All James Patterson books in order — Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, and 100+ standalone thrillers. Where to start the world's bestselling thriller writer.
Patterson's best-known series. A forensic psychologist and detective in Washington DC.
Four San Francisco women — a detective, an ADA, a medical examiner, and a reporter — solve crimes together.
NYPD detective with 10 adopted children. New York-based thrillers.
Patterson's best standalone novels — fully self-contained.
James Patterson is the bestselling novelist in history, with more than 300 million books sold. Born in 1947, he worked in advertising before publishing his first Alex Cross novel in 1993. He is known for extremely short chapters, fast-moving plots, and frequent collaboration with co-authors. He currently publishes approximately 10–15 new titles per year.
Patterson's output is so vast that most readers pick one series and stick with it. The Alex Cross series is the most beloved and the best place to start. All his series are designed to be read in any order, though publication order provides the best character development.
