Member Reviews
This was a super fun and fast read! Once I got started I didn't want to stop listening! This was my 1st book by Michelle Chouinard but it will not be my last, as I am adding all of her books to my TBR! I can't wait to see what she writes next!
Great story, with many ups and downs. I loved that the heroine was connected to the crime, that was a new twist. Overall a fast and fun read. Highly recommended. Also, loved the narrator.
In this quirky mystery novel, Capri Sanzio is a tour guide to all the serial killer spots in San Francisco, and her grandfather is one of the most notorious serial killers. Although Capri questions if he actually is a serial killer after all. When bodies start dropping being killed with her grandfather's MO, she kicks her investigation into his innocence into high gear. Unfortunately, the killer strikes too close to home, and Capri herself becomes a suspect. I really enjoyed the ebb and flow of this novel. It made for interesting reading!
I happily admit that I had fun listening to THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO by Michelle Chouinard and read by Stephanie Németh-Parker. I mean, we have the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer leading tours around San Franscisco’s notorious spots. Capri’s always been convinced her grandfather was innocent, and just when her friends convince her to start a podcast of her investigations into his innocence, a victim of a copycat is found. When the second victim is her ex-mother-in-law, she becomes a suspect, as does her daughter (motive, of course). Now Capri is trying to clear herself and her daughter, while also trying to exonerate her grandfather.
Németh-Parker did an excellent job narrating, keeping me entertained. There were some surprises, which made this even more fun. I was excited to see this listed as book 1, I can’t wait to see what Chouinard had in store for Capri next.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#MacAudio2024
Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.
I honestly found this to be such a enjoyable read, more so than I thought! It was the right combination for me of mystery and suspense with likeable characters, and I loved the serial killer connection. A lot of times I really dislike the whole "amateur detective" thing but it worked quite well here. I would read more by this author.
A fun and witty mystery debut. Our main character is the daughter of the infamous "Overkill Bill" and she uses that to her advantage running true crime tours, when two copycat murders strike close to home Capri feels she must investigate sending her on an adventure where past and present cross and collide. I really enjoyed this with a great beginning and a wonderful end.
Great read! Okay I listened to the audiobook but the characters were fun and I was drawn into the story and players more than I expected. There was a lightness to the story that kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!
Loved this book! It was a really fun listen. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to love it quite as much as I did. It felt a little more realistic than most cozy mysteries, and I especially enjoyed the true crime facts interspersed between the chapters.
Capri is the granddaughter of a serial killer named Overkill Bill, and she gives guided tours of spots in San Francisco connected to famous killers. She's the only one who believes in her grandfather's innocence, and when a copy cat surfaces, there is renewed interest in his case. It seems the killer is someone close to Capri requiring her to help with the investigation. Now, she needs to solve these murders and the ones from the past.
This was a very well thought out mystery with stellar narration performed by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. I highly recommend this one and will be looking forward to more books in the future by this author.
Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for this ALC. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, the story centers on Capri Sanzio, a guide for serial killer tours in the city, who has harbored a fascination with the subject since her youth. Her life takes a shocking turn when she learns that she is the descendant of the infamous serial killer William "OverKill Bill" Sanzio
I want to keep reading to find out more, it was such a fun and interesting read!.
THE SERIAL KILLER GUIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO is a great debut from Michelle Chouinard.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book moves quickly from the start and is a fun whodunnit novel. Something about amateur detectives is always fun. Although Capri’s investigation made me cringe at times and had tampering with evidence all over it, it was still a fun read. I couldn’t put it down.
Narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker, was perfect for Capri and really brought her role to life. Fabulous on audiobook. Thanks @macmillan.audio for the chance to listen to this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This was SUCH a fun read and I enjoyed this book so much! Our main characters is Capri, a woman whose grandfather was accused of being a serial killer and who currently takes people on tours of popular serial killer hotspots around San Francisco. Not only that, she somehow becomes a prime suspect in another murder that hits close to home as well. I thought this was an incredibly well done murder mystery. The chapters were short and to the point which kept me wanting to read. The character development was well done, and I loved the descriptions of San Francisco. I feel like I left the book with a greater appreciation of the area, even if it was in terms of famous serial killers. I loved how Capri was determined to figure out not only the murder, but also help try and exonerate her grandfather as well. I don't want to go into too much detail as I think it would be too much of a spoiler, but I loved how the author tied up both murders by the end and left completely satisfied. I could not stop listening to the book because I wanted to get to the bottom of the mysteries. The narrator did an amazing job at keeping me engaged, and I loved consuming this as an audiobook. I highly recommend, and will definitely look this author up for more books in the future. 4.25/5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listeners copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.
