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