A Shot in the Dark / Shell Game

by Richard Pitts Powell

Two wisecracking mysteries from the early 1950's from the author of The Philadelphian.

Genres: Crime

300 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1950

Reviews

[Still · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t feel like writing anything right now.

This was an otherwise fun read. Guessed the bad guy way too soon.
Review to come.
Eventually.

[MH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two enjoyable crime stories from the early 50s, both set in Florida and both involving a wisecracking hero in way over his head - in the first, a man is out for revenge after arriving too late to save a murdered man and in the second, a vacationing shell collector meets a woman on the run and gets involved in her dangerous life. They're both fun reads, the adventure mostly works and the quips mostly land (in Shell Game there are a bit too many of them, though - it's a much longer story, and the constant banter and one-liners can get a bit strained), and this edition opens with a foreward from Powell's daughter about her dad that's just lovely.

[Chris Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

First story was a classic post war noir thriller. But the 2nd "The Shell Game" was really fun, great humor really good dialog mixed into a war of the sexes mystery that didn't need heavy violence, and the sexual tension was done in that classy 50s style, I really enjoyed it.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pair of mysteries set in 1950's Florida, both entirely in and of their time. The first centers around the smuggling of aliens into the US from Cuba after WWII and the second on a mysterious murder in a sleepy beach community. The influence of both can be seen in Powell's later work, and they'll be enjoyed by any fan of his.

[Marc Moss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much mystery, lots of mis-direction, wandering around on the beach etc. Still not a bad effort.