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Road Rash
James Straley might think his life is cursed, but it doesn't compare to what lies ahead of him on life's highway. He's on the run with the proceeds of a botched bank robbery. It's all he has. His crew is dead and his getaway car just died on him. He's on foot with the cash when he comes across a two-car pileup. There's no saving the drivers, but he can save himself by stealing one of the wrecked cars. Unfortunately, he boosts the wrong set of wheels. Within an hour of driving off, he develops a rash that eats away at his flesh. No doctor can help him—only the car's original owner. If Straley wants his skin back, he must journey on the road to redemption, which ends in the heart of Central America. Road Rash first appeared in the anthology Butcher Shop Quartet 2. Simon Janus is the horror identity for the award winning thriller writer, Simon Wood. What They Are Saying About Road "Road Rash is a wild collision of crime caper and supernatural thriller that works on every level. Lightning-paced, darkly funny, deeply creepy, and highly recommended." — Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of THE DRAGON FACTORY “Simon Janus understands the darkness inside us all and nails it to the page. Fast-paced and gut-wrenching, pedal-to-the-metal thrills." — Scott Nicholson, author of THE RED CHURCH
- GenresHorror
89 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2010
26 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Simon Janus
4 books5 followersSimon Janus is the horror identity of thriller writer, Simon Wood. He's the author of The Scrubs and Road Rash.
He's a California transplant from England. He's an ex-competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an ocassional private investigator. He shares his world with my American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats. In the last ten years, he's had over 150 stories and articles published. His stories have been included in “Best of” anthologies and he's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest.
As Simon Wood, he's the Anthony Award winning author of Working Stiffs and Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper and We All Fall Down. His next thriller, Terminated, hits bookshelves next June.
He's a California transplant from England. He's an ex-competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an ocassional private investigator. He shares his world with my American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats. In the last ten years, he's had over 150 stories and articles published. His stories have been included in “Best of” anthologies and he's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest.
As Simon Wood, he's the Anthony Award winning author of Working Stiffs and Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper and We All Fall Down. His next thriller, Terminated, hits bookshelves next June.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 24, 2020
A good and quick one. I enjoyed the progression of the story and I liked the writing style, especially since it was a new to me author.
October 15, 2011
“Road Rash” is an unbelievable tale of a man that steals the wrong car and pays the price. Instead of helping the supposed owner of the car, James leaves him for dead in a ditch. Miles away and no cops in sight, James notices he is getting a rash just like the man he stole the car from miles back. Soon James is covered in the nasty rash that is literally skinning him to the bone. It seems like the end for James, but is it?
When I think of horror, “Road Rash” will be at the top of my list. Janus keeps the gruesome, gory details coming, describing the progress of James’ rash. I was completely grossed out through the entire story but couldn’t manage to pull myself away. James Straley wasn’t a very likeable character, but his situation quickly changed that. I felt so bad for the guy. I wanted to know more about the guy that infected James. The back story for this character would have made for an intriguing tale, in addition to James’ own story. The ending was a shocker and well worth the wait. The suspense was killing me.
Simon Janus is one heck of a writer. His insight and creativity in “Road Rash” definitely makes his work a worthwhile read for horror lovers. If you’re a fan of Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser,” then “Road Rash” will definitely impress.
When I think of horror, “Road Rash” will be at the top of my list. Janus keeps the gruesome, gory details coming, describing the progress of James’ rash. I was completely grossed out through the entire story but couldn’t manage to pull myself away. James Straley wasn’t a very likeable character, but his situation quickly changed that. I felt so bad for the guy. I wanted to know more about the guy that infected James. The back story for this character would have made for an intriguing tale, in addition to James’ own story. The ending was a shocker and well worth the wait. The suspense was killing me.
Simon Janus is one heck of a writer. His insight and creativity in “Road Rash” definitely makes his work a worthwhile read for horror lovers. If you’re a fan of Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser,” then “Road Rash” will definitely impress.
January 11, 2011
I grew up watching Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone. I love short stories with a twist and a kick. Alfred said, Give them pleasure - the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.
Road Rash will give you pleasure all the way to the end. Simon can create tension and suspense. You hate Straley and then you feel sorry for him! This is a page turner and would have been a hit on the Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
I could not turn off the Kindle until I finished Road Rash...
Road Rash will give you pleasure all the way to the end. Simon can create tension and suspense. You hate Straley and then you feel sorry for him! This is a page turner and would have been a hit on the Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
I could not turn off the Kindle until I finished Road Rash...
