NetGalley Top Reviewer

NetGalley Top Reviewer
NetGalley Top Reviewer

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

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

Entertaining cozy mystery thriller, the second in a series featuring San Francisco tour guide Capri Sanzio.

While Capri, a true crime podcaster and self proclaimed investigative journalist, is taking her guests on a city tour, one of them claims to see a woman attacked inside a building. Although the police don't find anyone there, the woman (Leeya Styles) who lived in the apartment and had a successful art studio in the garage there, is later found dead. Of course, Capri and her colleagues Heather and Ryan, decide to investigate. There's no shortage of suspects between Leeya's boyfriend, her sister, mother, the mother's fiance, and Leeya's ex bestie. In addition, there's a connection with Capri's former husband, Todd, who always seems to be in a financial quagmire. Capri manages to connect with the police and get lots of inside information via her new love interest, SF Homicide Inspector Dan Petito.

This was quite the complicated mystery as information about the San Francisco setting, its Gold Rush history, landmarks and all past true crime lore is almost a character. In addition, a unique piece of art provides some clues. So there's lots going on in the narrative and it will keep readers guessing. It's fast paced and hard to put down. Capri is a fun main character, especially given her age ("sidling up to fifty") and she's got a colorful family story and past. I did read the previous one in the series, but am struck again by how well this author writes. She has an incredible way of stringing words together and her dialogue is amazing. Lots of twists and red herrings but it all comes together.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, did well by giving clear and distinct voices to the characters and also because of the emotional tones she adds to her performance. With the huge list of characters in the book, this would definitely benefit from a larger cast, but she did an excellent job. The production enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

This is the second in a series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags - cozy mystery thriller, murder, San Francisco history, Gold Rush, crime 

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