What do you think?
Rate this book
Bloody Sheets
When a young black man is lynched in a small Alabama town, his estranged father — a crime world enforcer — sets out for revenge, embarking on a blood - soaked journey that will leave the ravaged bodies of dead Klansmen in his wake.
"Rausch unleashes a flurry of gut-punches both painful and thrilling, his prose brimming with righteous anger and stark, no-bullshit wit. This racially charged and crackling tale reads like a startling mash-up of Jim Thompson and Iceberg Slim, making Bloody Sheets that rare hardboiled and hard-hitting, but transcendently heartfelt as well."
— Wesley Strick , screenwriter of Cape Fear ..
"Andy Rausch’s prose is passion filled rage incarnate. ‘Bloody Sheets’ is a must read revenge tale, drenched in catharsis and blood. The dialogue is lively and energetic, full of just the right balance of humor and hate. It shows the timeless tragedy of racial injustice in America that’s been present for centuries and it does something about it. ‘Bloody Sheets’ tackles America’s racial divide with the same composure and intensity of recent works like ‘Get Out.’”
— Billy Chizmar , author of Widow's Point .
"Bloody Sheets by Andy Rausch is a violent and powerful crime drama choc-full of great characters and crackling dialogue."
— Paul D. Brazill , author of A Case Of Noir .
"Rausch unleashes a flurry of gut-punches both painful and thrilling, his prose brimming with righteous anger and stark, no-bullshit wit. This racially charged and crackling tale reads like a startling mash-up of Jim Thompson and Iceberg Slim, making Bloody Sheets that rare hardboiled and hard-hitting, but transcendently heartfelt as well."
— Wesley Strick , screenwriter of Cape Fear ..
"Andy Rausch’s prose is passion filled rage incarnate. ‘Bloody Sheets’ is a must read revenge tale, drenched in catharsis and blood. The dialogue is lively and energetic, full of just the right balance of humor and hate. It shows the timeless tragedy of racial injustice in America that’s been present for centuries and it does something about it. ‘Bloody Sheets’ tackles America’s racial divide with the same composure and intensity of recent works like ‘Get Out.’”
— Billy Chizmar , author of Widow's Point .
"Bloody Sheets by Andy Rausch is a violent and powerful crime drama choc-full of great characters and crackling dialogue."
— Paul D. Brazill , author of A Case Of Noir .
122 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2021
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Andy Rausch
93 books52 followersAndy Rausch is the author or editor of more than fifty books. His nonfiction (as Andrew J. Rausch) includes My Best Friend's Birthday: The Making of a Quentin Tarantino Film, The Cinematic Misadventures of Ed Wood (w/ Charles E, Pratt Jr.), and Perspectives on Stephen King.
His fiction includes Layla's Score, American Trash, and Bloody Sheets. Several of his books have been optioned for film and his work has been translated into French, Spanish, Portugese, and Chinese. He is a web editor at Diabolique magazine and the screenwriter of the film Dahmer vs. Gacy.
He has edited numerous anthologies that have featured the work of such writers as Joe R. Lansdale, Max Allan Collins, Stewart O'Nan, John A. Russo, Richard Chizmar, Peter Leonard, Wrath James White, Stephen Spignesi, Richard Christian Matheson, etc.
His fiction includes Layla's Score, American Trash, and Bloody Sheets. Several of his books have been optioned for film and his work has been translated into French, Spanish, Portugese, and Chinese. He is a web editor at Diabolique magazine and the screenwriter of the film Dahmer vs. Gacy.
He has edited numerous anthologies that have featured the work of such writers as Joe R. Lansdale, Max Allan Collins, Stewart O'Nan, John A. Russo, Richard Chizmar, Peter Leonard, Wrath James White, Stephen Spignesi, Richard Christian Matheson, etc.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 2, 2019
Bloody Sheets: War Against the Klan is my first book by Andy Rausch. I didn’t know what to expect after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis. Yes, there is bloody violence, racially charged dialogue delivered with hardboiled wisecracks. But there is also love and heartbreak that fuel’s a man’s vengeance for his murdered son. This FAST-PACED, DIALOGUE-DRIVEN NOVELLA is reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s work, leaving carnage in its wake. Mr. Rausch’s timely and timeless story gripped my attention and held it until I finished in one sitting.
