When I first read the synopsis of this one, I was really excited because San Francisco is one of my favorite cities to visit! This book had a great atmosphere in SF and I enjoyed the main character, but overall, I felt like this book was very greasy to know where things were headed. That wasn’t a dealbreaker for me though as it sort of felt like a cozy mystery for me, which I enjoy. Overall, an entertaining read, but not one of my top reads.

As the granddaughter of convicted serial killer Overkill Bill, Capri always believed her grandfather was innocent. When two women are killed, including her ex-mother-in-law, Sylvia, questions of a copycat killer haunt Capri and her family.

I was drawn to the description and San Francisco setting of this book. While the setting was fantastic and I loved the historical facts about the city, the actual murder mystery plot was too predictable for me and I was hoping for something a little bit different.

Majority of the book follows Capri as she tries to solve Sylvia’s murder, traveling through San Francisco and working for her tour company, it was enjoyable getting into the true-crime aspect, albeit a tad slow and repetitive at times. I’m recommending this book to fans of crime procedural and investigation themes, with a little side of family secrets. Overall a good read with an average outcome.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC copy of the novel.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is definitely the book for the true crime lovers. From family secrets to becoming too involved in a murder investigation, this novel explores one woman’s love for true crime and how family secrets can wreak havoc on a family for generations.

This is a fun new mystery set in a great city. The serial killer angle added some extra pizzazz to what would otherwise be a standard, but entertaining, mystery. The characters were likable and the storyline interesting. I look forward to the next in the series!

I loved this book, it was such a unique idea that worked seamlessly.
Capri is a serial killer tour guide in San Francisco. Her grandfather was a convicted killer so this fits perfectly. Her ex mother in law is murdered using the same MO as her grandfather. So naturally Capri has to investigate and find the killer for her family’s sake.

1 Star

Capri is the granddaughter of one of San Francisco’s most violent serial killers: Overkill Bill. While this has created some awkward moments in her life, it’s also what inspired her passion for true crime and her business giving serial killer tours in the city she loves. Still, Capri is convinced her grandpa is the killer everyone thinks he is. When a copycat killer comes up, it gives Capri the perfect opportunity to re-examine her grandfather’s case. That is until her mother-in-law is the next victim. Now, police are looking at Capri and her family as persons of interest. Capri is determined to figure out who the new Overkill Bill is before she’s prosecuted, and along the way figure out who the original Overkill Bill really was.

My main reason for giving this 1 Star is because it’s boring. All Capri does is drive around a lot and read files. We visited the same three locations a million times and it was starting to make me feel crazy. I was glad to have some reprieves when Capri would go scout new tour stop locations, but even then all she was thinking about was this murder. And the murder was not all that interesting. The recent victims were old rich ladies who hosted luncheons. And maybe it’s because I’m only 25 and not rich, but I didn’t understand half the things that Capri unveiled about her mother-in-law.

The murder mystery was mundane and I was desperate for a “b” plot to help break up the monotony. I guess technically there’s the “b” plot of unearthing the original Overkill Bill and then a little romance thrown in, too, but both of these were put on the back burner the entire novel. Then, during the last 20-ish pages once the “a” plot was wrapped up we see these other loose ends get dealt with too. The side characters didn’t even add anything outside the “a” plot, since they seemed to only exist to serve Capri. Her daughter and ex-husband were practically non-existent the entire time, and the co-workers/friends are overly eager to solve any problem Capri faces almost instantly.

The writing style also veered on the side of ridiculous, and not in a charming or campy way. Anytime a simile was used it was the most outlandish thing imaginable. Instead of something simple like, “The scents of basil, garlic, and oregano swirled around us,” the author takes it an unnecessary step further by adding, “like a heavenly olfactory hot tub.” WTf is an olfactory hot tub? Another example, instead of saying, “The circulatory of the logic has alway itched at me,” we add an unnecessary simile, “like a neverending case of poison oak.” As if the reader needs a mental image to being itchy. Last example, even though I could go on forever, it’s not just, “Thoughts whizzed and buzzed around my head,” we have the simile, “like a cloud of meth-infested bees.” The bees alone aren’t good enough, they need to be high on meth?! This book is in severe need of an editor to cut most, if not all, of these out.

