📖 About Shell Scott

Shell Scott is a series universe written by Richard S Prather. The complete collection runs to 41 books across 2 series, published between 1950 and 2011.

The main series is Publication Order of Shell Scott Books with 40 books. It opens with The Case of the Vanishing Beauty (1950) and currently runs to The Death Gods (2011).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Shell Scott

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: The Case of the Vanishing Beauty (1950), book 1 of Publication Order of Shell Scott Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 2 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Shell Scott Books in Order

Publication Order of Shell Scott Books
40 books
1
The Case of the Vanishing Beauty book cover1The Case of the Vanishing Beauty1950Buy on Amazon
Bodies in Bedlam book cover2Bodies in Bedlam1951Buy on Amazon
Everybody Had a Gun book cover3Everybody Had a Gun1951Buy on Amazon
Find This Woman book cover4Find This Woman1951Buy on Amazon
Dagger of Flesh book cover5Dagger of Flesh1952Buy on Amazon
Darling, It's Death book cover6Darling, It's Death1952Buy on Amazon
Way of a Wanton book cover7Way of a Wanton1952Buy on Amazon
Pattern for Murder / The Scrambled Yeggs book cover8Pattern for Murder / The Scrambled Yeggs1952Buy on Amazon
Always Leave 'em Dying book cover9Always Leave 'em Dying1953Buy on Amazon
Ride a High Horse / Too Many Crooks book cover10Ride a High Horse / Too Many Crooks1953Buy on Amazon
Pattern for Panic book cover11Pattern for Panic1954Buy on Amazon
Strip for Murder book cover12Strip for Murder1956Buy on Amazon
The Wailing Frail book cover13The Wailing Frail1956Buy on Amazon
Have Gat - Will Travel book cover14Have Gat - Will Travel1957Buy on Amazon
Three's a Shroud book cover15Three's a Shroud1957Buy on Amazon
Slab Happy book cover16Slab Happy1958Buy on Amazon
Take a Murder, Darling book cover17Take a Murder, Darling1958Buy on Amazon
Over Her Dear Body book cover18Over Her Dear Body1959Buy on Amazon
Dance with the Dead book cover19Dance with the Dead1960Buy on Amazon
Dig That Crazy Grave book cover20Dig That Crazy Grave1961Buy on Amazon
Shell Scott's Seven Slaughters book cover21Shell Scott's Seven Slaughters1961Buy on Amazon
Kill the Clown book cover22Kill the Clown1962Buy on Amazon
Dead Heat book cover23Dead Heat1963Buy on Amazon
Joker in the Deck book cover24Joker in the Deck1964Buy on Amazon
The Cockeyed Corpse book cover25The Cockeyed Corpse1964Buy on Amazon
The Trojan Hearse book cover26The Trojan Hearse1964Buy on Amazon
Dead Man's Walk book cover27Dead Man's Walk1965Buy on Amazon
Kill Him Twice book cover28Kill Him Twice1965Buy on Amazon
The Meandering Corpse book cover29The Meandering Corpse1965Buy on Amazon
The Kubla Khan Caper book cover30The Kubla Khan Caper1966Buy on Amazon
Gat Heat book cover31Gat Heat1967Buy on Amazon
The Cheim Manuscript book cover32The Cheim Manuscript1969Buy on Amazon
Kill Me Tomorrow book cover33Kill Me Tomorrow1969Buy on Amazon
The Shell Scott Sampler book cover34The Shell Scott Sampler1969Buy on Amazon
Dead-Bang book cover35Dead-Bang1971Buy on Amazon
The Sweet Ride book cover36The Sweet Ride1972Buy on Amazon
The Sure Thing book cover37The Sure Thing1975Buy on Amazon
The Amber Effect book cover38The Amber Effect1986Buy on Amazon
Shellshock book cover39Shellshock1987Buy on Amazon
The Death Gods book cover40The Death Gods2011Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Shell Scott Collections
1 books
2
Hot Rock Rumble & The Double Take book cover1Hot Rock Rumble & The Double Take1994Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Shell Scott books are there?
There are 41 books in the Shell Scott collection, organised into 2 series and published between 1950 and 2011.
What is the first Shell Scott book?
The first book is The Case of the Vanishing Beauty, published in 1950.
What order should I read the Shell Scott books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Shell Scott books?
The Shell Scott books were written by Richard S Prather.
Is the Shell Scott series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Shell Scott Books, has 40 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Shell Scott series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1950, and the most recent in 2011.