Cover of “The President is Missing.” (Photo by Alvin I. Dacanay)
IF you don’t believe a President, even a former President, has power, check out The President is Missing (Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown & Co.; P745).
Even James Patterson changes his traditional writing formula when working with Bill Clinton. Patterson, whether alone or with seemingly scores of co-writers, regularly writes three- to four-page chapters in most of his books.
The President is Missing opens with an 11-page chapter, followed by a nine-page chapter, etc. These may be the longest chapters in the history of Patterson’s three-million books. Clinton is known for his verbosity, but it works here. And Patterson eventually regains control of the book—the longer it lasts, the shorter the chapters become.
All that said, The President is Missing is a fun read.
President Duncan, a war hero, faces possible impeachment for telephoning a known terrorist, but does not explain his actions to the public or Congress.
The reason? The nation faces a technological terrorist threat that could change the lives of every American. To thwart the threat, President Duncan must leave the White House, the press, his aides, and his Secret Service retinue behind. Duncan must take drastic measures to learn more about a dire situation.
Though their press tour was awkward a few weeks ago, as Clinton stammered through numerous interviews that took sharp turns into the Monica Lewinsky scandal during his presidency and Patterson sat quietly beside him, the two work well together writing a thriller.
The book cover notes The President is Missing is a novel above the names of the authors and the title, but readers must wonder how much of Duncan’s thoughts about facing impeachment mirror the thoughts of Clinton, who faced impeachment.
Questions worth pondering, but not too deeply. It will spoil the fun and the fear related to the characters spelling out what America would look like in the aftermath of a widespread technological terror attack.
Thrill seekers, don’t miss out on The President is Missing. VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES, GA./TNS
The President is Missing is now available in bookstores.
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