
Member Reviews

This was a great murder mystery book. It was also well done on audio! This story follows Capri who is a serial killer tour guide in San Francisco. Her grandfather was accused of being a serial killer and lived out the rest of his life in jail. A copy cat killer has struck and it seems like they may be framing Capri. I really enjoyed her sleuthing and ability to dig deep and work through different scenarios. It felt like I was in the room with her trying to make sense of the murders. I really enjoyed the plot twists. I was almost hoping for a cliffhanger when it came to the ending, but it was all wrapped up well even though I did feel everything moved super quick toward the end. I enjoyed the audio and would recommend! If you enjoy Stephanie Plum or Finlay Donovan I think you'd enjoy this. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

Ok, this was more fun than I expected for a murder mystery! I loved Capri and her daughter and the story of Overkill Bill was interesting! This was my first listen by this narrator and she was wonderful! She embodied different characters very well. I was totally sucked into this story from the start. I would say this is more cozy mystery vibe, but for me that totally worked! I loved the writing and the way the story unfolded. Overall, a delightful listen!
4.5 stars!

First of all shoutout to the cover artist, because I love the design and it really drew me to the book. I think the landmarks are so iconic and without it being in the title you would realize it takes place in SF. I love the idea of participating in these tours around San Francisco, and could see it being popular. I think the mystery was interesting, but there things that felt a bit too convenient. I did want to keep reading to see what would happen though so that is always a plus. The narrator did a fantastic job and I can't wait to listen to more of her work.

An interesting premise that I’m not sure was executed well. There were long stretches where the plot focused deeply on business/tech explanations, and I don’t really understand and don’t really care about that, so I found myself tuning out quite a bit. Also, I know this is more of a cozy mystery, but the stakes just didn’t feel high enough for me to feel super invested. I was also expecting a much heavier focus on serial killers and the connection between the main character’s grandfather and the recent murders, but it really felt like two completely separate investigations. There were moments I enjoyed and others I didn’t. 3 stars🌟
There is a very small romance subplot, but everything is squeaky clean (though there is mention of infidelity in the story). I think there were a handful of curse words, but there were all pretty mild.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

Loved the book! I couldn't put it down! The audiobook was wonderful as well. I enjoyed the different voices which helped to keep the characters straight while listening to the book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

I found the premise of The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco unique and really enjoyed listening to the audio for this book! The granddaughter of a serial killer has taken her passion and turned it into her career - giving serial killer tours of San Fransisco.
When a copycat of her grandfather strikes in the city - all eyes are on her and her family, so our main character needs to put her amateur sleuthing and serial killer knowledge to use.
I really liked this cozy mystery, and I especially liked how much San Fransisco played a role in the book, almost like it was another character.
I wish I were better at figuring out the mysteries - I almost never do. This one surprised me (even though other reviewers saw the twist coming a mile away).
The narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker was great at separating all the different voices and characters and keeping the story moving.

Capri Sanzio grew up knowing that she is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer. When a copycat appears, she knows she needs to find a way to prove his innocence.
This contemporary mystery is quite the thrilling page turner. I didn't find any of the descriptions to be overly graphic but still accurately set the scene. As someone who is quite familiar with San Francisco, it was nice to see mentions of not only popular landmarks but some of the individual neighborhoods as well. There were a few small twists, just enough to keep anyone guessing.
I highly recommend the audiobook which is narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. She does a fantastic job keeping a good sized cast of characters differentiated.
Overall, I enjoyed both the book and audiobook. I look forward to seeing more work from this author in the future.
I voluntarily read, listened to, and reviewed advanced copies of this book and audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This murder mystery ended up feeling much cozier than I was expecting, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s a good dose of family drama and amateur sleuthing rather then any real tension or suspense. The pacing of the book got a little uneven as the read went on. It started quite strongly but lagged in the middle because so much time was spent on Capri thinking through things, looking for how pieces connect, and going over things multiple times. I wish that there had been less time spent on that and more time spent on family relationships or the podcast.
The author’s writing wasn’t my favorite. It felt like she found a few terms she really liked (one of which was “lizard brain”) and they showed up too often that it became a little annoying. The characters were decent overall, though nothing particularly stood out to me about them.
If you’re looking for a relatively light mystery that’s got cozy vibes and ties up everything quite neatly, then you’ll probably like this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this work are my own.

