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Best James Patterson Books

James Patterson is an American author born in Newburgh, New York, in 1947, who worked in advertising at J. Walter Thompson -- eventually leading its North American operations -- before turning to writing full time. His debut novel, The Thomas Berryman Number (1976), won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and he went on to create long-running series including Alex Cross, the Women's Murder Club, Michael Bennett, and Maximum Ride, with much of his later output written with co-authors. He holds the Guinness World Records title for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers by a single author. His honors include the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award (2015) and the National Humanities Medal (2019).

American Suspense fictionEnglish Suspense fictionShort storiesFictionThrillersSuspense

James Patterson's books, ranked

Ranked by publication recency, reader signal, and editorial weight.

  1. Thriller by James Patterson
    1of the list

    Thriller

    by James Patterson

    Stories to keep you up all night. The best by the best storytellers in the business. The first collection of pure thriller stories by North America's foremost thriller authors

    American Suspense fictionEnglish Suspense fictionShort stories
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  2. Billion-Dollar Ransom by James Patterson, Duane Swierczynski
    2of the list

    Billion-Dollar Ransom

    by James Patterson, Duane Swierczynski

    Instant New York Times Bestseller! From bestselling author James Patterson, six kidnappers pursue a whopping ten-figure payout in this thrilling novel featuring “breakneck pacing and loop-the-loop plotting” (Publishers Weekly). Five members of a billionaire’s family. In different locations. All kidnapped at the same moment. Two children taken from a private-school bus. A film producer and a movie star grabbed at a hideaway resort. A beautiful wife whisked off the streets of Beverly Hills.  A patriarch wants his family back. The cash, gold, jewels, and crypto are all ready. There’s only one problem: a brilliant, very stubborn FBI agent. Special Agent Nicky Gordon doesn’t want to pay the kidnappers.  Not a dime.

    FictionThrillersSuspense
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  3. Billion-Dollar Ransom A Thriller by James Patterson, Duane Swierczynski
    3of the list

    Billion-Dollar Ransom A Thriller

    by James Patterson, Duane Swierczynski

    Instant New York Times Bestseller! From bestselling author James Patterson, six kidnappers pursue a whopping ten-figure payout in this thrilling novel featuring "breakneck pacing and loop-the-loop plotting" (Publishers Weekly). Five members of a billionaire's family. In different locations. All kidnapped at the same moment. Two children taken from a private-school bus. A film producer and a movie star grabbed at a hideaway resort. A beautiful wife whisked off the streets of Beverly Hills. A patriarch wants his family back. The cash, gold, jewels, and crypto are all ready. There's only one problem: a brilliant, very stubborn FBI agent. Special Agent Nicky Gordon doesn't want to pay the kidnappers. Not a dime.

    Mystery, Thriller & SuspenseThrillers & SuspensePsychological Thrillers
    Buy on Amazon
  4. Billion-Dollar Ransom The unmissable new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author by James Patterson
    4of the list

    Billion-Dollar Ransom The unmissable new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author

    by James Patterson

    It would take a perfect plan to collect a billion-dollar ransom. So here’s the plan. Five innocent people. In different locations. All kidnapped at the same moment in time. Two children taken from a private school bus. A film producer and a movie star grabbed at a hideaway resort. A beautiful wife whisked off the streets of Beverly Hills. A billionaire wants his family back. The cash, gold, jewels, crypto are all ready. There’s only one problem: Stubborn and brilliant FBI agent Nicky Gordon also has a plan. And she doesn’t want to pay the kidnappers. Not a dime. _________________________________ PRAISE FOR JAMES PATTERSON 'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.' LEE CHILD 'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' IAN RANKIN 'The master storyteller of our times' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 'One of the greatest storytellers of all time' PATRICIA CORNWELL 'Patterson is in a class by himself' GUARDIAN

    FictionCrimeThrillers
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  5. Billion-Dollar Ransom by James Patterson
    5of the list

    Billion-Dollar Ransom

    by James Patterson

    It would take a perfect plan to collect a billion-dollar ransom. So here's the plan. Five innocent people. In different locations. All kidnapped at the same moment in time. Two children taken from a private school bus. A film producer and a movie star grabbed at a hideaway resort. A beautiful wife whisked off the streets of Beverly Hills. A billionaire wants his family back. The cash, gold, jewels, crypto are all ready. There's only one problem- Stubborn and brilliant FBI agent Nicky Gordon also has a plan. And she doesn't want to pay the kidnappers. Not a dime. _________________________________ PRAISE FOR JAMES PATTERSON 'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.' LEE CHILD 'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' IAN RANKIN 'The master storyteller of our times' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 'One of the greatest storytellers of all time' PATRICIA CORNWELL 'Patterson is in a class by himself' GUARDIAN

    FictionMystery & DetectivePolice Procedural
    Buy on Amazon
  6. Billion-Dollar Ransom by James Patterson
    6of the list

    Billion-Dollar Ransom

    by James Patterson

    It would take a perfect plan to collect a billion-dollar ransom. So here's the plan. Five innocent people. In different locations. All kidnapped at the same moment in time. Two children taken from a private school bus. A film producer and a movie star grabbed at a hideaway resort. A beautiful wife whisked off the streets of Beverly Hills. A billionaire wants his family back. The cash, gold, jewels, crypto are all ready. There's only one problem: Stubborn and brilliant FBI agent Nicky Gordon also has a plan. And she doesn't want to pay the kidnappers. Not a dime. _________________________________ PRAISE FOR JAMES PATTERSON 'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.' LEE CHILD 'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' IAN RANKIN 'The master storyteller of our times' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 'One of the greatest storytellers of all time' PATRICIA CORNWELL 'Patterson is in a class by himself' GUARDIAN

    FictionMystery & DetectivePolice Procedural
    Buy on Amazon
  7. James Patterson by James Patterson by James Patterson
    10of the list

    James Patterson by James Patterson

    by James Patterson

    The Instant #1 New York Times bestseller!   How did a kid whose dad lived in the poorhouse become the world's #1 bestselling author?   ·On the morning he was born, he nearly died. ·His dad grew up in the Pogey– the Newburgh, New York, poorhouse. ·He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell.   ·While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingle line “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid.” ·He once watched James Baldwin and Norman Mailer square off to trade punches at a party. ·He’s only been in love twice.  Both times are amazing. ·Dolly Parton once sang “Happy Birthday” to James over the phone.  She calls him J.J., for Jimmy James.    He always wanted to write the kind of novel that would be read and reread so many times that the binding breaks and the book literally falls apart. As he says: “I’m still working on that one.”      “It's quite a life, Patterson's, and this fizzing, funny, often deeply moving memoir is a perfect way to understand the dizzying world of a best-selling writer." —Daily Mail   “Damn near addictive. I loved it ... that Patterson guy can write!” —Ron Howard

    English & College SuccessEnglishBiography & Autobiography
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  8. The Mother-Daughter Book Club A Novel by Susan Patterson, James Patterson
    11of the list

    The Mother-Daughter Book Club A Novel

    by Susan Patterson, James Patterson

    The Mother-Daughter Book Club is Susan Patterson's new novel, the follow-up to Things I Wish I Told My Mother--the New York Times bestselling, book-club favorite praised as "This book will win your heart" (Elin Hilderbrand). Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club--four longtime friends and their five daughters--more often discuss the books on their nightstands via 2 a.m. texts than in-person meetings. And maybe it's just as well, after what happened at their last get-together... So it's an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the spectacular shores of Italy's Lake Como. Sightseeing excursions, "Como-politan"-fueled reminiscing, and a hint of vacation romance all build toward the book club's trademark "Night of Secrets." These friends, and sometime rivals, are close readers--of novels, memoirs, and of each other. But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations.

    Literature & FictionGenre FictionFamily Life
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  9. 26 Beauties A Women's Murder Club Thriller by James Patterson
    12of the list

    26 Beauties A Women's Murder Club Thriller

    by James Patterson

    The Women’s Murder Club goes searching for 26 Beauties—young women missing in San Francisco.  SFPD’s Sergeant Lindsay Boxer's best friend, Claire Washburn, is named medical examiner of the year. But an uninvited guest crashes the Women’s Murder Club's party: a concerned father seeking investigative reporter Cindy Thomas’s help in locating his missing daughter. And she’s not the only one. Lindsay’s been investigating the deaths of a Jane Doe washed up on a nearby beach, and a young woman found in Golden Gate Park.  What if all these cases are connected?  The answers lie with the 26 Beauties on the run and in the wind.

    FictionThrillersSuspense
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  10. Eruption by James Patterson, Michael Crichton
    14of the list

    Eruption

    by James Patterson, Michael Crichton

    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER __________________________________________ 'Breathtaking and brilliant!' Jeffery Deaver 'The pages turn themselves' Daily Mail 'As thrilling and jaw-dropping as Jurassic Park' Don Winslow 'Heart-pounding storytelling at its finest' T.J. Newman 'One of the most entertaining novels I've read in years' Adrian McKinty ________________________________ Two of the bestselling storytellers of all time have created an unforgettable thriller. A once-in-a-century volcanic eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii. But a decades-old military secret could turn the volcano into something even more terrifying... Now it's up to a handful of brave individuals to save the island - and the entire world. _______________________________ Readers are loving Eruption... 'Absolute classic' 'Enthralling read' 'Classic Crichton and fantastically brought to a climax by Patterson' 'What a roller coaster ride' 'Great storytelling' ________________________________ MORE PRAISE FOR ERUPTION 'Fast-moving and fun' NEW SCIENTIST 'Enjoyable' TELEGRAPH 'An astonishing story' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Patterson's skill as a storyteller is evident' FINANCIAL TIMES 'An electrifying thriller' Essential Marbella Magazine Eruption was a No. 2 Sunday Times Bestseller and No. 1 New York Times Bestseller 16/06/2024

