Andrew Gross, a member of a notable New York apparel family, left behind a successful business career to become a prolific writer of nearly 20 crime and political thrillers. Among his achievements were five bestselling collaborations with James Patterson that reached the top of the bestseller charts. Gross passed away on April 9 at his home in Purchase, New York, at the age of 72.
His wife, Lynn Gross, confirmed that the cause of death was a rare form of bladder cancer.
As a solo author, Gross gained recognition for novels such as "Eyes Wide Open" (2011), "15 Seconds" (2012), "No Way Back" (2013), and "Everything to Lose" (2014). He was also celebrated for his series centered on Ty Hauck, a detective unraveling sinister secrets behind the gated estates of Greenwich, Connecticut.
Later in his career, Gross shifted his focus from fast-paced contemporary thrillers, often featuring ordinary individuals caught in intense criminal plots, to historical suspense novels.
His 2016 novel, "The One Man," follows a young Jewish man who escapes the Krakow ghetto during World War II and subsequently joins an American intelligence mission to rescue a famed physicist from Auschwitz. The book was praised for being both emotionally powerful and suspenseful.
Though he became a prolific author, Gross embarked on his writing journey later in life, making the transition from the corporate world in his 40s to pursue the demanding and solitary path of a novelist.
