Imagine getting the Guinness world record for holding the most no 1 New York Bestsellers. Yes, you guessed it right. It is James Patterson who holds the title. Since the 1970’s he has been ruling the fiction industry with his extraordinary writing. James became a profound author from the release of his first book, Criss Cross which has a plethora of successful sequels. It has a whooping 25 books in the particular series alone. Since then, he has released books that catapulted him into the literary spotlight.
Well you must be wondering this author is a baby boomer and there are more profound pieces on the thriller genre but buddy I got some news for you. James Patterson has sold 84 million of his books in the past decade. Most of his fans are Genz and the millennial crowd. If you are in a mood for fast-paced, tense thrillers, James Patterson is your go-to person.
It is nearly hard for you to pick a particular set of books from more than 100s of books James has written. But don’t worry, let me do that job for you. After in-depth research, the following are the best thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
1. Along Came a Spider
Along Came a Spider is one of the bestselling books from the sequel of Alex- one of the famous and popular characters of James Patterson narrative. This book charts to number one in the top detective thrillers for more than 25 years. The book has around 464 pages and it was published in 2003.
Alex Cross, the handsome charming detective is a brilliant detective agent. He is strong and fierce. Alex’s only vulnerabilities are his two kids. Jessie, a supervisor for the secret services of Washington crosses paths with Alex which led to a forbidden love affair. The timing of the affair is completely wrong since their life is in jeopardy due to Gary who is going to commit the ‘crime of the century. Will they stop the crime?
2. 1st to Die
James’ 1st to die comes from the Women’s murder club series which revolves around four professionals who chase after serial killers. The book has a print length of 432 pages and it costs $15.10. The book charted #1 in New York Times bestselling series of crime thrillers.
A most terrifying and unexpected killer has been shaking the whole city. The usual procedures at the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle are not stopping the continuous gruesome murders happening all over the city. Lindsay, the homicide inspector forms the Women’s murder club with renowned and talented women and chases the serial killer. The journey is a breath-taking drama with a rollercoaster of emotions that bond the women’s club together. Nevertheless, the result goes devastatingly wrong.
3. Kiss the Girls
Featuring the homeboy Alex Cross in his second novel of the series, Kiss the girls is a fast-paced, complex story with lots of twists and turns in the narrative. The length of the book is 481 pages and it was published by Warner Books.
The smart, intelligent and talented Alex Cross is back with a bang but this time the situation is pretty worse. A reporter is killed in broad daylight in Los Angeles who happened to be investigating a series of murders that apparently had the same pattern. Adding to that, a medical intern disappeared but this time in Chapel Hill. There is a pattern here. Will Alex be able to solve this most baffling and terrifying murder case he has ever witnessed? Let us find out
4. Red Alert
The boss of storytelling, James gives a terrific comeback in 2018 with Red Alert in which he also co-authored with Marshall Karp. The Sunday time’s bestseller is $16 and it is comparatively a short book from the NYPD series with 376 pages.
The story revolves around two detectives- Zach and Kylie who belong to the top elite red task force of the NYPD. There is a grand fundraiser hosted in Pierre’s Cotillion Room where the richest of the rich from NY has attended the party. The duo is providing security for the elite people. The night is shattered as a fatal blast rocks the room. Perplexed if it was terrorism or a homicide, the confused detectives fail to protect the gruesome attacks on the rich people of NY. Well, the story takes a big turn when they realise the killer is within the VIPs. Let’s find out!
5. Filthy Rich
Apart from the fictional writing style of James, he shifts to a real-life story of Jeffrey Epstein who lost his entire life due to his quest for paedophilia. The book showcases the harsh reality of all the justice money can buy. It is now the No1 documentary on Netflix.
The fall of the richest billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein is a college dropout who built himself upright from the scratch. Through his talents and skills, he swung into the financial industry. Everything falls apart when the truth comes out on his taste for underage girls which resulted in a plethora of sexual abuse charges. What happens after that, is the shockingly lenient sentence for the horrible man. The book deals with in-depth details on the investigation done by the police and the frightful developments in the case which of course, resulted in the death of Epstein.
6. The Injustice
Apart from his style of dealing the narrative with the police officials, he shifted the crime thriller with teen protagonists. The nail-biting thriller costs $10 and has a print length of 337 pages. The book is published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Theo, a teen boy is expelled from the school for uploading a revealing photo on Twitter. He did not commit the act yet he had no proof. This also happened to Sasha, his schoolmate who went through the same situation. Taking the issue into their own hands, Theo and Sasha discover devastatingly disturbing secrets which involve a hacker, a quarterback and even their vice principal. The story takes a big turn when the suspect was also one of their own best friends.
7. Pop Goes the Weasel
This book is a must-read for thriller fans. Just when we think James is following the same plot trajectory, he threw a curveball like Pop Goes the Weasel. It is just $8 on Amazon with 480 pages of print length.
The story revolves around a chilling villain who completely messes up with Alex and his mental health. Alex’s new case of chilling murders has threatened his sanity as well as his relationship with his fiancé. The British Diplomat Geoffrey is the suspect but it is not easy to target a high professional like Geoffrey since he had to face a lot of memorable nemeses. Will Alex be able to prove that the British diplomat was the murderer? Will he be able to save his relationship with his fiancé? Let us find out
8. Gone
James goes with a different style in this book which completely focuses on a straight-up thriller with dystopian mystery elements. The book was Co-authored with Michael Ledwidge. Gone is a breath-taking dystopian sci-fi saga that costs just $7.52. This book is highly recommended.
In a blink of an eye, everything is gone. There are no adults in the world. Just teens with no phones, television and internet. There is enigmatic development in teens. They are changing-mutating, supernatural powers and getting dangerous. The story takes a breathtaking turn when the animals are mutating. The world is terrifying. Will they survive?
9. Woman of God
If you want to explore your faith in fiction, this is the right book for you. James comes back with a totally different thriller about a woman who may or may not become the next pope. At just 9dollars, Woman of God is available on Amazon which was published by Cornerstone Digital.
St Peter’s square, Rome. The whole world is watching the historic event. People have crowded themselves in Rome for the next new pope. It was believed that Brigit Fitzgerald would be the first female Pope in history. Brigit faces heavy backlashes, threats and makes dangerous enemies. Brigit gets squeezed by the church to not let break their tradition, on the other hand, the dangerous enemies want to take out her life. Will she become the pope? Let us find out
10. The Thomas Berryman Number
The Thomas Berryman Number is the first-ever book written by James Patterson. Initially, the book did not get famous but nearly after 50 years, the book reached the audience and some critics acclaimed this book as James’ masterpiece. The Thomas Berryman Number won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1976 and immediately established the hotshot advertising executive as a force to watch in the writing world. The story revolves around an upcoming famous politician who was gruesomely murdered in broad daylight. Reporter Ochs does his investigation which is likely linked to racism and prejudice against the politician. The story takes a huge turn when there was a connection with two fresh murders which built his case. There was a pattern. Will Oche track down the gruesome murderer?