    FictionThrillersSuspense
    Buy on Amazon
  11. Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
    15of the list

    Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

    by James Patterson

    It's Rafe Khatchadorian's first day at Hills Village Middle School, and it's shaping up to be the worst year ever. He has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix, but luckily he's got an ace plan for the best year ever--if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm--50,000 points! But not everyone thinks Rafe's plan is a good idea, especially not the teachers, parents, and bullies who keep getting in his way. Will Rafe decide that winning is the only thing that matters? Are things about to go from magic to tragic? Find out in this hilarious--and heartwarming--#1 New York Times bestselling hit! Includes a FREE POSTER, a teaser to the upcoming I Funny, and over 100 illustrations!

    Juvenile FictionBoys & MenHumorous Stories
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  12. Rocket's Red Glare - A Thriller by James Patterson, Matt Eversmann
    16of the list

    Rocket's Red Glare - A Thriller

    by James Patterson, Matt Eversmann

    From the world's #1 bestselling author: they're ex-Special Forces. They're on American soil. Their code name is "Rocket's Red Glare." Nat Phillips leads an elite roster of special operators. They are ex-Special Forces, communications specialists, and intelligence officers. Phillips is a brilliant strategist and battle-tested leader who inspires total loyalty in his team. Now these decorated veterans of international warfare are at home and on stand-by--until a presidential campaign is interrupted by murder. Suddenly, the plan is no longer the stuff of Mission: Impossible. Emergency operations happening not overseas but in the centers of American power, from Nantucket to Washington, DC. This national crisis is real.

    Literature & FictionMystery, Thriller & SuspenseThrillers & Suspense
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  13. The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson, Richard DiLallo
    17of the list

    The Christmas Wedding

    by James Patterson, Richard DiLallo

    The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays. But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.

    FictionFamily Life
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  14. The President Is Missing A Novel by James Patterson, Bill Clinton
    18of the list

    The President Is Missing A Novel

    by James Patterson, Bill Clinton

    "Ambitious and wildly readable... Clinton and Patterson's fictional commander in chief brims with humanity, character and stoicism." —New York Times Book Review

    FictionThrillersPolitical
    Buy on Amazon
  15. I Funny A Middle School Story by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein
    19of the list

    I Funny A Middle School Story

    by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

    In James Patterson's heartwarming #1 New York Times bestseller, middle schooler Jamie Grimm faces bullying and self-doubt as he chases his dream to become the world's greatest comedian. Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world's greatest standup comedian, even if he doesn't have a lot to laugh about these days. He's new in town and stuck living with his aunt, uncle, and their evil son Stevie, a bully who doesn't let Jamie's wheelchair stop him from messing with Jamie as much as possible. But Jamie doesn't let his situation get him down. When his Uncle Frankie mentions a contest called The Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, Jamie knows he has to enter. But are the judges only rewarding him out of pity because of his wheelchair, like Stevie suggests? Will Jamie ever share the secret of his troubled past instead of hiding behind his comedy act? Following the bestselling success of the hilarious Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life, James Patterson continues to dish out the funnies in another highly-illustrated, heartfelt middle school story.

    Juvenile FictionDisabilitiesFamily
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  16. The Final Warning A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
    20of the list

    The Final Warning A Maximum Ride Novel

    by James Patterson

    Hold on tight for the wildest ride yet as Max and the flock take on global warming--Earth's biggest threat--in this #1 New York Times bestselling series. Maximum Ride and the other members of the flock are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It seems like a dream come true...until they're hunted by the world's nastiest villains. Max returns in a chilling adventure unlike any other. Safe havens for the six highly-sought-after winged kids have become increasingly hard to find, so the flock takes refuge in Antarctica with a team of environmentalists studying the effects of global warming. In this remote wilderness--whether pursued by corrupt governments, bioengineered bad-guys, or the harsh forces of nature--survival of the fittest takes a new twist!

    Young Adult FictionScience Fiction
    Buy on Amazon

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best James Patterson book to start with?

Many readers recommend starting with "Thriller". It's widely considered one of James Patterson's most accessible works.

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Our database currently includes 30 books by James Patterson. The full list is above.

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