The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

There has been much hype about this writing duo and the release of this book. This is Bill Clinton’s first foray into fiction, as he has previously published his memoirs as well as a few books on society and economy. James Patterson, on the other hand, is well versed in writing a political thriller.

This book is written from the point of view of the US president who believes that a terrorist attack is about to occur. The book is set in real time, over the course of three days. President Duncan, finds himself in an almost impossible situation. He is currently battling with Congress, who believe the President is working to protect the Sons of Jihad, a known terrorist organisation, and its leader, Suliman Cindoruk. President Duncan denies this but is unable to share exactly what he does know. This leads to a standoff with Congress and talk of Impeachment. The President is thus forced to go in disguise and go off the grid to try and save America from a terrorist attack.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book. I felt it was way too long and not very thrilling. I found parts that were obviously inspired by Bill Clinton and his time as president to be preachy. Also, I felt at times it was very obvious what was going to happen in the story. This is the first time I have ever read James Patterson, so maybe I am just not a fan of his writing, but overall I felt at least a third of the book could have been edited out. For example, in the first 100 pages of the book, I felt as if nothing happened. I only continued on with the book because of the hype the book has generated. Perhaps if you are a die-hard Patterson fan you may love it, but for me it was definitely a disappointment.

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You can reserve a copy online at South Dublin Libraries’ catalogue here.