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 YearRecommended on the Radio 2 Arts Show with Claudia WinklemanShortlisted for Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year AwardNew 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'- GuardianThe 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 MacmillanISBN: 9781529065633Number of pages: 464Weight: 328 gDimensions: 198 x 130 x 36 mm
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A rewarding crime novel,swinging its way to a terrifying denouement with all the panache of a New Orleans marching bandA fascinating portrait of a vibrant and volatile city and a riveting readGripping...Celestin smartly evokes the atmosphere of 1919 New Orleans,and a city dominated by music and the mobBased on a true story...this thriller blends voodoo,gangsters and jazz into an intoxicating mixThe 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. StunningOutstandingA clever and utterly believable procedural with a suitably grisly killer,set in a brilliant and vibrant historical backgroundThe best debut I've read this yearCelestin 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.An absolute must for true crime fanatics
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