James Patterson's Private Thrillers to be Adapted for Television

Sonar Entertainment announced today a development deal with James Patterson to adapt his "Private" series of thrillers for television.

"My ultimate goal is to tell stories in television that fans love and want to come back to again and again," said Patterson. "Television is the ideal medium to deliver that type of entertainment."

The first book in the series, simply titled Private and co-written with Maxine Paetro, was published in 2010 and introduces the elite international investigation company of the same name that influential people around the globe go to when they need maximum force and maximum discretion. Run by former CIA agent Jack Morgan, his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.

Despite Patterson's popularity with his books, that success hasn't translated all that well onto the small screen — anyone remember Women's Murder Club? — though film adaptations of his Alex Cross books have done well. (We are, however, taking a decidedly wait and see attitude with the latest one, Alex Cross, which opens in theaters later this year.)

Sonar Entertainment may be best known to television mystery fans as the producers of the Hallmark Channel series Mystery Woman, McBride, and Jane Doe.