This is the third book by James Patterson and Bill Clinton, who collaborated on The President Is Missing and The President's Daughter. The authors make a good team since Patterson has a deft hand with mystery thrillers and Clinton has the inside scoop on politics and the presidency.
In this book the president of the United States, Madeline (Maddie) Parson Wright, is working on a groundbreaking piece of legislation.
President Wright's bill, which she calls The Grand Bargain, would ensure that the U.S. government could meet its ongoing obligations to the people, seize future opportunities, and maintain the capacity to address any threats. Wright is working both sides of the aisle to drum up support for The Grand Bargain, and she's optimistic about getting the legislation passed.
President Wright has other concerns as well. Her husband Cole Wright - The First Gentleman - is being re-scrutinized for decades-old scandals.
When Cole was an undergraduate at Dartmouth, and a champion on the Big Green football team, rumors spread that he raped a girl. The gossip was squashed and the story never made it to the newspapers or digital media.
A few years later, when Cole was a star football player with the The New England Patriots, a cheerleader named Suzanne Bonanno - whom Cole was dating - disappeared. Cole was a suspect, and there were several police investigations, but Cole was cleared of responsibility.
Now an investigative journalist called Garrett Wilson, who's published books about a CIA mole and a female soldier who should have received the Medal of Honor, is penning a book about Cole Wright. Wilson wants to PROVE The First Gentleman is guilty of rape and murder, (presumably) to get justice for the victims.
Wilson's researcher and romantic partner, Black attorney Brea Locke, is taking a sabbatical from her position as a law professor at Yale to help Garrett investigate Cole's past.
As part of their inquiries, Garrett and Brea contact Dartmouth alumni who might know something about the rape rumors. Brea gets in touch with former student journalists, as well as Cole's housemates, who can talk about his behavior. Brea wants to speak to the alleged rape victim, but the girl's identity is hard to unearth.
Regarding the missing cheerleader, Suzanne Bonanno, Brea speaks to the woman's family, and Garrett visits Suzanne's old boyfriend Tony Romero - a gangster who doesn't appreciate the attention. In fact Garrett is beat up for his efforts. Garrett and Brea also try to see the police files regarding Suzanne's disappearance, but EVERY PAGE is missing, which is explained as 'this happens sometimes.'
While Garrett and Brea are collecting information for Garrett's book, they stir up a lot of interest. They're followed; receive threatening phone calls; get ominous messages; are assaulted; have their belongings snatched; etc. Some people believe Cole is guilty, others believe he's innocent, and both sides stick an oar in.
Then, Suzanne Bonanno's remains are discovered, with a wristwatch that once belonged to Cole Wright!!
The upshot is that Cole is put on trial for murder. Thus President Maddie Wright must negotiate her Grand Bargain legislation - and take care of other responsibilities - while her husband is being tried. Maddie does much of this from a secure room in the courthouse.
In the midst of this, the Vice-President is hospitalized with colon cancer; there's infighting and backbiting among members of Maddie's administration; the U.S. threatens China for blockading Philippine fishing grounds; and more. All in all, it's a fraught situation.
Bit by bit, the story approaches a climax, and there are surprising revelations before the perpetrator is unveiled.
The novel rings true vis a vis the political machinations, but the murder mystery is less realistic. The killer's long-range plans are too complicated to ring true, and there are several mysterious characters, such as a gun-toting shooter; a furtive surveiller; a man who calls himself Brother; and more. This makes it hard to figure out who's who.
This novel is the least successful of the three Patterson-Clinton books. The President is Missing and The President's Daughter are exciting thrillers with lots of action. This novel, on the other hand, is slow-moving, repetitive, and lacking in excitement. Also, (for me) the romance between Garrett and Brea is overdone.
That said, I'd probably read another Patterson-Clinton book because the men make an interesting writing team.
James Patterson and Bill Clinton
3 stars
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