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Mint
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Bill Clinton & James Patterson's thriller ‘The First Gentleman': A murder, a cheerleader, and a Presidency on the line
Former US President Bill Clinton and thriller writer James Patterson have reunited for a gripping new novel, The First Gentleman, set to hit shelves on June 2, 2025. The book marks the duo's third high-stakes political thriller following their successes The President Is Missing (2018) and The President's Daughter (2021). At the heart of The First Gentleman is an explosive premise: the President of the United States is a woman—and her husband stands trial for murder. President Madeline Wright is facing re-election when the nation is rocked by allegations that her husband, Cole Wright, a former NFL star and now First Gentleman, murdered a cheerleader nearly two decades earlier. As the legal drama unfolds, the stakes go far beyond the courtroom. The accusation threatens to derail Wright's political career and destroy her efforts to pass a crucial economic reform package dubbed the 'Grand Bargain.' Unlike their previous thrillers, Clinton and Patterson shift the spotlight in The First Gentleman to two dogged investigative journalists—Brea Cooke, a lawyer-turned-reporter, and her partner Garrett Wilson. The duo becomes central to the plot as they dig into the long-cold case of Suzanne Bonanno, a Patriots cheerleader who disappeared while allegedly involved with Cole Wright 17 years earlier. What begins as a journalistic investigation spirals into a sprawling political and legal thriller, with the reporters uncovering hidden motives, and deadly secrets that threaten to shake the White House. Packed with courtroom confrontations, political sabotage, and high-stakes decision-making, The First Gentleman combines Patterson's trademark pacing with Clinton's insider knowledge. The novel promises readers an intense ride through the corridors of power, media scrutiny, and a murder mystery that could determine the future of a presidency. Clinton and Patterson's unique collaboration has already yielded millions in book sales and popular acclaim. With The First Gentleman, they explore uncharted territory—America's first female president and the unprecedented scenario of a First Gentleman accused of murder. The book continues the duo's tradition of blending real-world insight with page-turning suspense. The First Gentleman goes on sale June 2, 2025, and is published by Little, Brown and Company.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Bill Clinton and James Patterson reveal key White House details in new political thriller
Bill Clinton and James Patterson reveal key White House details in new political thriller Show Caption Hide Caption Bill Clinton and James Patterson talk new political thriller book Bill Clinton and James Patterson release "The First Gentleman," using Clinton's White House experience to shape their third political thriller. WHITE PLAINS, NY – Most former presidents write memoirs after they leave the White House. Former President Bill Clinton has been there, done that. First on his literary agenda now? Writing political thrillers. Clinton is a thriller reader himself, but more than that he just really wanted a chance to work with bestselling author James Patterson. Their third novel, 'The First Gentleman" is out now from Little, Brown and Company. Sitting down for an interview with USA TODAY, the prolific pair catch up like a couple of old friends – Clinton shares a story of tourists he spotted reading his wife's book while in Korea and gives Patterson the name of a new author to check out. 'He reads everything,' Patterson tells me. Both love S.A. Cosby, Michael Connelly and Lee Child. In their latest novel, the fictional Madame President Wright's husband is on trial for murder, a potential crime uncovered by journalist couple Brea and Garrett. Not only is it harmful to the White House image for the first gentleman and former Patriots player to be accused of murder, but it threatens to upend the carefully crafted economic 'Grand Bargain' the president is nearly ready to announce. It's a twisty thriller with plenty of inside jobs, political sabotage and many, many deaths. Clinton and Patterson take us inside their writing process, revealing how they weave details pulled from real life with fictional characters to create the next big nail-biter. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Question: How has your collaboration changed over three books? Patterson: I don't think it's changed. Other than, I will say, I think this turned out really, really well. If somebody's looking to read a book with really good characters and great story or if they want to find out sort of how Washington really works, I think this is really cool for either one of those kinds of people. But initially we had, it was a little bit of a problem in terms of getting the characters real. They weren't working and we just kept going at it. Clinton: We had this just gut-wrenching conversation because in the beginning, we were excited – what would it be like to write a book that was from the point of view of the first gentleman, the first woman president's husband? It had all kinds of fascinating ramifications. But then something happened while we were doing it and I realized we hadn't created anybody you could like. Patterson: We have these two (reporters) and they weren't working, either, in the beginning. When people think of my writing, they go 'short chapters,' but the whole thing is character. Alex Cross is, in my opinion, a great character. Lindsay Boxer is a really good character. The characters in "First Gentleman," there are four of them, are really good characters, and that's the key. Obviously (Clinton) was key in terms of making those characters work, especially in the White House. Clinton: People (in the White House) struggle to maintain some measure of normalcy, however they define it. Even though you have to be ambitious to be elected president and disciplined to execute the job, you're still a person. We all react differently to different things that happen. So we try to capture that. Patterson: The humanity. I wish we could get back to the understanding that whatever party you're with, (we are) human beings. I'll give you one quick example: Last year, the president called the house and my wife and he said, put it on (FaceTime). And there he was with his grandkids, and he was in a tiger suit with only his face showing. Human being! Right, and in this book, all the first gentleman wants to do is go on a run with no one bothering him. Patterson: President Clinton used to go on runs. Clinton: I went running every morning for years. I still have the M&M's box that I was given by the head of my security detail on my 100th run when I was president. I loved it. Patterson: Once M&M's get 20 years old you don't eat them anymore. Are there any other signature Clinton White House details that made it into the book? Patterson: You have a relationship with a man and a woman, and obviously, it would've been possible at one point for President Clinton to be the first gentleman. Clinton: It's the only job I ever wanted that I didn't get. Is that why you chose to make a female president in this book? Clinton: I had thought a lot about, long after I left the White House and Hillary was running, and I thought about it. This character, he and his president wife, they're closer to the age Hillary and I were when we actually served. So I was thinking about, even though he was a pro football player and macho guy, he was really proud of his wife. He wanted her to succeed. He wasn't threatened by her being president, but he could be threatened by people making certain assumptions about him, like he was a dumb jock, which he's not. Patterson: But is he a murderer? Clinton: We keep that hanging a long time. In the book, President Wright is trying to pass legislation to address Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. How did you come up with the 'Grand Bargain'? Clinton: I knew what the drivers of the debt are and what the politics pushing against real change are, and so I tried to think of the things we could do to get it under control that would be the most bearable, both for people and politically. Patterson: It's a fascinating thing. How do you solve the problem with Social Security and Medicaid? And there is, you know, there's in the book, there is a solution. It's complicated, which is kind of cool. You don't hear anything (today), about, well, how do we solve these problems? I'd like to hear that right now. Yes, there is a problem. Clinton: Medicaid pays for about 40% of all childbirth and pays for an enormous percentage of senior citizens' health care and a lot of other stuff. It's really important. So this bill that's just been presented cuts Medicaid in order to help pay for a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. In all respect, (Patterson) and I don't need a tax cut. We'd rather have people with health care. So these are choices, and unless people understand that these choices are being made, they can't know clearly whether they're against or for whatever's being proposed. Patterson: This lays out that there is an alternative to that which makes sense and we don't have to cut things off for people who really need help. What was it like crafting