The Writer: A Thriller

by James Patterson, J. D. Barker

Overview

“Consider blocking out a few hours of uninterrupted reading time” for The Writer, #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson’s “Excellent…perfectly executed…genuinely suspenseful” (Booklist) thriller about a true-crime author swept up in a murder plot.

“Entertaining…one gonzo plot twist follows the next…loads of fun.” (Publishers Weekly)
 
NYPD Detective Declan Shaw gets a call: How fast can you get to the Beresford building on Central Park West?
In the tower apartment, Shaw finds a woman waiting for him. She’s covered in blood. A body is lying dead on the floor of the luxurious living room.
Every book in the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling shelves is by the same author: bestselling true-crime writer Denise Morrow. 
"This is you?" Shaw asks the woman. "You're a writer?"
Only one person knows the ending to this story. Is it the victim or the killer?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316569996
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	03/17/2025
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	2,063
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
J. D. Barker is the international bestselling author of numerous books, including Dracul and The Fourth Monkey. His novels have been translated into two dozen languages and optioned for both film and television. Barker resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.

Hometown:

Palm Beach, Florida

Date of Birth:

March 22, 1947

Place of Birth:

Newburgh, New York

Education:

B.A., Manhattan College, 1969; M.A., Vanderbilt University, 1971

Website:

http://www.jamespatterson.com

Editorial Reviews

01/27/2025

A guilt-stricken cop investigates a bestselling author for murder in the entertaining fifth collaboration between Patterson and Barker (after Confessions of the Dead). Facing an inquiry from internal affairs, NYPD detective Declan Shaw plans to jump in front of a subway train to prevent an unspecified secret from coming to light. Before he can do so, his investigative partner, Jarod Cordova, calls him with disturbing news: popular true crime writer Denise Morrow arrived at her Manhattan apartment to find her husband, David, stabbed to death, but when police arrived, she warded them off with a gun, insisting she’d only allow Shaw inside. When Shaw arrives, he finds Morrow soaked in blood and standing near a bloody knife. She has an airtight alibi, however, and holds considerable sway over Shaw, because she’s working on a book that casts doubt on a case he and Cordova handled several years earlier, which led to the conviction of a New York City parks employee for the murder of a 14-year-old girl. Shaw and Morrow’s cat-and-mouse game quickly becomes preposterous, but the narrative only gains steam as one gonzo plot twist follows the next. Though goofy, it’s loads of fun. Agent: Robert Barnett, Williams & Connolly. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Entertaining … one gonzo plot twist follows the next. … loads of fun.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher