bonus whodunit as well, a long ago closed case with a personal connection to our main character sleuth.
And by no means your ordinary sleuth either. Capri Sanzio, a hard working single mom to college student Morgan,, conducts serial killer tours in San Francisco, a city whose chilly fogs and colorful history make a perfect backdrop. One downside - Capri must cope with her customers asking about her late grandfather, William 'Overkill Bill' Sanzio a convicted serial killer who died in jail still proclaiming his innocence.
While still hoping to start a podcast where she'll re-investigate and hopefully exonerate her grandfather, some dire events overcome Capri. After Capri's divorce from her cheating ex husband, Sylvia,, her imperious wealthy former mother-in-law continued to fund Morgan's tuition. But now Syvia, for reasons of her own, cut off the tuition payments. Then shortly after her contentious phone calls with Capri and Morgan, she's found brutally murdered, the second victim of a killer determined to copy 'Overkill Bill's exact methods. This naturally puts Capri and her daughter at the very top of the lead police detective's suspect list......so Capri launches her own amateur but surprisingly effective hunt for the copycat killer. .
Pure fun to read all the way, Lots of San Fran atmosphere, and entertaining byplay around Capri's relentless snooping that causes both amusement and exasperation in the detective who's officially in charge. And the expected, nail-biting killer-sleuth showdown is worthy of a Hitchcock movie. What more could you ask for in a mystery novel here the Golden Gate bridge looms nearby?

I enjoyed this novel because of the main character, Capri. Capri is a divorced woman with a grown daughter. She earns her living giving murder tours in San Francisco. She is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer, and someone is copying his murderous style. When Capri's former mother-in-law is murdered , Capri feels compelled to launch her own investigation. She wants to prove her grandfather's innocence and find her mother-in-law's killer. Interesting characters and great settings make this an entertaining mystery.

I would like to start by standing on my soapbox and begging everyone to stop naming books “xx guide to xx.” I HATE it. And yet, I still drank this one up because I love a serial killer story. Capri was a smart amateur detective who didn’t put herself in risky situations. Her tour team need their own book s because I ate up the chapters with them talking through their theories. I didn’t love the reveal but enjoyed what happened afterward. The audiobook was done well and the narration was perfect.

4.5 Stars
Capri became interested in true crime when she discovered her grandfather was convicted as a serial killer nicknamed: Overkill Bill. Her father has always refused to talk about it, and so Capri always did research under the radar. However, when a copycat emerges and Capri is implicated, she decides to investigate both cases, not only to clear her name and her daughter’s (also under suspicion), but also her grandfather’s.

I was a big fan of Capri, a hardworking single mother who turned her passion of true crime into a way to support her and her daughter, Morgan, now grown, by hosting tours that featured the history of crime and serial killers around San Francisco.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was superb! I was glued to the pages as Capri ferreted out clues and motivations both for the current murders and the past. I enjoyed her methodical approach to finding the killer and clearing her name. Capri ends up in danger by the end, and the mystery wraps up in a thrilling conclusion!

I also enjoyed the setting of San Francisco, mentions of film noir set in the city and some of its crime history! I hope we get more stories with Capri and Detective Pietro in the future! There are hints of a romance in the works and maybe they’ll work together solving crimes? *crosses fingers*

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to an audio version. I think you’d enjoy the story through either version. I’ve listened to and enjoyed Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration in the past and her excellent performance enhanced my experience! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

I was anticipating a different kind of read- I was thinking there would be more of the podcast and book investigating teamwork angle versus a lot of sole investigating narrated by her inner monologue. It felt really slow to me and it only sped up at the very end where everything got wrapped up neatly in a little bow with discovering who the copycat killer was and how was the killer her grandfather took the fall for.

I did like that Capri was an older MC who had a college aged daughter. I also enjoyed all the mentioning of various points of interests in San Francisco since we are planning a trip there in the future.



Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

Not my favorite mystery that I’ve read. The overall mystery and plot was interesting and had so much potential. However, it felt like so much information was being dumped and *so* many theories were being thrown together back to back that when the revelation finally came, it was anti-climatic. I will say that both reveals weren’t really what I was thinking would happen but it still fell kind of flat.