Bloody Sheets takes place in present-day Gibson, Alabama, a place still stuck in 1950, where KLU Klux Klan members conduct their secret meeting in an old church, and everyone seems complicit. When a young African American mans gets his white girlfriend pregnant, the KKK isn’t particularly happy and decide to teach this young man a deadly lesson, a lesson used often in the antebellum south, one rarely seen in present times.
But, they’ve messed with the wrong family. When Coke, a crime world enforcer, receives a call from his estranged wife, he knows something’s wrong. With his reluctant friend Eddie, they head to Alabama to reap their vengeance in a customary, bloody, brutal fashion.
Bloody Sheets is dark, angry, yet amidst the racist dialogue, blood wielding stabs, snaps, and rips, is a story of a man’s love for his family and friends. Unfortunately, it takes a death to reconcile their emotions, and for Coke to realize what’s important. This story carries a STRONG MESSAGE toward the end that was heartening to read. For those who like fast-paced, dialogue-driven prose with a wisecracking protagonist with a penchant for violence, I recommend you read Mr. Rausch’s Bloody Sheets: War Against The Klan.
https://edenisebillups.com/2019/09/02...
Bloody Sheets takes place in present-day Gibson, Alabama, a place still stuck in 1950, where KLU Klux Klan members conduct their secret meeting in an old church, and everyone seems complicit. When a young African American mans gets his white girlfriend pregnant, the KKK isn’t particularly happy and decide to teach this young man a deadly lesson, a lesson used often in the antebellum south, one rarely seen in present times.
But, they’ve messed with the wrong family. When Coke, a crime world enforcer, receives a call from his estranged wife, he knows something’s wrong. With his reluctant friend Eddie, they head to Alabama to reap their vengeance in a customary, bloody, brutal fashion.
Bloody Sheets is dark, angry, yet amidst the racist dialogue, blood wielding stabs, snaps, and rips, is a story of a man’s love for his family and friends. Unfortunately, it takes a death to reconcile their emotions, and for Coke to realize what’s important. This story carries a STRONG MESSAGE toward the end that was heartening to read. For those who like fast-paced, dialogue-driven prose with a wisecracking protagonist with a penchant for violence, I recommend you read Mr. Rausch’s Bloody Sheets: War Against The Klan.
https://edenisebillups.com/2019/09/02...
September 4, 2019
I have a lot of strong feelings about racism and the KKK in our lives and in our politics today. So to read this book took a lot out of me. It was truly an emotional roller coaster.
The story starts off strong and by the end of the first chapter I was gripping the metaphorical pages with my own thoughts of revenge and vengeance.
A young black man is lynched in a small Alabama town. When the man's father finds out, he goes out to avenge his son's death. Coke (the father) and his friend hunt down the individuals behind Coke's son's death and what they find only incites Coke more. The sad reality is that we still need stories like this to remind us that we still have so much further to go in creating a safe and equal world.
The story is fast-paced and well-written. Despite being a quick read, it left an impression that lasted beyond the conclusion. Witty dialogue and moments of humor sprinkled throughout the story gave reprieve to the intense topic and action-filled pages.
The story starts off strong and by the end of the first chapter I was gripping the metaphorical pages with my own thoughts of revenge and vengeance.
A young black man is lynched in a small Alabama town. When the man's father finds out, he goes out to avenge his son's death. Coke (the father) and his friend hunt down the individuals behind Coke's son's death and what they find only incites Coke more. The sad reality is that we still need stories like this to remind us that we still have so much further to go in creating a safe and equal world.
The story is fast-paced and well-written. Despite being a quick read, it left an impression that lasted beyond the conclusion. Witty dialogue and moments of humor sprinkled throughout the story gave reprieve to the intense topic and action-filled pages.
April 10, 2019
A violent and determined revenge story from an author with an interesting voice. This story is fairly fast-paced, keeping the action going from the start and the anger bubbling through. A little dark humour at other characters expense and, perhaps, not as gory as I was expecting. An enjoyable read with a strong message.
April 6, 2019
Bloody Sheets is the perfect title for this quick read by Andy Rausch. It’s unimaginable that anyone would read the first chapter and not be squarely planted on DeRay’s side, even after reading the second chapter. And yet, there are people out there that would champion the other side’s cause; which is why it is important for this work of fiction to exist. You think you know how this story is going to end but the truth is you don’t. The witty dialogue is a bonus in this unrelenting tale of violence and revenge.
