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!

First of all shoutout to the cover artist, because I love the design and it really drew me to the book. I think the landmarks are so iconic and without it being in the title you would realize it takes place in SF. I love the idea of participating in these tours around San Francisco, and could see it being popular. I think the mystery was interesting, but there things that felt a bit too convenient. I did want to keep reading to see what would happen though so that is always a plus. The narrator did a fantastic job and I can't wait to listen to more of her work.

An interesting premise that I’m not sure was executed well. There were long stretches where the plot focused deeply on business/tech explanations, and I don’t really understand and don’t really care about that, so I found myself tuning out quite a bit. Also, I know this is more of a cozy mystery, but the stakes just didn’t feel high enough for me to feel super invested. I was also expecting a much heavier focus on serial killers and the connection between the main character’s grandfather and the recent murders, but it really felt like two completely separate investigations. There were moments I enjoyed and others I didn’t. 3 stars🌟

There is a very small romance subplot, but everything is squeaky clean (though there is mention of infidelity in the story). I think there were a handful of curse words, but there were all pretty mild.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

Loved the book! I couldn't put it down! The audiobook was wonderful as well. I enjoyed the different voices which helped to keep the characters straight while listening to the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

I found the premise of The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco unique and really enjoyed listening to the audio for this book! The granddaughter of a serial killer has taken her passion and turned it into her career - giving serial killer tours of San Fransisco.

When a copycat of her grandfather strikes in the city - all eyes are on her and her family, so our main character needs to put her amateur sleuthing and serial killer knowledge to use.

I really liked this cozy mystery, and I especially liked how much San Fransisco played a role in the book, almost like it was another character.

I wish I were better at figuring out the mysteries - I almost never do. This one surprised me (even though other reviewers saw the twist coming a mile away).

The narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker was great at separating all the different voices and characters and keeping the story moving.

Capri Sanzio grew up knowing that she is the granddaughter of a convicted serial killer. When a copycat appears, she knows she needs to find a way to prove his innocence.

This contemporary mystery is quite the thrilling page turner. I didn't find any of the descriptions to be overly graphic but still accurately set the scene. As someone who is quite familiar with San Francisco, it was nice to see mentions of not only popular landmarks but some of the individual neighborhoods as well. There were a few small twists, just enough to keep anyone guessing.

I highly recommend the audiobook which is narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. She does a fantastic job keeping a good sized cast of characters differentiated.

Overall, I enjoyed both the book and audiobook. I look forward to seeing more work from this author in the future.

I voluntarily read, listened to, and reviewed advanced copies of this book and audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This murder mystery ended up feeling much cozier than I was expecting, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s a good dose of family drama and amateur sleuthing rather then any real tension or suspense. The pacing of the book got a little uneven as the read went on. It started quite strongly but lagged in the middle because so much time was spent on Capri thinking through things, looking for how pieces connect, and going over things multiple times. I wish that there had been less time spent on that and more time spent on family relationships or the podcast.

The author’s writing wasn’t my favorite. It felt like she found a few terms she really liked (one of which was “lizard brain”) and they showed up too often that it became a little annoying. The characters were decent overall, though nothing particularly stood out to me about them.

If you’re looking for a relatively light mystery that’s got cozy vibes and ties up everything quite neatly, then you’ll probably like this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this work are my own.

This was very multi-layered but not hard to follow at all. I enjoyed the narration and found the pacing to be excellent. This was entertaining and an easy listen.

This was not what I expected, but found it to be an enjoyable, quick, easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was purchased by our library and reviewed on our Facebook Page.

Funny, quirky and I wish it was a series.

As a true crime and mystery fan, this was an unexpectedly fun mystery about the granddaughter of an incarcerated serial killer who now runs a tour agency in San Francisco focused on local killers (I've gone on a few Jack the Ripper tours myself). I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, though there were a few surprisingly serious subjects in the book, too, that might have been treated just a bit too lightly.

The narrator was great and it was definitely a book that kept my attention.

Book: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco
Author: Michelle Chouinard
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fiction, Crime/Mystery
Places Featured: San Francisco, California, United States
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)

I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t my favorite. It people ask if they should read it, I would say yes, just not YES!

Honestly, this one was a little underwhelming. It’s definitely not that it’s bad, it just wasn’t all I thought it would be. It was still a solid listen!

This is a fun and engaging read. I like Capri and the way she found a way to turn her passions into a livelihood. The mystery itself is complex and interesting. I appreciated all the little tidbits about San Francisco. It’s clear that the author knows a lot about the area. This felt appropriate since knowing random facts about SF is literally Capri’s job.

The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. She did a great job bringing Capri and her investigations to life. I thought the fun intro/outro music was a nice touch.

What a delightful read, even though it was a murder mystery, it maintained a fun tone thanks to an exceptional narrator who drew me in immediately. The story was also exceptionally well-crafted and unique within the genre, providing a refreshing change of pace. I was particularly impressed by Capri’s bravery, even as a young girl, as she consistently stood up for what she believed in. I believe this series has the potential to be developed further, and I think it could have been set up in a more intriguing manner.