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The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

The history of San Francisco is chock full of serial killers and no one knows this better than Capri Sanzio. She actually has first hand-experience with one, her grandfather was Overkill Bill Sanzio whose murder method was clubbing, choking, and stabbing his victims-thus the Overkill nickname. Since her lifelong interest in serial killers had piqued the imagination of the public, she decided to monetize her hobby and run actual tours, in person and over Zoom, to the locations and prisons involved in the murders. However, she was never convinced that her grandfather was guilty, even though her father vehemently agreed with his sentence. But her research was kicked into high gear when two killings in the present took place using the same overkill method and one of the victims was her snooty ex-mother-in-law. Was she or her daughter being framed for the murders? Were her former husbands' parents not as wealthy as they seemed to be? Is her daughter lying to the police about her whereabouts the night of the killing? And can she solve these crimes before Petito, that cute police examiner, shows her another historical prison-this time from the inside.

This was a fun ride through the history and streets of San Francisco-Chouinard did a good job of mixing travelogue with mystery and using her obvious love of research to direct readers to clues needed to solve the crimes in the past and in the present. Next time I'm in the City by the Bay, I'll remember to watch my back.


Reviewed by Donna Ballard

Publication date - September 24, 2024

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