The serial killer guide to San Francisco is the perfect little mystery book to keep you hooked from the very beginning. It is funny mystery story that will keep you entertained and wanting more! I thought it was very unique. I have never read anything like it before. So this was very refreshing. I already recommended this book to a few people, including my daughter who loves a good mystery!

I really enjoyed this serial killer murder mystery. It was definitely more cozy and than thriller (odd to say about a serial killer book..buy hey). I also liked learning about the history of the city. This book held my attention and I am glad I got to read an ARC of it.

The history of San Francisco is chock full of serial killers and no one knows this better than Capri Sanzio. She actually has first hand-experience with one, her grandfather was Overkill Bill Sanzio whose murder method was clubbing, choking, and stabbing his victims-thus the Overkill nickname. Since her lifelong interest in serial killers had piqued the imagination of the public, she decided to monetize her hobby and run actual tours, in person and over Zoom, to the locations and prisons involved in the murders. However, she was never convinced that her grandfather was guilty, even though her father vehemently agreed with his sentence. But her research was kicked into high gear when two killings in the present took place using the same overkill method and one of the victims was her snooty ex-mother-in-law. Was she or her daughter being framed for the murders? Were her former husbands' parents not as wealthy as they seemed to be? Is her daughter lying to the police about her whereabouts the night of the killing? And can she solve these crimes before Petito, that cute police examiner, shows her another historical prison-this time from the inside.
This was a fun ride through the history and streets of San Francisco-Chouinard did a good job of mixing travelogue with mystery and using her obvious love of research to direct readers to clues needed to solve the crimes in the past and in the present. Next time I'm in the City by the Bay, I'll remember to watch my back.

This was an enjoyable read! I found myself turning the pages eager to find out what may happen next. As a fan of television like Criminal Minds and NCIS I enjoyed the way this plot unfolded.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at around 30%.. The premise was very interesting but I didn't feel any personality coming from the characters or writing in order to hold my interest in the story. What I did read, I would rate about 3 stars.

Capri is the granddaughter of the serial killer, Overkill Bill. She believes that he’s innocent and could never hurt the woman that he’s being accused of murdering, but his signature kill and the witnesses accusations were enough to put him in prison for life.

Capri makes a living by giving serial killer tours throughout San Francisco to give tourists a better understanding of the areas and the heinous crimes that happened there. One day her college age daughter, Morgan, calls frantically to tell Capri that her grandmother cut off her college tuition which infuriates the both of them. When Capri arrives at her ex mother-in-laws house, she quickly learns that her mother-in-law, Sylvia, has been murdered. In fact, she was murdered the same signature way that Overkill Bill murdered his victims. Capri must find out who the copycat murderer is before it’s too late!

To say I loved this would be an understatement, I INHALED this true crime inspired debut novel! It wove a murder mystery and a cold case investigation together into the main characters life that kept me immersed in the storyline and I couldn’t put it down. Although all the characters were lovable; Capri was quirky, fun, and I couldn’t get enough of her bubbly personality.

The setting was the real highlight of this book. I loved learning all about San Francisco. This was a cute murder mystery.

This was such a fun read. I enjoyed it so much from the very start to the very end. And what a great cover. So cute!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco kept my attention from the very beginning. I love cozy mysteries, especially one that makes me giggle while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This was a fun mystery but there were quite a few plot holes that were hard to get past. It was still a fun read, just hard to seem believable.

This was a really great mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed Capri looking into her Grandfathers case and how that unfolded with trying to figure out who was doing the copycat killings. The excerpts of parts of the tours she does was really interesting and the interaction with her and the main detective was great. She just kept inserting herself in the case and looking for clues and then just taking it to the police like I already checked this out but here it is for you guys to look at now. All in all, this was a really fun mystery and a fast read.

Thanks to Minotaur and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I lived in the bay area for eight years so this story really resonated with the descriptions of San Francisco and Alcatraz. I like the pacing of this book in the light hearted Capri amidst the dark storyline of serial killers and unraveling the truth. I liked this author‘s steady pacing. Capri gives tours about a serial killer and a copycat killer shows up and capri finds herself in the middle of this case. The storyline here has a few twists and turns but is very straightforward to follow.

