Devi Nair
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by Stephanie Nemeth Parker ⏱ Duration: 10 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Minotaur Books 📅 Published: September 23, 2025
Capri's dark humor, San Francisco atmosphere thick enough to taste, and twisty murders wrapped in historical true crime... wow! this sequel delivers yet again. Michelle Chouinard leans into California's 1849 Gold Rush history this time, and it adds such a rich, eerie backdrop into the mystery. Sharp, immersive, and layered with just enough doubt to keep you hooked. Michelle Chouinard leveled up here, folks.
The mystery starts with classic misdirection: someone sees something, cops say nope, protagonist can't let it go. Predictable setup? Sure. But it still works. Capri is still our relentless, slightly chaotic guide into darkness, and her daughter steps up in a way that genuinely surprised me. There’s a maturity and confidence in her arc that adds emotional weight to the story. Stephanie Nemeth Parker’s narration brings that evolution to life beautifully. She gives Capri just the right amount of exhausted-but-determined energy, and her voices for the tour guests range from hilariously accurate to genuinely unsettling.
The pacing wobbles slightly mid-book when historical tangents take over, but I was invested enough in these characters to ride it out. This series is building something special. Don't sleep on it.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely, especially if you loved Book 1 or you're hunting for cozy mysteries with actual teeth. The San Francisco setting crackles with foggy menace, the historical true crime elements educate while they entertain, and Capri remains one of my favorite amateur sleuths. Character growth elevates this beyond typical series-filler territory. Whether you're here for the twisty mystery or the complicated family dynamics, this delivers.
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by Stephanie Nemeth Parker ⏱ Duration: 10 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Minotaur Books 📅 Published: September 23, 2025
Capri's dark humor, San Francisco atmosphere thick enough to taste, and twisty murders wrapped in historical true crime... wow! this sequel delivers yet again. Michelle Chouinard leans into California's 1849 Gold Rush history this time, and it adds such a rich, eerie backdrop into the mystery. Sharp, immersive, and layered with just enough doubt to keep you hooked. Michelle Chouinard leveled up here, folks.
The mystery starts with classic misdirection: someone sees something, cops say nope, protagonist can't let it go. Predictable setup? Sure. But it still works. Capri is still our relentless, slightly chaotic guide into darkness, and her daughter steps up in a way that genuinely surprised me. There’s a maturity and confidence in her arc that adds emotional weight to the story. Stephanie Nemeth Parker’s narration brings that evolution to life beautifully. She gives Capri just the right amount of exhausted-but-determined energy, and her voices for the tour guests range from hilariously accurate to genuinely unsettling.
The pacing wobbles slightly mid-book when historical tangents take over, but I was invested enough in these characters to ride it out. This series is building something special. Don't sleep on it.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely, especially if you loved Book 1 or you're hunting for cozy mysteries with actual teeth. The San Francisco setting crackles with foggy menace, the historical true crime elements educate while they entertain, and Capri remains one of my favorite amateur sleuths. Character growth elevates this beyond typical series-filler territory. Whether you're here for the twisty mystery or the complicated family dynamics, this delivers.