***** Book Review

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco
By Michelle Chouinard

Recommended for: lovers of real cozy mysteries

Summary: Capri owns a tour company that takes guests around San Francisco and teaches them about the serial killers’ history based in San Fran and surrounding areas. We learn that Capri has a family history that makes her a perfect guide for this job! Her grandfather was an alleged serial killer from the 1970s. When her daughter needs money for graduate school, Capri begins research to make a podcast and write a book on the subject of her grandfather, Overkill Bill. This is a great plan until a copycat serial killer strikes someone close to Capri and her family become the main suspects.

Review: This book was a fun read. It did include many moving parts, but I never felt lost or overwhelmed. Capri’s job as a tour guide seemed like an afterthought, that was not truly necessary. Along the same lines, the love interest at the very end of the book seemed to come from nowhere, and was not needed.

Fun little mystery book for true crime lovers!

Combines all the good parts of a mystery but adds a more complex layer of true crime. It mentions the podcast world but doesn’t try to set one up during the book which is a very popular gimmick right now in books.

I would read more from the author! Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Choinard, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books. I have written this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC!

3.5 Stars

Title: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco
Author: Michelle Chouinard
Pub Date: September 24, 2024

This one was such an unexpected blast! I hadn't heard of this author previously, but was sold on the fun title, cover, and synopsis. Given the cutesy colors and artwork on the cover, I expected this to be a light cozy mystery, and while it was more on the fun side than most thrillers, it still had some much deeper parts that took me by surprise.

Books containing a podcast element are ALL the rage lately and for good reason. It always adds an extra layer of fun! This one was based around famous serial killer "Overkill Bill" who just so happens to be the main character, Capri's, grandfather! Capri has one of the most unique job's I've ever heard of....a tour guide for serial killer tours....yes, you heard that right! Capri has been obsessed with serial killers her whole life (totally normal) and now that there is a copycat killer, she is on a mission to prove her grandfather innocent and clear his name!

This story kept me thoroughly entertained! I think this will appeal to a wide variety of readers!

If you are looking for a murder mystery with an exciting history in San Francisco regarding serial killers, this book is a must-read! Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced reading copy for my honest review.

The book’s title and summary grab readers right away. The author wastes no time getting into the serial killer history of San Francisco while also detailing the landscape and backdrop of this beautiful city.

Capri Sanzio loves San Fransciso! She loves it so much she makes a living researching and guiding tours about serial killers. No! She is not a serial killer, but her grandfather was the infamous serial killer “Overkill Bill.” Allegedly! Her entire world is turned upside down when a woman turns up murdered exactly how her grandfather murdered his victims. Then, her ex-mother-in-law is found the same way, leading police to suspect Capri, which leads Capri to investigate the case and determine the truth as to who is behind the killings.

This book went through a couple of themes. The themes range from the mystery of her grandfather’s serial killer case to entrapment, bribery, cheating, social dynamics, and a little more. I thought the storyline and the plot was interesting. I didn’t figure out who the killer was until the end, but I wasn’t trying to uncover the mystery like usual. I found the unveiling of her family history to be sad. There was so much hurt and destruction over lies and cheating that it destroyed not only her father’s upbringing but also Capri’s upbringing and the relationship her father had with her daughter. Her in-laws were a mess, too! They were entitled because they were rich, came from old money, looked down on individuals new to money, and didn’t adhere to the rules. It was a lot, but it wasn’t too bad. I recommend it if you are looking for something different but with a twist.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it. So much fun!

In this book we follow Capri, who happens to be the granddaughter of a famous serial killer in San Francisco. Capri has the coolest job, she gives serial killer tours around San Francisco.
When capris former mother-in-law is murdered, she is determined to find out what happened to clear her and her daughter.
I rated this 3.5, due to the middle being a little slow. It picked up closer to the end which I enjoyed. Capri starts a podcast about her grandfather and I wish we got some of the podcast. Which would have gave us more information about him.

I liked the plot and the mystery, with the setting the best part of the book, but none of the characters came alive for me. I think the writing is just workable, not anything with any style or personality. I found myself skimming pages until another key plot point was revealed.

This book began so boring I can't even bother getting to any good parts I can't even come up with 100 characters to say about this book because it is boring

In this love letter to San Francisco, readers will have a wonderful time following Capri and her delightful snark as she guides serial-killer tours around San Francisco while trying to unravel the mystery of her wrongfully accused (in her mind, anyway) grandfather's journey into prison. In a twist of fate, the murders for which her grandfather is accused are linked to some current "copycat" killings. Different sections of San Francisco are featured in each place Capri goes to solve the intricate pieces of each mystery, and Chouinard does a great job of keeping readers both engaged and guessing what might happen next. The story masterfully weaves together both sets of murders, and by the time readers find out the truth, they won't see it coming (I sure didn't!). This page-turner of a novel is recommended for any and all library shelves and would also make a really good book club pick.

