The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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!