Dolores Hitchens Books in Order

Where to Start with Dolores Hitchens

Dolores Hitchens was one of the most versatile and prolific crime writers of the mid-20th century. Writing under her own name as well as pseudonyms like D.B. Olsen, Dolan Birkley, and Noel Burke, she spanned the entire spectrum of mystery fiction. Because her series vary wildly in tone, your best starting point depends entirely on what kind of mystery you enjoy:

• For Cozy Mystery Fans: Start with the Rachel Murdock series under the D.B. Olsen pen name. The first book, The Cat Saw Murder (1939), is a landmark in the cozy subgenre, introducing a sharp elderly spinster and her feline companion.
• For Hardboiled Noir Enthusiasts: Begin with Sleep with Strangers (1955), the first of the two-book Jim Sader private investigator series. It is a masterclass in atmospheric, empathetic California noir.
• For Police Procedural and Rail Fans: Start with F.O.B. Murder (1955), the first of the collaborative railroad novels she co-wrote with her husband, Hubert "Bert" Hitchens.
• For Suspense and Cinema Buffs: Read the standalone thriller Fools' Gold (1958), which was famously adapted by Jean-Luc Godard into his iconic French New Wave film Bande à part.

The Rachel Murdock Mystery Series (as D.B. Olsen)

Writing as D.B. Olsen, Hitchens created one of the earliest and most beloved examples of the "cozy cat mystery" subgenre. The series stars Rachel Murdock, a clever, active spinster in her seventies, and her sister Jennifer, along with Rachel's black cat, Samantha. Unlike many modern cozy sleuths, Rachel's cases are genuinely suspenseful and frequently dark, though balanced by her domestic wit and independent spirit. Lieutenant Stephen Mayhew of the local police often appears as her professional counterpart.

You should read this series in publication order to appreciate Rachel's growing confidence and her evolving relationship with the local police department:

1. The Cat Saw Murder (1939)
2. The Alarm of the Black Cat (1942)
3. Cat's Claw (1943)
4. Catspaw for Murder (1943)
5. The Cat Wears A Noose (1944)
6. Cats Don't Smile (1945)
7. Cats Don't Need Coffins (1946)
8. Cats Have Tall Shadows (1948)
9. The Cat Wears a Mask (1949)
10. Death Wears Cat's Eyes (1950)
11. The Cat and Capricorn (1951)
12. The Cat Walk (1953)
13. Death Walks On Cat Feet (1956)

Note: In some publishing histories, Cat's Claw and Catspaw for Murder refer to the same text or closely related variants, but they are tracked as separate entries in many historical lists.

The Jim Sader Noir Duology (as Dolores Hitchens)

Published under her own name, the Jim Sader books represent Hitchens's venture into the hardboiled private eye tradition. Sader is a Long Beach investigator who is emotionally bruised, quiet, and deeply empathetic. The novels stand out for their atmospheric depictions of mid-century Southern California and their psychological depth, dealing with themes of childhood trauma and fractured families.

1. Sleep with Strangers (1955)
2. Sleep With Slander (1960)

These two books are highly regarded by noir collectors and can be read back-to-back as a perfect duology.

The Professor A. Pennyfeather Mysteries (as D.B. Olsen)

Another series penned under the D.B. Olsen pseudonym features Professor A. Pennyfeather, an unassuming, dryly humorous college professor who keeps getting tangled up in murder investigations. These are lighter academic mysteries that combine intellectual puzzles with a cozy sensibility.

1. Bring the Bride a Shroud (1945)
2. Gallows for the Groom (1947)
3. Devious Design (1948)
4. Something About Midnight (1950)
5. Love Me in Death (1951)
6. Dead Babes in the Wood (1952)

Lieutenant Stephen Mayhew Mystery Books

Before Rachel Murdock dominated her D.B. Olsen pseudonym, Hitchens began her writing career with Lieutenant Stephen Mayhew. Mayhew is a more traditional police detective who eventually crossed over to assist Rachel Murdock in her own series. These two books represent her earliest works:

1. The Clue in the Clay (1938)
2. Death Cuts a Silhouette (1939)

The Railroad Mysteries (Co-authored with Bert Hitchens)

Dolores Hitchens's second husband, Hubert "Bert" Hitchens, was a veteran investigator for the Santa Fe Railway. Together, they channeled his real-world experiences into five gritty, realistic procedurals focused on railroad security police. Although these titles are technically classified as standalone novels in standard bibliographies, they share a common setting, style, and thematic focus on the industrial rail networks of California:

1. F.O.B. Murder (1955)
2. One-Way Ticket (1956)
3. End of the Line (1955)
4. The Man Who Followed Women (1959)
5. The Grudge (1963)

Standalone Suspense and Thrillers

Hitchens was a master of the standalone psychological suspense novel. Her standalones range from chilling stories of paranoia and kidnapping to domestic noir. They can be read in any order at any time, but Fools' Gold and Stairway to an Empty Room are widely considered her masterpieces.

• The Shivering Bough (1942) (Published under the pseudonym Noel Burke)
• Blue Geranium (1944) (Published under the pseudonym Dolan Birkley)
• Stairway to an Empty Room (1951)
• Nets to Catch the Wind (1952)
• Beat Back the Tide (1954)
• Fools' Gold (1958)
• The Watcher (1959)
• The Abductor (1962)
• The Unloved (1965) (Published under the pseudonym Dolan Birkley)
• The Man Who Cried All the Way Home (1966)
• Postcript to Nightmare (1967)
• A Collection of Strangers (1969)
• The Baxter Letters (1971)
• In a House Unknown (1973)

What to Know Before You Start

Because Hitchens wrote across several different styles, you should adjust your expectations depending on the name on the cover. As D.B. Olsen, she focuses on puzzle-centric, character-driven mysteries featuring amateur sleuths like spinsters and professors. Under her own name, Dolores Hitchens, her tone shifts toward hard-edged noir, police procedurals, and high-tension psychological thrillers. If you read a book under one name and find it is not to your taste, don't hesitate to jump to a series written under a different name, as the styles are distinct.