I would like to start by standing on my soapbox and begging everyone to stop naming books “xx guide to xx.” I HATE it. And yet, I still drank this one up because I love a serial killer story. Capri was a smart amateur detective who didn’t put herself in risky situations. Her tour team need their own book s because I ate up the chapters with them talking through their theories. I didn’t love the reveal but enjoyed what happened afterward. The audiobook was done well and the narration was perfect.

A solid cozy mystery that I enjoyed with a fun cast of side characters. Meet Capri - who is attempting to solve two mysteries (one of which is from the past). Will she be able to posthumously exonerate her grandfather or will he remain guilty? There were many LOL moments I enjoyed while listening to this audiobook. Thank you to NETGALLEY and Macmillan audio for this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 9/24
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I went into The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco thinking it would be a cozy mystery of sorts. I mean come on. Look at this awesome cover. Anyways, this was a step or two up from a cozy mystery, and it was a fun ride, just a little bit slow for me.
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This story started out pretty fast paced. I was pretty hooked to the story and really felt drawn in right form the start. The idea of the serial killer tours, the grandfather being a famous serial killer and then the murder was all just super intruiging. I needed to know what happened. side note, I really enjoyed the epistolary aspect with different snippets about serial killers in San Fran and notorious spots around the area.
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The characters are pretty straight forward. I liked the family drama aspect. I think that some of the drama was a bit drawn out - and that may be where the story lost a bit of steam, but overall, they were interesting, and they made the story. It's a pretty straight forward story, there are not too many crazy twists, and the big reveal isn't overly shocking but the ride you take to get to the end is worth it in my opinion.
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I listened to this one via audiobook. Stephanie Németh-Parker was a perfect narrator for this one. I felt like she was Capri and really brough her character to life for me. Highly recommend the audiobook.
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Overall, this was a fun read, i think cozy mystery fans will enjoy this one. A huge thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Michelle Chouinard for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars
Capri became interested in true crime when she discovered her grandfather was convicted as a serial killer nicknamed: Overkill Bill. Her father has always refused to talk about it, and so Capri always did research under the radar. However, when a copycat emerges and Capri is implicated, she decides to investigate both cases, not only to clear her name and her daughter’s (also under suspicion), but also her grandfather’s.

I was a big fan of Capri, a hardworking single mother who turned her passion of true crime into a way to support her and her daughter, Morgan, now grown, by hosting tours that featured the history of crime and serial killers around San Francisco.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was superb! I was glued to the pages as Capri ferreted out clues and motivations both for the current murders and the past. I enjoyed her methodical approach to finding the killer and clearing her name. Capri ends up in danger by the end, and the mystery wraps up in a thrilling conclusion!

I also enjoyed the setting of San Francisco, mentions of film noir set in the city and some of its crime history! I hope we get more stories with Capri and Detective Pietro in the future! There are hints of a romance in the works and maybe they’ll work together solving crimes? *crosses fingers*

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to an audio version. I think you’d enjoy the story through either version. I’ve listened to and enjoyed Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration in the past and her excellent performance enhanced my experience! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio (#MacAudio) for the ALC!

Capri runs a tour company in San Francisco, giving serial killer tours. It’s something she knows a lot about, as Capri’s own grandfather was the convicted serial killer, “Overkill Bill”. Capri has always felt he was innocent, but never fully looked into things. Now that a copycat murder has popped up, Capri makes the leap to investigate her grandfather and the “Overkill Bill” cases and write a book on her findings. Since her former mother-in-law has cut off her daughter’s college tuition payments, the timing seems right and Capri is hoping the cash from the book will help her daughter as well as exonerate her grandfather. But before Capri gets too far into her research, another copycat murder occurs - this time, even closer to home.

This was such a fun cozy mystery! I personally got a kick out of the whole “serial killer tours” thing and found myself rooting for Capri early on. I guess with her family background and what she did for a living, amateur sleuthing was an easy transition for her to make! I really wasn't sure what to think about her grandfather, but when she finally put all the pieces together my jaw dropped. Without giving anything away, there was also another twist I didn’t see coming that I thought was SO well done!

If you enjoy cozy whodunnit mysteries (similar to Finlay Donovan), you will enjoy this story! I am looking forward to what the author comes out with next :)

”A Serial Killer’s Guide to San Francisco” released September 24, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great! The storyline was interesting and I liked the author’s writing style. I would definitely read more by this author and highly recommend this one to other mystery lovers.

This is my first read by Michelle Chouinard and I was drawn in right from the beginning. The story/format felt new and fresh compared to many other novels in this genre. I really liked Capri's character and how she navigated her job (a serial killer tour guide), her complex personal life and her amateur sleuthing. I was able to preview the audiobook and I feel Stephanie Németh-Parker was very engaging and easy to listen to. I will definitely look for her as a narrator in the future.

Thank you Net Galley, Michelle Chouinard, Stephanie Németh-Parker and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this engaging story. The opinions shared are my own.

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is expected to be released on Sept. 24, 2024.

audio-ARC from NetGalley.

3.5

This was a fun book overall but suffered from the "main character uses zero logic while investigating" problem.

Capri has grown up with the burden of being the granddaughter of notorious serial killer, Overkill Bill. It has ruined relationships and opportunities in her life more than once. But there's another problem: Her grandfather maintained his innocence until the day he died... and Capri believes him. When her wealthy ex in-laws cut off financial support for her daughter, Capri decides her best option to make ends meet is to finally write the true crime book to exonerate her grandfather. So when her ex mother in law is murdered by an Overkill Bill copycat, Capri finds herself at the top of the suspect list. To clear her grandpa's name, she'll have to clear her own first.

The synopsis of this story is interesting, and the actual investigations were equally fascinating. While I did feel that some of the relationships lacked believable depth, I also did appreciate the way the author portrayed the complexity of familial interactions.

What bothered me was how dumb Capri was about everything. At no point did I feel that she had no choice but to prove her own innocence. Her desperation to do so did not feel based in her reality and, more than once, seemed to interfere with the actual investigation that could have more quickly exonerated her. I might have been able to look past it if not for that "looking at the most important piece of evidence in the stupidest place gets you captured by the killer" thing. It happens in so many books and drops the rating at least half of a star every time I read it.

Ultimately, the investigation into the identity of the real Overkill Bill is what saved this book. It was what I was most invested in from the start, and every foray into the past had me hyper focused and desperate for the next clue.

I think this book will be great for fans of cozy mystery books who don't read super critically, but I tend to be too nitpicky for that.

Capri gives tours of San Francisco and the spots most known from serial killers and their sprees. One thing that intrigues tourists to come is her connection to “Overkill Bill”, local serial killer and the man she calls grandpa. Capri was convinced from a young age that he was innocent, but it didn’t matter to anyone else. The interest in the cast resurfaces when a murder happens by a potential copycat killer. The killer also comes for someone in Capri’s family, sparking the need to join in on the investigation. Can Capri solve this case and resolve the one from decades past?

This was a fun listen! The story piqued my interest right at the beginning and kept me hanging on to discover more pieces of evidence along with Capri. I liked the premise of serial killer tour and wish they played into that more. It could have been cool for there to be links to all killers along that tour. But let me stop before someone takes my idea 😂™️ Overall this was an enjoyable cozy mystery and I really wasn’t able to predict where it would go!

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard offers a captivating twist on the cozy mystery genre. With its intriguing premise, the story draws you in from the start, featuring relatable characters that feel both fresh and familiar. The vibrant backdrop of San Francisco adds an extra layer of charm, enhancing the overall experience. Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration brings the characters to life, making the plot even more engaging. (I received an advance copy and all opinions are my own.) This book is a delightful blend of suspense and humor, perfect for mystery lovers looking for something uniquely entertaining!

From the very start, I was deeply engaged. I was forming my own guesses as to who committed the crimes and why and was still shocked by the ending. Many chapters ended on cliff hangers that left me no choice but to keep reading. Absolutely unputdownable!!!!

The Serial Killer Guide To San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard. This is a suspenseful murder mystery with family drama.

Pacing was ok, but the entire book felt a bit dragged out. Could have shortened it up a bit for a better read. New case vs old case are they connected? Storylines are wrapped up nicely. Narrator made the darker themed book quite fun to listen to.

I was provided with a review copy of the audiobook and this is my honest opinion. I gave this book 3.5 stars. (If I am unable to leave partial stars, I will always round up.)

Thank you NetGalley and Michelle Chouinard.

This story kept me on my toes and was a thoroughly delightful audiobook. The concept of the main character being a tour guide in San Francisco provided an opportunity to share facts about the area and its notorious criminals, which appealed to the history/true crime lover in me. The fact that the MC was more on the mature side was refreshing to read. Also, the red herrings were so good that I was completely thrown for a loop when the true killer was discovered.

Additionally, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker was a fantastic narrator and she kept the story at a great pace to continually keep me engaged.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Capri is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer who does serial killer themed tours of San Francisco. A copycat to her grandpa starts murdering people, and she begins investigating when the cops start treating her and her daughter as suspects.

