Michelle Chouinard (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco) continues her highly entertaining look at family legacy in A Tour to Die For, which follows Capricorn "Capri" Sanzio, who has spent her entire life connecting the dots of San Francisco history and crime.
As a child, Capri learned that her grandfather, William Sanzio, was serial killer Overkill Bill, nicknamed for his brutality. He died in prison, proclaiming his innocence; in the series' previous installment, Capri proved that he wasn't responsible for at least two murders. Her fascination with crime led her to establish San Francisco Killer Crime Tours, which visits historical crime scenes. The business's success hinges on Capri's careful research into San Francisco's nefarious past. But some customers are more interested in hearing Capri's lurid tales of her grandfather. Nonetheless, Capri is jarred when one of her tour guests insists she sees a woman being attacked in an apartment along Capri's Barbary Coast tour. Police maintain no one is in the apartment, but Capri believes her client, especially when an artist who lived there is later found dead. Her investigation includes searching for an artifact that may contain a code to locating gold-rush treasure. Capri also struggles to write a book about her grandfather; she knows it will be successful but will also further antagonize her father, who adamantly refuses to discuss Overkill Bill.
Chouinard complements her energetic plot with frequent references to San Francisco's crime scenes and fiction, including a clever allusion to the Maltese Falcon. A Tour to Die For maps out an exciting, twisty follow-up, with enough avenues left to explore in possible future installments. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer