- Richard North Patterson
Richard North Patterson (born
February 22 ,1947 ) is an American author of fiction. He was born inBerkeley, California , the eldest child of a retired corporate executive and a housewife. While still a child, he moved with his parents to Bay Village, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Bay High School in 1964. He graduated in 1968 fromOhio Wesleyan University . In 1971 he graduated fromCase Western Reserve Law School and served as an AssistantAttorney General for the state of Ohio and has been partner in several of the country’s leading law firms. He also served as the liaison for theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to theWatergate Special Prosecutor.Richard did not start writing until he was 29 and already out of law school. He began his first book, "The Lasko Tangent", as part of a creative writing course at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham . Once it was completed, he found a publisher, and the novel won the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the category "Best First Mystery Novel (American)" in 1980. He published three more novels before retiring, in 1993, from the practice of law to devote himself to writing. Since then he has written 11 additional novels, with eight consecutive international bestsellers, including "No Safe Place", "Eyes of a Child", and "Dark Lady". His has also won theGrand Prix de Littérature Policière .Patterson was a past chairman of the National Governing Board for
Common Cause . He has served on boards of several advocacy groups dealing withgun violence , political reform, and reproductive rights. His family consists of 5 children, one of whom is his adopted daughter Katherine who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University in 2003 with a B.A. in neuroscience. They split their time between theSan Francisco Bay Area andMartha's Vineyard .In 2008, Patterson received a Distinguished Achievement Citation from Ohio Wesleyan University as part of its graduation ceremonies.The Distinguished Achievement Citation, the highest honor the OWU Alumni Association can award, recognizes an honoree’s work and service to the national and international community. [http://connect2.owu.edu/issues/20080528/newsAndViews/distinguishedAchievementCitations.html]
Books
*"
The Lasko Tangent " (1979) (Edgar Award, 1980, Best First Novel)
*"The Outside Man " (1981)
*"Escape The Night " (1983)
*"Private Screening " (1985)
*"Degree of Guilt " (1993)
*"The Final Judgment " (1995) (also published as "Caroline Masters ")
*"Eyes of a Child " (1995)
*"Silent Witness" (1997)
*"No Safe Place " (1998)
*"Dark Lady" (1999)
*"Protect and Defend " (2000)
*"Balance of Power" (2003)
*"Conviction" (2005)
*"Exile" (2007)
*"The Race" (2007)
*"Eclipse" (2009)Persondata
NAME=Patterson, Richard North
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=United States fiction author
DATE OF BIRTH=February 22 ,1947
PLACE OF BIRTH=Berkeley,California
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
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