The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco: A Mystery

By Michelle Chouinard

Book Overview

A Nominee for the Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250359309
• ISBN13: 9781250359308
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable murder mystery

This was an entertaining read and despite the murders, it flowed along pleasantly for me as Capri went along solving both the current ones and diving back into this past to see if her grandfather was actually "Overkill Bill" or was he a victim of the justice system. There was the connection between past and present as the current murderer seemed to be a copycat. Capri was an enjoyable narrator and I liked the way her mind worked finding all the secrets (though her eating of sweet pickles when stressed was ick!). I also enjoyed the way the story was interspersed with little snippets of previous serial killers who lived in San Francisco (and which Capri used on her many tours). I think I would have enjoyed having her as a tour guide on one of my visits to that city, especially when she did her research on prohibition rooms (secret tucked away spots for illegal alcohol) and speakeasies and such (she really is a woman of many talents, including finding the truth). So, yes, this was a fun and light read with nice little historical bits about serial killers and cool spots in San Francisco!