Patterson, James (1947-…), is a popular American author of detective and thriller novels . He has also written novels for young readers . Patterson is one of the most successful writers in publishing history. He commonly has published at least five books in a single year, with many of them becoming best sellers. Patterson has written a number of these books with co-authors. He wrote the suspense novel The President Is Missing (2018) with former President of the United States Bill Clinton.
Patterson has created several series of adult novels. Probably the best known series features African American police psychologist Alex Cross. The series began with Along Came a Spider (1993). Patterson has published a number of novels about a group of women, called the Women’s Murder Club, who meet to solve murders. The series started with 1st to Die (2001). Another series centers on police detective Michael Bennett, beginning with Step on a Crack (2007, written with Michael Ledwidge).
Patterson’s fiction for young people includes the “Maximum Ride” novels, a fantasy series about Maximum Ride, a 14-year-old girl who has wings and can fly. The series opened with Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (2005). The “Daniel X” series features a young superhero named Daniel X who fights evil aliens. He was introduced in The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (2008). The “Witch & Wizard” series stars a teenage brother and sister with supernatural powers who try to defeat an evil power oppressing their society. The series began with Witch & Wizard (2009).
James Brendan Patterson was born on March 22, 1947, in Newburgh, New York. He received a B.A. from Manhattan College in 1969 and an M.A. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1970. In 1971, Patterson entered the advertising business, rising to become a major executive with the J. Walter Thompson agency. Patterson’s first novel was the murder mystery The Thomas Berryman Number (1976). He retired from advertising in 1996 to devote himself to writing. In addition to his detective, thriller, and children’s fiction, Patterson has written romances and nonfiction works.
Patterson has funded programs designed to stimulate reading among young people. He founded the James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarship program at Michigan State University in East Lansing and created a website dedicated to young readers, www.ReadKiddoRead.com.
