Author Details
Author Details
Patterson, James
"James Patterson is one of the top-selling novelists in the world today. His debut novel, THE THOMAS BERRYMAN NUMBER, won the Edgar Award for the best first mystery novel. It was published by Little, Brown in 1976 when he was just twenty-seven years old, after being turned down by more than two dozen other publishers.
He has since written a string of major national bestsellers that includes the seven books in the series featuring detective/psychologist Alex Cross -- ALONG CAME A SPIDER, KISS THE GIRLS, JACK & JILL, CAT & MOUSE, POP GOES THE WEASEL, ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE and FOUR BLIND MICE-- as well as THE JESTER SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS, CRADLE AND ALL, WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, and HIDE & SEEK. There are currently two books in the bestselling ""Women's Murder Club"" series, 1ST TO DIE and 2ND CHANCE.
Paramount Pictures' feature film adaptation of KISS THE GIRLS, starring Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross, was a box office hit in 1997. Morgan Freeman reprised the Cross role in the film adaptation of the first novel in the series, ALONG CAME A SPIDER in 2001. NBC bought the rights to 1ST TO DIE and aired a three hour mini series starring Tracy Pollan and Gil Bellows in February 2003. MIRACLE ON THE 17TH GREEN, a novel co-written with Peter de Jonge, was also made into a television movie, starring Robert Urich.
In addition to writing novels, Mr. Patterson served as chairman of J. Walter Thompson, North America from 1990 to 1996. He began his advertising career as a junior copywriter with the company in 1971 and went on to become the youngest executive creative director and youngest chief executive officer in the company's history. He made his mark at the agency by creating award-winning campaigns for Kodak, Burger King, Toys R' Us, Bell Atlantic, Bristol-Myers and others. He collaborated with advertising colleague Peter Kim to produce the nonfiction bestseller THE DAY AMERICA TOLD THE TRUTH.
Patterson grew up in Newburgh, New York. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English from Manhattan College and summa cum laude with an M.A. in English from Vanderbilt University.
James Patterson lives in Palm Beach County, Florida, with his wife and their young son."
