Take a Murder, Darling

Shell Scott #18

by Richard S. Prather

Of course my line of work has its perks — and it should when I lay my life on the line for dangerously daring women even if they are among the most luscious ladies I've ever met. It's not easy guarding these beautiful bodies?

Of course it takes a lot more than being a body guard these days, especially when there's so much body to be guarded. And she has plenty of body to keep me busy — uh, working — for quite a while? Even if she's stacked for murder!

Genres: Mystery, Crime

148 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1957

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]

In Take a Murder, Darling (1958), Prather, through the voice of private eye Shell Scott, mocks the fashion industry, particularly the designers who put out ridiculous styles knowing the adoring public will lap up whatever they are told to. Scott is hired by Mamzel’s salons—“ already best known chain of body contouring, or ‘figure artistry’ salons for women in the country. Seven of them, in seven cities, were already turning flabby Twentieth-century women into firm neatly-curved gals with a Twenty-first-century Look. Tomorrow, Monday, three more of Mamzel’s salons were to open in three more cities.”

Unfortunately, Mamzel’s was being held by blackmail and by a posse of hoodlums who wanted in on the big bucks and that’s where Scott came in. And here he gets a new hoodlum for—“ Roy Toby was one of the biggest crooks on the West Coast, a hoodlum busily engaged in building up an empire of slobs who weren’t considered successes until they put the muscle on a grandmother, or shot holes in somebody with his back turned.”

And, of course, there was a corpse: “He was dead, all right. He had been shot, poisoned, stabbed, and strangled. Either somebody had really had it in for him or four people had killed him. Or else it was the cleverest suicide I’d ever heard of.”

Here, Scott’s love interest (and yes there’s a new one in every book) was Mamzel herself- “Because Lita Korrel in a pink bikini was the eighth wonder of the world. She was a pink explosion, a three-dimensional shock, a flesh bomb, an undulating Garden of Eden. Lita Korrel was—Mamzel.” Prather has a gift for overblown expository writing unmatched.

This is another very solid action-packed entry in the Shell Scott universe.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shell Scott has bad luck with women

This the second Shell Scott story I have read. This one is fast paced like the previous one I read. What I like about this one is it covers a period of about three days. The story is one of murder and mayhem. It starts with a murder then jumps back to Shell Scott getting involved in the murder of Zoe Avilla because of a thug named Roy Toby, who is trying to muscle in on the business of Lita Korrel. But beside this there are more bodies to count before Shell finds out the truth. I like the style of writing used here, which is a first person narrative not long and drawn out but a bit on the terse side. If you like mysteries then this is a good one to read to walk down the mean streets on.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private eye Shell Scott is hired by a company called “Mamzel” specializing in “body contouring” for the ladies…read “undergarments”. They are being hassled by a local crime boss that Shell has had run-ins with before. There is also the matter of a dead, apparently murdered woman who had a mysterious list of many Mamzel employees. Shell must get to the bottom of it and somehow muddle through being surrounded by gorgeous women all the time.

I’m somewhat new to the Shell Scott series but I’ve read enough to know I can always count on one of these yarns to entertain me and this one was no exception. Shell Scott, like many of the PI series leads on the 1950s-1970s is a wise-cracking sleuth who is friends with key members of the police and methodically works his way to solving each case. Women are a feature of each book, of course, and they often turn out to be femme fatales. Along the way, this book offers plenty of thugs to be dealt with, false identities, gun action, knife action, babe action, and enough subtle clues to solve the case if you’re paying attention. It’s a taught mystery even if a bit contrived but that’s probably not the main draw for most Shell Scott readers. But for pure entertainment it’s a fun time.

[Matilda · Rating 2 out of 5]

ma arvasin, et r/menwritingwomenis kajastatud sisu ei saa nii levinud olla, aga ma lugesin lihtsalt valesid raamatuid. Minu lemmikkirjeldus naisest selles teoses oli "see istumisjälgedeta istmikuga väike loomake". Ei soovita väga lugeda, alguses oli naljakas, sest see teos oli nii jabur, aga mingil hetkel sai selgeks, et autor võtab ennast ise väga tõsiselt. Lugu oli väga ettearvatav.

Kõige haigem tõlkimisvalik teosest: peategelane peab võtma varjunime ja tema varjunimi meenutab talle mingi maamehe nime, seega ta lihtsalt hakkab võro keeles rääkima😃😃. Tegevus toimub muideks Hollywoodis ja kõik on väga ameerikapärane.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not give the 5 stars easily. But I couldn't think what is wrong with this book. The story is mapped out in clever twists and turns and comes out in a direction most all readers would never have thought. Best of all Prather took this crackerjack story and molded it into 160 pages. Today, a similar book, would be 500 pages.

Prather has his Shell Scott character in prime shape with one-liners and many a scrap. It all starts in one location with a dead body and then flashbacks to come back to the start. The characters are crackling on the pages. One could point out there are, what today would be called, stereotypical characters, but these are so well done. Yes, there is some, but not a lot of character development, but it isn't needed in a story like this.

The character dialogue is excellent. I love the patter between Scott and, his pal, Samson. There is also very, very good setting description.

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

[Charles Thiesen]

I remembered when this was published. I'd always wanted to read a Shell Scott novel and this one was available. It was a novel of its time. Wildly sexist from the first page. I should have expected it but it made me too uncomfortable to keep reading.

[Dave Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️

[Reynolds Darke · Rating 3 out of 5]

1958 L.A. Private Eye novel.
I read most of this series more than 40 years ago and thought I would take a look back.
Definitely non-noir, Shell Scott is all about the babes. He has a lot of fun traveling around in his Cadillac convertible, taking out bad guys, and being friends with the local cops. And with the local babes.

[Franklin D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another Shell Scott thriller, full of wisecracks and subtle humor. The story is not all that mysterious, but Shell manages to bring an entertaining fun time. The action is good at times, but it is the crisp writing of Richard Prather that makes this nove lfun and fast.