This was very multi-layered but not hard to follow at all. I enjoyed the narration and found the pacing to be excellent. This was entertaining and an easy listen.

This was not what I expected, but found it to be an enjoyable, quick, easy read.
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was purchased by our library and reviewed on our Facebook Page.
Funny, quirky and I wish it was a series.

As a true crime and mystery fan, this was an unexpectedly fun mystery about the granddaughter of an incarcerated serial killer who now runs a tour agency in San Francisco focused on local killers (I've gone on a few Jack the Ripper tours myself). I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, though there were a few surprisingly serious subjects in the book, too, that might have been treated just a bit too lightly.
The narrator was great and it was definitely a book that kept my attention.
Book: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco
Author: Michelle Chouinard
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fiction, Crime/Mystery
Places Featured: San Francisco, California, United States
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)

I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t my favorite. It people ask if they should read it, I would say yes, just not YES!

Honestly, this one was a little underwhelming. It’s definitely not that it’s bad, it just wasn’t all I thought it would be. It was still a solid listen!

This is a fun and engaging read. I like Capri and the way she found a way to turn her passions into a livelihood. The mystery itself is complex and interesting. I appreciated all the little tidbits about San Francisco. It’s clear that the author knows a lot about the area. This felt appropriate since knowing random facts about SF is literally Capri’s job.
The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. She did a great job bringing Capri and her investigations to life. I thought the fun intro/outro music was a nice touch.

What a delightful read, even though it was a murder mystery, it maintained a fun tone thanks to an exceptional narrator who drew me in immediately. The story was also exceptionally well-crafted and unique within the genre, providing a refreshing change of pace. I was particularly impressed by Capri’s bravery, even as a young girl, as she consistently stood up for what she believed in. I believe this series has the potential to be developed further, and I think it could have been set up in a more intriguing manner.

Granddaughter of the famed serial killer, "Overkill Bill," Capri makes her living by guiding serial killer tours in her hometown of San Francisco. Capri has been simultaneously haunted and fascinated by her family's dark past throughout her life, despite her father's insistence that it be left alone. When a copycat killer emerges in town and it becomes clear that both Capri and her daughter are primary suspects, Capri takes matters into her own hands to clear her family's name and find the true killers from both past and present.
I loved this book from the get-go! It was easy to root for hard-working, single mom, Capri, and the twists and turns in the plot kept me glued to my earbuds (I used the audio format). The feel of the book reminded me a bit of "Mother Daughter Murder Night" or the Finley Donovan series but held its own as a unique story.
I've listened to several books narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker and always enjoy her style and voice.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced audio copy!

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, Macmillan Audio, for the #gifted audiobook. #macaudio2024
Based on the cover and a brief description skim, I expected a fluffy and maybe silly mystery. Instead, I loved this procedural investigation into a double copycat murder. While this was light on the angst and heavy on following the investigative rabbit trail, it was perfect (for me). The audiobook was a great way to read the book, with clear narration and an easy-to-follow storyline and character dialog.
Capri runs a “Serial Killer Tour of San Francisco,” capitalizing only a little bit on the fact her grandfather was a convicted murderer. But when a copycat killer pops up (killing her ex-mother-in-law in the process), she and her daughter are the prime suspects. To clear her name (and scratch the itch of a mystery complete with clues, hidden rooms, and old newspaper articles), she dusts off her amateur sleuthing skills and gets to work.
Expectations management is critical here. I didn’t have a ton of emotional investment, but I enjoyed following the clues with Capri while receiving a virtual tour of a city I’ve yet to visit. I appreciated the clean, clinical, and systematic evolution of the story. I could see this turning into a series.
👉🏻For my friends who like a clean, cozy mystery with amateur sleuthing and virtual tourism.

This was a fun read, it’s not a literary masterpiece but I was interested the whole way through. Even though I figured out what the mystery was pretty early one I still enjoyed the story. The romance aspect was also really well done. I thought the portion of the story about Capri’s family history wasn’t as well done as the current murder but it didn’t take away from the entirety of the book. The narrator did a great job with the audiobook, and I listened to the whole thing in one sitting. I think this would be really fun for someone familiar with San Francisco as there’s a lot of cool facts and locations mentioned.
Thanks to NetGalley, Michelle Chouinard and Macmillan Audio for the ALC