Richard S. Prather was the author of the world-famous Shell Scott detective series, which has over forty million copies in print in the United States and many millions more in hundreds of foreign-language editions. There are forty-one volumes, including four collections of short stories and novelettes. In 1986, Prather was awarded the Private Eye Writers of America’s Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the detective genre. He and his wife, Tina, lived among the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona. He enjoyed organic gardening, gin on the rocks, and golf. He collected books on several different life-enriching subjects and occasionally reread his own books with huge enjoyment, especially Strip for Murder. Prather died on February 14, 2007.