The Axman Came from Hell and Other Southern True Crime Stories

"The stories are alternately chilling, fascinating, and absurd and display the author's abilities as a historian, researcher, storyteller, and humorist."
-Cindi Sullivan, WAVE-TV, Louisville, Kentucky

This true crime book chronicles several murders that occurred in the South from the 1880s through the early 1930s. While many of the mentioned crimes achieved national notoriety, others remain buried in obscurity. Through meticulous research and astute conjectures, Keven McQueen attempts to unravel the mysteries and reveal the truth behind each chilling case.

From a murder-for-profit in Little Rock to a string of unsolved homicides in New Orleans, more than a dozen chapters document the macabre crimes. This hair-raising read includes such stories as "The Reprehensible Mr. Powers," who murdered widows in West Virginia; "The Servant Girl Annihilator," a serial killer in Austin; and "A Farce in More Ways Than One," which recalls the Chattanooga actress who shot her leading man just minutes before the performance.

McQueen includes historical background on each case, which details the evidence and delves into theories as to what may have happened. Revelations from contemporary research offer information that has yet to be published by other writers. In addition to documenting the crimes, the author describes the evolution of law enforcement practices and social customs of the past.