Patti Abbott declared today to be Richard S. Prather day on
her blog for FFB. In addition to my on topic review below, there will be
numerous other Prather reviews on and linked to at her blog. I believe that
includes a review from Barry. Lots of other good stuff will be over there as well so
get your Friday started right by heading over to Patti’s blog…
Mrs. Gladys Jellicoe has a serious
problem and needs the help of private detective Shell Scott. He has come to her
home in the Hollywood Hills from his office in the Hamilton Building on
Broadway in downtown Los Angeles this warm September morning in response to her
phone call. While she may have called him because she appears to be extremely
well preserved--- much like a mummy-- apparently the real reason she called is
the fact that her ex-husband is missing.
She believes him to be dead. Wilfred
Jefferson Jellicoe is supposed to send her a monthly alimony check of three
thousand dollars on or before the first of the month. “Jelly” as she calls him
has now missed two payments. She has done some checking around of her own and
has determined that he has not been seen at the Cavendish House in Hollywood
for several days now. That is where he has been staying recently and he has not
checked out. She has no idea where her ex-husband, at one time the assistant to
legendary Hollywood movie mogul Gideon Cheim is, or why Jelly’s wallet was
found in a seedy nightclub known as “The Panther Room.”
While she thinks Shell Scott’s going
rate of one hundred dollars a day is rather expensive, she wants her missing
alimony money as well as to find Jelly. She grudgingly agrees to pay and Shell
Scott is on the case. One that will take him all across the Los Angeles area,
into some adult activities with certain beautiful ladies, and a number of violent
confrontations with several less than savory characters. That is when he isn’t
smoking, drinking, or discussing things with the local cops.
Set in the 60’s, Shell Scott is the
classic “man’s man.” He does it all and then some while making sure to be one
step ahead of the bad and good guys alike. A fun read, The Cheim Manuscript: A Shell
Scott Novel, twists and turns its way through 200 pages plus of mayhem
and chaos all done with a slightly sarcastic tone. My first experience with a
Shell Scott novel was highly entertaining and well worth the read.
The Cheim Manuscript: A Shell Scott Novel
Richard S. Prather
Pocket Books
February 1969
Paperback
215 Pages
This paperback was supplied by Barry
Ergang years ago for me to read and review. He has been hounding me every so
often about it ever since. In conniving desperation, Barry enlisted the unwitting
assistance of Patti Abbott who declared that Richard S. Prather would be the focus
for FFB today. One could almost hear Barry’s gleeful laughter as he turned up
the pressure.
Richard S. Prather and the Shell
Scott series have been a frequent topic here with Barry and occasionally
Patrick Ohl. Other reviews are Pattern
For Panic, Case
Of The Vanishing Beauty, Double
In Trouble, Strip
for Murder, and The
Death Gods as well as short stories in anthologies
such as The
Masters of Noir Volume 1, as well as Volume
4, and The
Best From Manhunt.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
Posts
5 comments:
"Mwa-ha-ha-ha!" he cackled, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "I'm glad you finally read it and, even more, that you enjoyed it."
That I did. Thank you for the read.
Sounds like a typical Prather story, even with the oddly sedate title. I forgot to mention how Scott gets way too much press in some of the stories to leave him effective as a PI.
Barry left me a nice note on my blog, and since that can't go unpunished, here's a troublesome request:
Beverly is always up for a good conversation...sadly, since I haven't worked in Radnor for about a year now, I haven't dropped in much. THE TITLE PAGE remains a very impressive collection.
The Crime Fiction Index could use your help, Barry...could you provide the contents information, via photocopy or otherwise, for the following early issues of FUTURES?
Futures Missing: #2; #3; #6
Isn't a "slightly sarcastic tone" pretty much de rigueur for genre P.I.s, Kevin? I think one of the things I liked especially about Shellshock was the refreshing departure from this trope. He's a smartass, but his irreverence seems more self-directed than judgmental toward others. Unless that's what you meant. But then a lot can happen in 27 years.
Have not read SHELLSHOCK yet. This was my first.
It struck me as aimed mainly at himself though a bit at others as well. Especially in terms of the mob guys. That angle also seemed more upfront and better done than what is in the modern books.
Post a Comment