THE ABDUCTOR, by Dolores Hitchens

Описание: Dolores Hitchens (1907–1973) was an American crime and mystery novelist whose career spanned the 1930s through the 1970s. She produced more than forty novels, along with short fiction and television adaptations. Writing under her own name and occasionally as D. B. Olsen, she worked primarily in the mystery and suspense genres, creating recurring characters such as amateur sleuth Rachel Murdock and the small-town sheriff Dan Rhodes (distinct from later uses of that name by other authors). Hitchens’s work ranged from traditional puzzle mysteries to darker psychological suspense; several novels, including Fools’ Gold (1958), were adapted for film and television. Critics often praised her economical plotting, structural ingenuity, and understated prose style, though she never achieved the commercial prominence of some Golden Age contemporaries. Over time, however, her reputation has strengthened among crime-fiction scholars and specialty presses, which have highlighted her craftsmanship and her contribution to mid-twentieth-century American mystery fiction. She really does fly beneath the radar, which is a shame because I've liked every book I've read by her, including the one here, THE ABDUCTOR. Give it a try!

—Steven Rigolosi, February 23, 2026