Latest news with #JamesPatterson
Irish Examiner
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
10 books for June: Michelle McDonagh, Bill Clinton, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and more
The First Gentleman, by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (June 2) Former US president Bill Clinton reunites with bestselling author James Patterson for this novel. Here, the first female president's husband is accused of murder. The world thinks he's guilty. How far will he go to prove his innocence? Eat The Ones You Love, by Sarah Maria Griffin (June 3) Writer and podcaster Sarah Maria Griffin brings a twisted, tangled story about workplace love affairs and plants with a taste for human flesh in her latest book. Think Little Shop of Horrors in a crumbling Irish shopping centre. Our Song, by Anna Carey (June 5) This is the first book for adults from award-winning novelist and scriptwriter Anna Carey. Tadhg and Laura used to be in a band together. Twenty years later she gets an email that could change everything: Tadhg wants to finish a song they started writing together. Some of this is True, by Michelle McDonagh (June 5) Cork crime writer Michelle McDonagh stays close to home in her latest book, where, on an icy morning in January, a young tourist's body is discovered at the bottom of the Wishing Steps at Blarney Castle. Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (June 5) Search #BookTok for recommendations and Jenkins Reid shows up time and time again. The author of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo returns with a love story set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle programme. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, by VE Schwab (June 10) A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family's estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. VE Schwab is the bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and her latest publication is a genre-defying novel. Thirst Trap, by Gráinne O'Hare (June 12) Three girls are beginning to unravel in their Belfast flat as they grieve the tragic death of their friend. Frequently mentioned as one of 2025's most exciting publications, Thirst Trap is a story about friendships that endure through the very best and the very worst of times. My Friends, by Fredrik Backman (June 19) Backman writes a deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger's life 25 years later. Backman, who lives in Sweden, is the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove. The Benefactors, by Wendy Erskine (June 19) The Benefactors is a daring, polyphonic presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland from Wendy Erskine in her debut novel. Erskine is a prolific short-story writer, with her collection Sweet Home published in 2018. Hunger by Choi Jin-young (June 26) This Korean bestseller details the cannibalistic relationship between a woman and her deceased boyfriend. Jin-young's novel became a cult classic sleeper hit that sold 350,000 copies and now has been translated into English by Soje.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'When the other side declares war on you, you still have to do the job': Clinton on being president and his new thriller
Former US President Bill Clinton and best-selling author James Patterson sat down with the BBC to discuss how real life informed their new political thriller, The First Gentleman. What happens when the president's husband is put on trial for murder? That's the conundrum at the heart of former US President Bill Clinton and thriller maestro James Patterson's latest collaboration, The First Gentleman. It's a novel that only those two could conjure up, after the huge success of their earlier books, 2018's The President Is Missing (three million copies sold) and The President's Daughter (2021). Patterson is as big as they come in the thriller world (with more than 230 million books sold worldwide) but as Clinton, a long-time fan of the genre, tells the BBC: "it was just an adventure in my old age" when they first collaborated. And it's clear while speaking to them in person just how much fun they're still having together. Their gripping new novel centres on US President Madeline Wright and husband, Cole Wright, a former professional American football star. He still carries the scars of his career and is looking for a purpose in the White House, as he fights to clear his name in a trial for the murder of a cheerleader more than 20 years ago. It's a classic police procedural-meets-courtroom drama, as journalists, detectives and political operatives all work to uncover the truth behind who killed the cheerleader and to exonerate the First Gentleman – or to destroy him – and his wife's political agenda. And, of course, the role of First Gentleman is one that President Clinton might have found himself taking on in 2017 if his wife, Hillary Clinton, had won the 2016 election against US President Donald Trump. It's clear that Bill Clinton's presidency is still with him as he writes. "There were times in the White House, and not just when the Republicans were trying to impeach me, but when we were going through really controversial hard things, where I had the feeling that I was – in the minds of those covering me – more a storyline than a story. We tried to get all that