fictional presidential addresses? Clinton: I imagined what I would say if confronted with the challenges she was confronted with. If you really want to change something, people like to hear about it in speeches and imagine it, but it almost always requires a mind numbing, detail-written piece of legislation – not always, but mostly. So, I tried to figure out how to sell it in the speech and describe how complicated the legislation would be without putting people to sleep. I found it difficult, but I think it's important, because one thing I learned the hard way is if you can't explain it, you can't sell it, and if you can't sell it and it's hard, you're going to get creamed. The problem we describe is something like what really exists today. Except today, it's in many ways more severe. It's just that our economy has been, for the last 20 years, or now 30 years, stronger than any other one in the world. Patterson, were there any details about the presidency or White House that Clinton added that surprised you? Patterson: A lot of little things. I might set a scene and he'd go: 'It can't happen in that room. That room is so small, there's not room for three people in that room.' And anytime it pops up: 'The Secret Service wouldn't act like that. They would act like this.' A lot of the thriller writers that we all like, they just make stuff up. When you're working with a president, you just can't make it up, because he'll go: 'No, it wouldn't work that way. Here's how it could work.' One of the beauties of this book, and the three that we've done, is that it's a really good story with really good characters, but it's also authentic. Did you have a favorite character to write? Patterson: Favorite character for me is Brea – she just develops, she gets stronger and stronger for a lot of reasons, and there is one big twist in there, and that really propels her as a character. Clinton: I agree with that, and one of the reasons I liked her is that she's smart and brave and good and honest, but in the beginning of the book, she thinks something that's very wrong about a big issue, and when she knows she's wrong, she turns on a dime and does the right thing. You don't see that much in Washington. Patterson: Or in general. Clinton: There are people that think that you never admit error. You accuse other people of doing what you're doing, and you roll along. The worst thing you can do is admit that she made a mistake. I like her because she's playing in the big leagues − her whole life is on the line, and she still does the right thing. Patterson: We've sold this in Hollywood and ... the production companies go, 'Well, maybe we should cast (First Gentleman) Cole.' I'm going like, no, you better cast Brea, because Cole, he's a good character, but Brea, she's real, and Garrett, her partner, they are really key characters. And the president herself, but Cole, eh, I don't know. Not as big a character. Who would be your dream actor to play her? (Brea, the protagonist, is Black). Patterson: There's so many. I mean, that's the beauty right now − one of the nice things that's happened in Hollywood, especially with Black actors, so many have been discovered. There are so many choices. What are you excited for readers to see in this story, especially fans of your last two thrillers? Clinton: I'm excited for them to see, first of all, that there's still room for citizen activism that can make all the difference in the world, from people who just want to do the right thing, like Brea and Garrett. Secondly, I want them to see that a president and her husband are people. No matter what's going on, she's still got to go to work every day. If she thinks (Cole) machine-gunned half a dozen people, she's still got to go to work. Nobody else can make these decisions. I want them to see how staff behaves, senior staff, and when they're honorable and when they're not, and what a difference it can make, because you can't be president unless you can trust them. You have to have some people you trust. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's books reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
James Patterson says latest release may be 'the most important book I've done by far'
