James Patterson on Completing Michael Crichtons Final Novel: One of the Best Things Ive Done (Exclusive) [Video]

When James Patterson was tapped to finish the late Michael Crichton‘s final manuscript, he knew he had quite a task ahead of him.

Crichton, the celebrated author of books like Congo and Jurassic Park, director of movies like Westworld and Coma, and creator of the medical drama ER, died of cancer in 2008 at 66, leaving a pregnant widow Sherri and an enormous body of research behind. When Sherri began sorting through it and found the manuscript that would become Eruption, out June 3, she knew she needed to find someone special to complete the story. She spent the next 15 years trying to find that writer.

“I really immersed myself in his work, so when I found the right person to [complete] this story, they had everything they needed,” she explains.

For more on Michael Crichton and James Patterson, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

…