I love the cover art And would definitely read more from this author.

I thought this was such an interesting plot! Most books you read about serial killers are dark and disturbing, but this found a way to be light and enjoyable. There were some parts I struggled with...I felt like sometimes the descriptions about Sylvia's business dealings or the talk about technology got a little too complicated for me to follow. It definitely could have been pared down a little. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book, and I was kept guessing the whole time. I did not get the killer correct in either case, which is rare! I do wish her name was not Capri! That really took me out of the story at times.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I never thought I would come across a light, fun serial killer story. I found this to be a lot different than the usual true crime stories I read and watch. Capri was such a funny characters and the premise of the serial killer tours was genius. I feel like the plot in this book definitely could've been expanded, but I enjoyed the premise and the quirky characters. San Fran was the perfect backdrop for this story and it was fun having the city as almost another character.

The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she’s the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. She’s always believed in his innocence, though she's never taken the leap to fully dive into the case.
But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri’s daughter’s tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill—documenting the process with a podcast and a book—and hopefully earn some money.
Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat’s latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police’s investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects.

Title and cover sucked me right into this one. I needed a fun read to break up the typical murder mysteries that I read. While this technically is a little murder mystery, it was just the genre I needed. It's quirky, it's fun; I found myself laughing out loud at some parts. On the flip side, it does seem to drag a bit. I wish it were a bit shorter and/or paced faster. I'm excited to see what this author has in store in the future. Thanks NetGalley & publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this one immensely, even though I don't often read or consume true crime/mystery media. Capri is a charming character and easy to like. Since I also live in the Bay Area, but not in San Francisco proper, I enjoy the tours around San Francisco famous tourist spots, and the little digs towards the SF vieux riche vs Silicon Valley noveau riche.

- Overall I loved the concept of this book. I was hooked in the beginning but found myself questioning which mystery was the main story of the novel. I thought that there would be more detail in the serial killers that were in San Fran, but it only had a few snippets of that sprinkled throughout the book.
- Quickly wrapped up in the last 3 chapters or so, with a dramatic flare that I appreciated because it did lack a little bit of lustre throughout.

3.5/5 stars only because I feel like it had a lot more potential to be more.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press & Minotaur Books for the ARC

This book was slow for me to get into but I really enjoyed the pacing, the depth of the characters and how the author wove the story together!

The first in a brand new series.
I'll admit I do enjoy an amateur detective with a touch of romance ( or hint of) added to the mystery it makes for a lovely cosy read.

I enjoyed getting to know Capri- granddaughter of the Serial killer Overkill Bill, and getting to understand her background.
After her ex mother in law is murdered in the same way, her grandfather supposedly killed his victims, and when she's named as one of the suspects, she starts researching and investigating. She has always believed he was innocent. The mystery unfolds from there....

I look forward to reading more of the main characters from this book and seeing where their stories go.

Capri Sanzio has been interested in serial killers since she was a kid and found out her grandfather was in prison as a condemned serial killer. When she divorced her wealthy husband, she needed a way to make a living, and came up with the idea of giving serial killer tours of San Francisco. She’s always thought her grandfather was innocent, but at the time of the murders, DNA and other tools used these days weren’t available. Her father would never talk about it, presumably because he was so ashamed of being associated with evil.

When her ex-mother-in-law Sylvia abruptly stops paying for Capri’s daughter’s schooling, Capri decides to increase her income by doing a podcast and writing a book about her infamous grandfather, hopefully exonerating him. When a wealthy society woman ends up dead using the same MO as her grandfather, Overkill Bill, there is renewed interest in the case as a copycat since William Sanzio is dead. When Sylvia ends up killed also with the same MO, police focus on Capri and her daughter. Determined to clear her name and ensure her daughter is safe, Capri works with police but also does quite a lot of sleuthing on her own.

This is a fun mystery as we solve the case along with Capri. Also, I love San Francisco, and even if much of this highlights the seedy underworld of bad guys, it’s also an ode to a great city.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which releases September 24, 2024.