in there." Rather than focussing the narrative on the First Couple, however, the book has a pair of journalists at its core. Independent investigative journalist and lawyer Brea Cooke and her partner, Garrett Wilson, are digging into the disappearance of Suzanne Bonanno, a cheerleader who the First Gentleman was seeing back when he was playing for the New England Patriots football team 17 years earlier. It looks like Wright might have killed her, as Cook and Wilson unravel what really happened and where her body might be. Inspired by an iconic pair like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Patterson sees it as natural that journalists would be at the novel's centre, "journalists, sometimes they deserve what they get, but most journalists want to go after the truth… That's what we want journalists to do." Clinton, who had his own tussles with conspiracy-minded journalists through the years, agrees that even in an era of fevered partisanship honourable journalists will succeed: "I still think being able to stand up as a standout person who will tell the truth even when it means, 'I was wrong, but here's what I think the truth is.'" And when the story makes its Hollywood debut (it has been sold and is being written by Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight), it's likely that Brea Cooke will be the central character – the journalist digging for the truth. But The First Gentleman is not just a courtroom drama. It's also likely the first thriller in history to have as a central part of the plot a grand bargain on the US debt and spending. Without spoiling the ending, let's just say President Wright lays out how to solve entitlement spending and balance the budget. This book is coming out at the same time as Donald Trump and the Republican Party are laying out their own plans. Could President Wright's proposal work? Patterson jokes: "We have a big, beautiful bill in our book." Sneaking in some substantive information is all part of how they see their books connecting, says Clinton: "I think people don't mind learning something useful while being entertained by a hell of a good story." In their first book it was cybersecurity, now it's budget negotiations. 'In the beginning, it was a mess' And on their third outing, what have the writing pair learned from each other? For Patterson, it's all about research and authenticity, and after finishing his recent memoir, he's more focused on "paying much more attention to the sentences… I think I'm better than I've ever been, between keeping it real and being really conscious of the sentences." But even for this experienced pair, the first drafts of this book were tough. Patterson admitted that: "In the beginning, it was a mess, honestly, which we've never had before. We did not have the president, and they were not good characters. The journalists were not good characters. We kind of knew what the story was, but the characters were just all wrong." And then Clinton called him one night to say, "I have a real problem. I don't give a damn about any of these people." They added depth and scenes to draw the characters out. More like this: • The world's most misunderstood novel • Author Ann Patchett on finding kindness in chaos • Forty of the most exciting books to read in 2025 But as much as they are warm collaborators, they're also united by a certain outlook on life. Patterson describes it: "One of the things we have in common, I think we look at the world as not black and white. It's always complicated. It's subtle. There's shades, and I think that's one of the reasons we can work together." And in the end, what drives this novel to its twisting denouement is a sense of duty. Will the president do the right thing by her husband and by the country? The echoes are clear to Clinton: "One thing I know something about, when the other side declares war on you in the White House, you still have to show up and do the job." In a tumultuous moment, this thriller from a former president might offer an essential piece of advice for world leaders. Lucas Wittmann is the executive director of the Unterberg Center for Poetry and Literature at the 92nd Street Y in New York. He was previously an editor at Time and The Daily Beast. The First Gentleman by Bill Clinton and James Patterson is published by Century and is out now. --
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Book excerpt: "The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article. Former President Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson previously collaborated on thrillers set in the White House: "The President Is Missing" and "The President's Daughter," both #1 New York Times bestsellers. Now they've joined forces for their third novel, "The First Gentleman" (to be published June 2 by Little, Brown & Co.). In their latest thriller, the president of the United States is running for re-election while her husband stands trial for murder. Read an excerpt below, and don't miss Tracy Smith's interview with James Patterson and Bill Clinton on "CBS Sunday Morning" June 1! "The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now. Prologue President Wright AdministrationYear Three: September 1Brentwood, New Hampshire Cole Wright is sitting in the rear seat of a black up-armored Chevy Suburban, one of three in a convoy speeding its