Will Four Blind Mice describe the last Detective Alex Cross case?

I will guarantee readers this: if Alex returns, he will be very different from the way he is now.

The NBC miniseries for 1st to Die is scheduled to air soon. Did you visit the set? What did you think about the casting?

What excites me the most about 1st to Die is that they set out to make a movie movie rather than a TV movie. The director is from cinema and they really went out of their way to get exceptional actors. Tracy Pollan, Pam Grier and Robert Patrick are exceptional in their parts. It was also gratifying that the producer/writer stayed close to the story of the book. I can't wait to see 1st to Die, and NBC also recently bought the second book in the series.

What's next for James Patterson?

In March I'll be publishing a historical thriller called The Jester. It takes place around the time of the First Crusade. The publisher's line is 'every thousand years or so a truly great adventure story comes along.' The Jester is the kind of historical novel that readers are used to, but at a faster and more exciting pace.

How has your fan base responded to your non-Alex Cross novels, including 1st to Die and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas?

Interesting to both myself and my publisher, 1st to Die and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas have both outsold the Alex Cross novels.

You write two or three books a year. How do you come up with fresh ideas for that many stories?

I have a big thick folder of story ideas, far too many for me to actually write. I'm incredibly fascinated by how a story will turn out once I begin to write it. That's my chief motivation for doing two or three books a year.

Would you ever do a cameo in a movie based on one of your books?

No way! I'm holding out for the romantic lead in Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.