I like Patterson. He's not the greatest writer, for sure, But he's a supreme storyteller. Yeah, it's short, sharp paragraphs and massively fast-paced - more like a film script than a novel, in many ways. But if you're looking for a quick read that won't tax you too much then he's perfect for the job.
I read a interview with him recently and, according to the man himself, he writes an 80-page synopsis of the story, twist, characters and setting and then his co-writer writes the rest (with him editing their scripts on a daily basis and sending back revisions).