The Cockeyed Corpse, by Richard S. Prather (Gold Medal, 1964). This is one Prather’s once-bestselling novels starring wise-cracking Hollywood private investigator Shell Scott. Kevin Burton Smith, editor of The Thrilling Detective Web Site says, “the Scott stories were smirky, outlandish, innuendo-laden, occasionally alcohol-fueled, off-the-wall tours-de-farce that, depending on your point of view, were either a laugh riot, or a lot of adolescent, sexist swill and hackwork. The latter viewpoint seems to be the dominant one today, and Shell Scott seems to have slipped out of the public consciousness. Too bad.”
Cover illustration by Barye Phillips.
1 comment:
I have a short stack of Shell Scott books, and unencumbered by the current social climate as I am, find them to be a lot of fun.
Post a Comment