Review: A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard

 

A Map to Murder (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco #3) by Michelle Chouinard

Publication Date: September 22th 2026 by Minotaur Books 

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Capri Sanzio runs a successful San Francisco tour business specializing in the city’s true-crime history. After helping solve two murders, detailing the events in a book and podcast has earned her some attention. So, when Jennifer Torres disappears while investigating the unsolved 1967 murder of her aunt Marilyn, Jennifer’s daughter asks Capri to help find her.

 

Capri digs into Marilyn’s murder, hoping to retrace Jennifer’s steps. Finding people who knew Marilyn nearly sixty years ago isn’t easy, but a threatening phone call shows Capri is on the right track.

 

A Map to Murder was an engrossing mystery! I loved Capri’s determination and ingenuity in searching for answers, and I was especially happy she had Detective Petito as a resource and for support. I’m really enjoying their pairing, as well as the precautions he encourages Capri to take.

 

I thought I had the mystery figured out, but I was wrong, and I loved being surprised by how everything came together. Things got tense, but Capri kept her head!

 

As with the previous books, I also enjoyed the bits of San Francisco history woven into the story. I didn’t know much about the 1967 “Summer of Love” or the hippie movement surrounding it, so I found that especially interesting.

 

This is the third book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone since the central mystery is resolved by the end. That said, I’d recommend reading the series in order to fully appreciate the relationships and previous cases. I hope we get another book in the series!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Beloved true crime tour guide Capri Sanzio returns in Michelle Chouinard’s A Map to Murder, the next book in the USA Today bestselling Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco Mysteries.

True crime tour guide and serial killer aficionado Capri Sanzio knows how central the Summer of Love is to San Francisco’s identity—even if she’s always had conflicted feelings about it. She’s used to weaving feel-good hippie culture and music into her Haight-Ashbury true crime tales, centering her tours around what happens when a revolution looking to lift up the best ideals humanity has to offer clashes with the darkest souls hidden among humanity’s shadows. But what she’s not used to is a guest stepping out from those shadows to drop a murder investigation directly into her lap.

A woman has gone missing in San Francisco after trying to solve her aunt’s murder: a cold case from the Summer of Love. Capri sees herself in the missing woman—both were unable to find the answers they desperately wanted as kids—and sees her own daughter in the tour guest begging for her help. Unable to turn the case away, Capri finds herself following a trail of flower-power footprints turned deadly—straight to a killer who has her in their sights.

Audiobook Review: A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

 

A Tour to Die For (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco #2) by Michelle Chouinard

Publication Date: September 23th 2025 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 3min

Narrator: Stephanie Németh-Parker

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Capri Sanzio runs a successful tour guide business around San Francisco, specializing on the true crime history of the city. Being familiar with San Francisco I really enjoyed the interesting historical information given at the beginning of each chapter!

 

In this installment, while running her business, Capri’s also working on a book based her experience solving the mystery of the “Overkill Bill” murders.  She’s caught up in another murder investigation when a woman on her tour witnesses a possible murder. She works along with Detective Petito, and they make a good team! I’m on board with this pairing!

 

Capri is also dealing with her ex-husband’s shifty business dealings, as it affects their grown daughter, Morgan. Todd’s a creep! It seems there will be more about that in the next book.

 

A Tour to Die For was just as fun as the first book! Capri’s education in investigative journalism was evident in her smart and methodical approach in searching for answers. I appreciated her tenacity! The mystery wraps up in an exciting conclusion and an interesting revelation! I’m eager for the next book!

 

As with the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration! Her smooth, calm voice is perfect for Capri! She did well with all voices, male and female in a variety of ages, seamlessly making each distinct.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In Michelle Chouinard’s A Tour to Die For, Capri Sanzio is back, giving a true crime tour her guests won’t soon forget. After all, a tour guide who specializes in serial killers knows better than most that San Francisco is a city with killer charm.

Capri Sanzio knows that when you give serial killer walking tours for a living, unexpected situations are more common than San Francisco's famous fog. So, when one of her guests claims to see a woman being attacked during a tour, Capri remains unphased. The police search the apartment in question and find no evidence of anything amiss, so they chalk it up to a false report from a true crime fanatic looking to be a part of a case. And Capri thinks they might be right, since lately her tours have been attracting even more obsessives than usual--as it turns out, finding the actual serial killer who committed the "Overkill Bill" murders didn't stop the constant questions about her grandfather's supposed crimes, it only intensified them.

But Capri would never forgive herself if someone is in trouble and she walks away. Plus, something about the whole situation has every one of Capri's investigative journalist instincts going haywire--why would someone lie about seeing an attack? So Capri starts to dig, and when her questions lead to a body, she finds herself at the center of another murder investigation.

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

 

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

Publication Date: September 24th 2024 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 51min

Narrator: Stephanie Németh-Parker

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Capri became interested in true crime when she discovered her grandfather was convicted as a serial killer nicknamed: Overkill Bill. Her father has always refused to talk about it, and so Capri always did research under the radar. However, when a copycat emerges and Capri is implicated, she decides to investigate both cases, not only to clear her name and her daughter’s (also under suspicion), but also her grandfather’s.

 

I was a big fan of Capri, a hardworking single mother who turned her passion of true crime into a way to support her and her daughter, Morgan, now grown, by hosting tours that featured the history of crime and serial killers around San Francisco.

 

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was superb! I was glued to the pages as Capri ferreted out clues and motivations both for the current murders and the past. I enjoyed her methodical approach to finding the killer and clearing her name. Capri ends up in danger by the end, and the mystery wraps up in a thrilling conclusion!

 

I also enjoyed the setting of San Francisco, mentions of film noir set in the city and some of its crime history! I hope we get more stories with Capri and Detective Pietro in the future! There are hints of a romance in the works and maybe they’ll work together solving crimes? *crosses fingers*

 

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to an audio version. I think you’d enjoy the story through either version. I’ve listened to and enjoyed Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration in the past and her excellent performance enhanced my experience! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

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 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.