 James Pattinson was raised in East Harling, Norfolk. He volunteered for the Royal Artillery in 1939 and in 1941 was transferred to the maritime arm to serve as a gunner. After the war he farmed poultry in Norfolk. In 1958, he became a full-time writer. |
Titles and year of publication:
| 1) The Mystery of Gregory Kotovsky (US Title: The Silent Voyage [1959]) | 1958 |
| 2) Contact Mr. Delgado | 1959 |
| 3) Across the Narrow Seas | 1960 |
| 4) Wild Justice | 1960 |
| 5) The Liberators | 1961 |
| 6) On Desperate Seas | 1961 |
| 7) The Angry Island | 1968 |
| 8) The Last Stronghold | 1968 |
| 9) Find the Diamonds | 1969 |
| 10) The Golden Reef | 1969 |
| 11) The Plague Makers | 1969 |
| 12) Whispering Death | 1969 |
| 13) The Deadly Shore | 1970 |
| 14) The Rodriguez Affair | 1970 |
| 15) Three Hundred Grand | 1970 |
| 16) The Murmansk Assignment | 1971 |
| 17) Sea Fury | 1971 |
| 18) The Sinister Stars | 1971 |
| 19) Watching Brief | 1971 |
| 20) Away with Murder | 1972 |
| 21) Ocean Prize | 1972 |
| 22) Weed | 1972 |
| 23) A Fortune in the Sky | 1973 |
| 24) The Marakano Formula | 1973 |
| 25) Search Warrant | 1973 |
| 26) Cordley's Castle | 1974 |
| 27) The Haunted Sea | 1974 |
| 28) The Petronov Plan | 1974 |
| 29) Crusader's Cross | 1975 |
| 30) Feast of the Scorpion | 1975 |
| 31) Freedman | 1975 |
| 32) The Honeymoon Caper | 1976 |
| 33) A Real Killing | 1976 |
| 34) Special Delivery | 1976 |
| 35) A Walking Shadow | 1976 |
| 36) Final Run | 1977 |
| 37) The No-Risk Operation | 1977 |
| 38) The Spanish Hawk | 1977 |
| 39) Blind Date | 1978 |
| 40) Something of Value | 1978 |
| 41) The Courier Job | 1979 |
| 42) The Rashevski Ikon | 1979 |
| 43) Red Exit | 1979 |
| 44) Busman's Holiday | 1980 |
| 45) The Levantine Trade | 1980 |
| 46) The Spayde Conspiracy | 1980 |
| 47) The Antwerp Appointment | 1981 |
| 48) The Seven Sleepers | 1981 |
| 49) Stride | 1981 |
| 50) A Fatal Errand | 1982 |
| 51) Lethal Orders | 1982 |
| 52) The Stalking Horse | 1982 |
| 53) A Car for Mr. Bradley | 1983 |
| 54) Flight to the Sea | 1983 |
| 55) The Kavulu Lion | 1983 |
| 56) Dead of Winter | 1984 |
| 57) Precious Cargo | 1984 |
| 58) The Saigon Merchant | 1984 |
| 59) Come Home, Toby Brown | 1985 |
| 60) Homecoming | 1985 |
| 61) Life-Preserver | 1985 |
| 62) The Syrian Client | 1986 |
| 63) Where the Money Is | 1986 |
| 64) Dangerous Enchantment | 1987 |
| 65) A Dream of Madness | 1987 |
| 66) Paradise in the Sun | 1987 |
| 67) The Junk Run | 1988 |
| 68) Legatee | 1988 |
| 69) Dishonour Among Thieves | 1989 |
| 70) Killer | 1989 |
| 71) Operation Zenith | 1989 |
| 72) Dead Men Rise Up Never | 1990 |
| 73) Poisoned Chalice | 1990 |
| 74) The Spoilers | 1990 |
| 75) Devil Under the Skin | 1991 |
| 76) With Menaces | 1991 |
| 77) The Animal Gang | 1992 |
| 78) Steel | 1992 |
| 79) Bavarian Sunset | 1993 |
| 80) The Emperor Stone | 1993 |
| 81) Fat Man from Colombia | 1993 |
| 82) Lady from Argentina | 1994 |
| 83) The Telephone Murders | 1994 |
| 84) The Poison Traders | 1995 |
| 85) Squeaky Clean | 1995 |
| 86) Avenger of Blood | 1996 |
| 87) A Wind on the Heath | 1996 |
| 88) One-Way Ticket | 1997 |
| 89) The Time of Your Life | 1997 |
| 90) Death of a Go-Between | 1998 |
| 91) Some Job | 1998 |
| 92) Skeleton Island | 1999 |
| 93) The Wild One | 1999 |
| 94) A Passage of Arms | 2000 |
| 95) Old Pal's Act | 2001 |
| 96) Crane | 2001 |
| 97) Obituary for Howard Gray | 2003 |
| 98) Bullion | 2004 |
| 99) The Unknown | 2008 |