James Patterson, author of the #1 best sellers Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, has written one of America's suspense masterpieces.The Thomas Berryman Number begins with three terrifying murders in the South. It ends with a relentless and unforgettable manhunt in the North. In between is the riveting story of a chilling assassin, the woman he loves, and the beloved leader he is hired to kill with extreme prejudice.
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"Finished reading James Patterson's The Thomas Berryman Number. The first novel by James Patterson. Was so so for me as the story line was about a reporter looking into 3 murders. However it was a start from this novel that lead to greater series and other stories from the great story teller. :)"
— Andronicus (5 out of 5 stars)
“With a steel guitar twanging blues in the background, Will Patton performs this reissue of Patterson’s 1976 debut novel...Patton uses a bluegrass drawl and the soft sound of a New York drug-world hustler, helping the listener understand the complexity of the characters. Patterson’s observations are masterfully transformed into critical insights with Patton’s skillful pacing.”
— AudioFile“This book is a must-read for anyone who likes suspense.”
— Examiner.com“What a large charge it is to come upon such a good writer…The novel tells a lot about many things but most of all about America in the last quarter of the twentieth century.”
— Richard Condon, author of The Manchurian Candidate“Hurray! Once you read page one you will not stop until you have finished.”
— Robin Moore, author of The French Connection" This, the debut novel from James Patterson, shows that he was once a promising name in literary crime fiction--though, now, he seems quite content to just stick his name on a whole lot of mediocre crap he didn't even write. That being said, although the writing in this book is excellent and reminds me of something by Dennis Lehane, the story itself is over-long and boringly simple. I dare you to read the last page and not think, "Is that it?" "
— John, 1/22/2014" JP got better as the years went by. "
— Jen, 1/8/2014" You are about to begin one of the classic American novels of suspense by one of the world's bestselling authors. It begins with three terrifying murders in the South. It ends with a relentless and unforgettable manhunt in the North. In between is the riveting story of a chilling assassin, the woman he loves, and the beloved leader he is hired to kill with extreme prejudice. "
— Eddy, 1/5/2014" this was James Patterson's first book and it was not up to par with most others I have read. "
— Kilkennyla, 12/25/2013" I usually love James Patterson, but this one missed the mark. The book rambles on in a manner that seems without purpose. Wimpy plot "
— Hope, 12/18/2013" I have absolutely no idea what I just read. I can't even write a review this book because it was so hard to follow and severely uninteresting. Probably the worst book I have ever read. "
— Daniel, 11/13/2013" You can definitely tell this is an early Patterson novel. Similar style police thriller but lacks the thrill of the rest of his books. This never drew me in. "
— Laurie, 11/9/2013" This is Patterson's first book and it is my favorite. Before there was Alex Cross, there was Thomas Berryman and Ben Toy. The characters are rich and colorful. The plot is exciting and the end is fun. It is a quick read that keeps you hooked. "
— Dan, 10/19/2013" Yawn. Don't waste your time. I know this is his first book, but he should have taken a clue from other writers, and not put this one out there. He wasn't ready yet, and he shouldn't make his readers suffer through it. "
— Dwayne, 10/12/2013" Great twist throughout this book. "
— Nneutz, 9/25/2013" Did not realty Care for it. "
— Mary, 9/24/2013" This was not the usual James Patterson book that I love. This seemed to take forever just to get to the point that you already knew. I'll give him the credit that it was his first book, but that's about it. Sorry James, not your best. "
— Courtney, 9/22/2013" Nancy 3 stars; Ron 4 stars "
— Ron, 9/13/2013" I listened to this book on CD. I strongly recommend it be read instead. The bouncing back and forth between past and current dates makes it hard to follow at times. "
— Leah, 9/6/2013" First book I tried to read of James Patterson. Just couldn't get into it, and stopped reading it after a couple of chapters. Skimmed through rest of the book and took it back to the library. "
— Rob, 8/31/2013" This was one of the first books I read of this author. I have been reading his books ever since. "
— Edna, 5/12/2013" Mediocre assassin story. "
— Barbara, 4/18/2013" It drags. Badly. I don't know if I will be able to finish it. "
— Stephanie, 3/22/2013" An average story of a journalist looking into an assassination of a black Senate candidate in the South. Not an especially good story, though I will be giving Patterson another attempt in the near future. "
— Erik, 10/21/2012" My least favorite Patterson book ever. "
— LisaS, 9/7/2012" could not get into this book and stopped reading "
— Kurt, 1/30/2012" I usually really like James Patterson's books, but I just didn't like the way this one was written at all. "
— Karen, 12/18/2011" Luckily this was a short book. I kept reading expecting to get to the point, and the book was done. I must not have been paying attention, because it didn't make any sense to me at all. "
— Joyce, 6/22/2011" One, maybe the only, book by James Patterson that I did not like. "
— Sarahb., 6/18/2011" my least favorite of all JP books "
— Jane, 4/26/2011" Well written but not as great as some of his other books. "
— Laurie, 2/9/2011" Luckily this was a short book. I kept reading expecting to get to the point, and the book was done. I must not have been paying attention, because it didn't make any sense to me at all. "
— Nana, 2/5/2011" It drags. Badly. I don't know if I will be able to finish it. "
— Stephanie, 1/22/2011" This is Patterson's first book and it is my favorite. Before there was Alex Cross, there was Thomas Berryman and Ben Toy. The characters are rich and colorful. The plot is exciting and the end is fun. It is a quick read that keeps you hooked. "
— Dan, 1/12/2011" this was James Patterson's first book and it was not up to par with most others I have read. "
— Kilkennyla, 11/16/2010" First book I tried to read of James Patterson. Just couldn't get into it, and stopped reading it after a couple of chapters. Skimmed through rest of the book and took it back to the library. "
— Rob, 10/12/2010" One, maybe the only, book by James Patterson that I did not like. "
— Sarahb., 9/12/2010" A news reporter is writing a book about the three men who were murdered, including the mayor Jimmy Horn. The paths of all the people cross at some point, and the book is eventually written. <br/> <br/>I didn't care for this book at all. The story was a not as good as his newer books. "
— Amber, 8/7/2010" I really didn't like this one, and couldn't finish it, "
— Nina, 7/10/2010" I tried to start at the beginning of Patterson's book list, but I could not do it - this one was so boring to me. Maybe in another time in my life?? "
— Lisa, 7/2/2010" Usually I love books by this author, but this one was awful. I never finished it. The story was hard to get into and was very disjointed. The synopsis sounded really interesting but sadly was a non starter. "
— Jenny, 6/25/2010" Sloppy research from the locations and time period took away a lot of enjoyment from the book. "
— Sharon, 6/24/2010" I listened to this book on CD. I strongly recommend it be read instead. The bouncing back and forth between past and current dates makes it hard to follow at times. "
— Leah, 5/18/2010" JP got better as the years went by. "
— Jen, 4/20/2010" I never finished it. It was very hard to follow. Boring. Lack of interest made it even harder to follow characters or even get into them. I had saw the reviews on Amazon that this book sucked. It did. First Patterson book I have not liked. "
— Ty, 3/10/2010James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Effing Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Princess Diana, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson, and received an Edgar Award, nine Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Will Patton is an award-winning actor and narrator. HIs narrations have earned the prestigious Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration and also won dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards. His numerous film credits include Remember the Titans, The Punisher, The Mothman Prophesies, Armageddon, and The Spitfire Grill. He starred in the TNT miniseries Into the West and on the CBS series The Agency and won Obie Awards in the theater for his performances in Fool for Love and What Did He See.