Pick this up if you love:
- mysteries
- puzzles
- true crime

The only criticism I have of this one is there is a bit too much inner monologuing of different theories for the murders. It got a bit tiring. Otherwise, it was fast paced and I needed to know what happened. I had a guess half way through, but I was wrong.

The narrator was fantastic. The main character was making a podcast and I think it would have been awesome if we had gotten to hear some episodes.

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, it felt like a more realistic mystery. I feel like I could see something like this happen in real life, where when I read of Freida McFadden, I don’t often feel that way. It was so fun to have more of a realistic mystery and I never saw the twists coming or guessed who the killer was. I love being surprised and was very happy to have a jaw dropping moment when finding out who the killer was. I was obsessed with Finley Donovan is Killing it and this book gave me that feeling again, but was way more realistic than Finley Donovan. LOVE! If anyone has any recommendations like this I’d read it in a heartbeat.

I was lucky enough to be approved for a NetGalley audio book & it was pretty fun.
Granddaughter of a serial killer finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when her ex-mother-in-law is murdered in the same style as her grandfather's murders & she looks like a good suspect.
Since I have a personal tie-in to serial killers as I got married in the backyard of the house where Richard Ramirez (the night Stalker) killed his last victims, I thought this would be perfect for me to read & it definitely didn't disappoint. Lots of twists & kept me guessing until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for letting me listen to an advance copy of this title!

I didn't know exactly what to expect from The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco. If it had focused on the crime podcast aspect, it would have been a completely different story—a lesser one, in my opinion. Instead, it was a good mix of Capri's tour business, her family of origin's history, her ex-in-laws' present story, her life as a single mother of a young adult and a small business owner, and her pulling together all the pieces (the process of which is frustrating to the actual detective on the case). I was thoroughly entertained. If there is to be a sequel or series, I will gladly continue reading.

On the violence/gore spectrum, this book falls neither on the cozy end nor the no-holds-barred trigger-warnings-galore end.

A couple of word choices leapt out and tweaked my nose. At one point, a character is described as “still hisspering.” [I don't know if it's written with one “s” or two.] I've never heard this before—and couldn't find any evidence that it's A Thing—but it really painted the picture for me. I like it—I'm going to keep hisspering in my lexicon! I know this is A Thing, but I can't remember where I first read or heard “you've got another think coming”—the original usage, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Narrator Stephanie Németh-Parker is versatile in voicing characters across age, gender, and cultural ranges. This is at least the second book I've read that she has narrated (and the second this year alone).

Under the name M.M. Chouinard, the author has written nine previous books, eight of which comprise a female detective mystery series. I might explore her backlist when I'm in the mood for a grittier read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Stephanie Németh-Parker narrates this and does a superb job! I love her velvety smooth voice!

This is such a fun book about a family whose heritage has long been overshadowed by a grandfather sent to prison for being an infamous serial killer. For many years, its impacted relationships and how they see each other. But when a copycat starts killing socialites in place of hookers, decades later and its strikingly the same MO, Capri is determined to figure out who is doing the killing.

This is a well written read that is fast paced and light-hearted despite being focused on serial killers.

If you enjoy detective style reads, this is one that should not be missed!

I thought this would be a lighthearted mystery about being the granddaughter of a serial killer, and I couldn’t have been more wrong! It turned into a deep study into the psychology of killing, what makes a serial killer, and even a deep dive into San Fran old vs new money. All set against the backdrop of a tourism industry and family drama that only gets more intense when more money is in play.

The audio was AMAZING. I felt like I was in the middle of the story, experiencing the drama, the investigation, the mystery, the sneaking around, and the secrets. Not to mention the places described on the tours! While I haven’t been to San Fran on vacation, this made me feel like I’ll be right at home when I do get there.

Well done!

Rating: 3.75⭐️
📖 Pub date: 9/23/24
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (thank you for this advanced listener copy!!)
recommend audio?: yes!!!

1 sentence review: similar vibes to AGGGTM but less satisfying twists!

This book a lighter, medium paced, crime solving type of read! I definitely found the copycat murder aspect of this book to be the most intriguing and I thought I discovered the twist early on, but I was wrong! There were 2 mysteries going on at the same time in this book and I found that to be fun and engaging.

While the characters were working the case, there was some tech jargon having to do with apps, algorithms, insider trading, etc. that went a bit over my head but didn’t necessarily take away from the story at all. I found this aspect a bit dull but thoroughly enjoyed the other parts!

Also, the main character’s name being “Capricorn” is my favorite thing ever lol😂

Read This if You Like:
🌁 Tech, apps, and software
🔪 Investigative murder mysteries
📓 Books like ‘A Good Girls Guide to Murder’