Best James Patterson Books

The best books by James Patterson — 25 titles spanning Thriller, Mystery, averaging 4.43 BLT stars.

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James Patterson turned the thriller into a machine — and meant that as a compliment. His chapters are notoriously short, his hooks relentless, and his pacing calibrated to pull readers through in a sitting. Alex Cross built his reputation: a Washington D.C. psychologist and detective whose cases hit harder because Patterson isn't shy about darkness or consequence. The Women's Murder Club series brought a different energy — sharp, ensemble-driven, with a procedural momentum that rewards binge-reading. Patterson's prose is spare to the point of transparency; the style gets out of the way so the plot can sprint. Critics sometimes scoff at the collaborative bylines and industrial output, but his readers don't care — they're already on the next chapter. For thriller fans who want relentless forward motion over literary texture, Patterson delivers every time.

James Patterson's highest-rated book in our collection is The President's Daughter (4.62 BLT stars). Browse the full list below.

Where to Start with James Patterson

  1. 1
    The President's Daughter cover

    The President's Daughter

    by Bill Clinton, James Patterson

    ★ 4.62 BLT Score (53.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (53.5K)
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  2. 2
    Escape cover

    Escape

    Billy Harney • Book 3

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    ★ 4.54 BLT Score (16.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (16.2K)
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  3. 3
    The Red Book cover

    The Red Book

    Billy Harney • Book 2

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    ★ 4.54 BLT Score (19.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (19.5K)
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  4. 4
    Cross Down cover

    Cross Down

    Alex Cross • Book 31

    by James Patterson, Brendan DuBois

    ★ 4.52 BLT Score (25.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (25.5K)
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  5. 5
    Judge Stone cover

    Judge Stone

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.51 BLT Score (915 ratings)
    ★ 4.63 Goodreads (915)
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  6. 6
    The People vs. Alex Cross cover

    The People vs. Alex Cross

    Alex Cross • Book 25

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.47 BLT Score (27.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (27.7K)
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  7. 7
    Criss Cross cover

    Criss Cross

    Alex Cross • Book 27

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.46 BLT Score (26.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (26.8K)
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  8. 8
    The Black Book cover

    The Black Book

    Billy Harney • Book 1

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    ★ 4.46 BLT Score (43.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (43.4K)
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  9. 9
    Along Came a Spider cover

    Along Came a Spider

    Alex Cross • Book 1

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.46 BLT Score (491.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.13 Goodreads (491.9K)
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  10. 10
    The 23rd Midnight (WMC #23) cover

    The 23rd Midnight (WMC #23)

    Women's Murder Club BookShots • Book 23

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.43 BLT Score (0 ratings)
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  11. 11
    Kiss the Girls cover

    Kiss the Girls

    Alex Cross • Book 2

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.42 BLT Score (355.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.01 Goodreads (355.1K)
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  12. 12
    Cross Justice cover

    Cross Justice

    Alex Cross • Book 23

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.42 BLT Score (34.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.27 Goodreads (34.2K)
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  13. 13
    Fear No Evil cover

    Fear No Evil

    Alex Cross • Book 29

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.41 BLT Score (28.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (28.3K)
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  14. 14
    Jack & Jill cover

    Jack & Jill

    Alex Cross • Book 3

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (91.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.01 Goodreads (91.1K)
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  15. 15
    The 20th Victim cover

    The 20th Victim

    Women's Murder Club • Book 20

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (36.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.07 Goodreads (36.9K)
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  16. 16
    21st Birthday cover

    21st Birthday

    Women's Murder Club • Book 21

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (42.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.18 Goodreads (42.3K)
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  17. 17
    Cross and Sampson cover

    Cross and Sampson

    Alex Cross • Book 35

    by James Patterson, Brian Sitts

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (6.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (6.2K)
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  18. 18
    Target: Alex Cross cover

    Target: Alex Cross

    Alex Cross • Book 26

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (27.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.13 Goodreads (27.1K)
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  19. 19
    22 Seconds cover

    22 Seconds

    Women's Murder Club • Book 22

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.39 BLT Score (38.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.11 Goodreads (38.9K)
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  20. 20
    Roses Are Red cover

    Roses Are Red

    Alex Cross • Book 6

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.37 BLT Score (76.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.1 Goodreads (76.8K)
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  21. 21
    Hope to Die cover

    Hope to Die

    Alex Cross • Book 22

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.35 BLT Score (33.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (33.2K)
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  22. 22
    The 18th Abduction cover

    The 18th Abduction

    Women's Murder Club • Book 18

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (38.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (38.6K)
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  23. 23
    25 Alive (WMC #25): A Women's Murder Club Thriller cover

    25 Alive (WMC #25): A Women's Murder Club Thriller

    Women's Murder Club • Book 25

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (29.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.16 Goodreads (29.0K)
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  24. 24
    16th Seduction cover

    16th Seduction

    Women's Murder Club • Book 16

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    ★ 4.33 BLT Score (44.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (44.3K)
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  25. 25
    Violets Are Blue cover

    Violets Are Blue

    Alex Cross • Book 7

    by James Patterson

    ★ 4.33 BLT Score (71.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (71.5K)
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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →