Dark Bayou

<p> This collection chronicles the most mysterious bizarre and often overlooked homicides in Louisiana history. Drawing on contemporary records and where available the recollections of those who provide a coherent version of the facts these mesmerizing tales detail some of the more gruesome episodes: the rise of the first Mafia godfather in the United States; the murder of two New Orleans police chiefs; the brutal murder of a famous New Orleans madam; the story of a respectable young woman who accidentally poisoned her younger sister and is a suspect in other family deaths; the ritual killing of blacks in southwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas; the mysterious death of a young housewife which still generates debate; and the demise of a local celebrity who believed in his own invincibility.</p>