The Devil's Jazz: A Historical Thriller Based on the True Story of the Axman Serial Killer in 1918 New Orleans

The Devil’s Jazz
A Gripping Historical Thriller of Murder, Music, and Madness in 1918 New Orleans

“Captivating... a compelling true-crime-style horror novel about taking down... the serial killer that only the Crescent City could spawn.”
— Independent Book Review

“They have never caught me and they never will... I have been, am, and will be the worst spirit that ever existed either in fact or the realm of fancy.”
— The Axman

In the haunted heart of New Orleans, as World War I draws to a close, a sinister presence stalks the streets. A brutal serial killer—known only as the Axman—emerges from the shadows, targeting the city’s Sicilian immigrant community with chilling precision. Inspired by true events, The Devil’s Jazz resurrects one of America’s most disturbing unsolved murder cases in a city steeped in music, mystery, and myth.

Retired detective Giancarlo Rabito is pulled back into the darkness when the killings begin. The press fans hysteria. The public panics. And when the Axman sends a blood-chilling letter to the newspapers—promising death unless every home plays jazz on a chosen night—the city answers with a desperate and defiant flood of music.

As Rabito investigates, he must navigate a city divided by racial prejudice, corruption, and fear. Behind every door lies a secret. In every alley, a shadow. Is the Axman a man, a myth... or a supernatural force hiding in plain sight?

Blending the pulse of a Jazz Age thriller with the eerie atmosphere of a Southern Gothic mystery, The Devil’s Jazz is a dark, lyrical journey into a time of blood and brass, murder and melody, and into a world where music meets madness, and silence can be fatal.

Perfect for readers of:

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin

“LoCoco has a poetic way with prose... anyone who enjoys historical fiction, the occult, or true crime would enjoy this.”
— NetGalley Reviewer

“Early 1900s New Orleans comes to life... rich in atmosphere... fearing a brutal killer that seemingly disappears into the night.”
— NetGalley Reviewer

The Devil’s Jazz will grip you from the first note—and haunt you long after the music fades.