On his own crusade

JAMES Patterson is so excited about his new novel you would think it was his first, rather then his 24th book. He has gone so far as to declare The Jester is his favourite book. Considering his previous work, this is some statement.

"It was kinda fun to do," Patterson said from his luxury home in Palm Springs, Florida. Sadly our conversation was not in person, but via the telephone. You win some, you lose some.

"The book's something I've been planning for a long time, some ten or 12 years now. I've always wanted to write about a common person with a sense of humour," said Patterson, 56.

So enter flame-haired French innkeeper Hugh De Luc, who joins the First Crusade against the Turks in the 11th century. On his return, carrying several ancient relics from the Holy Land, he finds his wife, Sophie, has been abducted by a band of hooded knights, and his baby son has been burnt to death.

Determined to find his wife and avenge the killing of his son, Hugh adopts the disguise of a jester to infiltrate the royal courts of southern France and find out why his family was targeted.

He is aided in his quest by the beautiful Lady Emilie (a sort of Maid Marian figure to his Robin Hood) and together they embark on a David versus Goliath battle against evil dukes and their henchmen.

"There's a little Braveheart in there, a bit of Jerry Seinfeld and also a bit of Alex Cross the writer's famous detective creation," said Patterson. "I wanted to combine many different elements - history, romance, adventure and humour. It's history with adrenaline, and I think it works."

The Jester, in common with Patterson's usual thrillers, moves at a relentless, heart-stopping pace, helped by the author's liking for short, punchy chapters. It's the sort of book you could read in one sitting.

"Someone once told me I could write the Bible in 100 pages," said Patterson of his writing style.

Although The Jester is a piece of fiction, the notion of Holy relics being confiscated by crusading knights is believed to be true.

"During my research into the Crusades I found out that a lance, reputed to be the one which speared Christ on the Cross, was believed to have been found at Antioch. And in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales one of the characters actually sells ancient relics."

In keeping with his recent novels, Patterson has co-written The Jester with another author, Andrew Gross. So how does the partnership work?

"We alternate words," joked Patterson. "No, really, we generally alternate drafts, usually by email, although Andy does come down to see me. I will always do the initial outline and I'll always have the final say.

"The first collaboration I did was on a book called Miracle Of The 17th Green. It was a nice experience. I thought the book was a good book. A little different."

Patterson will, however, continue to write his Alex Cross thrillers on his own.

He's just finished his latest, which is due to be published later this year. In this one Cross pits his wits against the Russian Mafia. "It's a good one, I hope," says the former chairman and creative director of a top US advertising agency.

Roses Are Red, one of Patterson's earlier Cross thrillers, is soon to be made into a film. This follows the success of Kiss The Girls and Along Came A Spider which featured Morgan Freeman in the title role.

"I love movies. But what I love about the Hollywood thing the most is cashing the cheques. It's really fun."

Patterson, who had his first book, The Thomas Berryman Number, published in 1976 after 26 attempts, follows a strict writing schedule.

"I tend to write early in the morning, 6am or so, and later in the day about 4pm or so. I tend to take about a year to write a book, although I always have more than one on the go."

There is no question that his style, and his method, works. His novels always go straight to number one on the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists, and annually he outsells Tom Clancy, Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham, Ian Rankin and Wilbur Smith - combined.

As well as The Jester and the new Alex Cross novel, Patterson has also written The Lake House, a sequel to the superb When The Wind Blows. This will be out this summer.

So what does he do when he's not writing?

"Well we he's married to Sue have a five-year-old son, Jack. The good thing about working from home is that we are able to watch him grow up before our eyes.

"Oh, and then there's the golf."

The Jester by James Patterson and Andrew Gross is published by Headline, priced £17.99. The Beach House by Patterson and Peter De Jonge is out now in paperback, priced £6.99.

Updated: 08:52 Wednesday, April 09, 2003