May 11, 2019
Mob enforcer Coke’s son is murdered by the Ku Klux Klan and Coke heads off to redneck country to extract his bloody revenge. Bloody Sheets is a violent and powerful crime drama choc-full of great characters and crackling dialogue.
September 2, 2019
Allie and Will are a mixed couple. She’s white, he’s black and together they are pregnant. In a world where mixed racial marriages were difficult to digest, they still wanted to keep their kid. But problems loomed around the corner – though Will didn’t expect the KKK so fast. But they came. With a vengeance. Because, somehow, they uncovered the truth. And Will paid for it with his life.
In case you wonder: Bloody Sheets is not a who-done-it. It’s rather a search for vengeance by a father who isn’t all that nice either. When we meet Coke, he snip-snips the fingers of a poor lad before he gets a phone call from Will’s mother, telling him their son is dead.
Coke calls Eddie, who really doesn’t want to participate in his fight with the Ku Klux Klan, but gets charted anyway. We learn about Will, who wanted to stay away from his father at all cost. Dead works in mysterious ways, sometimes.
One moment Eddie asks Coke if this is truly what his son would have wanted. Coke couldn’t be there when Will was alive, but now he’s death, he would stand up for his son. Coke’s answer is typical: Will has shit to say about this, since he’s dead.
That’s Coke right there. A cold curse-a-lot (though with a limited vocabulary – I had hoped for some more original swear words) who probably lived in jail most of his life. He’s not easily impressed, though he has his fair share of nightmares (which he will always deny having).
Coke and Eddie start their investigation in a town that didn’t see anything. So, both men give the locals a reason to remember what happened to Will. They stir in the pot and as expected it overcooks.
Conclusion
It looks like a straight violence-and-curse story, without any surprises except blood and lots of dead bodies. Well, guess again. This story has its own surprise as it spins utterly out of control. This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of cussing, but it fits the characters and the social background they come from.no surprise in this story. It’s also one of those books that, in hindsight, couldn’t end in another way.
In case you wonder: Bloody Sheets is not a who-done-it. It’s rather a search for vengeance by a father who isn’t all that nice either. When we meet Coke, he snip-snips the fingers of a poor lad before he gets a phone call from Will’s mother, telling him their son is dead.
Coke calls Eddie, who really doesn’t want to participate in his fight with the Ku Klux Klan, but gets charted anyway. We learn about Will, who wanted to stay away from his father at all cost. Dead works in mysterious ways, sometimes.
One moment Eddie asks Coke if this is truly what his son would have wanted. Coke couldn’t be there when Will was alive, but now he’s death, he would stand up for his son. Coke’s answer is typical: Will has shit to say about this, since he’s dead.
That’s Coke right there. A cold curse-a-lot (though with a limited vocabulary – I had hoped for some more original swear words) who probably lived in jail most of his life. He’s not easily impressed, though he has his fair share of nightmares (which he will always deny having).
Coke and Eddie start their investigation in a town that didn’t see anything. So, both men give the locals a reason to remember what happened to Will. They stir in the pot and as expected it overcooks.
Conclusion
It looks like a straight violence-and-curse story, without any surprises except blood and lots of dead bodies. Well, guess again. This story has its own surprise as it spins utterly out of control. This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of cussing, but it fits the characters and the social background they come from.no surprise in this story. It’s also one of those books that, in hindsight, couldn’t end in another way.
September 2, 2019
Bloody Sheets caught me off guard and left me speechless. As I began reading, I was sure that this was all happening long ago, in the time of Jim Crow, I assumed. However, the more I read, I realized that this book is happening in the here and now! Yes, it was as if someone had just punched me in the chest. I lost my breath and could not go on for many minutes. This book is powerful.
Will is excited to be a father and is busy getting ready for his date with Allie where they are going to talk about getting out of Alabama. They want nothing more than to get away where people are more sympathetic to an interracial couple. Will is happily making plans in his head when there is a knock on the door.
I’m going to leave it right there so you can read it for yourself and feel the power of what comes after.
This novel is well-written and feels more like watching a movie than reading a book. I was right there with these characters. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, turns out, I didn’t. The whole book is a roller coaster ride of adrenaline and torment.
I have no complaints about the book, so I will use this space to warn readers that this book is gory. Blood and grossness occur on every page, yet it adds to the feel of the book. It isn’t gory just for the sake of being gory. The gore is central to the characters and the novel.
