Short bio
Ray Celestin lives in London. He studied Asian art and languages at university and is a screenwriter as well as a novelist. His first novel The Axeman’s Jazz won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed follow-up Dead Man’s Blues.
Author Q&A
Book details
The best way to get some idea of the books is to read their preface / afterword and reading group questions. I’ve collated them for download here.
Awards & Nominations
The Axeman’s Jazz
- Winner of the CWA John Creasey Dagger for Best Debut Crime Novel of the Year
- Winner of the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy Best Crime Novel of the Year Translated into Swedish
- The Independent Newspaper Crime Book of the Year
- Shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award
- Shortlisted for the International Thriller Writers’ Best First Novel Award
Dead Man’s Blues
- Winner of the Historia Magazine Best Historical Crime Thriller of the Year
- The Daily Mail Books of the Year
- Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of The Year
- Finalist for the Académie du Jazz’s Prix Du Meilleur Livre De Jazz
- Shortlisted for the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy Best Crime Novel of the Year Translated into Swedish
Reviews
I haven’t really kept up with reviews beyond the press clippings my publisher sends me, here’s what I gathered together from trying to match up the clippings with active web-pages:
The Axeman’s Jazz
Dead Man’s Blues
Influences on The City Blues Quartet
- L.A. Confidential – James Ellroy
- An Instance of the Fingerpost – Iain Pears
- The Yiddish Policeman’s Union – Michael Chabon
- From Hell – Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler
Structure of The City Blues Quartet
| Book | City | Decade | Season | Weather | Song |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Axeman's Jazz | New Orleans | 1910s | Spring | Rain | The Mysterious Axeman's Jazz |
| Dead Man's Blues | Chicago | 1920s | Summer | Sunshine | West End Blues |
| The Mobster's Lament | New York | 1940s | Autumn | Snow | Relaxin' At Camarillo |
| ? | Los Angeles | 1960s | Winter | Wind | ? |
Contact
Agents: https://www.lutyensrubinstein.co.uk/literary-agency/
Publishers: https://www.panmacmillan.com/help-is-at-hand