The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco (audio) 3.5⭐️

Tour guide turned amateur detective Capri, is diving into a past serial killer while a new copy cat killer shows up decades later. But Capri isn’t just a true crime junkie, she is the granddaughter of the original Overkill Bill who was convicted for the murders. Now one of the present day murder victims is her ex-mother-in-law. Capri’s life is surrounded by serial killer energy.

I liked the audio version of this book. I would have probably been more bored by the slow paced cozy murder mystery if I was reading it. The narrator was great, although I wasn’t a super fan of the male voices. The acting was fabulous. The whole story is told through Capri’s POV. It’s not a thriller, but it does a great job depicting Capri’s thoughts and feelings throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Pub Date Sep 24 2024

Diving into The Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco was an exciting departure from my usual reads, as I don't typically gravitate toward mystery novels. Michelle Chouinard's storytelling kept me hooked with its thrilling twists and turns, making the mystery of "whodunit" a delightful puzzle to piece together.

One of the highlights for me was the humor interwoven throughout the narrative. It struck the perfect balance, adding a layer of entertainment as the protagonist, who just so happens to be the granddaughter of a serial killer, gives tours of famous San Francisco crime scenes. This unique setup added an extra layer of intrigue to the story. But overall I found myself really enjoying the mystery and was drawn into the story, thinking about it all day and trying to form my own theories.

Overall, The Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco was a delightful and entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're looking for a fresh take on a mystery with a dash of humor, this book is definitely worth picking up.

You know when a mystery fully wraps up all the loose ends? *chef's kiss*

This was a fun book - I liked the dual mystery to be solved and the characters were all interesting and a joy to follow around. The idea of a cold case serial killer, a copy cat killer, and the OG serial killer's granddaughter investigating was so inherently readable! I had to know how all the threads lined up.

A well crafted mystery with a super satisfying ending and a rich, tangled family history.

Loved the idea and the concept behind this story and the setting. Thought it was done well liked the characters in the book for the most part and enjoyed talking about the different areas of San Francisco. Narration was done well and was a quick book to get through, would recommend. I want to thank Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a fun mystery to solve with interesting characters. The narrator had a nice calming voice and I was able to get through it quickly.

Serial killers, super smart amateur sleuths, AND SF?! 'Sign me up for all books set in this universe': a thought I had very early on.

The narrator was great. The characters were intriguing/ridiculous/enjoyable. The pacing kept me interested and unable to put it down. I stayed up much too late listening to this story. It's definitely a story that kept me guessing but also one that I didn't want to end.

Thank you Net Galley and Minotaur Books for the audiobook ARC!

A fast paced who did it story. I liked the past and present part of this story. Very entertaining read. The narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Thank you NetGalley for the early audiobook copy to review!

The book had a catchy beginning and I loved reading in Capri’s POV. About midway through I felt like the story was dragging and there were a lot of business components being brought up that didn’t hold my attention (sorry I’m not business savvy I suppose). Could’ve been shortened a little and paced differently to keep my attention more. 3/5

Of course, the first thing that caught my attention about this book was the title. It grabbed me and I'm glad I requested an ARC of the audiobook.

The story is about a woman named Capri who runs themed tours of San Francisco. Mostly about serial killers. In fact, she herself is the granddaughter of one of the Bay Area's most notorious serial killers, Overkill Bill. In the back of her mind, she has always believed that her grandfather was innocent. She wants to prove this, but hasn't really had the means or full motivation to do so. When a tech mogul's wife and her ex-mother-in-law are murdered in the same style of the Overkill Bill murders, she is drawn into the police investigation since it seems to involve her grandfather.

I really liked the characters in this book. They were relatable and well-developed. I also think the pacing of the story was good. It never got too boring or skipped details to make the story move along.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A murder mystery set in San Francisco that falls on the "cozy" side of things - there's no thriller tension until the very end, and for the most part, the approach to the writing and the case is more light than dark, and the mystery itself, while definitely layered, ends up much less on the tense side of things. For the most part, it's a snappy, quick mystery, moving through leads and reveals in a way that keeps your attention and keeps you guessing, but never quite reaches "tense".

I enjoyed having a protagonist later in her life and having built up her life out of her passions and interests, but the rest of the characters felt a little one-note and flat. I was also hoping for a little more of a reason for the setup and the introduction of a copycat killer than what we got. It made the killer feel like they turned from opportunistic to suddenly far more cunning than they were presented as.

I enjoyed how much of San Francisco got woven into the story, even if a lot of it did feel a little off - there's a lot of focus on the tension between old and new money and the newcomers to society, but the way it's presented and introduced feels unbalanced and particular to a specific enclave of that society, which is the French families, which while present, are definitely a niche.

I also wish we got more of a wrap-up on Capri's grandfather's case - it's a clean explanation, but almost a little too clean and neat for how long and how affected everyone was by it.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco 
Michelle Chouinard 
9/24/24

4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

This was such a funny little mystery that kept me giggling and guessing and just feeling overall content. (I guess that's why the term "cozy mystery" is so fitting ... )

I guessed how things were going to turn out at the end, right around the 25% mark - but that didn't alter my enjoyment of the rest of the book whatsoever. And I always figure out the end of novels early ... probably a really of reading so many thrillers, horror and mystery novels.

(And I didn't have ALL the pieces exactly in place, so there were still a few surprises.)

I really cared about the characters, and enjoyed following them on their sleuthing journey. 

A truly fun novel that I'll be HIGHLY recommending. 

(My mom and her B&N bookclub are going to LOVE this one. 

If you like a good mystery with fully developed characters, thrilling elements, realistic dialogue, and humor, chances are you'll dig this book. 

(Will post full review on date of publication)

This is a cozy mystery about Capri, the granddaughter of a serial killer. As a copycat killer appears in San Fran in present day, Capri and her daughter come prime suspects for the newest victim and they must beat the clock to prove their innocence. I found this a funny and light hearted mystery book on audiobook.

Thank you Macmillan audio and netgalley for the ALC.

A fun and clever story for fans of murder mysteries! Capri makes her living giving serial killer tours in San Francisco (think Alcatraz, etc). It’s a topic she’s been fascinated about since she was a kid, after learning she was the granddaughter of famed serial killer Overkill Bill…someone she believed to be innocent. Years later, a copycat killer is on the loose and the latest victim is close to home. Now involved in a police investigation, Capri is dedicated to solving who is responsible for these copycat deaths…but also who may have framed her grandfather decades before.
This was a fun murder mystery and while I guessed one of the culprits early on…there were still some big surprises along the way! The narrator also did a great job at bringing this story to life with humor and suspense.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this advanced audiobook. This was fun cozy mystery about a granddaughter of a serial killer who leads killer tours in San Francisco when she gets caught up in a murder mystery of her own and ends up finding whether her grandfather really was the killer he was made out to be. This book was fun and spoke of different parts of San Fransisco. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I listened to this one in one day! What a fun book. Some suspense and mystery with a bit of humor thrown in as well.
Great mystery and also very creative. I enjoyed the characters and the narration was great.
I definitely want to listen to or read more by this author.

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book, but it still came in mediocre at best.

Having a mature, self-employed woman as the main character was refreshing and lends possibility in storytelling and plot options. The observations were certainly more interesting, as well as the dynamics of the character's life and relationships.

However, this read very much like the first draft of a first novel. The relationships were too convenient. The explaining-plot-points-to-the-friend instead-of-the-audience was uninspired. The stumbling, bumbling, inefficient amateur sleuth bit was annoying and not entertaining. For the cherry on top, the MC's solving of the decades old murder by conveniently reading one article and just....thinking a bunch....was groan inducing and supremely lazy.

I would read other books in this series with a hope for more polished plots moving forward.

This was a breath of fresh air in thriller arena. It was slightly more intensive than a cozy mystery but still gave me cozy mystery feels. I would love another book to follow Capri.

Capri grew up knowing she was the granddaughter of a highly known serial killer. But as her grandfather had always claimed his innocence and her father refused to talk about it. This lead her deep into a fascination with true crime and journalism. So much so that she created a tour guide company focused on crimes in San Francisco. When a murder occurs seemingly copying her grandfather's supposed Murders this pushers her to find the true killer, but thing hit too close to home when her mother in law becomes one of the victims.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

This was such a fun who-done-it mystery that I found myself completely immersed in!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?

I was all in from the very beginning of this multiple mystery story as I tried to sort through the clues and red herrings. The interplay between the characters, clues, drama and past mysteries kept the story moving and highly engaging. Oh, and of course, having a possible copycat serial killer kept me on my toes.

I also loved how I got to tour San Francisco and learn some of the fun history and serial killers of the past.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

Mysteries
San Francisco
Family Drama
Amateur Sleuthing

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?

The audio was fantastic and it made my road trip fly by! I absolutely love listening to mysteries and thrillers because it heightens the emotions and suspense so much more and this story was no different. The characters came to life even more, and I also feel like it makes the story go so much faster.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

I cruised quickly through this one as the pace was rapid and everything unfolded in an exciting way.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?

I was completely entertained from start to finish!

Thank you Minotaur Books for this gift to copy and exchange for my honest opinions

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
4.5 🌟
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Now, this is how you write a good murder mystery! I devoured this audiobook, literally in one day. I just couldn't stop listening. The storyline is highly intriguing and interesting, and it caught my attention the entire time. This book was a breath of fresh air!
Capri makes a living by giving serial killer guided tours around San Francisco.
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. 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.
The audiobook is phenomenal. The narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, did a great job! Her different voices made it very easy to tell which characters were which. She was also easy to listen to, and I highly enjoyed listening to her.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Sept.24
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Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this one! I think murder mystery on audio is my jam!
Our MC gives serial killer tours around San Francisco and tours to Alcatraz. She’s an expert in the subject of serial killers because her grandfather was a famous serial killer in the area a long time ago. Except he says he didn’t do it. So she’s showing interest in his case and asked the sfpd for old records. But unfortunately for her a copycat has struck and our MC is looking real suspicious. It’s excellent, absolutely recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review