He retired from advertising in 1996 and devoted his time to being a writer. The novels featuring his character, Alex Cross, a forensic psychologist formerly of the Washington D.C. Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation who now works as a private psychologist and government consultant, are the most popular books among Patterson readers and the top selling US Detective series in the past ten years. Patterson has written 65 novels over his 33 years as an author. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the New York Times record for most Hardcover Fiction bestselling titles by a single author (56 total), which is also a Guinness World Record. The world's best-selling author, his novels account for one in seventeen of all hard-cover novels sold in the United States; in recent years his novels have sold more copies than those of Stephen King, John Grisham and Dan Brown combined..

He has won awards including the Edgar Award, the BCA Mystery Guild’s Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Children's Choice Book Award for Author of the Year. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children’s bestsellers lists, and to have two books on NovelTracker’s top-ten list at the same time. He holds the New York Times bestsellers list record with 56 New York Times bestselling titles overall. He appeared on the Fox TV show The Simpsons (in the episode "Yokel Chords") as himself.

Patterson is also well known for sharing the spotlight with different co-authors such as Maxine Paetro, Andrew Gross, and Peter DeJonge and has often said that collaborating with others brings new and interesting ideas to his stories.He is currently collaborating with Swedish mystery writer Liza Marklund on a book called The Postcard Killers and set to be released in August 2010. The story is set in Stockholm, Sweden, and tracks the investigation of young couples' murders across Europe. The book will be released first in Sweden (January 2010) and the US version will arrive in bookstores in August 2010. In September 2009, Patterson signed a book deal to write or co-write 11 books for adults and six for young adults by the end of 2012. Forbes reported the deal was worth at least $150 million, but Patterson said the estimate "isn't close."

He also founded the James Patterson PageTurner Awards in 2005 to personally give away over $850,000 to reward “people, companies, schools, and other institutions who find original and effective ways to spread the excitement of books and reading.” The PageTurner Awards were put on hold in 2008 to focus on Patterson's new initiative, ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, teachers, and librarians find the very best children’s books for their kids. There is also a social networking site for ReadKiddoRead, hosted by Ning.

Horror novelist Stephen King has dismissed Patterson's bibliography as being made up of "dopey thrillers," and in one interview called him a "terrible writer". In a "10 Questions" interview in the July 5, 2010 issue of Time magazine, Patterson was asked: "What do you say to critics like author Stephen King who say you're not a great prose stylist?" Patterson responded: "I am not a great prose stylist. I'm a storyteller. There are thousands of people who don't like what I do. Fortunately, there are millions who do."

In his 2009 book Junk Fiction: America's Obsession with Bestsellers, critic S. T. Joshi analyzes The Lake House, Honeymoon and The Big Bad Wolf and criticizes Patterson for absurd plotting, facile trickery and prose that is "simply dreadful" (italics in original).

Patterson has also received criticism for his continued work with collaborators. His prolific output is partially owed to the relationship he has with his many co-authors who share an authorship credit on the cover. The authors, in their agreement with Patterson, have agreed not to disclose the terms of their working relationship, including how much involvement Patterson has on each co-authored book. In the same Time magazine "10 Questions" interview, he responded to a question about his collaborations: "If I'm working with a co-writer, they'll usually write the first draft. And then I write subsequent drafts."

Patterson received his bachelor's degree from Manhattan College, and his Masters degree at Vanderbilt University.

He lives in Palm Beach, Florida with his wife Susan, and son Jack.

Alex Cross

1. Along Came a Spider (1993, ISBN 0-446-36419-3)
2. Kiss the Girls (1995, ISBN 0-446-60124-1)
3. Jack & Jill (1996, ISBN 0-446-60480-1)
4. Cat and Mouse (1997, ISBN 0-446-60618-9)
5. Pop Goes the Weasel (1999, ISBN 0-375-40854-1)
6. Roses are Red (2000, ISBN 0-446-60548-4)
7. Violets Are Blue (2001, ISBN 0-446-61121-2)
8. Four Blind Mice (2002, ISBN 0-446-61326-6)
9. The Big Bad Wolf (2003, ISBN 0-755-30021-1)
10. London Bridges (2004, ISBN 0-446-61335-5)
11. Mary, Mary (2005, ISBN 0-316-15976-X)
12. Cross (2006, ISBN 0-316-15979-4 )
13. Double Cross (2007, ISBN 0-316-01505-9)
14. Cross Country (2008, ISBN 0-316-01872-4)
15. Alex Cross's Trial (2009, ISBN 0-316-07062-9, with Richard DiLallo)
16. I, Alex Cross (2009, ISBN 0-316-01878-3)
17. Cross Fire (November 15, 2010, ISBN 0-316-03617-X)

Maximum Ride

1. The Angel Experiment (2005 | ISBN 031615556X)
2. School's Out Forever (2006 | ISBN 0316155594)
3. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (2007 | ISBN 0316155608)
4. The Final Warning (2008 | ISBN 0316002860)
5. A Maximum Ride Novel (2009 | ISBN 0316002895)
6. A Maximum Ride Novel (2010 | ISBN 0316036196)
7. A Maximum Ride Novel (2011 | ISBN 031603620X)

Michael Bennett

1. Step on a Crack (2007) (with Michael Ledwidge)
2. Run for Your Life (2009) (with Michael Ledwidge)
3. Worst Case (2010) (with Michael Ledwidge)
4. Tick Tock (January 24, 2011) (with Michael Ledwidge) (Title changed from Mercedes Blue)

Jack Morgan

1. Private (May 2010, with Maxine Paetro)
2. Private London (June 2011)

Daniel X

1. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (2008) (with Michael Ledwidge)
2. Watch the Skies (2009) (with Ned Rust)
3. Demons and Druids (2010) (with Adam Sadler)

Witch & Wizard

1. Witch & Wizard (December 14, 2009, ISBN 0-316-03624-2) (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)
2. The Gift (December 13, 2010) (with Ned Rust) Title & Release Date subject to change

Women's Murder Club

Four San Francisco friends - a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner, and a crime reporter - join forces to solve mysteries.

1. 1st to Die (2001, ISBN 0-446-61003-8)
2. 2nd Chance (2002, ISBN 0-446-61279-0, with Andrew Gross)
3. 3rd Degree (2004, ISBN 0-316-60357-0, with Andrew Gross)
4. 4th of July (2005, ISBN 0-316-71060-1, with Maxine Paetro)
5. The 5th Horseman (2006, ISBN 0-316-15977-8, with Maxine Paetro)
6. The 6th Target (2007, ISBN 0-316-01479-6, with Maxine Paetro)
7. 7th Heaven (2008, ISBN 0-316-01770-1, with Maxine Paetro)
8. 8th Confession (2009, ISBN 978-1846052583, with Maxine Paetro)
9. The 9th Judgment (2010, ISBN 978-0316036276, with Maxine Paetro) (title change from 9th Victim)
10. 10th Anniversary (2011, ISBN 978-0316036269, with Maxine Paetro)

Graphic novels

• Daniel X: Alien Hunter (with Leopoldo Gout) (2008, ISBN 0-316-004251)
• Daniel X: Manga 1 (2010, ISBN 0-316-07764X)
• Daniel X: Manga 2 (2011, ISBN 0-316-077658)
• Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (with NaRae Lee) (2009, ISBN 0-759-529515)
• Maximum Ride, Vol. 2 Manga (with NaRae Lee) (2009, ISBN 0-759-52968X)
• Maximum Ride, Vol. 3 Manga (with NaRae Lee) (2010, ISBN 0-759-529698)
• Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland (with Dara Naraghi) (2010, ISBN 1-600-107591)

Standalone novels

• The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) (Edgar Award, 1977, Best First Novel)
• Season of the Machete (1977)
• Virgin (1980)
• The Midnight Club (1988)
• Hide & Seek (1996)
• Miracle on the 17th Green (1996) (with Peter De Jonge)
• See How They Run (1997, previously published in 1977 as The Jericho Commandment)
• When the Wind Blows (1998)
• Black Friday (2000, previously published in 1986 as Black Market)
• Cradle and All (2000, based on, and includes scenes plus characters, from Virgin (1980))
• Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas (2001)
• The Beach House (2002) (with Peter De Jonge)
• The Jester (2003) (with Andrew Gross)
• The Lake House (2003) (sequel to When The Wind Blows)
• Sam's Letters to Jennifer (2004)
• Honeymoon (2005) (with Howard Roughan)
• Lifeguard (2005) (with Andrew Gross)
• Beach Road (2006) (with Peter De Jonge)
• Judge and Jury (2006) (with Andrew Gross)
• The Quickie (2007) (with Michael Ledwidge)
• You've Been Warned (2007) (with Howard Roughan)
• Sundays at Tiffany's, (2008) (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)
• Sail (2008) (with Howard Roughan)
• Swimsuit (2009) (with Maxine Paetro)
• The Postcard Killers (2010) (with Liza Marklund)
• Don't Blink (2010) (with Howard Roughan)
• Toys (March 14, 2011) (with Neil McMahon) Title & Release Date subject to change
• Now You See Her (June 27, 2011) (with Michael Ledwidge) Title & Release Date subject to change
• Kill Me If You Can (August 22, 2011) (with Marshall Karp) Title & Release Date subject to change

Non-fiction

• A True Story (October 20, 2008) (with Hal Friedman)
• The Murder of King Tut (September, 2009) (with Martin Dugard)

• Daniel X has also been optioned by New Regency.

• Appears occasionally on the television series Castle as Castle's fellow mystery author and poker buddy, along with Stephen J. Cannell and Michael Connelly.