Patterson is one of the most commercially successful authors of all time, with an estimated net worth of approximately $800 million as of 2024. He has produced dozens of New York Times bestsellers and remained the most borrowed adult author in UK libraries for over a decade. Additionally, he has won many prestigious awards, including the Edgar Award, International Thriller of the Year, and the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation.

Patterson was born in 1947 in New York to a working-class family. He attained two degrees in English literature before building a career as an advertising executive. This professional experience allowed him to craft his name into a brand that is recognized worldwide, but his prodigious success in the literary field has as much to do with his marketing savvy as with his writing skills. He is known particularly for his fast-paced thrillers and gripping mystery novels, as well as his collaborations with prominent figures such as Bill Clinton (The President Is Missing) and Dolly Parton (Run Rose Run). He is also notable for the sheer volume of work he produces. Patterson’s first book, The Thomas Berryman Number, was published in 1976, and he is due to publish his 400th book, The Texas Murders, in 2025.