I am awarding Bloody Sheets a full 5 out of 5 stars. I have never read a book like this before. It was a quick read, but the message and the effects will be with me for a lifetime. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark fiction.
Will is excited to be a father and is busy getting ready for his date with Allie where they are going to talk about getting out of Alabama. They want nothing more than to get away where people are more sympathetic to an interracial couple. Will is happily making plans in his head when there is a knock on the door.
I’m going to leave it right there so you can read it for yourself and feel the power of what comes after.
This novel is well-written and feels more like watching a movie than reading a book. I was right there with these characters. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, turns out, I didn’t. The whole book is a roller coaster ride of adrenaline and torment.
I have no complaints about the book, so I will use this space to warn readers that this book is gory. Blood and grossness occur on every page, yet it adds to the feel of the book. It isn’t gory just for the sake of being gory. The gore is central to the characters and the novel.
I am awarding Bloody Sheets a full 5 out of 5 stars. I have never read a book like this before. It was a quick read, but the message and the effects will be with me for a lifetime. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark fiction.
September 3, 2019
I’ve been lucky enough to be on the book tour for this book.
This really takes you on a ride, gruesome & hard at times but a good read.
It’s no way a light story but it is a fast read, in the way it grips you and makes you want to continue to see what the heck is going to happen next!
The Klan interfere and mess up the wrong family, racism is shown in its evil light & the reaction to it? Depends on the reader.
Thoroughly enjoyed this, good to get your teeth into.
This really takes you on a ride, gruesome & hard at times but a good read.
It’s no way a light story but it is a fast read, in the way it grips you and makes you want to continue to see what the heck is going to happen next!
The Klan interfere and mess up the wrong family, racism is shown in its evil light & the reaction to it? Depends on the reader.
Thoroughly enjoyed this, good to get your teeth into.
February 9, 2021
Boy has Rausch written a harrowing story. This novella grabs you from the beginning, and never really lets up. It's a revenge story on steroids. The language is profane and racist, the tone grim with a dead-end destiny. Would really enjoy this the most with deeper character development - in a book. As it stands, hang on kids..you're about to be transported into a world many of had thought gone with the dinosaurs.
May 10, 2021
Mob enforcer Coke’s son is murdered by the Ku Klux Klan and Coke heads off to redneck country to extract his bloody revenge. Bloody Sheets is a violent and powerful crime drama choc-full of great characters and crackling dialogue.
May 4, 2021
A short, tight novella by Andy Rausch, who has a long list of hard crime books I'm looking forward to reading. As the blurb on the cover says: it's an angry book. It's timely, necessary. It's a hammer to the head revenge story and reads like some of my favorite pulp work of Don Pendleton which grabs you by the neck, forces you to witness violence so intense, you're almost a participant. The pace is fast and direct, the action brutal and unrepenting. The characters are genuine for this type of genre.
This is the sort of crime book that wittles away all the excess and goes for the jugular. It knocks your teeth out, sets your crotch on fire. These types of revenge stories are rare these days and I'm glad Andy picked up the torch and keeps running with it.
This is the sort of crime book that wittles away all the excess and goes for the jugular. It knocks your teeth out, sets your crotch on fire. These types of revenge stories are rare these days and I'm glad Andy picked up the torch and keeps running with it.
December 13, 2021
Recommend for a fast, satisfying, bloody revenge read. Although few survive, it’s always nice to have the KKK get destroyed.
December 17, 2021
My full review can be found here: https://thereadingwife.com/bloody-she...
September 7, 2019
This is a no holds barred, bloody, brutal story of racism, murder and revenge that is told without pause or apology, shining a relentless light on the schisms that currently fracture society in parts of America. And, whilst this tale is set in a particular section of US society, the deep divisions it portrays are not limited to its locale and the truths it reveals should make all of us sit up and take notice.
A young black male is lynched in a backwards, backwoods town in rural Alabama, and the culprits are the local Klan. Unfortunately for the Klan, the father or the murdered boy is an ex-felon enforcer for a crime kingpin and the death of his turns his particular skills away from his boss’s enemies and towards his own. Revenge is not pretty, but it is swift and brutal.
