Two moonshiners are discovered murdered deep into the woods of the South Carolina's Salkehatchie Swamp.
Caley Givens, the county deputy sheriff, keeps busy chasing the perpetrators while trying her best to keep ahead of her incompetent boss, Sheriff Wilson. Deputy Sweet Swenson does his best to aid her efforts. Wilson is of little help, since he is busy trying to keep his job out of the hands of his opponent, Skip Hanford. Skip a much younger veteran, with wide public appeal, seems to be on the verge of a successful run for Wilson's position.
Fuzz, an old Lowcountry Geechee places a curse on whoever committed the crime, even though he doesn't know exactly who did it. Strep and Topop, who contracted with Fuzz for the curse, are surprised and distressed when the haint gets out of control and causes a tornado. The tornado ravishes the community. All the citizens, even those who dislike black people, come together to restore much of the damage.
An unusual deed is performed by the hell'uns of the Cobb Club. Contrary to their normal behavior, they get together and help the Geechee community rebuild their church and homes. Almost all is well between the two factions, after the act of charity. Even a few of the most rebellious Cobbs attend the Geechee church on Sundays.
While this novel is a mystery, the author has infused it with comical episodes, and situations that keep the reader turning pages. The overall venue and situations are typical of those once experienced in the prejudicial Deep South.
Thanks to Caley and Sweet's hard work, they finally catch the murderer. Everyone involved in the case, are totally astonished, by who the evil-doer turns out to be.
Most every geographical population is composed of respectable, law-abiding citizens of all races and backgrounds. Here as in any area, there is always a fringe element, which thrives on narrow-mindedness and even lawlessness. The author has done an excellent job in portraying a fictional account of the later exception to these social norms.