The death gods was published by pendleton artists, made available in. This is an actionpacked story with fast driving, gun fights, and fires. The death gods was published by pendleton artists, made available in print and ebook formats. Mar 31, 2017 richard prather was born in santa ana, california. In 194041 he spent a year at riverside junior college now riverside community college. Growing up in california, richard read everything he could. Shell scott s mental contemplation was rudely interrupted when his office door was suddenly opened and an unpleasant little man walked in with a. Couple days later i found myself starting my third shell scott adventure. Prather author maynard villers narrator 2010 bodies in bedlam. Prather kill the clown pulp fiction art pulp art vintage book covers comic book covers send in the clowns sci fi horror book cover art book tv magazine art. Richard s prathers final book in the shell scott mystery series was released in 2011. This is a terrific trio of shell scott stories from richard prather.
Unknown to shell scott, some guy named sader wanted shell eliminated permanently. Prather, a hugely popular mystery writer of the 1950s and 60s. Prather, whose mystery stories about shell scott, a former marine turned private investigator, were set in southern california, died. Shell scott should be in the top ten of any readers list of favorite private eyes. His final book, shellshock 1987 was published by tor books. Richard prather came to mind recently as i was looking through the gorgeous robert mcginnis book of paperback cover paintings edited by art scott last year. Prather shell scott i started reading the shell scott mysteries as a teenager in the 50s instead of doing my homework and still enjoy rereading them today when i want some light entertainment. He appeared in a long string of over three dozen fawcettgold medal pbos, collections and countless short stories, and even lent his name to the shortlived shell scott. Net archive search books by rating android app menu search books by rating android app. A southern california private eye, 6foot2 exmarine, he was featured in three dozen.
He gave up writing for several years and grew avocados. Shell scott the sure thing gga pb 1975 at the best online prices at ebay. This is an action packed story with fast driving, gun fights, and fires. Prather and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. His final novel, the death gods, was published october 2011, in print and ebook formats by pendleton artists, with permission of the richard s. Farranging and occassionally longwinded, its nonetheless a fascinating look into the man behind shell scott. Prather, one of the most successful detective crime fiction writers of the 1950s.
Prathers creation, shell scott, was the second most popular private detective after spillanes mike hammer of the 1950s. I have to thank christa faust for first getting me interested in looking for the richard prather books. Prather, whose mystery stories about shell scott, a former marine turned private investigator, were set in southern california, died at his home in sedona, ariz. Prather was the author of the worldfamous shell scott detective series, which has over forty million copies in print in the united states and many millions more in hundreds of foreignlanguage editions. Prather was the author of the world famous shell scott detective series, which has over 40,000,000 copies in print in the u.
Prather author 2014 case of the vanishing beauty shell scott series book 1 richard s. Isbn 9781581168389 9781581168389 books in motion, 2010. This was several years after richards death in 2007. In the booming postwar market for paperback detective fiction, the groundbreaking bestseller was mickey spillanes mike hammer, but richard s prathers shell scott was not far behind. After attending riverside junior college, he served in world war ii as a fireman, oiler, and engineer. He served in the united states merchant marine during world war ii. Prather had a disagreement with his publisher pocket books and sued them in 1975. Prather kept shell scott alive for nearly four decades.
Shell scott was the bestknown creation of fiction writer richard s. Richard s prather the london guardians obituary of the thriller writer from a world of sex, violence, caddys and frails. The complete series list for shell scott richard s. Mass market paperback pocket, 55022, 1968, 6th printing. See the complete shell scott series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. Richard prathers long and successful writing career began in 1950 with the publication of his first shell scott mystery novel, the case of the vanishing beauty, published by.
But when bodies start to drop, he finds himself in trouble. The series consists of fortytwo titles to its name, and the books that make the series up are the following. His successful and bestselling shell scott series of thirtysix novels plus four short story collections, published between 1950 and 1987, have sold. Apr 22, 2011 i have to thank christa faust for first getting me interested in looking for the richard prather books. Known for their arched humor, punchy dialogue, and sunny southern california locale, the shell scott books represent one of the greatest private eye collections ever produced. Kill the clown shell scott, book 23 by richard s prather book cover, description, publication history. Prather shell scotts seven slaughters gold medal books s1072 published 1961 cover artist. Prather 19212007 was the author of the worldfamous shell scott detective series, which has over forty million copies in print in the united states and many millions more in foreignlanguage editions abroad. Prathers find this woman was published in 1951, the third book prather had published that year the other two were bodies in bedlam and everybody had a gunthis is shell scotts fourth adventure and prather is still experimenting with his formula. He also wrote under the pseudonyms david knight and douglas ring. He served in the united states merchant marine during world war ii, from 1942 through the end of the war in 1945.