James Patterson says latest release may be 'the most important book I've done by far' Show Caption Hide Caption For the love of books | The Excerpt Podcast Best-selling author James Patterson and viral librarian Mychal Threets talk about their shared love of books. James Patterson doesn't need any more money. He's the first to admit it. "I really don't," he says. "That's not why I wrote this book." The new book in question from the prolific gagillion-selling author of thrillers (OK, for the record, it's 319 books written and 450 million copies sold worldwide) is in fact not only a labor of love, but also a love letter to fellow fathers. "The #1 Dad Book: Be the Best Dad You Can Be – In 1 Hour!," out May 12 ($25, Little, Brown and Company), sounds a bit like it got its title from a late night infomercial. But there is some truth in that bold advertising. The slim volume actually can be read in about 60 minutes (that's what the "1 Hour" in the title refers to) and features short chapters with titles such as "Be Consistent, Consistently," a litany of dad-experience quotes from friends ("Sometimes you have to let them sink to learn how to swim"), and a breezy voice that eschews hectoring for cajoling ("You've probably figured out that not everyone is in love with the sound of your voice," Patterson writes. "But guess what? Your baby is.") For Patterson, proud father with wife Susan to son, Jack, 27, the book was a way to help guys who "just don't know how to talk about such things with other guys, but they need someone to talk to and I just figured I'd offer some advice, that's all." For James Patterson, being a father meant being more emotive than his own had been The author's own father might have benefited from this book, Patterson says. "The only time I got a hug from my father was on his death bed," Patterson tells USA TODAY. "That was just the era. He grew up in a poor house, he didn't have a father, didn't know how to be a father. He was a good guy in his own way, but you talk about distance. Anyway, that's still an issue for some dads today; dads who can't say I love you and don't hug." "The #1 Dad Book" tackles hugs, of course. In the chapter "You're Not A Hugger? You Will Be in a Minute," Patterson relates the short story of visiting a friend with two hulking football player sons. When the kids started to head out the door, their father called them back saying, "Where do you think you two are going?" And he gave them hugs. "And that's when that routine became a part of my life, and Jack's, because every night he got a hug," says Patterson, smiling. "Jack's a good kid, he calls us every day." Likely many fathers and fathers-to-be will recognize some familiar themes in the book. A few that Patterson highlights include being truly present (don't talk to your kid while you, or they, are half-looking at a phone) and growing up. Fast. In the chapter called "Tattoo This Behind Your Eyeballs," Patterson is blunt with dads. "We're pals now, right? So you can take it when I give you some bad news," he writes. "It's time to grow ... No more BASE jumping, no more treks to Burning Man, no more swimming with sharks," no more beer league softball tournaments or all-day golf outings (this from Patterson, an avid golfer). "It's just hugely important, because you're taking on a big new responsibility and you have to step up," Patterson says. "And hopefully you're cool with it." Dads, make sure you're talking with friends about fatherhood along with sports, says James Patterson Patterson also encourages men to seek out male friends who are willing to talk about dad issues, instead of "just what's going on with the local sports team." He notes that these days, "it's often women that are the primary bread winners, and some guys are just lost as a result, they don't know what their role is, and sometimes there's a lot of anger which is not useful for anyone." So is there any advice he's doling out in "The #1 Dad Book" that he wishes he'd gotten years ago upon entering his first fatherhood years? Patterson mulls a bit. Turns out, for him it was paying closer attention to Jack. "I was always home and around for him, but I could have been more present," he says, noting that while he was writing at home he often was lost in his projects. "I was there, but I wasn't ... I could have done more trips I didn't want to do, like going to the Galapagos, things like that. I'm not big on it, but Jack, he would have liked that." With this book, which Patterson says cryptically he "won't make money on, they way I've structured it," he's hoping that perhaps wives and daughters will pick one up for "husbands and fathers and maybe those two knuckle-headed brothers." Patterson leans back in his office chair. "This honestly could be the most important book I've done by far," he says. "It doesn't matter if someone reads an Alex Cross book. I mean, of course it's nice, but you know." Then almost as a challenge to dads everywhere, he adds: "It's one hour, dude. One hour ... you can't improve your golf game in an hour but here, maybe you can learn a few things in that short amount of time that will make you a little bit better father, or partner. And that's a good thing."
