I listened to this in 2 stretches - like, I even wore my Beats in the grocery store because I didn’t want to stop.

A copycat killer is striking in San Francisco, and true crime lover and serial killer tour guide, Capri finds herself right in the middle of it. Turns out the killer the new copy cat is copying is none other than Capri’s grandfather.

There’s lots of red herrings and a few super cringy moments with the detective and Capri, and I couldn’t handle how many times “drew themselves up to their full height” was said while listening, but other than that, the pacing was great, and there was a handful of likely suspects. Capri finds herself at the top of the suspect list, and needs to solve the case — so that aspect was fun to “solve” it alongside her.

A solid 4, as I enjoyed it and genuinely wanted to know how it ended, but I wouldn’t call it a groundbreaking read that will haunt me for days after I’ve finished it!

Thank you @NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio for the ARC. This is a must read for everyone. It was funny, interesting location for a serial murderer. I did not see the ending coming. The audio was very well done, look forward to reading more by Michelle Chouinard.

4.5 stars

This one was definitely a more lighthearted style than a thriller. It never gets too heavy, but you still feel that something sinister is brewing the entire time. I liked the unique premise with the tour guide motif. I almost wish it was even more employed like other people guiding her to the truth.

I wouldn't necessarily say there is a major plot twist but the plot as a whole is very twisty. As more is revealed, the entire direction of the story shifts multiple times. As a result, it was always a bit hard to tell if any given character was important to remember in the story or not. In a way that helped keep me on my toes having no idea who the real killer is.

I was on the edge of the seat the whole time excited to listen to more of it unfold. The characters were interesting and had a nice mix of personalities and dynamics. The contrast was definitely where this book shined the most. Each character's status heavily shaped their actions and motives.

The only thing I didn't love as much was that the people who did it didn't really have any vibes of ill intent earlier in the book. I didn't get the sense of unease from them that I wanted from a good mystery.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the alc! My review is honest and voluntary.

Capri Sanzio has a unique view of San Francisco, and she enjoys sharing it with tourists and residents through her tours of the city. She opened her tour business after her divorce, and she’s done well. Her serial killer tour is particularly popular, as it should be. She has special expertise on serial killers, as her grandfather was convicted and imprisoned as William “Overkill Bill” Sanzio.

Capri had studied journalism in school, but she put that aside to raise her daughter. Now her daughter is in graduate school, studying forensic psychology, when her grandmother called her up to let her know she was not going to keep paying for her school. Capri was furious at her former mother-in-law Sylvia for pulling the rug out from under her daughter like that. Her husband’s family was old school money, which Sylvia had always held over Capri’s head while she was married, and now she’s suddenly cutting off her daughter’s education?

Capri decides that now is the time to put together that book on her grandfather she’d always wanted to do. If she can put together some new tours, add blog posts, do a podcast, and write a book about Overkill Bill, she should be able to earn enough money to keep her daughter in school until she gets her degree. Especially when there is a new murder, echoing the style of Overkill Bill.

The original women targeted by the serial killer were prostitutes, and this new victim is not. She was married to a tech millionaire and doing everything she could to breakthrough to the old money elite. She was getting involved with charity events and trying to impress all the right people. Her death was a surprise to her husband, to the police, and to the city. Once again, Overkill Bill is front and center on everyone’s minds.

But when there is a second murder, Capri’s research gets even more personal, as it’s Sylvia who is the latest victim of the copycat. Now Capri is investigating her former mother-in-law as well as her grandfather, and what she finds shocks her. But there is one person out there who knows the truth already, or at least part of it. The killer knows who Capri is and what she’s investigating. Will she be able to find the answers before the copycat runs out of patience and makes her their third victim? Or will she figure out a way to save herself and her beloved city from another murderer?

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is an interesting perspective on a serial killer story. The intelligent charm of Capri and the people who work with her on the tour guides adds some humor and heart to what is a dark story of deceit, fraud, and old money. The mystery is complex and seductive, and well paced through this novel.