Prather had a long and successful writing career and it was in 1950 that richards first shell scott mystery novel, the case of the vanishing beauty, was published by fawcetts gold medal paperback originals. Book 23 in the shell scott series a novel by richard s prather when danger rolls into town i have one eye open my most private eye while the other is focusing on a fiery fury of a lady. It demonstrated that shell scott still had an active reader base and that prathers peers held him in the greatest regard. At prathers death in 2007, he had completed but not published his last shell scott mystery. Download audiobooks by richard s prather at and save. Richard scott prather was an american mystery novelist, best known for creating the shell scott series. Kill the clown shell scott, book 23 by richard s prather. The first shell scott mystery, case of the vanishing beauty was published in 1950. This is the last shell scott book and was published after prathers death, and it leaves scott with an attractive woman but no longer a private eye. Dance with the dead the shell scott mysteries richard s.
For those of you who want to catch up on your richard prather reading, innumerable stores stock his books in the used section. Prather writes about the wild and wacky shell scott. Prather, whose mystery stories about shell scott, a former marine. Prather author maynard villers narrator 2010 bodies in bedlam shell scott series book 2 richard s. Shell scotts seven slaughters by richard prather abebooks. Bodies in bedlam the shell scott mysteries book 2 kindle. A southern california private eye, 6foot2 exmarine, he was featured in three dozen novels published over a span of nearly 40 years. Shell scotts mental contemplation was rudely interrupted when his office door was suddenly opened and an unpleasant little man walked in with a. Money shot is one of my favorite hard case crime originals.
Prathers shell scott was, without a doubt, the second. The shell scott stories were as powerful as a gutwrenching spillane story, but us. I read most of them years ago, when i was young, and i really liked them. Prathers famous series, the shell scott series, were published in two different centuries and seven different decades. Prather, including the sweet ride, and the peddler, and more on. Prathers popular detective hero in joker in the deck 1964, the 27th shell scott novel. Shell scotts seven slaughters shell scotts seven slaughters. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Dance with the dead a shell scott mystery richard prather dedicated to all those who are in love with love and have eaten in the banyan tree contents chapter one. Either way, fans were happy when richard s prather books returned to the shelves, starting with the amber effect in 1986.
His successful and bestselling shell scott series of thirtysix novels plus four short story collections, published between 1950 and 1987, have sold over 40 million copies in. Prathers shell scott was, without a doubt, the second most commercially successful private eye of the fifties over forty million books sold. Or if you prefer ebooks, you can get all 40 online. These were fairly recent acquisitions found at an oxfam bookshop in aylesbury. There were as i mentioned earlier lots of babes in the shell scott books, most of them skimpily clad and. That praiseworthy note of a writers influence was enough for me to check him out. Prather published over 40 works of detective fiction, most featuring his clever, cadabouttown hero, shell. Customs services and international tracking provided.
She says her book money shot would never have been written had she not read the shell scott books. Ive not read prather before, though ive long heard of the shell scott books. Mar 28, 2007 in the booming postwar market for paperback detective fiction, the groundbreaking bestseller was mickey spillane s mike hammer, but richard s prather s shell scott was not far behind. Prather, a hugely popular mystery writer of the 1950s and 60s, was known for novels with swift violence, loopy humor and an astonishing number of characters with no clothes on. Prather began his shell scott series in 1950 with the novel the case of the vanishing beauty. Pocket books 78949 first paperback edition, june 1975 original vintage paperback book. Prather 19212007 was an american author of hardboiled detective fiction novels. The series lasted over 40 books, concluding with the posthumously published the death gods in 2011, which was the first book to be published in over two decades. Prather author 2014 have gatwill travel shell scott series richard s. The first of the shell scott novels was case of the vanishing beauty, first published in 1950 to much critical acclaim and commercial success. If my pockets were a bit deeper i could have snaffled up a load of the series, but being the model of restraint. Other books in the series show scott threatened by zombies or.