Monday, February 20, 2012

James Patterson - how does he do it?

Three new novels published in three months, all around the 400+ page mark. How does the world's biggest selling author manage it?
Simple. He has several highly capable co- authors who write with him.
The first of these three new titles is PRIVATE GAMES co-written with Mark Sullivan. This is the third book in the Private series featuring one of the world's most effective investigation firms. This is set later this year  in London at the time of the Olympic Games which unbelievably have come under attack.
Then comes PRIVATE - No.1 Suspect  co-written with Maxine Paetro the fourth in the Private series and featuring Private's founder, former US Marine Jack Morgan who is in serious trouble when his former lover is found murdered in his bed.
And the third is 11TH HOUR also co-written by Maxine Paero and this is the 11th in the Women's Murder Club series all but two of which have been co-authored by Paero.

It is a clever idea if you can pull it off and Patterson clearly does. I have read at least half of his 70+ novels of which in turn about half  are co-authored. I have to say that when you read them they all seem written by the same author. Characterisation and style are consistent, they are all compelling thrillers so popular as plane and beach reads.
Interesting to note though that apart from one title the 18 Alex Cross novels are all written by himself.



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