February 4, 2011
WOW! Gruesome, and gory and horrific, and totally awesome! I just kept saying ewwwww, in my mind, and quickly turning the page, to see just how descriptively nasty things were going to get. And, what an amazing twist this tale takes. You never see the direction, Simon Wood is going to take the main character, until the very last second! Another fabulous read by a gifted storyteller!
April 2, 2016
I started the book and was prepared not to like it after the first few pages. Then it captivated me and I had to stick around to see how it ended. Road rash is one curse I would not care to get! Good job, Simon Janus, for entertaining me with something outside my usual genre.
August 15, 2014
4.5 stars
Horror is not usually my genre of choice but I was curious when I read the synopsis and the story repelled and fascinated in equal measure. I’m glad I read it.
A short but very chilling tale, fast-moving and intriguing. James Straley’s problems begin when he stumbles upon a head on collision and steals one of the cars, leaving the driver for dead. He pays an incredibly high price for his sins and even though he is extremely unlikable at the start his situation and resulting race to find some sort of cure changes him completely.
"His hand itched worse than before. In the failing light he checked it out. His palm was red and hot to the touch, swelling now. He was having a reaction, but to what? He wasn’t allergic to anything. He opened the window and stuck his arm out to numb his inflamed hand with the cool evening air. His shirt sleeve blew back from his wrist to reveal the source of his itching. A hand shaped rash marked his wrist where the Caprice man had grabbed him. Straley choked on his shock."
The story starts with a crime and crosses over into the supernatural as James finds out more about the curse causing his dreadful affliction. The vivid and gruesome descriptions of the progression of James’ nightmarish rash are, well…gross is the word that comes to mind (the repelling part). As the story unfolds James’ journey takes unexpected and surprising turns as his hope builds and is crushed again and again until despair takes over.
At his journey’s end James learns that ultimately there is only one way to rid himself of the horror taking over his body. As he comes to terms with his condition and makes a life for himself where the curse originates from (the fascinating part) there’s a nice twist I didn’t see coming at the end, leaving the imagination to take over.
Horror is not usually my genre of choice but I was curious when I read the synopsis and the story repelled and fascinated in equal measure. I’m glad I read it.
A short but very chilling tale, fast-moving and intriguing. James Straley’s problems begin when he stumbles upon a head on collision and steals one of the cars, leaving the driver for dead. He pays an incredibly high price for his sins and even though he is extremely unlikable at the start his situation and resulting race to find some sort of cure changes him completely.
"His hand itched worse than before. In the failing light he checked it out. His palm was red and hot to the touch, swelling now. He was having a reaction, but to what? He wasn’t allergic to anything. He opened the window and stuck his arm out to numb his inflamed hand with the cool evening air. His shirt sleeve blew back from his wrist to reveal the source of his itching. A hand shaped rash marked his wrist where the Caprice man had grabbed him. Straley choked on his shock."
The story starts with a crime and crosses over into the supernatural as James finds out more about the curse causing his dreadful affliction. The vivid and gruesome descriptions of the progression of James’ nightmarish rash are, well…gross is the word that comes to mind (the repelling part). As the story unfolds James’ journey takes unexpected and surprising turns as his hope builds and is crushed again and again until despair takes over.
At his journey’s end James learns that ultimately there is only one way to rid himself of the horror taking over his body. As he comes to terms with his condition and makes a life for himself where the curse originates from (the fascinating part) there’s a nice twist I didn’t see coming at the end, leaving the imagination to take over.
March 28, 2015
"A Bloody Good Tale of Horror"
This is a short tale of horror, it reminds me of stories one could listen to on radio years ago at night which could chill your bones. Robbing a bank is never easy, especially when silent alarms are used. James Straley had about $400 grand, but he's lost his crew... except for one, who tried to steal the money from him. Well, a shot to Kelso's head stopped him. His car dies on a back country road. As he walks along with the duffle bag heavy on his back, he comes across an accident that has just happened. Both drivers appear dead, but one car is usable. The body in the Caprice is covered in blood and gruesome looking. His skin appears to have been melted off his face. James carefully drags Caprice man out of the car and rolls him into the roadside ditch. But as James stumbles and falls onto the body, the man grabs his wrist, and is still breathing. James leaves him there, thinking he won't last for long. He wipes the blood and tissue out of the driver's seat the best he can and heads toward Oregon. At a rest stop he cleans up a bit, travels to the next town, buys some clothes and a '92 Honda Civic with his cash. He returns to the Caprice and sets it on fire. Now, James' hand is burning, and not from the burning Caprice. The man must have been contagious and James hopes to make it to Oregon where he can get medical care...with no questions asked. This is a spooky story, and I'd love to hear the audio book version...it is a haunting tale one will not forget. It's well written as all of Simon Wood's books are. Simon originally wrote this story using the name, Simon Janus.
This is a short tale of horror, it reminds me of stories one could listen to on radio years ago at night which could chill your bones. Robbing a bank is never easy, especially when silent alarms are used. James Straley had about $400 grand, but he's lost his crew... except for one, who tried to steal the money from him. Well, a shot to Kelso's head stopped him. His car dies on a back country road. As he walks along with the duffle bag heavy on his back, he comes across an accident that has just happened. Both drivers appear dead, but one car is usable. The body in the Caprice is covered in blood and gruesome looking. His skin appears to have been melted off his face. James carefully drags Caprice man out of the car and rolls him into the roadside ditch. But as James stumbles and falls onto the body, the man grabs his wrist, and is still breathing. James leaves him there, thinking he won't last for long. He wipes the blood and tissue out of the driver's seat the best he can and heads toward Oregon. At a rest stop he cleans up a bit, travels to the next town, buys some clothes and a '92 Honda Civic with his cash. He returns to the Caprice and sets it on fire. Now, James' hand is burning, and not from the burning Caprice. The man must have been contagious and James hopes to make it to Oregon where he can get medical care...with no questions asked. This is a spooky story, and I'd love to hear the audio book version...it is a haunting tale one will not forget. It's well written as all of Simon Wood's books are. Simon originally wrote this story using the name, Simon Janus.
March 29, 2011
James Straley should have thought twice before picking a new getaway car. Road Rash by Simon Janus (Simon Wood) is the gruesome tale of a man desperate to save his life. When things go wrong during a bank robbery and the getaway car dies, James Straley is left with two options. Option one is to continue walking the long, rarely traveled road carrying a bag of stolen money, hoping that someone will give him a ride. Or option two is taking advantage of the car wreck he just witnessed and salvaging one of those vehicles. The desperation to avoid the police clouds James’s better judgment and he selects the car with the least damage. Little did he know that his life would be forever changed when the man who was driving the car was cursed with a flesh devouring disease. Thankful to have the stolen money, he puts it to use trying to find his way to the source of the curse. Mr. Janus reminds us that if we are a bad person, there is always someone out there that is worse. It is just a matter of finding that person. But when faced with the answer of how to be free from the curse, does James have what it takes to give such an awful curse to someone else? Road Rash moves along at a nice pace and is an intriguing tale that will leave readers on the edge of their seats wanting more. Road Rash is somewhat gruesome, after all it is a flesh eating curse, so is recommended for mature audiences.
October 4, 2013
James Straley is a man on the run. Having just come from a botched bank robbery that left two men in his "crew" dead- he is in need of wheels badly when he comes across a gruesome accident scene. Doing the unthinkable, Straley takes one of the cars from the scene- leaving the obviously very injured driver for dead on a mission to get himself and his coveted loot out of state. However, he doesn't even make it out of state when he learns that the driver wasn't injured he was infected and now James seems to have contracted whatever "monkey pox" the driver of the Caprice had and is now on a mission to cure himself of it.
I LOVED this book, despite it being somewhat short. It was quick moving and intriguing and I was able to devour it in one sitting. The vivid descriptions are just enough to give your imagination something to run wild with without giving readers too much information. The abrupt ending was a bit of a surprise to me- but I also loved it's somewhat cliffhanging denouement. With it, author Janus (Wood), leaves us just enough information to let our imaginations run wild with the possibility of what may have happened next. Sometimes, especially with the horror genre, I find it isn't what is in the book that is as horrifying and what lies in the reader's imagination and interpretation of the story. I dare you to give it a go!
I LOVED this book, despite it being somewhat short. It was quick moving and intriguing and I was able to devour it in one sitting. The vivid descriptions are just enough to give your imagination something to run wild with without giving readers too much information. The abrupt ending was a bit of a surprise to me- but I also loved it's somewhat cliffhanging denouement. With it, author Janus (Wood), leaves us just enough information to let our imaginations run wild with the possibility of what may have happened next. Sometimes, especially with the horror genre, I find it isn't what is in the book that is as horrifying and what lies in the reader's imagination and interpretation of the story. I dare you to give it a go!
