It takes a lot to faze Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving true crime walking tours in San Francisco. When a tour guest insists that she witnessed a woman being attacked through an apartment window, Capri doesn’t make much of it initially. Although the police don’t find any evidence of anything amiss at the apartment, the resident never turns up and then the tour guest goes missing too. Of course Capri, with her true crime background, is not about to let things go and just has to investigate!

A Tour to Die For is the sequel to The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, although it can easily be read as a standalone. There’s enough detail about the characters to bring you up to speed but it also doesn’t spoil the first book, which is nice because you’ll probably want to go back and read it if you enjoy this one! It’s refreshing that plucky and determined Capri isn’t some young thing, she’s a character around my own age with her own young adult daughter. I love her budding romance with Detective Petito, which made me nostalgic for an older cozy mystery series, Scumble River, and also gives Finlay Donovan vibes. The San Francisco lore makes this series feel authentic, and the gold rush history was really interesting! The mystery wraps up nicely, but the author left Capri some personal loose ends, so it’s a good bet there’s room for at least one more book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5
A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

What Its Got
✅ True crime podcast
✅ Murder/ Missing person
✅ Pirate treasure
✅ New relationship
✅ Investigative journalist
✅ history of San Francisco

Main Characters
Petito- homicide cop, love interest, protector
Capri- curious, stubborn, independent, runs a True Crime Tour that has evolved into podcasts/a book/ and investigative journalism

Thoughts
📕 this book picks up right where the previous story left off, author consistently references the Serial Bill case (Capri’s grandfather) and its outcomes building the connection between past and present cases
📕 Petito’s and Capri’s relationship is new and growing, his protective side at odds with her fierce independence and their mutual sexual attraction give the reader another focus
📕 loved the history of San Francisco shared at the beginning of each chapter, these hid clues that connect back to the plot
📕 fast paced with a few twists and turns that kept me turning the pages

Overall
An entertaining read for those that love a “detective type” mystery or a police procedural with a splash of San Francisco’s criminal history

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my digital ARC in return for an honest review

ARC REVIEW (9/23/25): a tour to die for by michelle chouinard 🗺️ a true-crime tour guide investigates a suspicious incident witnessed by one of her guests, a potentially dangerous lead that unexpectedly pulls her into a new murder investigation and puts her own life in danger.

what to expect:
🌁 san francisco setting & history
💙 lost treasure
🌁 cozy mystery vibes
💙 romantic sideplot
🌁 49 year old (baddie) fmc

the author's writing style made it really easy to re-enter this world! her books are filled with suspense, a sprinkle of drama & interesting (yet dark) historical facts that plague the city. listen, binge reading this in one evening was the right move. I enjoyed a tour to die for A LOT more than I was anticipating! biiiig fan of how this mystery wrapped up as I think we will be getting book three 🌤️

if you’re looking to branch out from the finlay donovan universe, this is the series for you! thank you st. martin’s press for an early copy 🚎 4 stars!

This story follows Capri, the granddaughter of a notorious serial killer, who has created her own business of touring locations in San Francisco where true crimes have taken place throughout history. One of the tourists of her group witnesses a woman being attacked through a window and with no signs of foul play the police do not take it seriously until days later when a body is found. Disclaimer that this is book two, and I did not read the first.

This story had a lot of moving pieces that kept things interesting and fun, as if I were watching an episode of a tv series. We learned everything as Capri did which was different from usual mysteries that drop easter eggs to help the reader try and figure out the end game and suspect. And because there weren't many of those the reader couldn't confidently say who they thought the suspect was which worked against us (but in the author's favor!) whenever Capri began to doubt herself. It wasn't until the reveal that I began to realize that even though everything was as it seemed, everything is still not as it seems. And the plot twist at the end made me excited to read the next in the series.

A fun, well-paced book that kept me entertained. If you liked the first book, you’ll really enjoy this one as well. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I will say right off the bat that I am not a big cozy mystery reader, but this book had me rethinking that. I enjoyed it immensely, and now have to go back and read the first book because the little morsels that were dropped in A Tour to Die For make it sound super interesting. I love when a mystery has a bit of a history lesson in it. I am not really familiar with San Francisco's history outside of the earthquake in 1906, I loved learning about its wild beginnings and how that tied into the current day mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed that first book in this series, so I was happy to read the second book too.

The story continues with main character, Capri, who runs a true crime tour in San Francisco and also happens to be the granddaughter of one of the city's infamous serial killers.
Capri finds herself tangled in another mystery, when a guest on one of her tours claims to see someone being strangled. Capri finds herself back working with the police detective that she had previously been working with a falling for. And trying to solve another myserty.

Being a Northern California native, I loved the extra chapters that gave some true crime tidbits into the city.

Cute, quick mystery. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The 2nd in the series, and just as enjoyable as the 1st. I love Capri, the main character who just happens to be the Serial Killer Tour Guide For San Francisco. Of course, with a job like that you are destined to run into trouble and maybe even a little murder! The investigative journalist in her just can't let anything go.
I enjoy her POV of the story telling. Also, the relationship between Capri and Detective Petito keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Thank you NetGalley, Michelle Chouinard and Minotaur Books for the ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Minotaur for the gifted copy of A Tour To Die For! This is book two in the Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco series, so make sure to read book one first.

While I found the first book’s mystery a bit more compelling, I still really enjoyed this installment. It has that “groundwork” feel, like it’s setting up what I hope will be a long-running series. I’m starting to get attached to these characters and can’t wait to see what happens next!

