Richard North PATTERSON

Richard North Patterson is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 novels, including legal thrillers like The Lasko Tangent, which won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Mystery Novel in 1979. Before dedicating himself to writing full-time in 1993, he was a trial lawyer, Assistant Attorney General for Ohio, and liaison to the Watergate Special Prosecutor. His works often explore political and social issues such as gun violence, capital punishment, abortion rights, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and he serves as chairman of Common Cause while living in San Francisco and on Martha's Vineyard.