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; former detective Luca d’Andrea, now working for the mafia; and Ida, a secretary at the Pinkerton Detective Agency.
Obsessed with Sherlock Holmes and dreaming of a better life, Ida stumbles across a clue which lures her and her musician friend, Louis Armstrong, into the case – and into terrible danger.
As the sky darkens and a great storm looms over the city, the Axeman himself issues a challenge to the people of New Orleans: play jazz, or risk becoming the next victim. Inspired by a true story, winner of the CWA New Blood Dagger for Best Debut Crime Novel.
