NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� An upcoming thriller about a female judge in the contemporary, rural South will have two very famous, and very different, authors: and mega-selling .
Little, Brown and Company announced Tuesday that Davis and Patterson are collaborating on a novel, currently untitled and scheduled for 2025 or 2026, in which the 鈥渄ynamic and brilliant鈥� Judge Mary Stone faces 鈥渁 decision with seismic repercussions for her small county, and potentially the whole nation.鈥�
It will be the first work of adult fiction for Davis, whose previous books include the memoir 鈥淔inding Me鈥� and the picture story 鈥淐orduroy Takes a Bow." It's the latest high-profile partnership for Patterson, whose previous co-authors range from Bill Clinton to Dolly Parton. for which Patterson completed a manuscript left behind by the late Michael Crichton, is one of the summer's most popular books.
鈥淛ames鈥檚 ability to weave compelling narratives with depth and suspense is unparalleled, and I am honored to work alongside him,鈥� Davis said in a statement. 鈥淲riting about a character as compelling as Judge Mary Stone has been an extraordinary experience, and I believe readers will be deeply moved by her journey.鈥�
Patterson, who came up with the idea after reading 鈥淔inding Me鈥� and contacting Davis, said in a statement that the actor has a 鈥済ift for storytelling鈥� and a 鈥済enerous spirit.鈥�
鈥淚 could not have asked for a better partner than Viola,鈥� Patterson said.
Additional details about the book, including film rights, were not immediately available. Financial terms were not disclosed. The project was handled by Little, Brown; Patterson's representatives, Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell of Williams & Connolly, and JVL Media, a 鈥渇ull-service media packaging firm and independent publisher鈥� that Davis helped found.
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