way down Route 125 in the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire. Two dark green state police cruisers, lights flashing, are leading this no-frills motorcade, scaled down for the occasion. The presidential limousine — the Beast — is back at the airport, along with the Secret Service counterassault team, support personnel, news media vans, and a fully equipped ambulance. Three years after the election, Cole still gets pumped from seeing traffic part like magic, even though he's well aware that it's for the convenience and safety of the woman sitting beside him — his wife, Madeline Parson Wright, the president of the United States. He's just the First Gentleman. A light drizzle spatters against the bulletproof windows. The agent accelerates to seventy along the two-lane highway. "Two minutes out," says Burton Pearce, the president's chief of staff. Pearce perches in a rear-facing jump seat across from the First Couple. He's pale and serious, wearing one of his many identical gray suits. "The Gray Ghost," staffers call him. The president nods without looking up. Cole glances over to see the CONFIDENTIAL stamps on the pages Maddy is reading as the convoy hums along. He knows those pages represent the biggest political gamble of her administration — of any administration. She should be in the Oval Office working the phones and twisting arms, but instead she's here with him. A powerful personal show of support. Maddy puts her briefing packet aside. Cole takes her hand and squeezes it. She squeezes back. "Don't worry," she says. "After all we've been through together, we can get through this too." The Suburban slows down to make a hard turn behind the police escort. Now the convoy is moving at just forty miles per hour. On both sides of the route, locals hold up crude hand-painted placards. WE BELIEVE IN YOU, COLE! STAY STRONG, COLE! KEEP MOVING, COLE! He looks out through the tinted side window. Almost game time. He can feel his muscles twitching, his focus narrowing, just like in his days as a tight end for New England — before the blown knee forced him out. He remembers how the tension in the Patriots locker room would build and build almost to the breaking point until the team ran out into the light, and when the cheers of the crowd washed over him, he'd think, Yeah, we're okay. We've got this. But today? Today he's not so sure. The redbrick facade of the Rockingham County courthouse comes into view. The road is lined with police barricades holding back hundreds — maybe thousands — of onlookers. Up here, some of the signs have a different tone. SCUM! MONSTER! JUSTICE FOR SUZANNE! "Don't worry about these people," says Maddy. "They don't know what they're talking about." "I don't care about the people on the road," says Cole. "I'm worried about the twelve people waiting for me inside." As the Suburban slows to a crawl, two women jump out in front and unspool a long banner. CONVICT COLE WRIGHT! SEND HIM STRAIGHT TO HELL! Thanks for the kind wishes, Cole thinks. 2 A thousand demonstrators, media people, and curious locals are crowded into the rain-slick parking lot. The convoy is passing through the tall evergreens flanking the pavement leading up to the courthouse when I realize I left my umbrella in my car. Too late. Rockingham County has never drawn security like this. Uniforms representing every law enforcement department in New Hampshire — from local cops to Fish and Game — are patrolling the courthouse steps. On the roof there's a detail of men and women in tactical gear and black baseball caps carrying sniper rifles. They're not even trying to hide. That's the job of their colleagues, posted in places nobody can see. I hear someone calling my name: "Brea Cooke? That you?" I look at the crowd. Mostly white. No surprise; the Granite State is around 89 percent Caucasian. It's a situation I got used to as a Black student at Dartmouth, about two hours north. Let's just say it's not unusual for me to stand out around here. I turn around. "Ron Reynolds!" Ron is a friendly face from the old days when he and my partner, Garrett Wilson, both reported for the Boston Globe. He's wearing his standard outfit — tan overcoat, khaki pants, and a tweed cap. His big press pass is dangling around his neck. I give him a quick hug. "Guess we both forgot our umbrellas." A guy in a thick camo jacket jostles by us and flicks a finger at Ron's press pass. "Fake news!" the guy shouts. Ron ignores him. "So why are you here?" I ask. "You could be in one of those gyms right now, dry and toasty. Probably getting a better view than this." "I get paid to get wet," says Ron. "Even if nothing happens." But something is happening. I've been waiting for this day a long time. I see flashing lights coming up the drive. Two state police cars and three big black SUVs. "It's them!" The lights are getting closer. I'm in the middle of the crowd, but suddenly I feel as alone as I've ever felt in my life. I close my eyes for a second. My mind whispers, Garrett. I blink hard. Not now! I need to focus. Capture this scene for my book. Our book. The one Garrett and I were working on together. Until he ... Ron points to the courthouse steps. "See the podium and the camera stands up there?" I nod. "What about them?" "All for show. No way the Secret Service allows the president and First Gent to go through the front entrance." "The crowd won't appreciate being tricked like that." "You're right," says Ron. "They came to witness history." So did I. The first time in history that a president's spouse is going on trial for murder. 