Find This Woman

Shell Scott #4

by Richard S. Prather

Shell Scott. He's a guy with a pistol in his pocket and murder on his mind. The crime world's public enemy number one, this Casanova is a sucker for a damsel in distress. When a pair of lovely legs saunters into his office, he can't help but take the job, even when the case is a killer. There are way too many dames knocking at Shell's door, all saying they are the same woman. Not that Shell minds a private Las Vegas harem, but they are really complicating this case. He has his hands full peeling each woman's mask, but Shell can handle it. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. He's going to find this broad or die trying.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

152 pages, ebook

First published November 1, 1951

About the author

Richard Scott Prather was an American mystery novelist, best known for creating the "Shell Scott" series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms David Knight and Douglas Ring.

Prather was born in Santa Ana, California. He served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. In 1945 year he married Tina Hager and began working as a civilian chief clerk of surplus property at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California. He left that job to become a full-time writer in 1949. The first Shell Scott mystery, 'Case of the Vanishing Beauty' was published in 1950. It would be the start of a long series that numbered more than three dozen titles featuring the Shell Scott character.

Prather had a disagreement with his publisher in the 1970s and sued them in 1975. He gave up writing for several years and grew avocados. However in 1986 he returned with 'The Amber Effect'. Prather's final book, 'Shellshock', was published in hardcover in 1987 by Tor Books.

At the time of his death in 2007, he had completed his final Shell Scott Mystery novel, 'The Death Gods'. It was published October 2011 by Pendleton Artists.

Prather served twice on the Board of Directors of the Mystery Writers of America. Additionally Prather received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 1986.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find This Woman, book four in Prather’s Shell Scott series, is set got the first time primarily outside Shell’s usual Los Angeles haunts. It is primarily set in Wild and crazy 1951 Las Vegas during Helldorado Week when apparently thousands of mad people descend on the town dressed as cowboys and act as if it’s one crazy rodeo.

But first the story starts in a nightclub in Gardena, a Los Angeles’ suburb, where Scott takes in a fire dancing act put on by one Sweet Lorraine. His only purpose there to ask a few. Questions about one missing daughter, Isabel Bing, last seen as a cigarette girl in this Pelican Club, only the last Detective on her trail disappeared and a few tough cases are guarding Lorraine and giving Scott a friendly warning off, a warning so friendly that he barely stands the next morning.

From there, the clues lead to Las Vegas where there are no hotel rooms left and Scott’s bright yellow Cadillac convertible is too noticeable. Shell’s only clue there is a new casino on the outskirts known as the Inferno, and owned by one Victor Dante. Thus, it’s …, well you get the obvious joke.

Prather gives the reader a great feel for the party atmosphere of Las Vegas and the corrupt interests behind it all. There are a few points where the story borders on silly like when Scott dons a giant sombrero and costume to gain access to the Inferno or his bold escape by pretending to be a big winner recklessly tossing around dollar bills do as to gather a crowd around him. He also has two romantic partners here, including Lorraine, the exotic dancer, of course, who he has an interlude with right in the open desert, and Colleen Shaw, a redheaded Irish lass who he meets at a bar, and who teases him about the other woman, but doesn’t get too green with jealousy. But the story remains action-packed and solid.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shell Scott novels often border on tales of comic book heroes and villains. In this case the bad guy is one Victor Dante who runs a club in Vegas called The Inferno.

Favorite line from the book:
"She was Woman, that's all, just sex on wheels in high gear and going downhill; no brakes and a hand on the horn."

I rest my case.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nifty tale of Shell Scott in hot pursuit of someone he doesn't know in Las Vegas. One of the niftier bits in this book is that it portrays 1950 Las Vegas. Prior to the extravagant glitz that would swarm the area years later.

Prather again power packs 160 pages that lesser writers today seem to have trouble corralling in 400 pages. This tale gets diverted as others get in the way that Scott must work around to learn what happened to two missing people. How Prather handles the plotting with so many complications is admirable. It's fun, exciting and well written.

There is a bit involving Scott and desguises which is a bit much, but that was the only real drawback. Smaller trouble is just my historic preservationist self wishing there was far more written about the structures involved.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 9 out of ten points.

[Josh Hitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well done book in the series. This time Scott is hired by a man to find his daughter. Info he finds leads out of his normal stomping grounds of LA to Las Vegas. Though what looked like a normal case turns bad when people start trying really hard to kill him.

Highly recommended, Scott is a great character and Prather writes a nice prose while keeping the story moving.

[Brenda H · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Review to come

[Donald Janus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mystery, Could of did without the adolescent love making at the end.

[Slinkyboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too much sometimes, but still fun overall.

"I had him pegged as one of those guys so full of his own importance that he could hardly stand it. He was so full of something else that I could hardly stand it."