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Shell Scott #16
Three's a Shroud
Man-Oh-Murder,
Am I Allergic
To Frails!
This can be inconvenient when your name is Shell Scott and you carry a gat and a snooper's license - and murder is always creeping up on you.
Take, for instance, Diane. There was a hell of a lot of Diane for only one dame. But with her came a lot of loose - er - ends that tightened around my neck like a velvet noose.
Or Martita. She sizzled like tortillas frying - only I'm the guy the bullets singed.
And Ilona, the Hungarian Hurricane who looked as if she wanted to bite me. But gently. With abandon. So chunks of me went thataway.
It's true what they say - I'm barely alive to tell you. One frail's ferocious. Two's double trouble. And - pardon me for croaking -
THREE'S A SHROUD!
Am I Allergic
To Frails!
This can be inconvenient when your name is Shell Scott and you carry a gat and a snooper's license - and murder is always creeping up on you.
Take, for instance, Diane. There was a hell of a lot of Diane for only one dame. But with her came a lot of loose - er - ends that tightened around my neck like a velvet noose.
Or Martita. She sizzled like tortillas frying - only I'm the guy the bullets singed.
And Ilona, the Hungarian Hurricane who looked as if she wanted to bite me. But gently. With abandon. So chunks of me went thataway.
It's true what they say - I'm barely alive to tell you. One frail's ferocious. Two's double trouble. And - pardon me for croaking -
THREE'S A SHROUD!
- GenresMystery
156 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
6 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Richard S. Prather
93 books43 followersRichard 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 21, 2021
“And listen you, I’m older than I look.”
“Then she shut the door and I thought about sitting down on the grass and rolling around howling, and I thought about jumping up and running back and crashing through the door, but what I did was go out to the Cad and lean my head against the cool steering wheel for a couple seconds, then shiver spasmodically and put the buggy in gear thinking that Jules Osborne should have told me more about Diane, and offered me at least twenty thousand dollars.” — Hot-Rock Rumble
This is a terrific trio of Shell Scott stories from Richard Prather. Prather’s Shell Scott series reads like a slightly mellower version of Spillane’s Mike Hammer, but with a wry sense of humor. Between the luscious tomatoes and pulp violence there is quite a bit of humor in Prather’s narrative, the hard-bitten detective Shell Scott his voice. Three For the Shroud is a trio of shorter Shell Scott stories, but if you’re collecting these wildly popular books from yesteryear, don’t skip it, because it’s a blast.
Blood Ballot is the first of the stories and might be the best, but only by a hair. Shell is working for Senator Paul Hershey in this one, trying to protect him from the corrupt Blake, who is attempting to get the goods on Hershey so he can smear him in the press and make his boy a shoe-in this election. Blake plays rough, and there are two strikingly different hot tomatoes for Shell to deal with in Lorry Weston and Martita Delgado. Evidence in a safe everybody wants and a kidnapping come into play before Shell wraps this one up. Great fun.
The second tale, Dead Giveaway, is quirkier and funnier, and is also good fun. When a mousey girl named Ilona walks into Shell’s office looking for her missing husband, her story leads him to the conclusion that someone is out to kill her. Shell soon has his hands full with more than one Ilona, as he goes from girly show to girly show trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got do it. A snazzy redhead mistakes Shell for a doctor in this one and it’s hilarious! Will Shell survive the Hungarian Hurricane? Will a big inheritance turn an ugly duckling into a swan? You’ll have to read it to find out, but the middle story is not to be taken too seriously, it’s just good fun.
The third tale in the trilogy, Hot-Rock Rumble, is on a par with Blood Ballot. Shell’s trying to recover a stolen necklace from a guy’s mistress so she doesn’t start talking to his wife. She seems like jailbait to Scott, but he barely makes it out of her place with his, er, integrity intact once he meets her and experiences her charms. A little stoolie Shell knows points him to a tomato named Lois who has an entire carnival in her walk, and dresses the color of drinks — Shell can’t wait to see the champagne number. When someone turns up dead in Shell’s Caddie, however, Scott has to tackle a guy as big as a circus to avenge them, and get out from under a murder charge.
Two terrific pulp stories with a very good one sandwiched between them, it’s hard to go wrong on this one if you like Shell Scott, and why wouldn’t you?
“Then she shut the door and I thought about sitting down on the grass and rolling around howling, and I thought about jumping up and running back and crashing through the door, but what I did was go out to the Cad and lean my head against the cool steering wheel for a couple seconds, then shiver spasmodically and put the buggy in gear thinking that Jules Osborne should have told me more about Diane, and offered me at least twenty thousand dollars.” — Hot-Rock Rumble
This is a terrific trio of Shell Scott stories from Richard Prather. Prather’s Shell Scott series reads like a slightly mellower version of Spillane’s Mike Hammer, but with a wry sense of humor. Between the luscious tomatoes and pulp violence there is quite a bit of humor in Prather’s narrative, the hard-bitten detective Shell Scott his voice. Three For the Shroud is a trio of shorter Shell Scott stories, but if you’re collecting these wildly popular books from yesteryear, don’t skip it, because it’s a blast.