This book is not suitable for the sensitive or squeamish, peppered as it is with the basest language of racism and the goriest of violence. Some may find it offensive, although in the context of the story it is vital and not gratuitous and should be approached as such. The book is designed to shock, and that shock is necessary to make the reader confront the grotesque nature of the attitudes portrayed in it. We should be made uncomfortable by the issues, and Rausch does a fine job of making it so. However, at the same time as blasting the reader in the face with the horror of the inequalities and bigotry displayed in the story, there is also an underlying tenderness, love and pain on display in the actions of Coke as he tries to avenge his son. Something you may not expect in quite so black a story.
This is a short novella, it took me only about an hour to read, but it is fast paced and punchy, not a word wasted, with a distinctive style that takes no prisoners. Not something I pick up every day but a story that gave me food for thought and left me unexpectedly affected.
A young black male is lynched in a backwards, backwoods town in rural Alabama, and the culprits are the local Klan. Unfortunately for the Klan, the father or the murdered boy is an ex-felon enforcer for a crime kingpin and the death of his turns his particular skills away from his boss’s enemies and towards his own. Revenge is not pretty, but it is swift and brutal.
This book is not suitable for the sensitive or squeamish, peppered as it is with the basest language of racism and the goriest of violence. Some may find it offensive, although in the context of the story it is vital and not gratuitous and should be approached as such. The book is designed to shock, and that shock is necessary to make the reader confront the grotesque nature of the attitudes portrayed in it. We should be made uncomfortable by the issues, and Rausch does a fine job of making it so. However, at the same time as blasting the reader in the face with the horror of the inequalities and bigotry displayed in the story, there is also an underlying tenderness, love and pain on display in the actions of Coke as he tries to avenge his son. Something you may not expect in quite so black a story.
This is a short novella, it took me only about an hour to read, but it is fast paced and punchy, not a word wasted, with a distinctive style that takes no prisoners. Not something I pick up every day but a story that gave me food for thought and left me unexpectedly affected.
September 4, 2019
Book Review- Bloody Sheets by Andy Rausch
Well! What a story. At the beginning I was thinking how cruel, thank God I have never had to torture anyone! The murders are graphic and the storyline is excellent. The main character starts out in a dark world doing horrid things in the crime world.
However, as the story unfolds you get to know this main character more and realize he has some good values at the heart of him. It is absolutely tragic what happens to his family through horrendous white supremacy. Therefore, you relate to how they must be feeling and cannot help but ‘root’ for them.
The author draws you in and keeps you there. There is a good storyline, a bit of humour (actually the main character has excellent ‘come-backs’) And a good beginning and ending. I couldn’t put it down.
Well! What a story. At the beginning I was thinking how cruel, thank God I have never had to torture anyone! The murders are graphic and the storyline is excellent. The main character starts out in a dark world doing horrid things in the crime world.
However, as the story unfolds you get to know this main character more and realize he has some good values at the heart of him. It is absolutely tragic what happens to his family through horrendous white supremacy. Therefore, you relate to how they must be feeling and cannot help but ‘root’ for them.
The author draws you in and keeps you there. There is a good storyline, a bit of humour (actually the main character has excellent ‘come-backs’) And a good beginning and ending. I couldn’t put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2019
Bloody Sheets by Andy Rausch is a revenge tale, and it had me gripped from the start. It's a quick read, full of superb dialogue and brutal confrontations, as Will's father sets out to take down the men who murdered his son. The story seems straightforward to begin with, but twists and turns as it progresses, in ways I did not expect. The violence was frequent, but believable, with just the right amount of gore. Overall, I found Bloody Sheets a very enjoyable tale, both thrilling and devastating in equal measure. I look forward to reading more from Andy Rausch.
September 2, 2021
A Black man takes retribution on the KKK for the murder of his son. This story grabs you and does not let go.
June 12, 2023
Injustice and justice written with a razorblade on the back of history.
Or, another great read by this guy!
Or, another great read by this guy!
July 28, 2020
It has some brilliant imagery that will have you flinching. This read will prove to be quick and entrancing thanks to Rausch fast-paced action scenes.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
However, this really isn’t for kids or people trying to educate themselves on race issues. Also, some of the language in the book is so vitriolic it may just be too much for some.
For more of m thoughts on this book, check out my full review on my blog .
I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
However, this really isn’t for kids or people trying to educate themselves on race issues. Also, some of the language in the book is so vitriolic it may just be too much for some.
For more of m thoughts on this book, check out my full review on my blog .
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews