Welcome friend! Some months back, I had the chance to chat with author Michelle Chouinard about her latest book, A Tour to Die For. It’s the second book in the Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco Mystery series, and I finally got around to enjoying it. The story follows Capri Sanzio, a woman who runs serial killer walking tours around San Francisco. When a guest claims to witness an attack from a nearby apartment window, Capri finds herself slipping back into her investigative journalist instincts and digging into the truth.
A Tour to Die For is a fast-paced, character-rich murder mystery with a strong sense of place and a compelling protagonist. I hadn’t read the first book and yet Capri’s world—full of family tensions, true-crime notoriety, and unexpected danger—pulled me right in. I alternated between print and audio, and Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration brought Capri’s sharp humor and emotional grit vividly to life. If you love mysteries with heart, history, and a refreshingly grounded lead, this one is worth picking up.
Michelle Chouinard | Goodreads | The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco #2
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 unfazed. 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.
A Tour to Die For – Book Review
I can’t help jumping into the middle of a series and one of the best indicators of a good story is that I shouldn’t feel like I missed out on the last one. Capri’s complicated connection to her grandfather—serial killer “Overkill Bill”—still shapes her life. Her hit podcast, new book deal, and strained relationship with her father all add emotional depth without overshadowing the mystery at hand. She is a single mom trying to support her daughter in college while occasionally having to deal with her ex-husband. In A Tour to Die For, all these threads continue to be part of the plot and I loved the insight into family life, the moments when Capri supported her adult daughter while also being comforted by her mom.
When a guest on one of her serial killer walking tours notices a woman being attacked, Capri takes her seriously. When the police don’t find anyone in the apartment but her guest is adamant about what she saw, Capri investigates. When the woman who rents that apartment turns up dead by her art studio, something does not add up. What follows is Capri’s attempt at bringing the truth to light.
Leeya was an artist who made things from whatever materials she could get a hand on. She had had a fight with her best friend. Her mother thought the world of her, her sister had a love-hate relationship with her. Leeya was not a fan of her mother’s latest boyfriend, a man who had spent time in prison. She had also recently had a big argument with her boyfriend. So many suspects with someone definitely lying.
San Francisco is at the heart of this novel, and Chouinard uses its history, quirks, and hidden corners to enrich the mystery. Leeya possessed a Min-Pan, an artifact from San Franceso’s history. It is supposed to be a cipher with the location of hidden treasure in an old ship. As a walking tour guide, she already has a lot of knowledge and I loved her thirst to know more. I was surprised by her code-breaking skills. Her connections with experts in the history of the city added authenticity and depth to the world building. The chapters taking place in old ships and excavation sites were chilling.
Amongst the cast, Capri’s best friend, Heather, is one of my favorites. She is a childhood friend and I loved their banter and support for each other. Capri’s love interest and police inspector, Petito, added to the narrative by showing the fringes where investigative reporting interacts with police work. I loved Capri as the protagonist. In the audiobook, Stephanie Németh-Parker brings her alongside the other characters to life in a way that is immersive and captivating.
A Tour to Die For blends true-crime curiosity with a warmly human center, giving readers a mystery that’s as much about relationships and resilience as it is about murder. Capri Sanzio is the kind of protagonist I root for. She is resourceful, stubborn, and endlessly curious. San Francisco comes alive around her in all its foggy, eccentric charm. I’m excited to see where Chouinard takes Capri next, and which corners of the city and its secrets we’ll get to explore in book three.
Add this book to Goodreads or locate it at your local library, Libby, or bookstore. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Also check out: The Mystery of Mrs Christie
Thank you for reading my thoughts. 🙂
Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book for my honest thoughts.
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