James Patterson on “Holmes, Marple & Poe,” Writing and Adapting Books to Screen

James Patterson wants to clear up a myth. Contrary to popular belief, he is involved in every book bearing his well-known name — heavily. 

In fact, at any one time, Patterson — who currently holds the world record for the number of #1 New York Times bestsellers by a single author — has both his hands (and feet) in a few dozen projects at a time. To call his franchise a well-oiled machine would be a gross understatement — but it also does a bit of a disservice to the creative genius Patterson has proven himself to be. Patterson doesn’t just drum up the ideas — though he’s extremely good at that — but also heavily outlines, contributes to the writing, and edits each project. And that’s before his expansive marketing background kicks in.

In his latest project, a collaboration with new-to-fiction writer Brian Sitts, Patterson’s idea prowess is once again on display. With Holmes, Marple & Poe, Patterson and Sitts have taken three of the most famous names in literature and developed them into the “greatest crime-solving team of the twenty-first century.” 

If you’re expecting something with the hard-hitting drama found in Patterson’s Alex Cross series — for example — this is … not that. Patterson and Sitts deftly combine clever crime-solving with a dollop of laugh-out-loud humor, which may come as a surprise to some of Patterson’s fans.

“I like to have fun,” he says, in an exclusive interview with BookTrib. “If you read my autobiography, it’s pretty humorous, and the kids books are humorous. And so I wanted to do something different with this series, because in this instance the whole premise is based around fun.” 

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of crime — the savvy detective team actually has three cases to solve in this fast-paced first installment. And of course, there is plenty of drama and mystery. Perhaps the most significant to the reader is trying to understand how these detectives with their famous last names and untraceable pasts are connected to their namesakes. 

It’s not something you’ll solve with Book 1, but Patterson and Sitts have thrown in several Easter eggs. Each of the characters enjoys a specific role within the agency — Brendan Holmes, the brain; Margaret Marple, the eyes; and of course, Auguste Poe, the muscle. And if you’re familiar with the authors and works that inspired these likable characters, you’ll pick up on some fun parallels. 

Thankfully, Patterson and Sitts like the characters too. Despite having a number of series on the go — The Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, and Maximum Ride to name a few — Patterson says he doesn’t go into a new project with a series in mind, even when the idea is ripe for it, as is the case with Holmes, Marple & Poe. 

“If I like a character and it works out, and the reader wants more, I’ll do it,” he says, noting that with his Alex Cross series, now at 30 books, he didn’t intend to write anything but a standalone thriller. “But Little Brown wanted a two-book deal, and I didn’t have any money at the time, so it was a big deal for me.” 

Times have certainly changed. Patterson, who has published a staggering 178 (and counting) novels, 78 short stories and novellas, and 15 non-fiction books, has an estimated net worth of $800 million. A good chunk of his projects, including Holmes, Marple & Poe, have been optioned by Hollywood, with Cross, an Amazon adaptation of Patterson’s Alex Cross books, slated for release in 2024, along with several other cool works at various stages of film and TV progress. 

As one might expect, Patterson has his hands in those projects as well, but that doesn’t mean his novel writing goes by the wayside. He and Sitts have written the second book in the Holmes, Marple & Poe series, there are the usual series installments and collaborative projects on the go, and Patterson is toying with the idea of taking on an abandoned Michael Crichton book about an active volcano on Hawaii. 

There’s always something to keep Patterson — and his avid fans — busy. 

“I have a big, out-of-control imagination,” he says. “And when I have an idea, I need to start with an outline to see if it will work. I wrote something like 2,700 pages of outlines last year. My goal is to produce books that turn the pages.” 

He’s certainly succeeded with Holmes, Marple & Poe. In the words of the author himself, “if you like mysteries, you will like these books. I think it’s at the top of the genre — they’re really well done.”