If you’ve ever tried to figure out which James Patterson book comes next in a series, only to get lost in a maze of titles, welcome to the club. As one of my all-time favourite authors, Patterson’s books are like fast-paced, high-octane snacks for my brain. But with the man publishing what feels like a book every time I blink, keeping track of what’s in a series, what’s a standalone, and what’s co-authored can be a pain.
TL;DR: James Patterson has 30+ series. Most popular: Alex Cross (33 books), Women’s Murder Club (26 books), Michael Bennett (18 books). Start with the Alex Cross series, beginning with Along Came a Spider (1992). Full reading order for all series below.
So I made this for you (and me). A clear, no-nonsense list of James Patterson’s books, organized by series and in reading order. Bookmark it, send it to your book club, or tattoo it on your forearm, I won’t judge. I have also bolded the books I have read.
If you’ve finished a series and need somewhere to go next, I’ve also put together a list of authors like James Patterson.
updated May 2026 – This list is updated whenever a new James Patterson book or series is released. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Jump to a series:
- Alex Cross Series
- Women’s Murder Club
- Michael Bennett Series
- Private Series
- NYPD Red Series
- Rory Yates Series
- Holmes, Margaret & Poe
- Jane Smith Thrillers
- Amy Cornwall
- 2 Sisters
- The Shadow Thrillers
- Doc Savage Thrillers
- Investigation Discovery
- Harriet Blue
- The Black Book
- Invisible
- Instinct
Alex Cross Series
The OG. If you haven’t met Detective/psychologist/all-around badass Alex Cross, start here. If you are not in the mood to read, there is also a TV series on Amazon Prime that isn’t bad – Alex Cross.
Browse all Alex Cross books on Amazon
- Along Came a Spider (1992)
- Kiss the Girls (1995)
- Jack & Jill (1996)
- Cat & Mouse (1997)
- Pop Goes the Weasel (1999)
- Roses Are Red (2000)
- Violets Are Blue (2001)
- Four Blind Mice (2002)
- The Big Bad Wolf (2003)
- London Bridges (2004)
- Mary, Mary (2005)
- Cross (2006)
- Double Cross (2007)
- Cross Country (2008)
- I, Alex Cross (2009)
- Cross Fire (2010)
- Kill Alex Cross (2011)
- Alex Cross, Run (2013)
- Cross My Heart (2013)
- Hope to Die (2014)
- Cross Justice (2015)
- Cross the Line (2016)
- The People vs. Alex Cross (2017)
- Target: Alex Cross (2018)
- Criss Cross (2019)
- Deadly Cross (2020)
- Fear No Evil (2021)
- Triple Cross (2022)
- Cross Down (2023)
- Alex Cross Must Die (2023)
- The House of Cross (2024)
- Return of the Spider (2025)
- Cross and Sampson (2026)
- The Family Cross (2026)
Others (Not part of main series)
- Alex Cross’s Trial (2009)
- Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (2011)
- Cross Kill (2016)
- Detective Cross (2017)
- Cross Down (2023)
Women’s Murder Club
Murder, mystery, and a badass group of women solving crimes in San Francisco.
- 1st to Die (2001)
- 2nd Chance (2002)
- 3rd Degree (2004)
- 4th of July (2005)
- The 5th Horseman (2006)
- The 6th Target (2007)
- 7th Heaven (2008)
- The 8th Confession (2009)
- The 9th Judgment (2010)
- 10th Anniversary (2011)
- 11th Hour (2012)
- 12th of Never (2013)
- Unlucky 13 (2014)
- 14th Deadly Sin (2015)
- 15th Affair (2016)
- 16th Seduction (2017)
- 17th Suspect (2018)
- 18th Abduction (2019)
- The 19th Christmas (2019)
- 20th Victim (2020)
- 21st Birthday (2021)
- 22 Seconds (2022)
- 23 1/2 Lies (2023)
- 24th Hour (2024)
- 25 Alive (2025)
- Beauties (2026)
Find out if you need to read the Women’s Murder Club books in order.
Michael Bennett Series
A detective with 10 kids. Yes, you read that right. Buckle up.
- Step on a Crack (2007)
- Run for Your Life (2009)
- Worst Case (2010)
- Tick Tock (2011)
- I, Michael Bennett (2012)
- Gone (2013)
- Burn (2014)
- Alert (2015)
- Bullseye (2016)
- Haunted (2017)
- Ambush (2018)
- Blindside (2020)
- The Russian (2021)
- Shattered (2022)
- Obsessed (2023)
- Crosshairs (2024)
- Paranoia (2025)
- Delusional (2026)
Others (not part of main series)
- Chase (2016)
- Manhunt (2017)
Private Series
A global private investigation agency that goes where police can’t—or won’t.
