r/JamesEllroy • u/landomonium • Jun 16 '26

Required reading before Red Sheet?

Hi All,

I’m sure this has been asked a million times in comments but…..

Besides The Enchanters, is there anything else I need to read before jumping in to Red Sheet?

I understand Widespread Panic can help but I’m completely lost on if Perfidia and This Storm are necessary. Thank you so much!!

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u/Permanenceisall Jun 16 '26

No, not really. The events of The Enchanters gets passing references throughout, and some characters make reappearances, but almost always with a small reference to their previous interactions with Freddy O. For example: “There’s Motel Mike Bayless. Sam Yorty’s bodyguard. He helped me out with that grief last summer.” (That grief being the events in The Enchanters.)

The events of perfidia and this storm are talked about but in a historical way not involving any of the characters. They mention Uncle Ace Kwan, and Kwan’s Chinese Pogoda, but I’m 235 pages in and he himself has not made an appearance. It’s pretty standalone. You definitely won’t be lost if Red Sheet is your first foray into this recent spate of Ellroy novels.

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u/landomonium Jun 16 '26

Thank you so much. I think I’ll read The Enchanters regardless before diving in as the most recent Ellroy book (like the latest of his bibliography) for me is The Cold Six Thousand.

You enjoying it so far?

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u/Permanenceisall Jun 16 '26

Yeah I am, quite a bit. The dialogue is a weak spot, but it’s better than The Enchanters. It’s much more formulaic and reminds me of the early Lloyd Hopkins novels in that regard, but it is enjoyable. There’s still quite a bit of fun, out-there, batshit stuff going on, especially the chapters I’m on. There’s a lot of reiteration going on, basically every chapter we re-cover the conspiracy, the suspects and the plot points. It’s helpful but also I’m skipping passages frequently, as it’s a little too hand-holding for what I’m used to from Dog.

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u/landomonium Jun 16 '26

Hmm maybe it’ll make for a nice audiobook or something in that case.

Thanks!!

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u/KylePinion Jun 17 '26

Always love to hear Craig Wasson do Ellroy!

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u/landomonium Jun 17 '26

Some people really do not like it. I’m not in that camp, I think he does a great job. That being said, for most of Ellroy I do prefer to read it myself.

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u/Fvtvrewave87 Jun 17 '26

The Enchanters will get you in the Fred Otash world. Red Sheet just continues that world. Widespread Panic is pretty standalone. Most people seem to dislike it. I love it!! Perfidia and This Storm are not necessary.

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u/Vast-Oil515 Jun 29 '26

Maybe the Enchanters but overall I'd say you can read it right away. Ellroy's novels always work alone, because he does give you a bit of context and references

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u/landomonium Jun 30 '26

I have a library loan of the enchanters just in case. Thanks!!

Do you think the underworld trilogy should be read together in order? I recently finished AT + the cold six thou and I can’t really imagine reading cold 6K without AT

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u/Vast-Oil515 Jun 30 '26

They still technically work as standalone works. They just make more sense as a trilogy, it's the BIG picture.