The book follows Berryman on his hits and also those leading the manhunt for him. The Thomas Berryman Number was Patterson’s first foray into the world of published literature, and the titular character is a hit-man named Thomas Berryman. It was during this period in advertising that Patterson wrote and published his first novel. After graduating from Vanderbilt University with an MA in English, Patterson moved into the world of advertising, which is the career he stayed in until the mid 1990s.