The Goatman is a coming-of-age fictional murder mystery set in North Georgia. The book weaves fiction with fact, integrating colorful characters from the author’s childhood. It is the story of Zeb Barton, a fourteen-year-old boy navigating the complexities of adolescence in a turbulent, increasingly dangerous era. The book threads together Zeb’s adventures with characters like his cantankerous, workaholic physician father (“Doc”), pugilistic friend Jake, gun-toting maid and mentor Thelka, and Wanda, the Sheriff’s daughter who’s wiser than her years and makes Zeb’s heart beat faster. Set in the 1960s, the aftermath of WWII casts a long shadow over the characters, with some haunted by the memories of combat and others grappling with death and loss. As Zeb and the other characters navigate their own internal struggles, a menacing presence looms over them all—the enigmatic Goatman, subject of murderous legends.
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