James Patterson

James Patterson is an American author widely regarded as one of the bestselling and most prolific novelists in publishing history, with hundreds of books credited to his name across thrillers, young-adult fiction and non-fiction. He is best known for two long-running detective series: Alex Cross, following a Washington, D.C. forensic psychologist and homicide detective across dozens of novels beginning with Along Came a Spider, and the Women's Murder Club, co-written for most of its run with Maxine Paetro, following four professional women investigating crime in San Francisco. Several Alex Cross novels were adapted into films, including Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider and Alex Cross. Patterson is known for pioneering a co-author model, partnering with writers such as Maxine Paetro, Andrew Gross and Brendan DuBois to sustain an extraordinary release schedule while keeping his name as the storytelling architect on every book. New readers should start with Along Came a Spider for Alex Cross or 1st to Die for the Women's Murder Club, the founding novels of each series. Patterson has also used his commercial success to fund literacy and independent bookstore initiatives in the United States.