The Cockeyed Corpse

Shell Scott #26

by Richard S. Prather

Vintage paperback

Genres: Mystery

144 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1961

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]

The Cockeyed Corpse (1964) is set almost entirely on a dude ranch in Arizona where it just so happens a skin flick is being shot, one that is not quite X-rated, but has lots of folks running around and cavorting without the burden of clothing. The nudity is a gimmick to lure the reader in much as the nude farm in an earlier Scott caper. In any case, one of the lead women -there are five of them – dies in what appears to be an accidental death by horse misadventure, but he the producer is suspicious and wants things cleared up so filming can go on smoothly.

In rides Scott like a knight in shining armor, but in his Robin blue Cadillac convertible and is shot at immediately upon reaching the ranch entrance. Chalk up one more kill for Scott who stows the corpse in his backseat and now hitches the riderless horse to his back bumper and proceeds to the nearby filing sight where the director accused him of being a peeping Tom.

Scott would be busy square dancing and buying drinks for the four still breathing female leads except everywhere he turns there are a bunch of hoods led by Handsome Hal taking potshots at him. It’s sort of a repetition of a Scott theme where he wouldn’t necessarily know something criminal was going on except the known criminals keep threatening him.

[Jiří Pavlovský · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Já a pět hereček jsme se skrývali v temnotě. Holky… Delisa, April, Zia a Choo Choo… byly nervózní z toho, že venku byli chlápci s bouchačkam, co nás hledali. Já byl nervózní z toho, že jako jediný jsem měl něco na sobě.“

I když už jsme Prathera natočili, dal jsem si za odměnu jeho další knížku. V ní dostal soukromý detektiv Shell Scott za úkol zjistit, kdo zabil herečku během natáčení westernu. Vyrazil tudíž vesele do Arizony, jenže mu nějak zapomněli říct, že ten western je čistě ženská záležitost… a že produkci už nezbyly žádné peníze na jejich ošacení (jsou to koneckonců šedesátá léta, kdy tohle frčelo). Shell Scott má holky rád, ale čtyři najednou? A ještě čtyři nahé najednou? To už zavání peklem. Nehledě na to, že musí začít chodit v kovbojském, zkoušet jezdit na koni (nebo se aspoň koně snažit chytat) a že na ranči, u kterého se natáčí, se uhnízdila celá smečka gangsterů, která se chce Scotta zbavit. Ale proč? Proč je najednou tak nebezpečný?

Není to nejlepší, co jsem v téhle řadě četl, ale taky je to tím, že jsem na autorův hravý a lehký styl zvyklý a že už potřebuju větší nálož, abych z toho šel do kolen. Tohle je jedna z těch knížek, která čerpá z toho, že vrazí hrdinu do prostředí, ve kterém se plácá, čímž je to zábavný – a funguje to.

Základní záhada není špatná (něco podobného pak využili tvůrci na začátku třetí sezóny Sherlocka) a jsou tam občas i nějaké pěkné momenty těžící z westernových klišé. Dojde i na přepadení chaty padouchů v převlečení za obří balvan (to mi zase trochu připomnělo Metal Gear Solid)! A když jsme u věcí, co něco připomínají (sorry za drobný spoiler), tak ve finále získá hrdina produkční společnost s názvem Scott Free Production. Ví Ridley Scott, že dluží Shellu Scottovi velký prachy za používání jeho ochranné známky? Nebo jí Shell kdysi vyměnil za noc se Sigourney Weaverovou?

[Jure · Rating 3 out of 5]

"They stuck closer together than was normal, certainly than was fair. They were going to barbecue together, to the dance together, and - I got the impression - to bed together, which was certainly a sickening impression."

Huh?

I don't know. It's an unusual blend of cozy and hard-boiled crime that I guess was written for younger audience and just hasn't aged very well in my opinion. I'm sure some people love this kind of stuff, I'm just not one of them.

More here (review includes spoilers!):
http://a60books.blogspot.ie/2014/08/t...