Lansdale, Joe R. The bottoms.

Warner, Mysterious Press. 328p. c2000. 0-446-67792-2. $13.95. SA

In The Bottoms, we meet Harry, an old man, who remembers strange and powerful events that happened back in 1933-34, in his East Texas hometown. The story begins with 11-year-old Harry, and his younger sister, "Tom," finding the body of a dead woman in "the bottoms." Harry's father Jacob, the local constable, then bravely begins to investigate a series of bizarre, brutal murders of Negro prostitutes. The townsfolk, meanwhile, are outraged that their constable feels that Negroes deserve the same justice as whites.

When Harry and Tom discover the first victim's corpse, they also catch a fleeting glimpse of "The Goat Man," a shadowy figure they suspect is the killer. As his father's investigation continues, Harry tries to learn all he can about the murders and the possible culprit. Racial tensions run deep through the story, as mistrust and hatred between the adjoining black and white counties flare. The sleepy, dusty town is turned upside-down when local members of the Ku Klux Klan lynch an innocent man, and when white suspects are named as possible murderers.

The Bottoms is a strong read, written in a style that invokes Flannery O'Connor, with a touch of Faulkner's quirky characters. Because sexual violence is a main part of the book, it can be disturbing to some readers. There is one sequence where the true murderer has captured young "Tom" which I found especially disturbing. On the whole, I recommend this book for mature readers who enjoy horror and mystery novels with a dose of good, solid literature. Janice Bees, Freelance Reviewer, Chicago, IL