Inspired by a true story, set against the heady backdrop of jazz-filled, mob-ruled New Orleans, The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin is a gripping thriller announcing a major talent in historical crime fiction.
Winner of the CWA New Blood Dagger for Best Debut Crime Novel of the Year
Recommended on the Radio 2 Arts Show with Claudia Winkleman
Shortlisted for Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year Award
New Orleans, 1919. As a dark serial killer – the Axeman – stalks the city, three individuals set out to unmask him:
Detective Lieutenant Michael Talbot – heading up the official investigation, but struggling to find leads, and harbouring a grave secret of his own.
Former detective Luca d’Andrea – now working for the mafia, his need to solve the mystery of the Axeman is every bit as urgent as that of the authorities.
And Ida – a secretary at the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Obsessed with Sherlock Holmes and dreaming of a better life, she stumbles across a clue which lures her and her musician friend, Louis Armstrong, into the case – and into terrible danger . . .
As Michael, Luca and Ida each draw closer to discovering the killer’s identity, the Axeman himself will issue a challenge to the people of New Orleans: play jazz, or risk becoming the next victim.
'A fascinating portrait of a vibrant and volatile city and a riveting read' – Guardian
The Axeman's Jazz is the first book in Ray Celestin's prize-winning City Blues quartet. It is followed by the second installment, Dead Man's Blues.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781529065633
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 304 g
Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 35 mm
A rewarding crime novel, swinging its way to a terrifying denouement with all the panache of a New Orleans marching band - The Times
A fascinating portrait of a vibrant and volatile city and a riveting read - Guardian
Gripping . . . Celestin smartly evokes the atmosphere of 1919 New Orleans, and a city dominated by music and the mob - Sunday Times
Based on a true story . . . this thriller blends voodoo, gangsters and jazz into an intoxicating mix - Sunday Mirror
The evocative prose brings the jazz-filled, mob-ruled ‘Big Easy’ of pre-prohibition America to life in glorious effect with a story full of suspense and intrigue. Stunning - Sunday Express
Outstanding - Daily Telegraph
A clever and utterly believable procedural with a suitably grisly killer, set in a brilliant and vibrant historical background - Crime Review
The best debut I’ve read this year - Scotsman, Crime Books of the Year
Celestin has skilfully woven around the facts a clever story of three detectives who, in different ways and for different motives, set out to find the murderer. He brilliantly portrays the mood of a city under a siege of fear. Fictional musicians mix with the real jazz artists of the period, not least Louis Armstrong. - The Times, Crime Books of the Year
An absolute must for true crime fanatics - Refinery29
A fantastic summer read - thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. A bonus for jazz fans - Louis Armstrong appears as a amateur teenage sleuth! Brilliant.
I have found it hard to find a really good crime novel, and finally I have found this!
Absolutely riveting and offers a real escape, whilst the crime element isn't trying to be so clever that you have no clue...
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Based on the real life murders in New Orleans during 1918-1919, The Axeman’s Jazz is a pulpy slice of true crime that rattles along at a brisk pace, neatly filling in the gaps between facts with entertaining and... More
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