Patterson's most famous books all revolve around his character, Alex Cross. Cross is a psychologist based in Washington, D.C. Included in this series are the novels "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls"--both of which were adapted into major motion pictures starring Morgan Freeman as Cross. Novels in this series often find Cross chasing after serial killers. There are 15 total novels in the Cross series, including the most recent installment, "I, Alex Cross."
The Maximum Ride series started in 2005 with the novel "Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment." These science-fiction/fantasy stories are geared more toward young adults, with plot lines that follow teenagers who have been subjected to scientific experiments. Works in this series include "Fang," "Max," and "The Final Experiment," which all follow the adventures of a group called The Flock.
Patterson's Women's Murder Club series are crime thrillers based around a group of women that solve crimes in San Francisco. "1st to Die" was the initial installment in the series, debuting in 2001. There have since been eight more novels following the Club, and each title has numeral in it, such as "2nd Chance" and "4th of July."
Patterson has also published numerous other novels throughout his career. His 2007 novel, "Step on a Crack," introduced the character Michael Bennett. There has since been two more titles published with Bennett, "Worst Case" and "Run for Your Life." These novels are similar to Patterson's other works in the thriller/mystery genre.
In 2008 Patterson started a new science-fiction series with the novel "The Dangerous Days of Daniel X." The series, which follows the exploits of teenage alien hunter Daniel X, is similar to the Maximum Ride series, science fiction/fantasty geared toward a younger audience.
Patterson also has numerous novels that don't belong to a series, including "When the Wind Blows," "Judge and Jury," and "Sail." Addtionally, Patterson has released two non-fiction books, "Against Medical Advice: A True Story," and "The Murder of King Tut."