A review by iam_griff
The Axeman's Jazz by Ray Celestin

4.0

I enjoyed this historical fiction mystery novel, knowing that this was based on a actual crime in New Orleans in 1919 just made this book better & a must read for me. The character development was a bit on the slow side for me, I was expecting a bit more of a L.A. Confidential style of team up with the 3 main protagonists once they were all in deep with each of the angles each character was following. Having a young Louis "Little Lewie" Armstrong teamed up with Ida was fun idea by Mr. Celestin & gave a bit more authenticity to the story. The portrayal of what life was like in New Orleans for African-Americans seemed realistic (to my limited knowledge) & I still found myself in shock of how cruel they were treated, was shocked that one of the main characters had to keep his marriage a secret because it was a illegal to have a multiracial marriage (guess I'm a bit naive). I wasn't completely sold on how the story was summed up nor was I on how it ended, but nonetheless it is a good mystery to read.