Blood Ballot is the first of the stories and might be the best, but only by a hair. Shell is working for Senator Paul Hershey in this one, trying to protect him from the corrupt Blake, who is attempting to get the goods on Hershey so he can smear him in the press and make his boy a shoe-in this election. Blake plays rough, and there are two strikingly different hot tomatoes for Shell to deal with in Lorry Weston and Martita Delgado. Evidence in a safe everybody wants and a kidnapping come into play before Shell wraps this one up. Great fun.
The second tale, Dead Giveaway, is quirkier and funnier, and is also good fun. When a mousey girl named Ilona walks into Shell’s office looking for her missing husband, her story leads him to the conclusion that someone is out to kill her. Shell soon has his hands full with more than one Ilona, as he goes from girly show to girly show trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got do it. A snazzy redhead mistakes Shell for a doctor in this one and it’s hilarious! Will Shell survive the Hungarian Hurricane? Will a big inheritance turn an ugly duckling into a swan? You’ll have to read it to find out, but the middle story is not to be taken too seriously, it’s just good fun.
The third tale in the trilogy, Hot-Rock Rumble, is on a par with Blood Ballot. Shell’s trying to recover a stolen necklace from a guy’s mistress so she doesn’t start talking to his wife. She seems like jailbait to Scott, but he barely makes it out of her place with his, er, integrity intact once he meets her and experiences her charms. A little stoolie Shell knows points him to a tomato named Lois who has an entire carnival in her walk, and dresses the color of drinks — Shell can’t wait to see the champagne number. When someone turns up dead in Shell’s Caddie, however, Scott has to tackle a guy as big as a circus to avenge them, and get out from under a murder charge.
Two terrific pulp stories with a very good one sandwiched between them, it’s hard to go wrong on this one if you like Shell Scott, and why wouldn’t you?
July 4, 2023
Three’s a Shroud was Prather’s second collection of previously published Shell Scott stories, this one, you guessed it, consisting of three novelette-length stories. They include Blood Ballot, Dead Giveaway, and Hit-Rock Rumble.
Ballot Box has Scott working for a state legislator in a lead up to an election campaign with his candidate getting dirty dope on the other, a hoodlum who ran unions. Joe Blake and his henchman ex-pub Ed Garr are out to get the incriminating evidence and silence any witnesses however they could. Forget the political hijinks, this is an action-packed caper.
Dead Giveaway is the tale of three Ilonas as Scott gets a mousy client worried about her missing husband and then relates that the milk has cyanide in it. Following up clues, Scott meets Ilona the Hungarian Hurricane and Ilona Neptuna who gyrates in a tank in a mermaid costume. In the end, Scott manages to get the guilty party to confess once he puts all the clues together.
Hot-Rock Rumble has Scott being hired by a guy who gave his mistress a fortune in jewelry which was promptly stolen from her and now the client can’t go to the police. It’s also the first time Scott tangles with a ten foot tall foe.
Ballot Box has Scott working for a state legislator in a lead up to an election campaign with his candidate getting dirty dope on the other, a hoodlum who ran unions. Joe Blake and his henchman ex-pub Ed Garr are out to get the incriminating evidence and silence any witnesses however they could. Forget the political hijinks, this is an action-packed caper.
Dead Giveaway is the tale of three Ilonas as Scott gets a mousy client worried about her missing husband and then relates that the milk has cyanide in it. Following up clues, Scott meets Ilona the Hungarian Hurricane and Ilona Neptuna who gyrates in a tank in a mermaid costume. In the end, Scott manages to get the guilty party to confess once he puts all the clues together.
Hot-Rock Rumble has Scott being hired by a guy who gave his mistress a fortune in jewelry which was promptly stolen from her and now the client can’t go to the police. It’s also the first time Scott tangles with a ten foot tall foe.
November 4, 2017
When no other category of books sounds appealing, I can always depend on Richard Prather to deliver the goods!
November 23, 2019
2 stars. Review to come
December 10, 2009
Three Shell Scott novelettes involving women in trouble with white knight Scott to the rescue.
October 16, 2025
Další Richard S. Prather, kterého si postupně dokupuju a opatrně dávkuju, vždycky po nějakém náporu moderních knih. Protože není nic lepšího než hláškující detektiv, kterému se vrhají dívky do náruče s pořádným rozběhem.
Tohle jsou zase tři kratší příběhy, což není tak úplně Pratherova parketa, překvapivé zvraty nejsou jeho silná stránka. Obvykle máte hned na začátku představného nějakého gangstera a na konci se ukáže, že i když jste si celou dobu měli myslet, že za tím stojí… tak za tím opravdu stojí. Na to už je člověk zvyklý, tady víc zamrzí, že už v těchhle kratších útvarech není čas na nějaké barvitější scény, na nějaké bizarní nápady a akce. Na padesát stran se vám toho zase tolik nevejde, takže jde o představení zápletky (hledání ztraceného manžela, souboj s gangem, který chce zničit politika, zmizelé šperky), představení postav (hlavně ženské postavy jsou představované velmi důkladně), chvilka pátrání, akce a pak už finále. Pořád je to ale samozřejmě zábavný, psané s lehkostí, nadhledem, sebeironií… a se spoustou vnadných žen (které se, v jednom příběhu, všechny jmenují Ilona).
Tohle jsou zase tři kratší příběhy, což není tak úplně Pratherova parketa, překvapivé zvraty nejsou jeho silná stránka. Obvykle máte hned na začátku představného nějakého gangstera a na konci se ukáže, že i když jste si celou dobu měli myslet, že za tím stojí… tak za tím opravdu stojí. Na to už je člověk zvyklý, tady víc zamrzí, že už v těchhle kratších útvarech není čas na nějaké barvitější scény, na nějaké bizarní nápady a akce. Na padesát stran se vám toho zase tolik nevejde, takže jde o představení zápletky (hledání ztraceného manžela, souboj s gangem, který chce zničit politika, zmizelé šperky), představení postav (hlavně ženské postavy jsou představované velmi důkladně), chvilka pátrání, akce a pak už finále. Pořád je to ale samozřejmě zábavný, psané s lehkostí, nadhledem, sebeironií… a se spoustou vnadných žen (které se, v jednom příběhu, všechny jmenují Ilona).
December 5, 2025
This collection of three novellas is the third Shell Scott book I've read and to be honest it might be my favorite so far.
I think a lot of these private eye detectives work best in short fiction. The cases are quick, the action is immediate, and anything that feels awkward or clunky doesn't linger long enough to feel off. Shell Scott still isn't my favorite of these detectives by any means, but I don't know...after three books I'm starting to really take a liking to him. I think I might have one more of his adventures on my shelves, but I'm not sure. I'm running low that's for sure. And I wasn't expecting to be bummed about that, but here we are.
I would definitely recommend checking out these short novellas by this private eye. The stories are quick and action packed and the writing is incredibly tight.
Maybe Richard S. Prather is making me a fan after all...
I think a lot of these private eye detectives work best in short fiction. The cases are quick, the action is immediate, and anything that feels awkward or clunky doesn't linger long enough to feel off. Shell Scott still isn't my favorite of these detectives by any means, but I don't know...after three books I'm starting to really take a liking to him. I think I might have one more of his adventures on my shelves, but I'm not sure. I'm running low that's for sure. And I wasn't expecting to be bummed about that, but here we are.
I would definitely recommend checking out these short novellas by this private eye. The stories are quick and action packed and the writing is incredibly tight.
Maybe Richard S. Prather is making me a fan after all...
January 1, 2018
Prather was brilliant with packing a solid story in few pages. Usually those numbered over 150 pages. This is 3 stories with in that number. All three excellent plots, great narrative and great endings.
Each story is more focused on the damsel in distress. Scott's inability to think straight is well drawn in all three stories. That's a highlight. As is that each and all damsels are not the same. Even the bad guys are depicted differently. How Prather does all this is quite a feat. A typical crutch to series writers and even to Prather is to have repeat characters. Scott's pal, Chief Samson merely peeks into one of the three tales.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 10 out of 10 points.
Each story is more focused on the damsel in distress. Scott's inability to think straight is well drawn in all three stories. That's a highlight. As is that each and all damsels are not the same. Even the bad guys are depicted differently. How Prather does all this is quite a feat. A typical crutch to series writers and even to Prather is to have repeat characters. Scott's pal, Chief Samson merely peeks into one of the three tales.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 10 out of 10 points.
September 23, 2022
Now this is detective fiction
I didn't know when I started this book it was short stories. However they were great stories that seemed to have a theme of a damsel in distress to them. What I liked about these stories is how they aren't all fast action, but there is a certain amount of sleuthing to be done. As for Shell Scott, he is just a guy no superhuman traits about him. He does get some lumps in doing his job and he does think about the trouble he gets into and let us not forget the beautiful women he meets while on a case. If I was to have a detective agency it would have as operatives Shell Scott, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade, because they know the detective business.
I didn't know when I started this book it was short stories. However they were great stories that seemed to have a theme of a damsel in distress to them. What I liked about these stories is how they aren't all fast action, but there is a certain amount of sleuthing to be done. As for Shell Scott, he is just a guy no superhuman traits about him. He does get some lumps in doing his job and he does think about the trouble he gets into and let us not forget the beautiful women he meets while on a case. If I was to have a detective agency it would have as operatives Shell Scott, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade, because they know the detective business.
August 23, 2019
Almost all of Richard S. Prather's books about private eye Shell Scott are fun to read. Keep in mind, however, that they are politically incorrect due to the time in which they were written.
July 19, 2021
Fun Mysteries. Somewhat dated with many things considered politically incorrect these days. I didn't mind any of them, but I'm old.
June 27, 2014
Three great novellas featuring Shell Scott.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews