The Axeman

July 27, 2015
The eponymous killer of Celestin’s strong debut has thrown the people of 1919 New Orleans into a panic as he slaughters one family after another. Three tormented investigators with very different agendas are in pursuit. Det. Lt. Michael Talbot, a white man, heads the official manhunt while hiding his illegal marriage to an African-American woman. Luca D’Andrea, a corrupt white ex-cop just released from prison, has been assigned to the case by the local Mafia boss, who’s disturbed that the murders are heightening police alertness. And 19-year-old African-American Ida Davis, assisted by her musician friend known as Lil’ Lewis Armstrong, is trying to demonstrate that she can be more than a secretary at the local Pinkerton office. Celestin deftly weaves the rich history of New Orleans into the multiple plot lines while highlighting racial prejudice and political corruption that are more appalling than the Axeman’s crimes. In sum, this is a tasty bowl of gumbo with a side of dirty rice.

September 1, 2015

During a rainy stretch in New Orleans right after the end of World War I, a serial killer stalks the city. The killing method is by ax, and the conceit is a tarot card left behind at the crime scene. Michael Talbot, a shunned police detective, gets saddled with the case, while Ida Davis, an ambitious young black girl with a fondness for Sherlock Holmes, pursues the murderer on her own, in hopes of starting her detecting career. The Mafia has its own interest in finding the Axeman, too. Celestin's first novel is immersed in noir atmosphere, and the characters are engaging enough. But the mystery is slow to build, especially with three detectives and three viewpoints, and a teenage Louis Armstrong is only a tagalong to the female PI. It's based on an actual unsolved case that covered 17 months rather than the two months depicted here. The ending comes at the reader from all directions, like a Gulf storm. VERDICT Despite its flaws, this is a must-read for fans and denizens of the Big Easy, and perhaps for those who enjoy true crime from the past retold as fiction. [For a nonfiction account of these events, see Gary Krist's Empire of Sin.--Ed.]--W. Keith McCoy, Somerset Cty. Lib. Syst., Bridgewater, NJ

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