Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 3/30/2016 + 1223 more book reviews

This is probably the best book I have read this year! I recently read Freezer Burn by Lansdale which I thought was great but The Bottoms is so much more. It is a mystery novel, but more than that, it tells the story of what it was like living in the South during the Depression including the racial hatred, trying to scratch out a living, and general day-to-day existence. It is told from the point of view of the main character, Harry, when he is old and living in a nursing home. Harry looks back to when he was a boy in the 1930's, living in East Texas in a small town on the Sabine River. Harry's father, Jacob, is the local constable and is one of the central characters in the novel. Early in the story, Harry and his sister, Tom (short for Thomasina) happen upon a dead black women who is tied to a tree with barbed wire near the river. Since the woman is black, the white community doesn't want to get involved--if the killer is white, no jury would convict him; if the killer is black, well, it's between the blacks. Although Harry's father and mother do not feel this way, the majority of the townspeople do. Then after a second killing occurs, it becomes obvious that a serial killer is at work, although serial killers were pretty much unheard of at the time. Harry and his sister believe that the killer is a supernatural being called The Goat Man. But Jacob knows better, and must try to solve the crime before the KKK gets involved and hurt innocent people.

This book had been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird and is very reminiscent of that wonderful story with Jacob in the role of Atticus and Harry and Tom being like Scout. I also saw a review saying this was a cross between Mockingbird and Silence of the Lambs. Also apropos! Overall, a very enjoyable mystery with fine writing that could be considered great literature. High recommendation!

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