This had an interesting premise but didn’t fully deliver for me. The story follows the infamous Axman of New Orleans, blending history, mystery, and the supernatural. While the setting and historical details were well done, the plot felt uneven, and the supernatural elements didn’t always feel convincing. Some parts were engaging, but overall, it lacked the tension and excitement I was hoping for. An okay read, but not very memorable.

New Orleans came to life in this book. Even though we're following an axman for gruesome murders and attempted murders, the cultural aspect of the vibrant city took center stage.
The Jazz vs. Opera narrative was really interesting to read about, as was the different sections of the society pointing fingers at each other.
The idea that the spirits lived on in the spaces they had internalized with their identity was a nice touch to the story.
This has the spooky vibes from the get go. Giancarlo's character had the gravity and melancholy just right. It fit in perfectly with the vintage setting of the plot. Even though it was a medium-paced book, a little unusual for mysteries, I enjoyed reading it.

Well done! a twisty, dark mix of horror and thriller set in New Orleans. Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love historical crime books, and when I read the blurb for The Devil's Jazz, I looked forward to reading it, as it sounded like a fascinating combination of historical crime and detective fiction. Alas, my expectations were not met; I could not get past the writing style which gave the vibe of a Wikipedia article or an essay about New Orleans at the time of the case written by a high school student for a history or English literature class.

It was filled with information about the city and its past, which is interesting, but when written in a textbook manner in a work of detective fiction, the readers ask themselves what the purpose of such chunks of text is. It didn't increase my interest in the book, nor did it add to the plot building or character work.

I gave the book as much time and chance as I could, but this was simply not the kind of historical detective fiction that I like reading, nor would I in the end recommend people to pick up this book. A shame really, because the subject matter sounds interesting, but the writing (for me) is a snoozefest.

ARC provided by the publisher-Cefalutana Press and received through NetGalley-in exchange for an honest review. This was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery. I live only about two hours away from New Orleans and many of the places and going ons of the city were pretty spot on in the book. The supernatural aspect of the city is still prevalent today and Giancarlo was an amazing detective. I received a digital copy of The Devil’s Jazz but I will be buying a physical copy for my library. Definitely worth the read.

A historical fiction set in early 1900s New Orleans. That got my attention, but add in a detective, an infamous serial killer, and a little Voodoo on the side, now I'm intrigued. I found myself immediately drawn into the story from the very first page. It's well written with its rich detail and well rounded characters that I stayed up all night reading it from cover to cover. I think this would also make a great audio book too.

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC of The Devil’s Jazz: The Haunted Chronicles of the Axman of New Orleans by Vincent B. LoCoco in exchange for an honest review.

Vincent LoCoco explores the story of one of America’s first Serial killers in an engaging poetic way. Not only does he highlight a dark time in America, particularly New Orleans but he also adds knowledge of the fact that at one time Sicilians were a large part of the fabric of New Orleans. Vincent LoCoco writes with vivid imagery that transports the reader back to the early 1900’s where you can see and hear the hustle and bustle of a vibrant city filled with life… and fear of the Axman.

Readers who enjoy Historical fiction with an unsolved crime/ serial killer will love this book. Vincent LoCoco describes the crime scenes in detail, but the descriptions are not overly gory. Fans of New Orleans will also enjoy this book. Vincent LoCoco weaves in historical places, jazz, supernatural elements and Voodoo into the story to give the reader a full experience of what life was like in New Orleans in the early 1900's.

|:: The Devil's Jazz: The Haunted Chronicles Of The Axman Of New Orleans.
By Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco
Chapter 12 Page 94
The Strange Case of the Besumers
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

[ The afternoon edition of the Daily States printed a very interesting interview. Unnamed detectives within the police had sat down with Mark Gilson, a reporter. They proceeded to ridicule and call into question the belief that these latest attacks were all the actions of one individual. Each attack was separate and distinct, they opined.
Chief Mooney was incensed that these unnamed men would go behind his back and assure the public that the attacks were unrelated, when his belief was tending toward the fact that they were in fact connected. He stood in the kitchen inside his home early that evening, drinking an Old Fashioned to relieve the sting of betrayal. ]

In this dark and intense account of the Axman that terrorised New Orleans from Detective Giancarlo Rabito, we are invited on a crash course of death, magic, and beyond.
The beloved and well-respected detective was finally listening to his doctors and slowing down. He was going to retire and live out the rest of his days in peace and tranquility if he had earned that, while his heart allowed him to.

