Thank you Minotaur Books for my #gifted copy of The Serial Killer Guide to San Fransisco! #minotaurbooks

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟒★

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was a really fun read! I knew when I saw that it was blurbed by Jesse Q. Sutanto, that I was going to want to read this one, and I’m glad I did! I loved the main character, Capri! I thought she was quirky yet ready to solve a mystery. I loved the premise and how she wants to uncover the truth about Overkill Bill, and decides to do so by documenting the process with a podcast and a book, hoping to make some money along the way. I think this book will appeal to anyone who loves cozy mysteries with a side of humor along the way.

🚎Murder Mysteries
🚎Family Drama
🚎Amateur Sleuthing
🚎Quirky Main Character

Posted on Goodreads on September 19, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around September 20, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on September 24, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Unfortunately this one was a bit boring. So much of the plot was fleshed out in conversations between characters, with very little actual action. It tries to be funny but reads a bit like a first draft. Some of the phrasing and metaphors are very awkward.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

An enjoyable and suspenseful murder mystery!

The main character, Capri, makes a living giving serial killer tours of San Francisco … and just happens to be the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer herself. When her ex-mother-in-law is killed by a copycat killer using her grandfather's methods, she must rush to find the culprit in order to protect herself and her family.

If you're a fan of San Francisco, this book is probably worth reading for that reason alone.

The mystery itself is solid with an “amateur sleuth/suspect investigating a murder and irritating the police” setup.

I loved that Capri is attempting to solve two mysteries at the same time, one from many years in the past. Will she posthumously exonerate her grandfather while investigating the present day murders? Or will she confirm his guilt?

This is a fun mystery that kept me entertained from beginning to end.

Thank you Minotaur for providing me with my ARC in exchange for my review!.

This book was so good. It was intriguing and sleuthy. I loved the characters and the plot. It was such a fun and enjoyable read. I love true crime and this book just spoke to me.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this in advance.

This crime thriller was a fun ride that left me eager to visit San Francisco and ready to binge some true crime podcasts! I really enjoyed the mixed media format, as the author used the main character's job as a tour guide of the city and it's rich crime history and notorious serial killers to intersperse some real cases between sections of the book.
Capri's grandfather is the infamous serial killer known as 'Overkill Bill' and she is shocked when someone starts killing new victims and emulating his style; especially when one of the victims is her former mother-in-law. This places Capri slap in the middle of an ongoing police investigation, and she insists on helping to solve the case in order to clear her name and involvement.
I love amateur sleuths, and Capri's familial connection to the case, as well as her unique profession of running crime tours of the city, made for a fun context. Capri is also working to clear her grandfather's name, as she believes his innocence. As the danger increases, Capri has to try and make connections between the current victims, her family, and all before the danger reaches her.
Readers who enjoy true crime connections, family drama, and amateur detectives will enjoy this new release! I especially enjoyed the satisfying ending!

The granddaughter of a convicted serial killer is running a city tour of San Francisco, showing tourists and true crime addicts all the local spots of infamous serial killers in the city's colorful history. Her entire life she has studied and researched in the hope of proving her grandfather was innocent of the crimes that sent him to prison for life.

Out of the blue, a wealthy socialite is murdered but someone who was using the exact M.O. of her grandfather. This gives her the idea and the opportunity to resurrect her crusade to argue her case for his innocence.

When the killer strikes again, it is very close to home and Capri finds herself the number one suspect in the copycat case.

This was a fun and entertaining mystery that kept me interested and engaged throughout. The story was strong, and when the twist came, all were backed up with logic not just thrown in to help answer who done it.

I enjoyed this quite a bit and highly recommend it. Perfect for that chilly fall night, with a nice hot cup of tea. It is to be released September 24, 2024

Thanks to @netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the oppertunity to read this earc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I loved this! This had everything I wanted in a book: fun, smart and savvy main character with a unique job, walking tours of San Francisco that taught me a little more about the city, a cold case with murders that she is desperate to prove her grandfather didn’t commit, and the murder of a few socialites that put her family in the spotlight again. The mystery had so many twists and turns that had me guessing the whole time and I wish this was a series so I could spend time with these characters again. I look forward to more books by this author.

If Murder, She Wrote took place in 2024--Capri would be our Jessica Fletcher. This was a short and fun cozy mystery that's actually two mysteries in one!

But I will say, the blurb doesn't do an incredible job explaining the story. Well, it DOES, but it's not entirely accurate. The first 20% and last 20% of the story are in fact about Capri trying to exonerate her grandfather, who was a convicted serial killer. And this DOES happen because there is a copycat murder that takes place in the current era. But the entire main portion of the story is about THAT--not Capri's quest to exonerate her grandfather, not her tour business, not her podcast or writing a book--but solving that murder. The fact that it's a copycat is barely referenced and not really relevant--it feels like it was just randomly tossed in as a detail to make the stories connect, but it's not really a strong enough glue. This feels almost like two totally different stories are being told, and it didn't really work for me.

