New International Model for James Patterson's Private Series

We read in the Wall Street Journal tonight that bestselling author James Patterson is taking a new direction with his latest novel, Private, co-written by Maxine Paetro.

At first glance, Private may seem to be simply the first in a new series featuring private investigator Jack Morgan. But, as the WSJ reports, after the publication of each new book in the series Patterson intends for an international writer to co-author a companion novel from the perspective of a foreign character but featuring the same criminal investigation. The first such book will be Private London by Mark Pearson, which is due out next spring. Private Rome, Private Australia, and Private Amsterdam are also in the works. Some may be originally written in their native language before being translated into English.

This isn't Patterson's first transnational collaboration. Next month, Postcard Killers, co-written with Swedish crime novelist Liza Marklund, is released here in the US. (It's been available in Europe since January.)

About Private (from the publisher): Former CIA agent Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily--and his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.

Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multi-million dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of 18 schoolgirls when he learns of a horrific murder close to home: his best friend's wife, Jack's former lover, has been killed. It nearly pushes him over the edge. Instead, Jack pushes back and devotes all of Private's resources to tracking down her killer.

But Jack doesn't have to play by the rules. As he closes in on the killer and chooses between revenge and justice, Morgan has to navigate a workplace love affair that threatens to blow the roof off his plans. With a plot that moves at death-defying speeds, Private is James Patterson sleekest, most exciting thriller ever.