James Patterson is one of the most prolific authors in history, with over 200 New York Times bestsellers. Because he writes so many series (often with co-authors), keeping track of the reading order can be overwhelming. This guide is designed to be printed and kept as a bookmark or checklist. Below you will find every major series in chronological order, followed by his best standalone novels.
If you want to print a "Master Checklist," use the series order above. Start with because many standalone characters eventually cameo in the Cross universe. Then, read Women’s Murder Club concurrently—they do not intersect, so you can swap back and forth. james patterson books in order printable list
Below is a comprehensive guide to James Patterson’s books in order, organized by his most popular series, followed by instructions on how to create your own printable checklist. The Alex Cross Series James Patterson is one of the most prolific
| Order | Title | Publication Year | Key Villain/Theme | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Along Came a Spider | 1992 | Gary Soneji (First appearance) | | 2 | Kiss the Girls | 1995 | Casanova / The Gentleman Caller | | 3 | Jack & Jill | 1996 | Political assassination | | 4 | Cat & Mouse | 1997 | Return of Gary Soneji | | 5 | Pop Goes the Weasel | 1999 | Geoffrey Shafer (The Weasel) | | 6 | Roses Are Red | 2000 | The Mastermind | | 7 | Violets Are Blue | 2001 | The Mastermind conclusion | | 8 | Four Blind Mice | 2002 | Army conspiracy | | 9 | The Big Bad Wolf | 2003 | The Wolf (Russian mob) | | 10 | London Bridges | 2004 | The Wolf returns | | 11 | Mary, Mary | 2005 | Hollywood murders | | 12 | Cross | 2006 | Family backstory (Must read) | | 13 | Double Cross | 2007 | Kyle Craig returns | | 14 | Cross Country | 2008 | The Tiger (Nigerian cartel) | | 15 | Alex Cross's Trial | 2009 | Historical (1906) | | 16 | I, Alex Cross | 2009 | Family tragedy | | 17 | Cross Fire | 2010 | Kyle Craig finale | | 18 | Kill Alex Cross | 2011 | Kidnapping/Water crisis | | 19 | Merry Christmas, Alex Cross | 2012 | Christmas hostage crisis | | 20 | Alex Cross, Run | 2013 | Serial killer obsession | | 21 | Cross My Heart | 2013 | Thierry Mulch (Personal attack) | | 22 | Hope to Die | 2014 | Direct aftermath of #21 | | 23 | Cross Justice | 2015 | North Carolina family secrets | | 24 | Cross the Line | 2016 | Copycat killer | | 25 | The People vs. Alex Cross | 2017 | Alex on trial | | 26 | Target: Alex Cross | 2018 | Bounty on his head | | 27 | Criss Cross | 2019 | "The Teacher" | | 28 | Deadly Cross | 2020 | Double homicide case | | 29 | Fear No Evil | 2021 | Wilderness showdown | | 30 | Triple Cross | 2022 | The Family Man killer | | 31 | Cross Down | 2023 | Sampson takes lead (co-written) | | 32 | Alex Cross Must Die | 2023 | Airport assassin | | 33 | Crosshairs | 2024 | Detective Cross meets reality | Below you will find every major series in