I absolutely loved this fast-paced, gripping thriller! The story follows a woman who runs a serial killer tour company in San Francisco and gets pulled into a murder investigation when killings mirror her grandfather’s crimes-and later, her ex-mother-in-law becomes a victim too. The twists kept me hooked, and the unique premise made it impossible to put down. I read this in a single day and highly recommend it to fans of suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat mysteries.
3.5 stars. Really enjoyed this mystery! Fun facts about San Francisco are included. The MC is a tour guide, true crime fan and granddaughter of a supposed serial killer. There were sort of two mysteries as she tries to avenge her grandfather's name while also being caught up in a current investigation. There were surprising twists and great supporting characters. Highly recommend if you enjoy mysteries! Thanks #macaudio2024 for the copy!
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review: Unfortunately I was not able to get into this. I can't believe I'm saying it, but this was a little too lighthearted and all over the place for me. I would recommend this to those who mostly read cozy mysteries. Admittedly that is not my wheelhouse, however some do break through (sadly this wasn't one). If you are a fan of family drama and specifically if you are familiar with San Francisco, I would give this a try.
The book dragged on a little and could have probably been a bit shorter, but it was still an interesting mystery that kept me guessing until the end. 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
In her debut novel (under this name), Michelle Chouinard not only takes on a serial killer but San Francisco:
San Francisco is such a nice city, but boy is it one with a history and no one knows this better than Capri Sanzio who's grandfather was the serial killer known as OverKill Bill, and who now leads serial and crime themed tours around San Francisco. But when an OverKill Bill copycat surfaces, Capri wonders if this is the time to bring out her own family's history and reinvestigate the Overkill Bill murders, as her grandfather said he was innocent till the end. When a Overkill Bill murder happens close to home, Capri finds herself and family the targets of the investigation and now she has two generations of Overkill murders to solve.
I knew as soon as i saw the title of this book i was going to pick it up. Not only did i visit San Francisco for the first time this year, I also did a murder, mayhem and music walking tour while I was there. It was great to revisit San Fransico and actually know a bit of the area that Chouinard was talking about and there was even some cross over with the murder aspect. I mean if you want to talk a history of serial killers and crime you cannot go wrong with choosing San Francisco. I loved the little serial killer facts that Chouinard shares throughout the book and were one of the highlights for me.
Although Chouinard has written novels under a different pen name, I think for the most part this book reads like a debut novel, it was missing a bit of the polish of a more seasoned author by trying to take on a lot in this book. But at the same time, I really enjoyed the approach that Chouinard took with the past and present family drama. I think that Chouinard was able to keep the suspects alive in the book.
Capri is quite a lot in this book, her brain and life are going in so many different directions. She seems like lovely person but man her brain needs a break several times in the book and as a reader I wish I had a break from her every now and then. Do i know which character Chouinard could have given a chapter or two to, No, but I just think there needed to be a break from her.
I liked that Chouinard brought in the white-collar aspect in the book and the nuances of friendships and money with the upper elite. Money and appearance is everything to people in power or people who have money.
I enjoyed this book, Capri is a bit cooky at times, but I enjoyed the twists that Chouinard kept coming even if she tries to do a lot with this book. I would read another book by Chouinard.
Enjoy!!!
I absolutely LOVE books about podcasts so I was delighted to read/listen to this thriller!
The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard dives into the city’s crime-filled past with a clever and haunting twist - perfect for this fall season!
Capri Sanzio has a very unique (and perhaps macabre?) job, taking tourists around San Francisco, showing them sites related to serial killers. But this is more than a job for Capri; it's personal. Her grandfather, William “Overkill Bill” Sanzio, whom she's never met, was convicted as a serial killer; but Capri has always doubted his guilt.
Capri never thought she’d have to dig deeper into her family’s dark history, But when a new murder mimicking her grandfather’s alleged crimes shakes the city and her ex-mother-in-law becomes a victim, things get much too personal! Capri never expected she'd have to dig deep into her family's own dark history. Before she know it, she's thrown into a high-stakes mystery, not only as a suspect but also fighting to clear her name.
This was a definitely a book that hooked me immediately. Perhaps I'm wrong but most of the thriller book lovers I know are also obsessed in watching/reading/consuming anything pertaining to serial killers or murder mysteries! If that describes you as well, you HAVE to check this one out now since it was published back in September.
The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is a fun amateur sleuth murder mystery that will keep you intrigued until the end.
I really enjoyed this story, with the main character battling the weight of her family’s past while supporting her family’s present and future. The characters are well written. The plot is creative and engaging.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which had a single narrator who did a great job. I listened at 1.5x and 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy.
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!