A close look at James Patterson books

James Patterson is the author of multiple bestselling novels such as Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, The Women’s Murder Club, and Maximum Ride, as well as several works of non-fiction. His novels have sold almost half a billion copies, earning him the title of one of the world’s bestselling authors of all time.

James Patterson—A best-selling American author

James Patterson was born to an Irish-American family on March 22, 1947, in Newburgh, New York. An avid reader from an early age, he went on to become a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vanderbilt, where he studied English. However, life got in the way, and he took on a job as an advertising executive, a position he held until 1996 when he decided to become a full-time writer.

Patterson did, however, write fiction even during his days in advertising. His debut novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was published in 1976, but it was not particularly successful. His rise to fame as a writer started in the ’90s when he began working on his Alex Cross series featuring a now legendary detective working for the homicide division of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. At the same time, James has proven himself capable of creating characters from the opposite side of the spectrum, such as Rafe Khatchadorian, who is downright hilarious.

Patterson has also written numerous standalone titles, such as When the Wind Blows, The Noise, Kiss the Girls, The President Is Missing, and Run, Rose, Run, countless young adult and children’s books and series, such as Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, Dog’s Best Friend, Dog Diaries, Jacky Ha-Ha, I Funny, and Treasure Hunters, as well as comic books and graphic novels, such as the Witch & Wizard and Max Einstein series and Daniel X: The Manga Series.

In addition to being a successful author, Patterson is also a well-known philanthropist. He has donated millions in support of literacy and reading programs and has given various library grants.

The most popular James Patterson books

James Patterson is one of the most prolific American authors, having published more than 200 novels across a variety of different genres in the past four decades. We have a list of great entry points to his work down below, but some other honorable mentions include novels such as You’ve Been Warned and Don’t Blink (both co-authored with Howard Roughan), 11th Hour, The 5th Horseman, The 8th Confession, The 17th Suspect, 1st to Die, 20th Victim, 21st Birthday, 4th of July, 12th of Never, 14th Deadly Sin, 15th Affair, 16th Seduction, 18th Abduction, 19th Christmas, 2nd Chance, 3rd Degree, and 6th Target, as well as the Private series (e.g., Private Down Under, Private India.

Patterson has also co-authored books such as The House of Wolves with Mike Lupica, The Cornwalls Vanish (previously published as The Cornwalls Are Gone) with Brendan Dubois, The Coast-to-Coast Murders with J.D. Barker, 2 Sisters Detective Agency with Candice Fox, The Perfect Assassin: A Doc Savage Thriller with Brian Sitts, and the NYPD Red series with Marshall Karp.

If you’re more of a non-fiction reader, check out titles such as The House of Kennedy, Filthy Rich, 

Along Came a Spider (1993)

Published in 1993, Along Came a Spider is the first novel in the Alex Cross series. The story introduces the titular character and follows him on his quest to solve the mystery of two kidnapped children. The book helped establish Patterson’s position as one of the leading contemporary authors working in the crime genre, and in 2001, it was adapted into a movie starring Morgan Freeman.

Jack and Jill (1996)

Jack and Jill is Patterson’s third installment in the Alex Cross series. This time, it is up to Cross to investigate a series of murders in Washington committed by a couple of killers calling themselves Jack and Jill. The couple’s killing spree has the potential to become a matter of national security as the presidential elections are about to kick off.

Kiss the Girls (1995)

Kiss the Girls is the second entry in the Alex Cross series. The plot revolves around two serial killers, one in Boca Raton, Florida, and the other in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Cross is joined by one of the killer’s escaped victims, Kate McTiernan, and they work together to bring the killers to justice.

Cat & Mouse (1997)

Cat & Mouse is the fourth novel in the Alex Cross series and the one where the action reaches a boiling point. A prison escapee with a personal grudge against Cross is hunting him down relentlessly while another criminal is being pursued by Cross’s colleague. As the bodies pile up, the game of cat and mouse is about to lead to one final trap. Will Cross survive?

Four Blind Mice (2002)87

Four Blind Mice is the eighth novel featuring Alex Cross as the protagonist. This time, things are taking a more political turn, as it is up to Cross to investigate a series of murders that seem to be connected to a military trial of army personnel wrongfully accused of murdering civilians.

Maximum Ride (2005)

The Maximum Ride series is a collection of young adult science fantasy novels published between 2005 and 2020. The series centers on the adventures of Max Ride and her family of human-bird hybrids. The first novel in the series, The Angel Experiment, focuses on Max’s family as they try to escape from the group of scientists who created them.

Zoo (2012)

Patterson’s 2012 novel Zoo is a sci-fi thriller co-authored with Michael Ledwidge. It is the first in the Zoo series, and it centers on Jackson Oz, a biologist who’s spent years trying to get the other members of the scientific community to heed his words and notice his research on animal attacks on humans. As the plot develops, Oz finds more and more proof that the attacks are not random.

Cross My Heart (2013)

Cross My Heart is the 21st novel in the Cross series. In this one, the story takes a gut-wrenching turn as an orphan girl, Ava, dies, leading to Cross contemplating retirement. However, when a new enemy starts targeting him and his family, he must do his best to protect them.

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FAQ

What is the latest James Patterson book released?

The latest James Patterson book is called Countdown, and it was published in 2023.

What is considered the best James Patterson book?

Patterson is most known for his Alex Cross books that has been topping all sorts of charts on Amazon and other book retailer sites, but he has written countless books in various genres, so there is no way to tell which one is the best, as the answer will depend on your tastes. Some might prefer his Maximus Ride novels, such as School’s Out Forever, while others might like some of his children’s series, such as Ali Cross. He’s also known for other novels and books, such as The Black Book, The House of Wolves, The Shadow, The Summer House, Violets Are Blue, The Jailhouse Lawyer, Walk in My Combat Boots, and The Perfect Assassin.

How many different series does James Patterson have?

Patterson has written multiple books series, such as:

• Alex Cross
• Daniel X
• Maximum Ride
• Michael Bennett
• Private Series
• Treasure Hunter series
• Witch & Wizard series
• Women’s Murder Club series
• Harriet Blue series