His journey through his retirement is fraught with sorrows and trepidation leading him down paths that earlier in his career, he would never have dared to walk. But there is an evil nemesis who has shared his intent with the world just as Detective Rabito dared to bow out of it in peace.

Will this ailing adversary be caught? Will GianCarlo have enough time to avenge the thorn embedded in his side for years?

I loved this story. It was written with so much care and detailed creativity I could hear the jazz playing and the soft laughter and chatter from residents of Little Palermo as they went about the day to day business. I had never heard of the Axman of New Orleans, and I didn't know much about New Orleans or American History before reading this book. Being born in the UK, I thought I would be at a disadvantage, but with the care and passion flowing from this book, I was able to fully immerse myself in 19th Century Sicilian life in the French Quarter. I thoroughly enjoyed this new arrangement of storytelling and the presence of history and communicational intent the author shared with his readers. It's a book I would gladly pass on to others.


A huge thank you to Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco, Cefalutana Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and relay my honest feedback. ::|

Reading a bit more like a history of New Orleans, this book with supernatural undertones tells the story of a retired detective's search for the Axman, a serial killer who terrorized New Orleans in the earlier part of the 20th century. Filled with interesting historical tidbits of New Orleans, Giancarlo Ribito investigates the murders of Sicilian storeowners in the immigrant sections of New Orleans. Interesting blend of history and police investigation, I enjoyed this book.

Setting was good and the Axman is interesting, overall, not for me. I was never pulled in really. 100% a me problem

The Devil’s Jazz: The Haunted Chronicles of the Axman of New Orleans" is a gripping blend of historical horror and supernatural mystery that brings the infamous legend to life. The atmospheric writing immerses you in the eerie, jazz-soaked streets of early 20th-century New Orleans, making the story feel both haunting and cinematic. With compelling characters and a chilling, suspenseful plot, this book is a must-read for fans of true crime-inspired horror.

A masterfully crafted, deeply researched, and gripping tale of suspense and horror, The Devil’s Jazz brings the colorful and sordid characters of the Big Easy to life.

In the sultry heart of New Orleans, a city haunted by the legacy of Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror in London, a new menace emerges. The year is 1918, and the Axman of New Orleans prowls the cobblestone streets, targeting the city’s large population of Sicilian immigrants.

Retired detective Giancarlo Rabito is reluctantly drawn into the shadows, entangled in the pursuit of the Axman, challenging the wide-spread belief that the Mafia is responsible. Hysteria grips New Orleans with each gruesome crime as the axe swings across the city, with no leads and hazy recollections from surviving victims.

His reputation more devil than man, The Axman mocks the citizens of New Orleans through a chilling letter to the newspaper, actually claiming to be a hellish demon. His ominous taunt: he will spare those who revel in the devil’s music, jazz, during his chosen night of killing.

New Orleans residents play jazz all night long, the rhythmic pulse of a city held captive by fear.

Venture deep into the soul of New Orleans where secrets thicken the humid air, and mingle with the spirits, in this thrilling can’t-miss homage to one of the most vibrant and culturally rich American cities.

My Take:
I was not familiar with this history of New Orleans. This book felt evocative-I could feel the swampiness and apparitions. I would recommend this book to people who like historical mysteries, intrigued by New Orleans, and don't mind their genre bending to include horror.

As someone from the New Orleans area, I am very familiar with this story. In fact, I know several people who still play Jazz on the anniversary of the crime(s). A fabulous read. Definitely recommend.