January 21, 2011
A grisly little novella and cautionary tale. If curses travel from evil to most evil, it may pay not to be the worst person in the room.
In Road Rash, Simon Janus punishes a despicable individual for our entertainment, allowing us to feel the discomfort, dispair and final acceptance of a pretty nasty curse.
It was over pretty quickly, but I enjoyed the suffering, the dashed hopes and the final resolution for the main character.
The book reminded me a little of one of those late night series of small 30 minute horror stories - the series you'd enjoy much more if good actors were employed. In this case, the bad acting is substituted with the authors great characterisation, showing me that this format can at least succeed in print.
In Road Rash, Simon Janus punishes a despicable individual for our entertainment, allowing us to feel the discomfort, dispair and final acceptance of a pretty nasty curse.
It was over pretty quickly, but I enjoyed the suffering, the dashed hopes and the final resolution for the main character.
The book reminded me a little of one of those late night series of small 30 minute horror stories - the series you'd enjoy much more if good actors were employed. In this case, the bad acting is substituted with the authors great characterisation, showing me that this format can at least succeed in print.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2013
A great fast and enjoyable horror read. James Straley has a nasty infection that is slowly eating him alive and he must search out the mysterious Sylvia who has the cure. It reminded me in part of
and it did end a little suddenly but pleasantly unexpectedly :) This is the second book I have read by Simon Wood (see my review of Terminated http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... and I think he is a great fun author...and that's what good writing is all about, thrilling and easy on the eye..with the odd little scream moment. Since reading this book I have developed a nasty rash...eh...only kidding :)
and it did end a little suddenly but pleasantly unexpectedly :) This is the second book I have read by Simon Wood (see my review of Terminated http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... and I think he is a great fun author...and that's what good writing is all about, thrilling and easy on the eye..with the odd little scream moment. Since reading this book I have developed a nasty rash...eh...only kidding :)
March 31, 2010
Great story. Well worth the 99 cents. Simon is great at pacing and suspense, and this little tale will keep you glued to the page til the end.
*Spoiler Warning?*
I'm reserving the 5th star because I think this could have been developed into a longer piece. The reversal of the main character was quick and sudden. It would have been cool to delve deeper into his soul searching. But that is just a matter of taste.
*Spoiler Warning?*
I'm reserving the 5th star because I think this could have been developed into a longer piece. The reversal of the main character was quick and sudden. It would have been cool to delve deeper into his soul searching. But that is just a matter of taste.
June 4, 2010
Give them pleasure - the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.
Alfred Hitchcock
Road Rash could have been a major hit on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I started out hating Straley, then you feel sorry for him and then you get an exciting ending. I did not turn off the Kindle until I finished. I would like to see a sequel to Road Rash!!!
Alfred Hitchcock
Road Rash could have been a major hit on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I started out hating Straley, then you feel sorry for him and then you get an exciting ending. I did not turn off the Kindle until I finished. I would like to see a sequel to Road Rash!!!
November 3, 2011
This was great! It was in the realm of Stephen King's "Thinner" and was excellent. The little preview at the end of "The Scrubs" was good too, so intriguing that I bought that one too. Wish it had been a bit longer, but then again, I seem to wish that with every book I really like.
February 7, 2020
Are you a good man?
If your a fan of horror this was a fantastic short story
Well narrated with an original idea that will make your skin crawl
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
If your a fan of horror this was a fantastic short story
Well narrated with an original idea that will make your skin crawl
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
December 24, 2010
Euw it was so gross and so awesome! But the blue commas will haunt me and that final blue s...
October 3, 2011
Very Much enjoyed this book.
March 28, 2015
Enjoyable tale of retribution
This was an entirely different type of story. Although it is an escape from reality, there is still a moral to it.
This was an entirely different type of story. Although it is an escape from reality, there is still a moral to it.
July 22, 2017
Simon is my go-to when I can't decide what to read. Excellent little read from beginning to end
August 17, 2015
Good
This Book Was Over All Good I Dont Really Like The Ending But I Think It Teaches A Little Leason For Life.
This Book Was Over All Good I Dont Really Like The Ending But I Think It Teaches A Little Leason For Life.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews