James Patterson recently hit the million mark in number of Kindle books sold. He is the second author to do so. The other author is Stieg Larsson, the author of the Millenium Trilogy. The trilogy beginning with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been a huge hit internationally. I thought the book was good, but a little wordy. As a computer geek, I must say I was quite impressed with Lisbeth Salander’s hacking skills. The impressive thing about Larsson is that he only wrote three books that were all published after his death. James Patterson has written sixty-five and counting.
Patterson is best known for his Alex Cross series. I’ve read a few of them and thought they were good. The latest, Cross Fire, will be released on November 15. My favorite series is the Women’s Murder Club series. The newest book in that series is the 9th Judgment. Lindsay Boxer, a member of the San Francisco Police is the protagonist. She and three other friends, a journalist, a lawyer and a medical examiner all work together to solve some rather sinister murder cases. I like the camaraderie and laid back writing style in this series. Somehow that seems to take the edge off the gruesomeness of the murder cases. There is also a bit of romance and humor involved.
Patterson also writes a number of stand alone books including The Postcard Killers, Private and Don’t Blink. I didn’t realize how many books he’s been able to publish this year alone. From the publishing dates, it looks like he releases a new book every two months. That is impressive considering most authors can publish one about once or twice a year.
He also has written a few books that completely out of character for him in terms of plot and character. Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas and Sam’s Letters to Jennifer were more what you would expect from Nicolas Sparks than James Patterson. He deviates from his writing even more with a golf theme in Miracle on the 17th Green. It is a quick, inspirational read and has great reviews. So there is something for everyone.
The murders in Patterson’s books are extremely gruesome. I wouldn’t recommend reading them while you’re home alone at night. Some of the murder plots are a bit over the top and unrealistic so I try to tell myself that and it helps.