I have so many other gripes, like Capri still being confused about the killer even after the person straight up says it and overused diet jokes that teeter on offensive, but I’ll leave it at that. Given this amazing title and intriguing premise, I was severely let down.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and engaging murder mystery that kept me turning the pages.

Capri's grandfather is the notorious Overkill Bill, but for as long as she's known about her grandfather's crimes, she has been convinced that he was innocent. Years after his death, a woman is brutally murdered using Overkill Bill's M.O. And then another, this time, Capri's monster-in-law. With the focus of the murders on her and her daughter, Capri knows it's up to her to find the killer and clear her grandfather's name.

As I said, this is a fun read. While the murders are dark, Capri is a ray of light and makes the story quite engaging. The cast of supporting characters kept the story fresh, and of course, the city of San Francisco is its own character here. Really recommend this to anyone who loves a good murder mystery that, while its subject matter is dark, manages to keep the whole thing light and refreshing.

THE SERIAL KILLERS GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO
Michelle Chouinard

Want to visit the West Coast and spend time with serial killers?

Capri gives tours of famous murder scenes and horror houses in various neighborhoods in San Francisco, California.

Her grandfather is the infamous William “OVERKILL BILL” Sanzio. She exploits this fact and uses it to her advantage at work.

One day a crime is committed that replicates her grandfather's murder techniques. A copycat is on the loose and Capri has no idea what to think.

When another body shows up that implicates her and her daughter in the crimes, Capri must find out who is committing the crimes. She might even be able to clear her grandfather's name of those old murders if she proves the copycat is the original.

Clearing her name might clear his name.

Reading THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO was like traveling through different San Francisco neighborhoods with true crime-tinted sunglasses on.

What a cool way to learn more about the history of San Francisco and how it's divided up, what several of the neighborhoods are known for, and what famous serial killers may have lived or killed there.

I read THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE on the day we were due to drive to San Francisco airport and it provided an immersive experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the advanced copy!

THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO…⭐⭐⭐

This was another book that I had selected from NetGalley based purely on the title or the cover of the book (a technique that I colloquially coin as "the raccoon principle"). I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and their publisher St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

The synopsis of this book is that the main character, Capri, is a single woman living in San Francisco who leads virtual and in-person tours to places in the city that have tie-ins to famous serial killers (with the tie-in being that her grandfather was jailed back in the 1960s for being one of these serial killers). She finds herself pulled into the investigation of a new series of murders as several socialites, including her former mother-in-law, are found dead in secluded parks in San Francisco using the same methodology as the crimes that her grandfather had been jailed for. Capri is relentless and once she set her mind to something she had to follow to the end. We follow Capri trying to clear her grandfather's name, who was a convicted serial killer, "Overkill Bill."

Honestly, I expected a bit more serial killing. But still, this was mostly an enjoyable read. This light-hearted thriller was both entertaining and easy to read. The characters were relatable, and the plot was engaging. With a premise like this, what mystery reader wouldn’t jump right in? Well, the plot is excellent, but the execution is not. This story has both has too much and too little going on at the same time. For example, there is over-explaining of technology: cloud services, memory cards, AI, and algorithms, and there’s a ton of detail when Capri does laundry or drives her car. The actual plot points are delivered with little detail. I expected a bit more serial killers and quite a lot of scandal.

I found that there were some parts of the book that I had to go back and re-read because some of her internal monologues were trying to piece things together that were a little hard to follow and a little hard to believe why she'd jump to certain conclusions.

Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars. I would recommend this book to friends who are not fans of intense and dark thrillers, as it serves as a great introduction to the genre.

As with most of my literary ramblings, these are a few my five cents worth.

Such a fun book! The setting of San Francisco felt like another character and it helped bring the book to life. Lots of twists and turns. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I was giving and advanced copy of this book for my honest review.
Do you enjoy a good mystery interwoven well with history and fiction? You will enjoy this book. The protagonist Capri is very relatable.I was definitely able to relate to her character and all that she was going through, minus having a family member as a serial killer. I enjoyed walking through her investigation of a copycat killer of her grandfather’s killings. The author Michelle really brought the story to life and left you guessing who the real killer is. Many times I thought I could guess only to find there was a lot of book left and so my guess could not be correct. I followed along with not only her journey to find answers but could really connect with her emotionally. Make sure you put this on your TBR pile for when it becomes published this fall.

I must admit that I was pulled into reading this book based on the book cover, because I do love both San Francisco and mystery books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, and thought it was well written. It was my first book by Michelle Chouinard.

Essentially there is a main character, Capri, who needs to quickly solve a murder mystery that directly impacts her family. Capri’s ex-mother-in-law has just been killed in the same style as three women were killed in the 1960’s, allegedly by Capri’s grandfather (“Overkill Bill”). The police have identified Capri and her daughter as potential suspects.

Honing her efforts to protect her daughter and herself, Capri begins to try to uncover clues about who might be motivated to kill her mother-in-law. Capri is resourceful, smart, and brave. The perfect armchair detective. How she deduces clues is interesting and fun to follow along.

Capri runs a business giving tours about San Francisco murders. She leverages her San Francisco knowledge, her work colleagues, and family to try to not only solve her mother-in-law’s murder but also work out details from her grandfather’s alleged crime to see how it might be related. The ending was not a surprise for me but I enjoyed the revelation nonetheless.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book has kept me intrigued and entertained from start to finish. Every plot point in the storyline left me hooked and I was very excited to read through it till the very end. I loved the characters and their personal stories as well that added to their development.

"The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco" offers a unique perspective on a woman's exploration of her grandfather's "alleged" crimes as a serial killer.

Right from the beginning, readers will feel connected to Capri. She's a cheerful native of San Francisco who has started a company that provides tours of locations associated with serial killers in the city. When faced with financial difficulties, Capri decides it's finally time to uncover everything she can about her grandfather's dark past.

This light-hearted thriller was both entertaining and easy to read. The characters were relatable, and the plot was engaging. Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars. I would recommend this book to friends who are not fans of intense and dark thrillers, as it serves as a great introduction to the genre.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book. Thank you!

It feels weird to call a book about a serial killer charming but this book was weirdly charming. I loved the main character and even laughed at a couple parts. I really loved this one!

Honestly, I expected a bit more serial killing. But still, this was mostly an enjoyable read. Capri was a great main character. She was funny, smart, and driven. I do think some of her internal monologues trying to piece things together got a little hard to follow as well as a little hard to believe why she'd jump to certain conclusions. All of the things discovered about Sylvia made me wish I was reading a story about her. What a fascinating, rich, secretive woman she was. I read this pretty fast but I also felt like the story dragged and that might have been because of Capri having to do her serial killer tours in between investigating. Which again, not enough about serial killers on a tour about them. Still, it was a fun murder mystery and the theories I had were wrong, which I always enjoy stories better when I can't guess the ending!

I enjoyed this book a lot! This book gave a suspenseful murder-mystery movie/tv vibes and I am here for it. If you're a fan of mysteries and who-done-it types, this is the book to read! This book got my attention because of the cover, not going to lie, but I stayed for the content! I felt like I was investigating along our main character Capri, which by the way is a unique and cool name. Capri is relentless and once she set her mind to something she had to follow to the end. We follow Capri trying to clear her grandfathers name, who was convicted serial killer, "Overkill Bill." While she's investigating someone starts killing in the same method her grandfather was accused of doing and their victim you may ask? Her ex-mother-in-law! Anyways, I could not put this book down! Definitely will recommend! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I enjoyed this mystery, and the quirky characters. The story started out strong and completely captivated me. It slowed down a lot towards the middle, and seemed to drag a bit, before picking up at the end. Overall, a good read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Capri does serial killer tours of San Francisco. The business supports her and her daughter, so it’s worth fielding a few questions about her grandfather, nicknamed Overkill Bill, to the tourists. However, when a copycat killer emerges, Capri realizes she’ll be a suspect, so she vows to do everything she can to solve the murders. With a premise like this, what mystery reader wouldn’t jump right in? Well, the plot is excellent, the execution is not. This story both has too much and too little going on at the same time. For example, there is over explaining of technology: cloud services, memory cards, AI, algorithms, and there’s a ton of detail when Capri does laundry or drives her car. The actual plot points are delivered with little detail. Good mystery novels allow readers to figure things out as they’re shown carefully crafted scenes. This book though just tells the reader everything. A complicated ending scene was even followed up with only a few short sentences that spell out that actually everything is okay, the bad guy was caught and all of the other bad is good now. It was infuriating. Unfortunately, this is just not worth the long time it takes to read.

This book was a very quick read for me. And I loved it. Being semi close to San Francisco it was fun to read something based there.