THE AMBER EFFECT

by Richard S. Prather ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 17, 1986

The first Shell Scott mystery in ten years shows no dimming of the Prather pizazz in sexy storytelling and will be welcomed by those readers who bought Prather's earlier 40 million books in print. When Private Investigator Scott opens his apartment door and Finds a stark naked, ""stupendously gorgeous"" California beauty pleading with him for help and not covering herself in any way, we are on familiar ground. The young lady--her hair ""the color of crushed strawberries mixed with a little cream and a lot of brandy""--was about to be raped (then murdered) in her apartment down the hall when her attacker, also naked, went rigid ""all over"" and fell dead. Was it heart failure caused by her magnificence? Or are some hoods setting Scott up by attacking him at his weakest point--""Which, in case this is not instantly clear, is the same as yours."" As it happens, Aralia Fields is Miss Naked California and a front-runner for the Miss Naked USA contest--a contest ""I was, actually, kind of excited about."" She is also, unbeknowst to her, the lost daughter of Norman Amber, an inventor of a marvelous new holographic process. But Amber himself is dead and the Amber Effect is--possibly--worth zillions to his daughter, if she only knew it--and if she could stay alive to spend it. Well, just before the contest Aralia is supposed to walk around nude at a very important barbecue--but Shell thinks this a very bad idea, making her a sitting duck, and has a holograph made of her to show at the barbecue instead--nobody'll know it's not really her. Will they? Mindlessly entertaining.

Pub Date: Nov. 17, 1986

ISBN: 0759245495

Page Count: -

Publisher: Tor--dist. by St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1986

Categories: FICTION