A Serial Killers Guide to San Francisco

Hmmm idk 🤷🏻‍♀️ I feel pretty meh about this book. I mean it took me 3 tries to get thru the whole thing. But upon looking at reviews, it appears I might be in the minority here so that makes me feel better! I know this book has an audience, it’s just not me and that’s okay!

Here’s where I got lost a little bit. The whole book is about a serial killer and San Fran it’s right in the title. But I felt like we didn’t get much in the way of either. After finding out capri had a murder tour business, I was expecting her to visit all these places famous murders happened in the city & relate it to the current murders. And surprisingly, that’s not what happened. Her murder tour barely came up in the plot. 🤷🏻‍♀️ another thing that just isn’t for me is something I’m gonna call “business mystery” for lack of a better term. I tend to check out when there’s a business mystery or a tech company with shady characters get thrown into the mix. That’s more of a personal preference tho so you might like that!

Overall, I thought it was fine. I personally just wanted more out of the gimmick of the title! More fun! More murder! More mystery! 🤷🏻‍♀️

This book follows Capri Sanzio who is the owner and operator of a local tour company in San Francisco. Her tours focus on the serial killers of her great city. She has always been fascinated with serial killers and San Francisco's history is rich in serial killers and some are violent and bloody. It is no surprise, Capri's fascination with serial killers because her grandfather William Sanzio was convicted as the well known killer Overkill Bill. Capri has always been curious about her grandfather, but her father refuses to talk about him or his alleged crimes, so she grew up never knowing what actually happened. Suddenly, Capri is in need of some additional money to help pay for her daughter's college because Capri's mother-in-law has decided to cut off both Capri and her daughter. After an argument with her mother-in-law about this, a copy cat killer has reopened interest in Overkill Bill because her mother-in-law winds up murdered in the same fashion that her grandfather allegedly killed his victims. With Capri and her daughter now considered suspects, Capri needs to do her research to figure out who killer her mother-in-law and if the actual Overkill murderer is still out there.

This was a fun and cute story. I loved the audiobook narration and felt that the narrator did a great job matching Capri's personality. I enjoyed the setting of the book and think this will be a good series overall. It is a cozy story with great humor and lovable characters.

I did only rate this book 3 stars because while I enjoyed it, I am not sure that I will remember much about it in the future.

Read if you like:
-Cozy mysteries
-Lovable characters
-Great humor
-Great settings

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the #gifted copy.

Cute read!! The audiobook was very nicely done, and I would love to try to visit San Francisco in the future. I love a good, fun mystery. Highly recommend listening to the audio for this one!!

*Thank you partner @macmillan.audio for the #gifted audiobook.*

The audio book was a delight. Played new to me even after reading book and knowing story. A delight humor to a rather serious subject, enveloped by not addressing grief.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book. Book was fine, really good if you like the genre! It was a fun, light-hearted read. I would read more from this author.

If you loved the Finley Donovan series, you will enjoy this one too! A nice bonus, the audiobook was sooo well done! I was enthralled from start to finish. It was a nice cozy mystery with incredibly likable characters! I loved this book. Plain and simple. I can't wait for the next one!

"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."

**What I enjoyed about this book:
I enjoyed the family drama/family connections that were explored in this book. I also appreciated that I couldn't entirely figure out what was going to happen until the end of the book. I also enjoyed that the setting of this book was in San Francisco, and I thought the author did a good job of using the setting to bring extra detail to the story and really make the reader feel immersed in the story.

Capri Sanzio owns and operates a tour company in her native San Francisco. These aren't your normal run-of-the-mill tourist tours, however. Capri's tours are focused on the serial killers of their great city.San Francisco is rich in history, and unsurprisingly, like many big cities, some of it has been violent and bloody.

Capri has been interested in serial killers since she was a child and discovered that her own Grandfather, William Sanzio, was the convicted serial killer known as Overkill Bill. Even though she was naturally curious about her Grandfather, her Dad refused to talk about him or his alleged crimes, so she grew up riddled with questions and those never really went away. As an adult, she transformed that unusual interest into a profitable business.

Although she's always believed her Grandfather was innocent, Capri never dedicated any time into really researching his case. When she suddenly needs additional money to help pay for her daughter's grad school program though, and a copycat killer has reopened interest in Overkill Bill, Capri figures now may be the time. She could write a book, chronicling the research process via podcast, thus making cash and exonerating her Grandfather at the same time.

Before she even has the chance to get her plan off the ground though, the police discover the copycat's latest victim, Sylvia, Capri's mother-in-law, and the reason why Capri suddenly needed money for her daughter's schooling. Sylvia had been paying, but recently announced she was cutting them off. Jarringly, Capri finds herself as the main suspect. Now it's not just about clearing her Grandfather's name, it's about clearing herself.

I had a blast reading The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco. I seriously need to reevaluate some of my life choices.
Why the heck did I wait so long to pick this up?

This was so cute. I loved the audiobook narration, which perfectly matched Capri's personality. I'm stoked this is the start of a series. It's certainly one I plan to continue with. I'm definitely down for solving more cases with Capri. This has such a great setting and overriding premise. I would strongly recommend it for fans of the Finlay Donovan series, as it has a similar tone. It's Cozy and modern, with great humor and a lovable cast of characters.

While this mystery hit close to home for Capri, the possibilities are endless for the other cases she could solve. I'm hoping that this will be one of those long-running Cozy series, where I just become more and more attached to the characters as we go along. The synopsis for the 2nd-book, A Tour to Die For, has already been released and it sounds quite Rear Window. Say less, am I right? I'm so ready!!

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'm happy to be on board with another great Mystery series!

I’m always down for a good murder mystery. The main characters relationship with Overkill Bill helps this book stand out from other amateur sleuth novels. I was entertained the entire time, and the mystery is solid. If you like a good mystery, then check this book out.

4.5⭐️ [Loved it]

The narration of this audiobook was excellent, making it easy to really get into the story. It was a lighter and fun mystery read which was a nice surprise. I wasn’t a huge fan of the tour guide aspect but luckily it wasn’t the biggest part of the plot. I flew through this book and thought the ending was really good. I recommend checking this one out, especially on audio!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read! I loved Capri and honestly wished she had a better family at the end of all this. This murder mystery really had it all: mistaken identity, cold case, insider trading, hostile witness. I am so glad to see that it is the start of a series because I would love more Capri and her handsome detective.
On a sidenote: I would love to take these tours, they sound awesome!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Michelle Chouinard, and Macmillan audio for my copy of this audiobook.

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.

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.