Buzz Feed
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
People Are Sharing The "Great" Books That They Honestly Struggled To Finish
Sometimes, no matter how classic or well-written a book is, it might not connect with the reader the same way it does with other readers. On the popular bookworm-filled r/books subreddit, u/myawn asked readers to share a well-regarded book they struggled to finish. Here are some answers that will either have you stunned or relieved you're not the only one: 1. Dracula by Bram Stoker "This book is my nemesis. I must have tried it three times and never got even halfway through. Something about the format of diaries and letters just doesn't do it for me and breaks up my immersion in the story. I also find Jonathan and Mina's characters to be quite bland, though admittedly, I never got very far. For the supposedly quintessential novel on vampires, I have to say I was disappointed." — u/myawn 2. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville 3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 4. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Little, Brown and Company / Via 5. Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 6. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway "Anything written by Hemingway. I can't stand his writing style; it's just mind-numbing to me. I still remember the paragraph from A Farewell to Arms with the word 'and' like 30-plus times in it." — u/nildrohain454 7. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 9. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Simon & Schuster / Via "I LOVE Ray Bradbury, and I know it's an iconic book, and the first line is still one of my favorites ever. It was just boring to me." — u/spanish_destiel 10. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo Penguin Classics / Via "I feel like you have to be in a great place in your life to be able to read this book and not get depressed. I wasn't at my best when I started reading it and stopped when I realized it was only making me feel even worse about life." — u/inps37 11. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Penguin Classics / Via 12. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon 13. Don Quixote by Cervantes Penguin Classics / Via 14. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace "I'd read it was the most brilliant book. I picked it up in the library, read 10 pages, decided it was over my head or something, and put it back." — u/Charlie500 15. A Widow for One Year by John Irving 17. The Aeneid by Virgil Penguin Classics / Via "I don't know why because I really liked The Iliad, The Odyssey, and even Metamorphoses, which I would think would be the odd one out of the four. It's just Virgil that rubs me the wrong way. I've read them all at least once by the same translator, so I don't think that's it." — u/ElricAvMelnibone 18. Neuromancer by William Gibson Penguin Publishing Group / Via "I've tried to read it several times but never get more than 10-20 percent in before I decide I don't want to read it anymore." — u/mrburnttoast79 19. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett Harper / Via "I can't get through The Color of Magic, which boggles my mind! I've been a fantasy reader for decades! I don't like it!" — u/KDLG328 20. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Penguin Classics / Via "I've tried many times with increasing levels of determination, but I can never make it through that first party scene." — u/BaileyGirl5 21. The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King Pocket Books / Via "It took me a few times to get through The Dark Tower, but I was able to get through it; it was worth it because most of the series is really good." — u/nyrdcast 22. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides Picador / Via "It has been recommended to me lots of times. I've started and stopped many many times. I think this is just going on my DNF list and leaving it at that." — u/72_Suburbs 23. Dune by Frank Herbert Ace / Via "I f*cking hated it. I despised every single character, and eventually stopped wasting my time reading it and just listened to the audiobook until it was over, rooting for everyone to die." — u/Vanish_7 24. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Avon / Via "I couldn't get through it and stopped mid-way. The main character was just too dumb and Literally every time this guy spoke, I imagined a drooling six-year-old in my head." — u/TheBackpacker2 25. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson Gollancz / Via "I finished it, but it was a huge struggle. To me, that book is everything wrong with mainstream fantasy writing condensed to a brick of a book." — u/Electronic_Basis7726 26. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Vintage / Via "It was really hard to get through." — u/ztreHdrahciR 27. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Penguin Classics / Via "As boring as the dirt on their wagon." — u/Damnmorefuckingsnow 28. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger Little, Brown and Company / Via "My teacher would talk about it so much I had really high expectations for it, but idk, maybe soon I'll give it another try." — u/janepaches33 29. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill Vintage Classics / Via "It's not even a long book and should be able to be read quickly, but I just can't get into it." — u/BellePoivron 30. The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas Bloomsbury YA / Via "Everyone I know has said so many good things about the Throne of Glass series and has told me to start with The Assassin's Blade …big mistake. It took me MONTHS to get through, and it's a fairly small book. I don't know if it was the POV, the character, or what. I usually love Sarah J. Mass and her other series, but because of that first book, I can't get myself to open Throne of Glass." — u/SimpleResearcher8334 31. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin Random House Worlds / Via "A friend lent me the first book sometime in the mid to late 2000s, and I absolutely couldn't get through. I found the number of POV characters bothersome and often found myself having to go back and skim through previous chapters in order to remember what had last happened in that character's arc. Combined with being genuinely bored by at least one of these characters, I just couldn't find the motivation to finish the book." — u/DasMotorsheep 32. And lastly: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Knopf Books for Young Readers / Via "I'm studying to be a librarian, and the one that got me was The Book Thief. It's a young adult novel that is widely renowned, but I felt like it was a chore to get through. there wasn't a compelling plot and so much wordy prose I felt like I was reading A Room of One's Own! Wasn't what I was expecting from a YA novel for middle school." — u/rosmitchell0rosmitchell0 Is there a book you found difficult to finish (if you finished it at all)? Comment below and share with me why!
