Richard Scott Prather (1921–2007) was an American mystery writer. He was best known for his private investigator, Shell Scott, who appeared in a long-running series of mystery novels and short stories. The character proved so popular, it spawned a short-lived (9 issues) magazine, Shell Scott Mystery Magazine, that featured an original story by Prather in each issue, as well as fiction by other authors. Prather also wrote under the pseudonyms David Knight and Douglas Ring.
Shell Scott Mystery MagazinePrather was born in Santa Ana, California and spent a year at Riverside Junior College (now Riverside Community College) before dropping out. He served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II, from 1942 through 1945. That year, he married Tina Hager and began working as a civi
