Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book was SO FUN! It really does make you think about what happens to the family of a serial killer. How do they live with the trauma and notoriety of having a family member who has committed these atrocious crimes? In this story Capri is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer. She doesn't believe that he committed the crimes but her father has never let her speak about the murders or her grandfather. When a copy cat murder occurs decades after the original crimes and after many of the key players (detectives, witnesses, grandfather) have passed. Capri knows there is a connection to the original murders. As the granddaughter of the original murderer she is considered a suspect. Setting out to find out the truth about the past murders and the current one, Capri is racing against the clock. Its a fun read that will consume your entire day (and you won't regret it).

Summary: Capri Sanzio runs her own tour company giving tours of San Francisco with a focus on the city’s history of serial killers. Years before, Capri’s own grandfather was convicted of being a serial killer, known as Overkill Bill, although Capri believes in his innocence. A copycat killer has recently struck the city, copying Overkill Bill’s pattern, and bringing up unpleasant memories for Capri’s family. In a terrifying turn of events, Capri’s former mother-in-law Sylvia becomes a victim of the serial killer. Although Capri has a generally cordial relationship with her ex-husband and his wealthy family, she and Sylvia have never really gotten along well, and unfortunately Sylvia had cut off payments to Capri’s daughter Morgan only the day before. Now Capri and Morgan are the focus of the police investigation, while Capri scrambles to figure out who the copycat is before they strike again.

Thoughts: This was such a creative and fun novel, and I enjoyed reading it so much! As a reader who has explored San Francisco and really loved the city, I appreciated seeing the landmarks and history of the city incorporated into the story. The historical serial killers associated with the town are also interspersed throughout the novel, which adds to the atmosphere and mystique of the famed city. It is also interesting to follow the two investigations which are woven together – while the police are only focused on the present day killer, Capri is convinced there is a link to the past and is determined to figure out who the real serial killer was and why her grandfather took the blame. I also enjoyed the way the author made history and tradition omnipresent in the novel, not just through architecture and historical events, but also in the prevailing attitudes about class structure and wealth in the city. It was a fascinating and fun read – highly recommended to any mystery or thriller fan.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard
Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker

While this story mentions serial killing in the title, has serial killers in the book, and has a main character running a business giving online and in person serial killer tours through San Francisco, it really is a cozy mystery. Capri Sanzio is the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. Her dad will never discuss his late murderous father with her but she probably knows as much as anyone about her grandfather and his crimes. Afterall, serial killing is her business.

When a woman is killed in what looks like an Overkill Bill copy cat manner, Capri and her family are open to unwanted attention. Then, when someone close to Capri is killed in the same manner, all the sudden Capri and her college age daughter are considered suspects. Never mind they actually do look a bit suspicious, Capri is going to insert herself into the case because who better to prove her innocence then Capri. And she hopes her daughter isn't a killer, of course she's not a killer, but why is she acting suspicious? Actually, a lot of people could have a motive for the second killing. Let's just bend a few laws then, that's better than being wrongly accused for something she didn't do. Not only that, Capri doesn't think her grandfather did all those murders decades ago. So many mysteries, so many ways for Capri to dig a deeper hole for herself.

IF Capri can figure all of this out, a podcast and book would go a long way to helping to pay for the rest of her daughter's graduate degree. The story really is cozy, Capri is very sensible, well organized, and has great friends to help her hack, I mean crack, stuff and encourage her. And the detective on the case, the one who thinks Capri is a murderer, is nice looking, very polite and interesting. I alternated between reading the ebook and listening to the audiobook, a great choice when in waiting rooms (ebook) and on the treadmill (audiobook). The narrator did a fantastic job on all the voices, everyone had a distinct sound and all the men actually sounded like men. I'll be sure to listen to her narrations again.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is a thrill ride through San Francisco.... and its murders. Capri is juggling her serial killer tour business, her daughter's pending tuition payment, and her grandfather's continuously looming murder legacy. Now there's someone copying the crimes her grandfather was punished for, targeting Carpri's mother in law. If she wants to keep herself and her family out of jail, she'll need to solve the case, and maybe she'll be able to find out what happened all those years ago as well.

I liked the concept of this book a lot- it was semi predictable at times but nothing I couldn’t look over in order to see the plot for what it was.

Capri has lived her entire life in San Fransisco, so she knows a lot about the crime that has made the city what it is. She also knows because her grandfather was one of the most notorious serial killers in the area as well. This book takes us on a tour of the city just like Capri does for work (tour guide of famous crime stomping grounds) all while a copy cat is in her midst.

Not only does this book provide us with a murderous undertone which was far darker than what I expected, it also gives us little history blurbs, just like Capri’s tours do. Honestly it made me want to go on one of Capri’s tours 🤣. A little bit of a predictable ending, but definitely not the cozy mystery I thought it would be. Unexpectedly juicy!

I judged a book by its cover and snagged this E-ARC and am so glad I did! I really enjoyed this one and absolutely love this cover!!