New York Times
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
She Brings Diverse Voices to Book Publishing
When Sally Kim started in the publishing industry more than 30 years ago, in her experience, 'only editors could sit at the table,' she said. 'The assistants would stand behind them, listening.' 'I remember pitching a book I wanted to buy in a meeting where I wasn't allowed to speak,' she said. 'I was too junior. They were doing me a favor.' Ms. Kim isn't silent anymore. Nor is she standing behind anyone. Her seat is at the head of the table, as president and publisher of Little, Brown and Company, one of the oldest publishers in the United States, which consists of six imprints and falls under the Hachette Book Group umbrella. A Korean American whose parents immigrated to the United States, Ms. Kim is the company's first Asian American woman to hold that position. Previously, she was senior vice president and publisher at G.P. Putnam's Sons. She said she had spent the past year at Little, Brown and Company inviting everyone, regardless of their position, to pull up a chair and find a seat at the table. 'Giving everyone a voice is a priority,' Ms. Kim, 51, said, 'so is reading projects together, weighing in and sharing their perspectives.' Ms. Kim grew up in Los Angeles. She now lives with her husband and two children, 12 and 14, in Westchester County, N.Y. During her career, she has acquired more than 100 books, including Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age,' Robert Jones Jr.'s 'The Prophets,' and Gillian Flynn's 'Sharp Objects.' This interview, done in person at Hachette's office in Midtown Manhattan, has been edited and condensed. What is it like to be the first Asian American woman president and publisher at Hachette? Ten years ago, they never would have hired someone like me for this position. Coming up in publishing, I had no one who looked like me, especially in editorial. I didn't use that as a discouragement. I had to make my own reality. I'm now approaching this job as a huge right, and it colors everything I do, and every decision I make, and every person I hire. I spent my early years trying to conform, to play by the rules or make up for what I felt was lacking in my background, connections and education. I realize I cannot extract my identity and my Asian Americanness. What have you learned about yourself over the past year as president? That not fitting the mold and being a woman of color are my greatest assets. I learned I'm cut out for this job. I've learned to embrace my unique perspective because that's how I make change visible in what I do. What are some specific examples of changes you've implemented? I canceled our big standing acquisitions meetings, along with other reports and forms, as they didn't serve our purpose of connecting more books to readers. Marketing and publicity directors came to editorial meetings, which before were only editorial. I hired 24 new people, which is reflected in every different department including art, marketing, publicity and editorial. Meetings are now structured so everybody gets a turn to speak. We're buying more books as paperbacks to make them more affordable to readers. What results are you seeing from the changes you've implemented? Because we are a year or two out in terms of bringing a book to a reader, those results aren't available yet. But the changes I've made have shifted the culture, the energy and vibrancy here. We're starting to see the new DNA reflected in the people who are here and in the lists we are building. We're buying new books with diverse voices in different categories. Our covers, copy and the way we market, even talk about our books, have changed. How are you investing in diversification? My commitment to diversity is not just about race, it's about class and subjects of genres. And whom we hire, which are editors from diverse backgrounds like Nadxieli Nieto, who is the editorial director at Algonquin. Her mission is to lift up undiscovered voices who were being ignored — Southern voices, Latinx and writers of color, different forms of identity and orientation. How will you guide the next generation of women entering publishing? By helping them identify who they are, the space they want to create, and helping them see their diversity as an asset. By encouraging people to use their uniqueness as their superpower, and helping them find what their superpower is. That was not the message I got in publishing. It was all about conforming. Having people see an Asian woman in this position, especially since I didn't see any people who looked like me, is helping other people realize they can achieve this, too. I'm also teaching them how to be a good editor and how to think like a publisher. And by giving people, especially other women, positions of power and the opportunity to buy books that they believe in, that will amplify underrepresented voices and authors.
