Short Synopsis
Miriam C. Davis tells the real story of the Axeman of New Orleans—the subject of novels, short stories, and the FX television series American Horror Story—in this riveting book.

Full Synopsis
From 1910 to 1919, New Orleans suffered at the hands of its very own Jack the Ripper–style killer, while two innocent men nearly paid for one of his crimes with their lives. The story has been the subject of websites, short stories, collections of true crime, novels, a graphic novel, and the FX television series American Horror Story. But the real story of the Axeman of New Orleans has never been written—until now.

The Axeman repeatedly broke into the homes of Italian grocers in the dead of night, leaving his victims in a pool of blood. Iorlando Jordano, an innocent Italian grocer, and his teenage son Frank were wrongly accused of one of those murders; corrupt officials convicted them with coerced testimony. Miriam C. Davis here expertly tells the story of the search for the Axeman and of the eventual exoneration of the innocent Jordanos. She proves that the person mostly widely suspected of being the Axeman was not the killer. She also shows what few have suspected—that the Axeman continued killing after leaving New Orleans in 1919.

“A riveting story of a serial-killer investigation in a time long before modern-day investigative techniques, or even the term ‘serial killer,’ was invented.” ---Booklist Starred Review

"Fantastically detailed, thoroughly documented, frightening and fascinating. Ms. Davis's account of the Axeman is likely to be the final word on the subject.” ---Keven McQueen, author of Gothic and Strange True Tales of the South

"Exhaustively researched, crisply written, and as briskly paced as any fictional thriller, it is sure to stand as the definitive work on the subject." ---Harold Schechter, author of The Serial Killer Files

"A superb read for those who love historical true crime writing, New Orleans history, and real-life tales of serial killers." ---Library Journal

"Miriam C. Davis resurrects a madman with a meat cleaver (the ax came later) who made his first attack on a summer night in 1910." ---New York Times

Booklist Review