3 The convoy crawls toward the entrance as cops push the crowds back. Inside the six-ton Suburban in the middle, Cole rubs his hands together nervously. Pearce leans forward in his jump seat and says, "The county sheriffs, state troopers, and Secret Service have carved out a path so we can go around to the rear of the courthouse. By the time the crowd and the press catch on, we'll be inside and out of sight." Hidden away, Cole thinks. "No," he says quietly. "That's not going to happen." Pearce blinks. "Excuse me?" "I said no. Going in through the rear of the courthouse signals that I'm guilty, that I have something to hide. Screw that. I'm going to run the ball straight through the line of scrimmage." The Suburban moves toward the driveway turnoff. Pearce is getting testy. "Cole, plans have been in place for days. Best to arrive via the rear from both a safety and PR viewpoint." But Cole is firm. "We go through the front door. That's final." He turns to his wife. "Maddy, will you say a few words on the courthouse steps?" It's a big ask. Maddy doesn't need to tell him the source of the tension in her eyes. The conflict between being his loving partner while serving as POTUS, leader of the free world, is etched on her face. Maddy looks at her chief of staff. "Cole is right, Burton. We go through the front entrance, heads held high." "But, ma'am, we're just about there. Arrangements have been made." Cole sees Maddy shift into commander-in-chief mode. Cool. Crisp. Decisive. "You've got a phone," she says. "Make new arrangements." 4 They're getting out!" Ron grabs my sleeve. Sure enough, I hear the slamming of heavy car doors and see movement at the front of the courthouse steps. The Secret Service is scrambling to clear a path to the podium. "That takes some brass ones!" Ron calls to me above the rising noise. A ring of dark suits surrounds President Wright and her broad-shouldered husband. The president walks up the wide steps and pivots to the podium. The crowd surges forward. Cops push back. Secret Service agents watch the sea of faces. And hands. Especially the hands. Looking for weapons. President Wright squeezes her husband's arm just before she leans into the microphones. "Ladies and gentlemen, my dear friends, I will make this short and to the point." I hear her voice echo across the parking lot. She pauses after each phrase to let the words sink in. "I have full faith and confidence in my husband's innocence, and I trust that the good citizens of New Hampshire, who have stood by my side over the years, will also support my husband during this time of crisis." The president turns and kisses her husband's cheek, making sure the cameras have a good angle. Then, as if it's an after-thought, she steps up to the mics again and says, "I believe in our legal system, and I'm confident justice will be done here." She takes her husband's hand. The Secret Service team surrounds them. As a unit, they walk up the steps to the courthouse doors. "Quite a performance," says Reynolds. "It was a performance all right. Pure theater. They're not a couple — they're a damn criminal enterprise." My outburst must surprise Ron. A second later, he heads off to gather quotes. Once again, I'm alone. I scan the masses. Almost every man, woman, and child is looking toward the courthouse, trying to get one last glimpse of the First Couple. On the far side of the parking lot, I spot the lone exceptions: a man and a woman, looking straight at me. I've seen these two before. My watchers. Damn. Not again. The crowd shifts, and they disappear. All around me, people are chattering and yelling, but their words are a blanket of white noise. Again my mind whispers, Garrett. I hold out my hand, half expecting to see him reaching for me. I fight back the tears as reality hits home. The love of my life, Garrett Wilson, is dead. And I believe the man inside that courthouse is responsible for his death. The First Gentleman. He might even have pulled the trigger. From "The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. Copyright © 2025 by James Patterson and William Jefferson Clinton. Reprinted by permission of Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved. Get the book here: "The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson Buy locally from For more info: "The First Gentleman: A Thriller" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (Little, Brown & Co.), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available June Foundation Extended interview: Capitol police chief Thomas Manger on one of "worst days in this job," more Key takeaways from Trump's event with Musk as he departs post Trump celebrates Musk as he departs "special government employee" post with DOGE
CBS News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Bill Clinton and James Patterson on their new thriller, "The First Gentleman"