I liked Capri a lot. I like how dedicated she was to finding the truth about both the old murders and the present day ones. She was trusting when she shouldn’t be but also was not afraid to throw down for the truth.

I wish we got more of Morgan, especially with how her alibi was playing out. The other side characters were just kind of “eh”. I didn’t care for anyone too much. I do also wish we got more of Petito and wish he was more involved in Capri’s investigation. But I also get why he wasn’t.

Overall, wasn’t terrible but just fell kind of flat for me.

Capricorn (Capri) Sanzio runs a unique tour company, San Francisco Killer Crime Tours taking tourists to view sites where some of the more famous crimes have occurred. Coincidentally, her grandfather was convicted of being the serial killer, Overkill Bill, who died in prison years ago still protesting that he was innocent.

A woman is murdered in the same manner as those murdered by Overkill Bill, reinforcing Capri's believe that her grandfather was innocent. A second murder follows this time, the victim is Sylvia, Capri's ex-mother-in-law. Sylvia had just informed, Morgan, Capri's daughter, that she will no longer pay for her grad school. Now it seems, Capri and Morgan are suspects. Capri gets to work to clear the both of them and her grandfather. She uncovers family secrets along the way. Are these murders the work of the original Overkill Bill or a copycat?

This is a fun murder mystery. I found some parts slowed the plot down. The supporting characters were not developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for an ARC. The review is my own.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard was a fascinating read. In this thriller, we follow Capri as she navigates being the granddaughter of an alleged serial killer after a copycat appears and she’s thrown into the middle of the case.

I absolutely loved that we got to play detective alongside our MC and that we were uncovering details in real-time instead of a surprise reveal at the end.

There were some moments that felt a little dense with details—mapping out a tour of the city really dragged on too long—and there were so many characters to keep track of, but overall, it was very engaging.

MC having such a crush on the detective was so funny, too, like she full on forgot that she was a person of interest.

I have such a soft spot for San Fran, so getting to learn more about its history was also such a treat. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants a quick and light mystery.

In The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, Michelle Chouinard crafts a compelling mystery that blends the charm of the iconic city with the chilling legacy of its dark past. Capri Sanzio, the granddaughter of infamous serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio, navigates the unique world of serial killer tourism while grappling with her family’s history. The concept of using her lineage as a lens to explore San Francisco's notorious crimes is not only creative but also adds depth to the narrative. Capri's determination to prove her grandfather's innocence amidst the backdrop of a copycat killer keeps the tension high and the stakes personal.

Chouinard excels in creating a vivid sense of place, capturing the essence of San Francisco while weaving in elements of suspense and dark humor. The character dynamics, particularly Capri's interactions with her mother-in-law and daughter, add layers to her journey. While the plot occasionally feels a bit convoluted, especially with the intertwining timelines, it ultimately delivers a satisfying blend of intrigue and emotional depth. This book is a must-read for fans of quirky mysteries and anyone intrigued by the darker side of true crime, making it a standout in the genre.

After having tried a few ARCs similar to this one, I realize now that cozy murder mystery/amateur sleuth books are not for me. With that being said, if you do enjoy these types of books, this one is more unique than the others with the main character being the granddaughter of a famous serial killer. I did enjoy the writing style, but didn’t love the story line! Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for a review!

Capri makes a living giving guided serial killer tours of San Francisco. Ever since she found out her grandfather was a convicted serial killer, she’s been fascinated in the topic and the chance to maybe one day prove his innocence. When a copycat killer suddenly pops up in town, Capri dives back into all of those unanswered questions to figure out who was murdering in the past and also the present.

THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO by Michelle Chouinard pulled me in from the jump when we joined Capri on one of her infamous serial killer tours and found out her origin story - so so fascinating and I couldn’t wait to keep on reading!

The story did devolve a bit for me as the copycat killer emerged and we seemed to lose focus on both the tours and the Overkill Bill case - they became background players to a mystery that I found far less interesting.

This was overall and intriguing mystery, but based on the other elements within this story, I felt that it had the chance to be so much more!

A good debut from Chouinard, regardless.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: September 24