This was a fun, sort of cozy mystery. It wasn't the most original one I've read, but it was entertaining and the characters were likable. I wasn't expecting the grandfather's case to end so quickly, so that was a surprise. I thought it might carry on to a sequel, if there is one. As it was, I thought the ending wrapped things up nicely, but I still wouldn't mind seeing this book turn into a series.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

What to Expect:
🔪cozy mystery
🌁SF serial killer history
🔪slow paced
🌁divorcee rebuilds her life
🎧audio preferred over e-book
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Overall I enjoyed Capri’s journey of building up her serial killer history tour business, deep diving into her grandfather’s story (an imprisoned serial killer), while investigating her ex-MIL’s murder. With so much going on, I expected to be more captivated the entire time, but they lost me a bit by going into nitty gritty business details. So listening via audio where I could bump up the speed was preferred. I would have loved more from the budding romance, but that was still a nice touch. I think true crime lovers would especially enjoy the snippets of actual serial killer history included in each chapter.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco.

This was such a fun book. The premise is fun - the granddaughter of a serial killer (who gives serial killer tours of the city) tries to prove her grandfather's innocence when copycat murders pop up. There was a fun atmosphere to this book and I can't wait to read more from this author!

The audio was great and the narrator was fantastic. They really helped bring this story alive! I highly recommend the audiobook of The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco.

It was enjoyable read. It isn't like your normal thriller/crime. I like more of suspence and on the edge of your seat. Overall, I did enjoy it and the pace was on point.

A very engaging and smart thriller that stayed mysterious without getting too dark. Really hope this becomes a series -- could see so many openings for it.

This cozy whodunit was a delight to read! Capri, a divorced mother in her forties and the daughter of the infamous serial killer “Overkill Bill,” finds herself entangled in a double murder mystery. Her mother-in-law and her mother-in-law’s society rival have both been killed, and now Capri is on a mission to uncover the truth. Could there be a copycat killer on the loose? And can she clear her late grandfather’s name by solving a cold case and proving he wasn’t the murderer everyone believes him to be?

With Capri and her teenage daughter, Morgan, both under police suspicion, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This mom must race against time to solve these murders and protect their freedom. The story kept me hooked from start to finish, with plenty of suspense and an ending twist I didn’t see coming.

I also loved the setting, with nods to San Francisco’s true crime history and visits to some of the city’s iconic landmarks. Capri was a standout protagonist—resilient, determined, and easy to root for. I felt like I was solving the mystery alongside her as she unraveled her family’s dark secrets.

This book felt like a grown up version of 𝑨 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍’𝒔 𝑮𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓, and I absolutely loved it!

Loved it!

If you like true crime or true crime podcasts this is for you. If you loved Nancy Drew and would like a grown up version this is for you.

Highly recommend and enjoyed from first to last page.

This was a wild ride!! A lot going on in this book and I was there for it. I enjoyed the writing style of the author. It held my attention without sounding cheesy. I liked the main character quite a bit but felt the other characters could have been expanded on more- Phillip- how he came in to the family- todd too as he was woven in to the story in an important way but I didn't know enough about him.

Sylvia is found murdered in one San Francisco's parks. Especially odd that two women (one being Sylvia) have now died in the same manner. Even more strange is that the murders mirror the murders of years past credited to a notorious serial killer- overkill bill. Who is doing this and how does it involve Capri (main character)? Are her and her daughter main suspects?

What a fun, cozy read! I really liked Capri & it was nice to read about a woman in her forties who might not have her life together in the typical sense she isn’t written as dumb. I loved that this was set in San Francisco, it made me want to plan a trip there!

Thank you St Martins Press and Minotaur for the gifted electronic copy.

This was a quick, fun, quirky murder mystery book. Capri’s character had lots of potential, a serial killer tour guide who is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer, and who is now a suspect for a crime herself. There really wasn’t anything wrong with this book, and it’s getting great reviews, but for me it was just OK. I just think amateur sleuth books are not up my alley as they require too much suspension of disbelief.

That being said, there was plenty about this book that was enjoyable. I liked the family piece that was tied in with Capri’s history the most. And it was a quick and easy read for spooky season!

4 Stars! I loved this book!!! The plot, the characters everything was fantastic! This book will be my next purchase, I am so excited to finally have the physical copy.