The Bottoms — Joe R. Lansdale

The story is told as a man is nearing the end of his life and reminiscing about the most momentous event of his childhood.

In East Texas, during the depression, twelve-year-old Harry Crane and his nine-year-old sister, Tom, find the body of a black woman who has been murdered. She has been left deep in the woods by the children's farm.

Their father, Jacob, the town constable, takes the body to the next town because he fears that if he brings in to the young, local doctor, he will lost customers because he worked on a negro.

Jacob learns that two other black women have been murdered but that there wasn't much publicity due to their color. There is a complication in that the constable of that town, Red Woodrow, wants him to stay in his own jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Harry and Tom are convinced that a legendary killer is about in thier woods. This killer, known as Goat Man, may be the person who follows them home one day.

After a period, another body of a black woman is found.This time the body is found in Jacob's jurisdiction and he can investigate.

The story is told in a warm, visual style as if the reader was sitting in a living room and listening to the narrator tell of the events in front of a crackling fire.

Harry and Tom are excellently portrayed and could be the children of Atticus Finch of "To Kill A Mockingbird." In fact, Scout Finch and the tomboy, Tom Crane, are so alike, they could be twins.

There are other similarities in the stories, both take place in the south, both have negro characters who are wrongly accused. In both stories, a heroic white man, defies the prejudice of the time to defend the black men and both stories are masterpieces of literature.