The President Is Missing

I found this hidden gem at the annual "Friends of the Library" semi-annual book sale. I'd heard about this novel when it originally came out in 2018. I didn't have the time or the opportunity to read it at that time. So, I was happy to come across this copy.
I'm a fan of Mr. Patterson, so I had high hopes for "The President Is Missing". I was certainly not disappointed! From the first page to the last, this well-written novel by Mr. Patterson and Ex-President Clinton held my interest. All of the characters were intriguing and realistic. Throughout the plot, I found myself wondering what our world would be like if these events actually took place. Even though this novel was published six years ago, a lot of the issues hold true today.
If show more you have not had the opportunity to read this older novel, I would highly recommend it! show less

It pains me to give such a high rating to a James Patterson book but I actually enjoyed this story, even at over 500 pages. The plot serves up a compelling, intricate thriller with interesting behind-the-scenes detail of how the U.S. government might react to a cyber-crisis. The main character, President Duncan, is way too good to be realistic but it's balm to any anti-Trump soul. Credit should also be given for the use of female characters as assassins, skilled hackers, political powerhouses, capable heroes, and deceitful villains. The number of important female characters in a political thriller is worth noting. The final two chapters felt excessive in making an obvious point but some readers will revel in the sentiments.

A fun book to read. Kept your interest. Premise way over the top! No way all the events described happen at the same time. Kirkus: It?s textbook synergy, as the marketers say: A media-savvy ex-president teams up with the ringmaster of mass-produced pop fiction to churn out a by-the-numbers thriller.It?s a telling sign of the times that the very first bit of text in this scrappy potboiler by Clinton (Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy, 2011, etc.) and Patterson (NYPD Red, 2012, etc.) is a shoutout to the lawyer who brought them together ?and occasionally cracked the whip.? That said, Clinton lifts generous hunks of his own presidential biography in this yarn celebrating the gnarly President Jonathan Lincoln show more Duncan (think William Jefferson Clinton, natch), who is being assailed on every side. There are Islamic terrorists, but worse, the Congressional committees grilling him from Page 1 on, questioning Benghazi-like episodes in which the Sons of Jihad have been mowing down innocent Americans. Then there?s the ?tall, leggy, busty? assassin who?s coming for the Prez without rancor but with clinical certainty. It doesn?t help that Duncan?s veep�?a parasite, living off her host?¥may be plotting to take over, nor that the media is given to leaking that he intends ?to try to cut a deal with the House Speaker to spare me impeachment if I agree to a single term in office.? And did we mention the killer computer virus that?s about to turn the switch on the information age? What?s a beleaguered politico to do when the klieg lights are on and the bullets are flying? Hunker down and hit the mattresses¥but then go all Jack Ryan or maybe even all Dubya (?In the coming dayswe will find out who are America?s friends and who are America?s enemies. Nobody will want to be an enemy?), recruit a Lisbeth Salander or two, line up NATO pals and maybe even the Russkis, and go mano a mano with the assembled bad guys, foreign and domestic.Formulaic but reasonably fun provided you have no expectations concerning probability or literary quality. show less

I would have given this an extra star for the somewhat inventive threat (a catastrophic computer virus released in the US), but I couldn't get past the preaching about collegiality (or the lack thereof) in politics today. Here's the thing I often wish authors would understand: You can make a moral or political point without "preaching." Show me the adverse consequences of whatever it is you are for or against. I don't need or want several pages of speechifying explaining your point in excruciating simplified logic even (especially?) if I agree with you.

THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING by James Patterson and Bill Clinton
Patterson would have done well to use former President Bill Clinton only as a resource and kept him away from the actual writing. This book is about 100 pages too long.
Terrorists are planning an attack on the United States and the president is a prime target. The plot is interesting and well plotted. The writing can be very verbose with little addition to the storyline. That said, I enjoyed the book and I skimmed parts of it with no impact on my enjoyment or the story.
3 of 5 stars

Looming Cyber-Disaster Averted by Bill Clinton's Alter Ego.

There's been a lot of hype around this book - written by former President Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson. In fact, that was the very reason I picked it up -- to see if it is worth all the hype. My answer: not quite.

It's a political thriller -- well-constructed and gripping (I read it in 3 days). If you're a fan of Richard North Patterson, you've probably read political thrillers like this.

Here's my plot summary: President Duncan (whom I assume to be Clinton's alter-ego), recently widowed and father to a single college-aged daughter, has only a few days to save the United States from what threatens to be an unimaginably disastrous cyber-terrorist attack. show more Working with only a handful of his closest confidants, a few trusted allies, and a bunch of ragtag computer geeks - the President must discover how to dismantle a computer virus before it crushes all the essential infrastructures that underlie the entire country.

Into this mix, sprinkle in a classical music loving assassin, a Middle East terrorist group, power struggles in Saudi Arabia, and a few suspicious Russians and you can see how this novel turns into a real page-turner. It's a fun and fast read.

My main criticism of the book is focused on the last couple chapters. I won't spoil it for you by describing any content. Let's just say I felt I was listening to a Bill Clinton political speech, rather than a satisfying resolution to a novel. show less

Look, I have a to-read list that realistically, I already won't finish in my lifetime unless the singularity occurs, and that's without adding any impulse reading to the list. But I was in the bookstore Bern train station, looking down the barrel of 12 hours of travel to get back home, all of my books AND all of my library ebooks that I'd brought with me already read and this was the only English language book that they had I'd ever heard of.

So. I didn't really have high expectations. And, you know, it kept me occupied for most of my flight, so that's a plus. But it's DUMB. So, so dumb. First of all, Clinton should not have written a book with a focal point of an impeachment scandal. Especially in which the impeachment scandal is show more apparently caused by the president trying to be a national hero. Also, the monologuing. So much monologuing. Most of which I ideologically agree with, but, still.

All of which would be forgivable if the action/adventure part of this show were good. Or lukewarm. It's 12 hours of travel time -- good is unnecessary. But it wasn't. It was dumb: first of all, there was very little action. Second of all the Surprise!Traitor was so obvious I called it 500 pages in advance. No exaggeration.

So, I guess, in conclusion, if you too have nothing to read and half a day of travel time and this is the only English language book you can find, go for it! In any less extenuating circumstances, do yourself a favor and find something else. show less