Art Scott once attended a mystery convention and wore a Name Tag that read: ORRIE HITT. Orrie Hitt was a prolific writer–150+ books!–whose work in the 1950s and 1960s reached a mass audience. In his informative Introduction, Brian Greene says that Orrie Hitt once banged out a complete novel in two weeks! Orrie Hitt wrote about people we would consider “working class” today. Hitt’s characters struggled with work and life and “making it.” Wayward Girl crackles with steamy sex and broken dreams. The Widow shows what happens when people make Bad Decisions. Orrie Hitt’s books were “hot stuff” back in the Fifties and Sixties. But the suspense and surprises of these books mixed with sexual desire and betrayal still hold a certain fascination. GRADE: B+
Well…some folks were known to write a novel in a day or two at times…I still need to try Orrie Hitt, I believe, unless I’ve read something he published under another name (how was Art Scott’s reception at that con, I wonder? Hitt was still alive at the time, I suspect…).
Todd, WAYWARD GIRL and THE WIDOW would be a great place to start with Orrie Hitt. STARK HOUSE is doing a wonderful job bringing the writers of the Fifties and Sixties to new audiences.
Nice coincidence, as James Reasoner also reviewed Hitt’s WAYWARD GIRL today. Of course, Bill Crider was also a big fan of Hitt. I see a bunch of his ebooks are available at a very reasonable price (as low as $1.99), so I really do need to try them.
Jeff, great minds think alike. James Reasoner’s review captures the essence of Orrie Hitt. You’re right: Bill Crider was a fan of Orrie Hitt. So is Art Scott who owns a lot of Orrie Hitt’s works.
I think that was an LA Paperback show, where I’m a regular, and I didn’t fool or confuse anybody. Hitt’s daughter came to the show a couple of times years ago looking for his books. His name is on the cover of paperbacks from several of the most obscure & short-lived publishers ever.
Art, this STARK HOUSE edition of Orrie Hitt’s work includes a long bibliography that might interest you. I thought your ORRIE HITT ID idea was brilliant!