Despite being about two serial killers’ exploits, The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is actually a very pleasant cozy mystery. Its setting in San Francisco is used almost like another main character so it is part travelogue too.
Capri owns a small business running tours featuring famous movie sites and serial killer haunts around San Francisco. Capri has always been interested in serial killers because her grandfather, William, died in prison years ago after being convicted of murdering three prostitutes in the 1950s. He was infamous for shooting, stabbing and slitting the throats of each of his victims earning him the nickname Overkill Bill in the press. However, he always insisted he was innocent.
Capri is divorced and her daughter, Morgan, is a grad student. Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, was paying for Morgan’s education until she cut her off one morning without explanation. A day later, Sylvia is dead, killed in the same manner as Overkill Bill’s victims. The police zero in on both Capri and Morgan as the most likely perpetrators. However, another recent murder with the same MO doesn’t quite fit their theory. Capri feels obligated to investigate both the spate of copycat murders along with the original Overkill Bill deaths as well.
Despite calling this book a cozy mystery earlier, The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco is also a good challenge for armchair detectives. As the book goes on, many of the suspects are eliminated by Capri so time is of the essence to beat her to the two solutions. There are plenty of red herrings and dead ends waiting to trip you up. However, the clues are definitely there as well making this book a good fair play mystery. I highly recommend this great combination of two mystery sub genres. 5 stars! Hopefully, this will be the start of a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.