Being said, looking at the two stories, there is a lot of potential and I really enjoyed them when looking at them separately! The "Main" plot absolutely reads like a modern-day episode of Murder, She Wrote (which was one of my FAVORITE shows when I was growing up). Capri is not a professional--she's a tour guide--but she's determined to solve the murder of someone close to her as a civilian. Jessica Fletcher would be proud. The side plot of exploring her grandfather's story felt like it could have gone in the direction of "Listen For the Lie," and I honestly wish that's what had happened. I think it would have been much more compelling to have the book be about Capri solving a modern day murder using her grandfather's case as the key.

Capri is a pretty compelling character, but she's the only one. All of the side characters felt like 80% flushed out and a lot of them didn't really serve a purpose to the story overall. I wish Heather's character had actually been relevant (she was my favorite) other than 2 lines of dialogue, and that Morgan had been more developed. I did really enjoy the bits between Capri and her parents, and I wish that had been a bigger focus given the subject matter.

Both stories were very interesting, and I thought there was a lot of potential! This was a super fast and easy read, and I think it's definitely worth picking up. Overall, I enjoyed this one, but I don't think I'll pick it up again.

This was a cute Who-dunnit style story. The book cover is what drew me in and I enjoyed the read overall. I would totally go in a City Murder Tour! This book has a couple twist and turns and was able to hold my attention throughout the story.

A fun cozy murder mystery!
I always enjoy whodunnits and amateur sleuthing and I got just that with this fun and fresh story.
🔎Whodunnit
🔎Cozy Mystery
🔎Family Drama/Secrets
🔎Amateur Sleuthing
Capri runs a bus that gives tours on serial killers of San Francisco. She is the granddaughter to a serial killer. But she’s convinced he was innocent and wants to prove it. When new murders happen and is deemed a copy cat, Capri is a suspect. Especially since one victim is her ex mother in law. It’s the perfect opportunity to re examine the case and discover who is behind this.

Choosing to embrace her family’s past rather than hiding it, Capri Sanzio owns SF Killer Crime Tours, which focuses on serial killers who have killed around San Francisco. This business idea all began when she found out her grandfather was none other than the serial killer known as “Overkill Bill”. Capri can’t help but believe that her grandfather told the truth when he claimed to be innocent but the case has long been closed and her grandfather has since then passed. Hoping to find out who actually was behind the murders, if her grandfather truly didn’t do it, Capri starts her own investigation of the Overkill Bill murders with plans of publishing her findings via a podcast and novel. Things do take a turn when a copy cat killer starts imitating the Overkill Bill murders and hitting a little too close to home, making Capri and her daughter prime suspects.

I really appreciated the concept of the granddaughter of a serial killer embracing her family’s history and trying to get answers on her grandfathers alleged killings. The novel had a lot of twists and turns that created that need to know feeling. Is her grandfather truly innocent? If yes, who was behind the murders? And finally, how does this all tie in to the copy cat killings that has Capri as a prime suspect! The mention of some of the San Francisco landmarks and their history had me wanting to book myself a trip there, like immediately! Would recommend if you are seeking mystery, family drama and a San Francisco setting!

Went into this thinking it was a cozy mystery, aka not super high expectations, but I was kind of bored? The last quarter of the book was probably the most exciting, if you choose to make it that far. I felt like it had too much detail in some parts, and then not enough during the parts I wanted to know about. It just lacked something in the mystery department, like I wanted more but I can’t seem to articulate what.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Capri Sanzio, the granddaughter of a murderer known as Overkill Bill, has always believed in her grandfather’s innocence. When a copycat killer strikes San Francisco, she decides to investigate the murders in an attempt to clear his name.

Thoughts: I really loved the unique premise of this one! Capri makes her living running a tour company specializing in San Francisco’s dark past, which was such a great backdrop for this mystery. With her personal ties to a previous serial killer as well as one of the victims of the present day copycat killer, there were many secrets to be uncovered and suspenseful twists. The characters were fun and lent a lighthearted vibe to the story. Overall, this was a fun and creative take on a cozy murder mystery! A note on the audio: Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. This one is very fun on audio, and I really enjoyed Stephanie’s narration!

Read this if you like:
🗺️ ghost tours
🗺️ murder mysteries
🗺️ family drama
🗺️ history

This is a cozy mystery with a dash of romcom and a bit of a true crime novelization.