- Private (2010)
- Private London (2011)
- Private Games (2012)
- Private #1 Suspect (2012)
- Private Berlin (2013)
- Private Down Under (2013)
- Private L.A. (2014)
- Private India: City on Fire (2014)
- Private Vegas (2015)
- Missing (Private Sydney) (2015)
- Private Paris (2016)
- The Games: Private Beijing (2016)
- Count to Ten: Private Delhi (2017)
- Princess: A Private Novel (2018)
- Private Moscow (2020)
- Private Rogue (2021)
- Private Rome (2023)
- Private Monaco (2024)
- Private Dublin (2025)
Others (not part of main story)
- Private: The Royals (2016)
- Private: Gold (2017)
NYPD Red Series
Elite unit. High-profile cases. Total chaos.
- NYPD Red (2012)
- NYPD Red 2 (2014)
- NYPD Red 3 (2015)
- NYPD Red 4 (2016)
- Red Alert: An NYPD Red Mystery (2018)
- NYPD Red 6 (2022)
Rory Yates Series
Texas Ranger with a moral code and a short fuse.
- Texas Ranger (2018)
- Texas Outlaw (2020)
- The Texas Murders(2025)
Holmes, Margaret & Poe
- Holmes, Marple & Poe (2024)
- Holmes is Missing (2025)
Jane Smith Thrillers
- 12 Months to Live (2023)
- Hard to Kill (2024)
- The Hamptons Lawyer (2025)
Amy Cornwall
- The Cornwalls Vanish (2019)
- Countdown (2024)
2 Sisters
- 2 Sisters Detective Agency (2021)
- 2 Sisters Murder Investigations (2025)
The Shadow Thrillers
- The Shadow (2021)
- Circle of Death (2023)
- The President’s Shadow (2025)
Doc Savage Thrillers
- The Perfect Assassin (2022)
- Murder Island (2024)
Investigation Discovery
- Murder, Interrupted (2018)
- Home Sweet Murder (2018)
- Murder Beyond the Grave (2018)
- Murder Thy Neighbor (2020)
- Murder of Innocence (2020)
- Til Murder Do Us Part (2021)
Harriet Blue
- Never Never (2017)
- Fifty Fifty (2018)
- Liar Liar (2019)
- Hush (2019)
The Black Book
- The Black Book (2017)
- The Red Book (2021)
- Escape (2022)
Invisible
- Invisible (2013)
- Unsolved (2019)
Instinct
- Instinct (2017)
- Killer Instinct (2019)
- Steal (2022)
Other Notables
These aren’t part of a major series, but worth checking out:
- Zoo (2012)
- The Murder House (2015)
- The Store (2017)
- The President is Missing (with Bill Clinton) (2018)
- Lost (2019)
- Run Rose Run (with Dolly Parton)(2022)
- The House of Wolves (2023)
James Patterson’s writing style is like a drive-thru thriller—fast, satisfying, and addictive. Whether you’re new to his books or just trying to keep your series straight, I hope this list makes it a little easier to dive back into his world.
Common Questions
What order should I read James Patterson books? Start with the Alex Cross series (*Along Came a Spider*, 1992). It’s his flagship series with 33 books. Then try Women’s Murder Club or Michael Bennett based on your preference.
How many Alex Cross books are there? 33 books in the main series, plus 5 related novels. The most recent is *Cross and Sampson* (2026).
What is James Patterson’s most popular series? Alex Cross is his most popular and longest-running series, followed by Women’s Murder Club and Michael Bennett.
Can I read James Patterson books out of order? Some series work as standalones, but Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and Women’s Murder Club are best read in order for character development and plot continuity.
Which James Patterson series should I start with? Alex Cross for detective thrillers, Women’s Murder Club for ensemble mysteries, or Michael Bennett for family-focused crime stories.
Let me know in the comments which Patterson series is your favourite. Mine? Probably Alex Cross, always has been, always will be.
All done with James Patterson books? How about trying Harry Bosch or the Lincoln Lawyer books?
Looking for more? I’ve got a full Books, TV & Media hub with everything I’ve written on books and TV.
Thank you for this list! I love James Patterson. I have read a few of his stand alone books and a few of the first Alex Cross series books.
My favorite series of his are: Michael Bennett and Private. Can’t wait for the next Michael Bennett book.