Best-selling author James Patterson is bringing a multimedia, interactive-fiction experience based on his forthcoming thriller “The Chef” exclusively to Facebook Messenger.
Starting Oct. 30, Messengers users will be able to delve into the book’s New Orleans-set storyline and engage with characters, locations and clues via interactive video and sound clips. The book, published by Little Brown and Co., has a release date Feb. 18, 2019.
“Ten years ago, if you told me I’d see one of my novels come to life through scrolling chat bubbles, video and audio content, I would have laughed,” Patterson, who has more than 3.3 million followers on Facebook, said in a statement. “But exploring new ways to connect with fans is important to me and Messenger’s experience for ‘The Chef’ not only makes the story more accessible to readers across new generations, but offers an enticing and thrilling read like never before.”
In “The Chef,” New Orleans police detective Caleb Rooney — who moonlights as the proprietor of the Killer Chef food truck — comes under investigation for a murder he is accused of committing in the line of duty. While fighting the charges, Rooney discovers his city is under threat of attack and he has to follow a trail of clues to stop the would-be terrorists.
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More than 1.3 billion people worldwide use Facebook Messenger on a monthly basis. In addition to “The Chef” experience on Messenger, other Facebook content and activations for the book are slated to include: Facebook Live Q&As with Patterson; Instagram profiles for the main characters; and a Facebook group dedicated to “The Chef.”
“It’s very exciting to see an author as renowned as Patterson pushing the limits of his craft to bring new forms of entertainment to his fans,” said Erin Murray Manning, head of influencer partnerships at Facebook, said in a prepared statement.
To access “The Chef” on Facebook Messenger, users must open the mobile app and search for “The Chef by James Patterson” in the search bar. After tapping the icon for “The Chef,” users then tap on “Start Reading” to begin.