The Axeman

This historical thriller, set in New Orleans in 1919, features a black female detective and Louis Armstrong appears in the beautifully plotted fictionalized events. 

It has a great sense of place and time, its biggest selling feature for me as a historian. The interlinked rise of Jazz and the Mob at the heart of the action was also riveting.

When I finished reading the novel, I wanted to begin all over again because I did not want to let go of the characters, but they all reappear in three follow-up books in the brilliant City Blues Quartet – Dead Man’s… show more.

A young Louis Armstrong as an amateur detective – if that concept doesn’t draw you in, I’m not sure what will!

The year is 1919 and there’s a terrifying serial killer on the loose in New Orleans. This is the first installment in Celestin’s City Blues Quartet. I love all four books but The Axeman is probably my favourite because of the New Orleans vibe. You get jazz, mafia, Pinkerton detectives, crooked cops, and a taste of the macabre. 

This unique story intelligently and creatively brings the reader a true story with both fictional and actual characters from 1920s New Orleans, including one of jazz's greatest icons, Louis Armstrong. I learned a lot about early twentieth-century New Orleans and an account of a real-life serial killer that plagued the citizenry for a nightmarish one-and-a-half-year period of time. Admittedly, there are graphic descriptions of the serial killer’s evil deeds that you may prefer to skip over, but that will neither detract from the flow of the storyline nor create any confusion.

As a fan of jazz music, and a fan… show more.