Capri is the granddaughter of a famous serial killer who finds herself in the midst of an investigation of copycat killer. With suspicion on her and her daughter she deep dives into the murder of her mother in law. This was such a fun family drama murder mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books publishing for an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

A great mashup of real life San Francisco area murder history and a suspenseful modern day killer, putting the tour guide (whose grandfather was an alleged serial killer) under suspicion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting and compelling murder mystery where the main character not only solves two recent murders, but also manages to suss out the identity of a cold case murderer.

This was a fun read that kept my mind engaged. The story was compelling. And I loved all the interesting tidbits of San Francisco history. It made me homesick for the Bay Area.

3.5 stars

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I absolutely loved the premise, but the pace was slower than I preferred, and I struggled to maintain interest at some points. The quirkiness and humor were a hit for me, although the ending wasn't really a mystery. Still a fun read.

4 🌟

Do you ever want to pick up a lighter book that's not a predictable romcom?! If so, this is your book!

This mystery was fast paced and hooked me right away. I enjoyed that Capri was trying to solve both the current case and a cold case involving her grandfather. I think the only thing that would have made this book better is multiple POVs (,possibly the detective working on the case?! 😍).

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed in parts of it. I enjoyed following the "guide" in this book to all the ghost places. I would recommend this book to my family and friends.

I was super intrigued by the title, the premise, and the cover, so I was excited to receive a copy from NetGalley for review. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. It’s more mystery than thriller, and it drags on a bit at times.

This is a beautifully detailed journey of a woman ( love over flirty main characters that are funny with food quirks)finding herself by examining the ones around her and the ones that came before. Capri (beautiful name right?) is related to a notorious serial killer ( her grandfather that she believes to be innocent), and has made a touring business of the past murder scenes (couldn’t be me but maybe if I lived in SF)
However, it looks like a copycat killer is currently on the loose and making Capri and her teen daughter suspects (Is this a cozy murder?) I would say probably but with a complexity I wasn’t expecting. I loved these characters and the attention to detail (this could be a really great series!) I hope to read more from this author and hopefully this universe. Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me a preview of this book in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend pre ordering (if you see this in real time) this delightful story.

This is a perfect late summer mystery! It's a little bit cozy with a little bit of thriller, and so much sass. The main character, Capri, is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer, Overkill Bill. She's spent her whole life wondering if her grandfather was really guilty, but never had the chance to dig in deeper. Then a woman is killed by an Overkill Bill copycat. This spurs Capri to start looking at her grandfather's case again.
I know what you're thinking, how can a book with a serial killer be a cozy mystery? Everything intense happens off-page, so there's no graphic descriptions, and Capri is anything but a police detective. Instead, she's the quintessential scrappy, DIY gal with a gut instinct and a determination to find some answers.
Capri also has the fun group of friends that band around her, from her best friend from school to their lovable nerdy coworker who just happens to know how to hack everything. Their camaraderie and slice-of-life moments at their shared job, a tour of San Francisco serial killers, is the humor needed to offset any intensity in the book.
My only issue with the book was its pacing. As a rule of thumb, mysteries can move a little slower than thrillers, and this was no exception. It didn't bother me until l'd gotten to the halfway point. Then there were so many things going on, but the characters were still taking things extremely slowly, with almost no build-up for absolutely insane plot moments! However, the ending was really well-done, and that canceled out most of my issues.
I think this is a perfect summer read because it is cozy. It's not some huge, dramatic thriller that has your stomach turning and nightmares starting. Instead, it's a gripping but funny mystery with a sweetly wrapped up ending!
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a fun and cozy mystery novel! I enjoyed getting to dive head first into the chaos of Capri’s life as she works to solve not only the mystery surrounding her grandfathers (maybe wrongful?) conviction of being a serial killer, but the copy cat that is replicating those same string of murders that are hitting far too close to home.

The mystery itself was very well done and I didn’t see it coming at all. I genuinely thought it was so shocking and enjoyed the surprise at the end—not guessing a twist is a favorite thing of mine. The pacing did lend itself to be a bit of a slower moving book, but I didn’t end up minding that too much as things picked up half way through.

The side characters were just as fleshed out as the main, and I loved getting to know them all! When I finished this, I immediately ran to see if this was going to be a cozy series. Fingers crossed!

I love that this book ties in an old murder mystery with a new one! This book stands alone and resolves both mysteries but I wish it would become a series.

Thanks so much St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC! This book was such a fun journey! I felt like there were a good amount of twists and turns, mystery and it was paced really well. I thought the main characters in this book were great. It was such an easy read that I think anyone would enjoy.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I liked the idea of this story being that her grandfather was a notorious serial killer and the book is about her trying to figure out if he was really guilty or innocent. I find myself getting a bit annoyed with her (as I do with most amateur detectives) that she puts herself in danger, but I guess the book needs it. I also liked the tour guide aspect of the main character since my family usually does take local tours on vacation.

This was fun! A little bit too long, but fun!

I liked Capri, she made me laugh. In a book of serial killers and the darker sides of San Francisco, she brought some light and life to the story.

It was a pretty solid amateur detective book, I hope there is a series from this one.

I recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I DNF at 30%. It had a great premise but it wasn’t holding my attention and I had no desire to keep trying after a week. It was feeling a little slow with irrelevant details; some reviews confirmed that so I decided to move on,