Capri is kick ass with a passion for true crime and its ties to her families. Her career makes it simple for her to jump into the investigation into the death of a family member.

It avoids some of my least favorite mystery tropes and creates strong, well developed women and protective men who don’t smother or patronize.

The added layer of the serial killer ties to her family give the book another dimension beyond just a murder hobbyist getting involved in an investigation.

I’m hoping this is the first of a series.

When you’re the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer and have had to live with that stigma all your life, you may as well embrace it and start a business giving serial killer tours. San Francisco has a storied history of serial killers and Capri Sanzio taps into that fascination with the tours she leads. Capri has always believed that her grandfather was innocent, but has honored her father’s adamant insistence that she let the past stay in the past. When a copycat killer starts mimicking her grandfather’s crimes, and one of those victims is her ex mother-in-law, Capri has no choice to but to revisit the past and to investigate these new murders in order to protect her family.

With the plot hook of the main character’s relationship to a serial killer, you’re solidly focused on both past and present mysteries. It does get bogged down with too much wordiness and too much technical detail in spots, which does slow the pace of the story a bit. Ultimately though, this is a fun cozy mystery that will keep you entertained.

This book felt a bit genre defying. It was set up as a cozy, with the granddaughter tour director deciding to find out what really happened with her convicted serial killer grandfather. But it was also a bit more thriller with the current murders, done in the same manner as her grandfather had supposedly used. Add in a feeling of a true crime book with the inserts about actual San Francisco killers, San Francisco films and literature, and you have a really overflowing book. The only drawback I felt was that for awhile the search to clear the grandfather got completely forgotten and then quickly wrapped up at the end with less attention that I felt it deserved. But overall, this was a fun book to read and I would definitely go on a serial killer's tour of San Francisco!

This book totally captivated me, oddly enough near the middle and less so at the beginning and end. I thought Capri was a great main character and I loved the background history we learned with both her and Todd’s families. The business of running a tour of a city based on its serial killers is so interesting to someone who studied criminal justice and loves true crime! Although I loved all these things, I found the reveal of the murderer to be a little lackluster in comparison to how elaborate and in-depth the other details of the book were. Not that it felt rushed but more like there were no other viable options. I did enjoy this a lot but it was slightly above an average read looking at it as a whole novel rather than focusing on my favorite pieces.

First thank you to st Martin’s press/Minotaur books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Capri is the granddaughter of a famous serial killer in San Francisco so who better to run a tour company of serial killer locations than her. She has always believed her grandfather was innocent but never really pursued it. Now a copycat killer is on the loose and she is a suspect because it hits very close to home. Will she figure it out before she is arrested or murdered and why are they copying her grandfathers style?

What I liked: this is a wonderful debut novel and really enjoyed the mysteries and humor in the story. Capri is a great character. She is fierce, funny, and fearless and willing to do whatever it takes to protect those that she loves. She also does what is right. She grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and married into a very wealthy family. She divorced after being cheated on but still remains close because of her daughter. I loved how she would be the voice of reason with the family especially as they thought just about themselves. The mystery itself took some good twists that I enjoyed.

The nice twist is you are treated to two mysteries with her grandfather case too. This one was really interesting with the history and investigation she does. I don’t want to spoil anything but was really impressed with how she handled both mysteries. I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I know I will be reading it.

"In Michelle Chouinard's clever mystery The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city.

Welcome to San Francisco, a city with killer charm.

The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. 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. And Capri's former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri's daughter's tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. 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.

Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat's latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police's investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects."

I'm just saying, wouldn't debunking your grandfather when you do serial killer tours kind of put a dent in your business?

Book Review
The Serial Killers Guide to San Francisco
By Michelle Chouinard

Tropes
✅ New to me author
✅ Amateur investigator working an old police file with a family connection
✅ Serial killer tours
✅ Secrets buried in family’s past
✅ A potentially innocent man wrongfully imprisoned
✅ Copy cat killer
✅ Scandal, fraud, affairs, Socialites and prostitution

Main Character
Capri- tour host, granddaughter of a serial killer, enjoys sleuthing in her off hours
Morgan- Capris daughter, student and suspect
Ryan- Hacker friend and colleague
Heather - BFF and business partner
Phillip - ex FIL
Petito- Local police investigator with the potential for more?
Sylvia- ex MIL

Thoughts
Murder She wrote but with a millennial twist- podcasts and texts and a convenient disregard for following the letter of the law make this a read a perfect cozy mystery to snuggle up with on a crisp fall day.
The inclusion of myths and facts about the criminal history of SF (people and places) add to the authenticity of the current murder mystery under investigation.

Thanks to @netgalley @minotaur_books for my digital copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.