Book Review: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

Michelle Chouinard, under the name M.M. Chouinard, is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Her works include the seven-book Jo Fournier detective series and a standalone thriller, The Vacation. She earned a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Stanford University and is a founding faculty member of UC Merced. This fall, she published The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, which was chosen as an Amazon Editor’s pick.

Capri Sanzio knows a thing or two about reinvention. Rather than crumbling in the wake of her (now ex-) husband’s infidelity, she went back to school and became an entrepreneur, founding SF Killer Crime Tours—an enterprise that caters to true crime buffs. But Capri’s interest in the macabre isn’t simply a professional obligation; it’s a personal obsession rooted in events that have divided her family for decades. Her grandfather—nicknamed “Overkill Bill” for the MO in a series of prostitute killings he allegedly perpetrated (by bashing the victims on the head, stabbing them, and then cutting their throats postmortem)—died in prison despite his unwavering claims of innocence. It’s a shameful chapter in the Sanzio history that has been left to fester without resolution.

But the past reemerges with a vengeance when a copycat killer begins claiming new victims. Even more alarming, the second target is socialite Sylvia Clement—Capri’s former mother-in-law. Coincidence or not, Capri and her daughter, Morgan, both find themselves under suspicion when it’s revealed that Sylvia had recently cut off Morgan’s college tuition assistance. With the threat of arrest looming, Capri launches her own investigation into the crimes while simultaneously researching her grandfather’s case in hopes of exonerating him (and discovering what, if anything, links the two sets of slayings). And while Capri’s inquiry turns up some unsettling questions, it also frustrates the authorities, angers her father, and provokes a murderer in her midst.

Capri is a likable and lively lead whose presence at the center of all things makes for engaging, enlightened narration. Indeed, while she’s initiated one investigation and inserted herself into the other, both concern her—and so passivity is simply not an option (much to the displeasure of a certain detective). Chouinard achieves a relative balance between storylines, including the two cases, Capri’s personal life, and her business dealings, all of which have room to grow while intersecting as necessary. Readers will also be intrigued by her foray into Sylvia’s financial ventures, which expose the chasms between old money and new, and the peril that often coincides with profitability and prestige.

Michelle Chouinard has mapped out a surefire winner with The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco. It’s the perfect destination for readers who prefer their crime stories to be lightly comedic and character-forward but with a keen sense of cleverness and clear-eyed conviction. While the promise of the title, with its true crime and topographical appeal, may serve as the initial hook, Capri—the fiercely devoted mom, ex-in-law, and friend—emerges as the star attraction. Simply put, this one is worth scoping out—no reservations required!