First of all, I love this case! It is one of my all time favorites to teach about, and my high school students love trying to solve it. I’m also madly in love with NOLA. The research for this book is meticulous and well done. However, the transitions between the fact sections of the book and the fiction sections are clunky and really need an editor to smooth them out. Also, the fantastical elements of the story were a little surprising. I like the way the author wove the Axman into the burning of the opera house, but the resolution of the book was a bit cliched. With some reworking, this could be wonderful, but it’s not there yet.

Retired Detective Giancarlo Rabito spends his days writing about his years on the police force. When an old unmasked adversary begins killing his fellow Sicilians once again he finds himself wrapped up in helping police and journalists find the Axeman.
This book contains some great apt descriptions of New Orleans, the Italian-American experience, and actual research of the infamous murders.
I had high hopes for this book as the premise had so much promise. However, the novel fell very short of those expectations. The sheer amount of extrapolation and over-explaining really took me out of the novel. It reads more like a historical fiction novel (emphasis on the historical) and has very little in terms of mystery and thriller.

This book was absolutely terrible, I got to 20% and gave up. The word Sicilian was literally every other word in the first chapter, there was far too much focus on this. There was too much focus on Giancarlo’s history, not the story.
The writing felt all over the place and not cohesive.
Thank you for giving me an Arc

The Devil’s Jazz by Vincent B. LoCoco is a historical fiction novel with elements of thrill and horror laced in. LocCoco brings the Big Easy to life with his skillfully crafted, deeply researched, and gripping tale of suspense and horror of the Axman. In 1918 the city of New Orleans's large population of Sicilian immigrants became the target of the Axmen. Giancarlo Rabito retires just as the Axmen begin his rain of terror. He is reluctantly drawn into the entanglement of pursuit to catch the Axmen. This proves challenging as the widespread belief that the Mafia is involved and responsible. The population of New Orleans becomes widespread with hysteria as each gruesome crime is committed by the axe-swinging madman. The police have no leads, only the hazy recollections from the few surviving victims. The Axman’s reputation grows more when he mocks the people of New Orleans with a letter in the newspaper. He claims he is a hellish demon, but will spare those who revel in the devil’s music, jazz, during a chosen night of killing. Captivated by fear the citizens of New Orleans play jazz all night long, but is it enough to stop the Axman once and for all?

I had high hopes that going into this novel, it would be a serial killer thriller. Unfortunately, that is not what The Devil’s Jazz genre is. I would say this novel is 85% historical fiction with 15% of it being a thriller. When I say thriller take it very lightly. I will credit the author who researched or knew his facts on the city and aspects around this time. The details of history were in-depth. The bouncing from history lesson to crime scene is where this book lost me along with being slow for the first 80% and then picking up the last 20%. Overall just not a book I would normally read for enjoyment. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review.

The book was good. The main character was interesting and anything "Detective" like is always a plus in my book. however, I found that sometimes the story deviated from the main character and focus a lot on the surrounding and story of the city and its places of notability, which stretch the books by a lot, perhaps this is what a Historical Fiction book is supposed to be like, and this being my first, is something new to me.

The authors has a gift for transporting the reader to the places he is describing, you can almost smell the city in your mind.

If you are into Historical Fiction this is a good choice to read.

This book intrigued me with its historical fiction aspect as well as the murder mystery angle. It’s based on the story of the Axman, a serial killer who terrorized the city of New Orleans in the early 1900s. It’s a fictional tale that successfully blends in historical aspects of the city and its citizens. I didn’t especially love the characters but the story itself was good. And the accurate depictions of historical New Orleans make up for any other shortcomings.

I wasn’t familiar with the Axman of New Orleans and was drawn to this book to learn more about him. This was an interesting telling of the story. I felt it embraced the essence of New Orleans. I didn’t realize there was a Sicilian population in New Orleans. What the Axeman did to his victims was horrific and the author did a good job of describing the details. The ending wrapped it up well.

Thank you to the author, Cefalutana Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.