The Shell Scott Sampler - Richard S. Prather
The Shell Scott Sampler sounds like a good introduction to the Richard S. Prather' s LA private investigator, Sheldon "Shell" Scott, - and it is - but rather than a sampler, it's actually a collection of five original short Shell Scott adventures. The tone of the stories varies, definitely giving you a flavour of Shell Scott, mostly his dealings with beautiful dames, but dealing with some crime as well... The Shell Scott Sampler, 1969 1. The Guilty Party In The Guilty Party, Prather goes for all-out saucy comedy. A hot tomato walks into his office asking him to investigate a bugging device she has found under her bed; a bed bug evidently. The entire opening exchange in the office is hilarious, the whole thing quotable, never mind trying to pick a favourite line out of it. Shell is forced to put on a big act in order to draw out the bounder who would put a listening device in a lady's bedroom. 'Rotty' Fish indeed. Favourite line: "She smiled, but stil...