I listened to The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco on audio, with narrator Stephanie Nemeth-Parker spinning a convincing story in the voice of Capri. I thought she did an excellent job of bring Capri and her investigation to life.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but there is a lot going on in this story. I actually wanted to slow some things down and get more details from time to time. I thought this could have been broken up into two books. I would have loved to read the transcripts of Capri’s podcast and maybe some of her blog posts. I would have loved to go on more of the tours, to be with her and her team as they bring the city to life. These details would have slowed down the mystery solving, but I think they would have added rich details. But the book is what it is, and I still really loved listening to it. Capri is a good character, and I hope there are more books about her adventures in my future.

Egalleys for The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco were provided by Minotaur Books and a copy of the audiobook was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

A fun, somewhat campy mystery with a good premise. I'm glad it included some discussion of the ethical dilemmas of true crime. Docking points for th number of times I ended up rolling my eyes and for the predictability, but it's a good way to spend the time when you need a light read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this audio ARC!
This is the third audiobook in a row for me that has been a total win. The narrator was a total joy to listen to!
The story brought a unique setting to this murder mystery. I really found the FMC to be interesting, witty, and entertaining throughout the book.
There are two mysteries going on here in this book, and I was quite a bit disappointed by how they resolved/their relationship to each other. It is difficult to explain my complaints without spoiling the story, but I felt like the end was slightly lacking. Otherwise, I enjoyed 90% of my time reading this story and am happy that I did!

I hope this is the first of a series! I really enjoyed the aspect behind the main character starting her business, and all the family drama that built the plot.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books for early access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. I binge listened to The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco this week, and it is a fun cozy mystery set in, obviously, SF. The main character runs serial killer tours of the city. Who knew there were that many related sites in SF? Not me!
Capri, the tour operator, became interested in serial killers when she discovered her grandfather was imprisoned as the infamous serial killer “Overkill Bill” Sanzo. While she has always believed in his innocence, she hasn't ever researched it too much, not wanting to disturb the family of his victims. Almost everyone associated with the case has now passed away - and now a copycat killer has struck, and Capri is thrust into the scene.
If you're looking for a nice read/listen that is just twisty enough to keep the reader engaged and suspecting red herrings, this fun book may be right up your alley. It is available everywhere, as it just published on Tuesday.

A serial killer's granddaughter makes a living giving serial killer tours in California, when seemingly out of nowhere 2 women turn up murdered in the same fashion as the victims of Grandpa Killer (GK from here on out). Now our main character, a 49 year old divorcee named Capri (short for Caricorn) must solve the new murders, along with the help of her daughter and faulty at her tourism company (if you can call it that. It's her and two other people). Sounds like a good time to me! I received an advanced copy of The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a back and forth for me. I loved the random inserts of serial killer information the author provided us via the lens of one of Capri's Serial Killer tours. I think this is a neat way to share your enthusiasm for the topic while keeping it relevant to the story. I thought the characters were likable and realistic, which is a plus. There's also a twist in there I didn't see coming, and that's not always easy to do with me (I've watched every episode of Law and Order: SVU 2 or 3 times.... that's essential 75 seasons of a detective show lol). If any of you see the big reveal coming, let me know!!

The underlying story of the book that propels the plot forward is that Capri believes GK to be innocent of the murders he was accused of years ago, and it's always sat there in the back of her mind. She just isn't sure how to prove it. But now with the new killings occurring in the exact same fashion, she's in the hot seat with the police, because who else could it be other than the serial killer obsessed granddaughter of GK?? Spoiler alert (but not really): It's not the granddaughter. So now, Capri has to put all of her effort and resources, essentially becoming a part-time, semi-amateur PI, towards proving her own innocence.... and hopefully her Grandfather's along the way.

Now for the "meh" of the book. I'm rating it 3.75 stars, because for me personally, I'm not big into technology, and the book sort of lost me when it started being all about that. Financial heists, technology, and high tech moguls aren't really my thing, but they may be yours, so don't let that deter you! It is a fast-paced book that keeps you engaged and entertained, which is 90% of what makes a good thriller book in my opinion, so while I don't think you need to rush it to the top of your TBR, I do think that it's worth reading.

This is a little more gritty than a cozy mystery which I loved. I loved the tour of San Francisco landmarks and the true crime stories that were part of Capri’s tours.. Capri as an investigator to clear her name and her daughter’s name kept this book moving perfectly. The Overkill Bill case was the one that really had my head spinning!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but the title was intriguing and the cover was fun and I went with it.
I'm so glad I did. I was recommending it to people before I was even halfway through the book.
And based on the last chapter, I really hope it becomes a series. I'm invested now and I want more of these characters.

#arc
#netgalley
#theserialkillerguidetosanfrancisco

I have always love San Franciso, all it has to offer. From there, with family and friends still there, this book brought me back. Including some of the places my own parents lived right by I found myself seeing this city in a new, exciting, and heart pounding light.

Author Michelle Chouinard brings a unique, fascinating, and extraordinary read to the page. SF lover, Serial Killer aficionado, or not, this one is a fantastic read!

A charming and consistently entertaining mystery that made me intrigued to check out Chouinard’s back catalogue. My main gripe was with the POV character, who I found deeply immature (on purpose, I know) to the point where it was a bit grating. Otherwise a fun little fall adventure!

Capri Sanzio runs tours about serial killers in the city. Capri has been fascinated by them since childhood, ever since she found out her grandfather, William "Overkill Bill" Sanzio, was a serial killer. She has always believed he was innocent but never fully looked into the case.
Now, a new killer is copying Overkill Bill's style in San Francisco. At the same time, Capri’s ex-mother-in-law, Sylvia, stopped paying her daughter's school fees. Capri needs money and wonders if this is her chance to prove her grandfather’s innocence. With the case back in the news, she thinks she could solve the mystery, make a podcast and write a book, and hopefully earn some cash.
But before she can get far, the police find the copycat’s latest victim: Sylvia. Suddenly, Capri and her daughter become the top suspects in the investigation.

I overall enjoyed Capri and how smart she is, the story was entertaining and the audiobook was great!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author Michele Choinard and the ublisher for providing me with an ALC so I could preview the title and order it for out library.

I love mystery thrillers and this was a nice change of pace. Good mystery, little romance, just a fun cozy read. Will read more by this author.

Thank you to Michelle Chouinard, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I listened to the audiobook while reading, and thought the narrator did an amazing job. She was engaging and held my attention. She brought the story to life.

I was not a huge fan of this. The plot was overly complicated and hard to keep track of all of the characters. I begrudgingly finished it but did not enjoy many aspects. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good choice of narrator. They kept a good pace and matched the energy of the plot. The book wasn’t my taste but thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen for review. I do know that I can recommend this title confidently.

This was a fun read. Lots of whodunit energy for both active murders and a few that had happened decades earlier, so there are a lot of threads to follow. It was fun following along with the main character as she starts unraveling the stories and how they’re tied together.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I was very excited to be able to read this before it was released because it is in the categories I LOVE to read. Mystery ✔ humor✔ new to me author✔. But that is where it kind of ended for me. I am not sure if it was the writing style or the narrator that I struggled with on this one.

Sometimes there are books that are epic as audiobooks. I think there are many of us audiophiles that just know when a book is just on point and (for me) should only be consumed via audio. And there are other times, where I listen to a book and think to myself, alright, maybe this is a no go for audio and should only be read. I don't know if that is due to the writing style of the author or the narrator that was chosen, but it just falls short sometimes.

I think this book falls into the latter category. I think I may need to give this book a second chance and take the time to read it.

For me the plot of the book was decent, and it gets high marks for creativity and originality; so, it must come down to the narration and delivery. And I know that I can be quite picky if the delivery of a book is just, IMO, wrong.

So, at the end of that short, weird little rant, I want to say this: give it a try, but read it, don't listen to it- unless you are neurotypical, and sound isn't as big of an issue for you like it is for me. 🙉