My favorite part of this series is the way San Franciscan history is woven into the mysteries. The city itself feels like a character and I love learning more about it with each book!

"A Tour to Die For" was a great follow-up to book one in The Serial Killers Guide to San Francisco Mysteries series; I really enjoyed this fast-paced, cozy Mystery!

The author's writing style made it really easy to re-enter this world. Her books are filled with suspense, twists, interesting historical facts about the city and a bit of drama. The characters and memorable and leave a lasting impression.

Overall a really solid and enjoyable read that I would recommend checking out. I will definitely be continuing on in the series.

Thank you Michelle Chouinard, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Capri Sanzio gives serial killer walking tours in San Francisco. On one tour, one of Capri’s guests is certain she sees a woman getting attacked. The police search the apartment, but nothing is found. Capri can’t stop wondering why someone would lie about seeing an attack. She can’t let it go and finds herself at the center of another murder investigation.

I loved The Serial Killer’s Guide to San Francisco, so I jumped at the chance to review this second installment in the series! While I found the first installation to be more of a thriller, I would consider this second one to be more of a cozy mystery. The mystery itself just wasn’t as exciting as the first one. However, I did still enjoy the character of Capri and the atmospheric setting of San Francisco. I would give this one 3 out of 5 stars.

Capri is back in the middle of another mystery when one of her San Francisco Killer Crime Tour guests swears she saw a woman being strangled through a window. Capri quickly calls 911, but her journalist instincts tell her there’s more to the story.

Her digging leads her right back to Detective Petito—the same detective who once suspected Capri and her daughter of murder. Now their relationship is complicated, with sparks flying even as Petito tries to keep Capri safe. Of course, Capri isn’t one to sit back; she’s strong, independent, and determined to run her business while chasing the truth. I also loved getting to know her best friend and partner Heather better in this book!

This was a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read and listen for me. The action, the twists, Capri’s tense but growing connection with Petito, and her ex-husband stirring up trouble—it all kept me hooked. I recommend starting with book one, A Serial Killer’s Guide to San Francisco, for the full backstory, especially about Capri’s family.

Look for this one September 23rd, 2025!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Michelle Chouinard, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for letting me dive back into Capri’s world.

Firstly to start, I didn’t realize this was book 2. First impression: immediately engrossed. The pacing was good. It was a good, solid mystery. I didn’t expect the ending. There were a lot of twists and turns. Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Chouinard, and Minotaur for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75 stars ⭐️ A Tour to Die For is a cozy mystery and the sequel to The Serial Killer’s Guide to San Francisco. It’s fun and fast-paced! I would read a third book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was so excited to read the second. I love the way the author wove the history of San Francisco throughout the book and other little true crime tidbits. I find Capri to be such charming main character and really enjoy her little band of family and friends (and obviously the very steamy Investigator Petito). I found the ending a little bit unsatisfying, which left me disappointed after how much I enjoyed the rest of the book. But I’ll definitely be excited for a third installment to the series!

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book! ‘A Tour to Die For’ was such a fun read & the perfect sequel in Michelle’s ‘Serial Killer Guide’ series! I really enjoyed the mystery in this one, and up until the very end had no idea who had committed the murders. I also loved Capri’s character development and how her confidence grew in her abilities. The banter & romance between her Petito was also such a sweet addition to this book. I’m so excited that the ending seemed to point to another book coming & I look forward to reading that one too!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I had high hopes for this book after the first one, which was a stellar read.

Unfortunately, I found this one was very middle-of-the-road. I still liked Capri, the main character, but I found the whole "investigative" part of the story a touch bland. I think the problem is that, in the first book, there were high stakes for Capri and her daughter. The whole case in the first book revolved around her and her grandfather's case as a serial killer. None of that existed in this book.

I'll be honest, I did wonder how the author was going to continue a story with Capri when the first book could have been a great standalone.

I'm not saying I hated the book, because I didn't and I do enjoy Chouinard's writing of Capri in particular, but I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much. And I did like it enough that I will read another if she continues the series!

First of all, a big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard—the much-anticipated second book in The Serial Killer’s Guide to San Francisco series!

This sequel completely lived up to the first book, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. If you’re a fan of the movie National Treasure, this is absolutely the book for you.

The story picks right up with Capri running her true crime tours in San Francisco when one of her clients witnesses a murder through an apartment window. From there, the mystery takes off with so many twists, turns, and shocking revelations that kept me hooked until the very end.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is how Chouinard weaves in fascinating tidbits about San Francisco’s dark and murderous history—it makes the setting come alive and adds such a chilling, authentic touch.

This is a must-read (or must-listen!) for mystery lovers who enjoy fast-paced, twisty plots with a dash of true crime history.

I was very excited to read this sequel to A Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I just wasn’t drawn in and invested in the story as much as I was hoping for.

A Tour to Die for is the second book in The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard. Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Capri Sanzio is back giving tours through San Francisco and hosting a criminal podcast. While on the tour, a tourist sees a woman get strangled through the window of her apartment. But when the police arrived the apartment was empty. Capri needs to know what happened to the woman and starts looking into it.

This was a good cozy mystery. While I didn’t read the first book, I was able to pick it up immediately and not be lost. I was excited for this one but it fell flat. I hated Capri’s internal dialogue with herself. I also thought she went about things poorly which got her in trouble. There is romance in this one but it feels rushed.

While I wanted to love this one it was a little flat for me. The solution to the mystery was off and still missing some pieces.