Seems that there is always a lot going on behind the walls of the White House where truth can often be stranger than fiction. But fiction can be pretty compelling, too. In the new novel "The First Gentleman" (to be published June 2 by Little, Brown & Co.), the commander in chief is a woman, and her husband is accused of murder. It's the third collaboration from best-selling author James Patterson and his co-writer, President Bill Clinton. Little, Brown & Co. Was there a scenario in the book that Patterson couldn't have written without Clinton's help? "Oh, I couldn't have done any of it without him," Patterson said. "I would have been lost. But the other thing, you know, look, I mean, he's the expert on the first gentleman. You know, he was almost a first gentleman!" "Yeah, I thought about it for years. And it's the only political job I ever wanted and I didn't get!" Clinton smiled. "'Cause I really thought Hillary should be president." Clinton would have been the very first first gentleman had his wife, Hillary, won the 2016 election. And he says back then he did a lot of thinking about what his role would be as a presidential spouse: "How could I do this job in a way that I would be on-call to help if she needed me, but I wouldn't get in the way?" "That's the way I feel about this relationship: How can I help without getting in the way?" Patterson said. "I'm kind of the first gentleman of our [relationship]!" "If you believe that, I got some land in Arizona I want to show you!" Clinton laughed. And sometimes, their made-up White House looks almost like real life. In the book, the president keeps working through an agonizing personal crisis. During his 1999 impeachment proceedings, President Clinton kept working, too, with some of the very people who were trying to kick him out of the White House. "And they were amazed by it," he said. "They'd come and do business with me, [and] as far as they knew, I couldn't remember what was going on. And we would try to hammer out deals." In the midst of impeachment? "Because that's what I got hired to do," Clinton said. "The American people don't pay you to have personal feelings. They pay you to deliver for them." Clinton and Patterson have been delivering since 2018, with their first book about a president gone missing, and in 2021 their second about the president's daughter getting kidnapped. Both were bestsellers. But for them, it's really not all about work. Asked how their relationship has evolved over their three books together, Clinton replied, "We've played a lot more golf." Patterson said, "He's been president more times, but I have more holes-in-one." "Oh God. Well, I have one; he has nine," said Clinton. "How many Americans have nine holes-in-one?" "I know. That's sick," Patterson said. "Remember I'm a fiction writer." "Makes the craziness stop for a little while" I asked, "There's so much political drama in the world today, real-life political drama. Do you think that there's an appetite for political thrillers, for fictional political thrillers?" Patterson said, "I think so, 100%. I mean, one of the nice things here is you escape, but you don't totally escape reality. It's like, 'Yeah, I love this. I can't put it down.' Or 'I keep reading,' or in some cases to me what's even better, which is you don't want it to end. "I think it's useful, and 'cause so many people are wandering around, they go, 'Oh my God, oh my God, please make it stop'? This makes it stop for a little while, makes the craziness stop for a little while for people." Clinton said, "One reason I hope there's an appetite is… I hope that people will still believe in our democratic system enough to stick with it and keep pushing to make it work." During the summer, Patterson lives at his home on the Hudson River; the president is about five miles away. Former President Bill Clinton and writer James Patterson, with correspondent Tracy Smith. CBS News Asked what they may have learned about each other during the writing process, Patterson offered, "the notion … of not worrying about stuff that we can't do anything about. And if we can do something about it, try to do it." Their new book comes out tomorrow and they hope it's another bestseller. But if you spend any time at all with Patterson and Clinton, you get the sense that their partnership is about something money can't buy. I asked, "Back when you wrote your first book together, The New York Times said that the two of you 'complete each other in the Jerry Maguire sense.'" "Well, we kinda do," Patterson said. "This has been driving me for months now, which is: my time here is short. What can I do most beautifully? And in this case, doing another book with my friend is a beautiful thing to do." READ AN EXCERPT: "The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson WEB EXCLUSIVE: Watch an extended interview with Bill Clinton and James Patterson For more info: Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Jason Schmidt.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Murders, ghosts and crime, oh my! New thriller books to keep you reading all summer
Murders, ghosts and crime, oh my! New thriller books to keep you reading all summer Like your books as dark and unpredictable as a summer thunderstorm? Thrillers are the perfect pick for your next summer read, whether you're taking it to the beach, on a road trip or curling up inside your air-conditioned living room. They've got just enough action to keep you turning the page and stay on top of your 2025 reading goal. And this year is already off to a thrilling start, with new high-stakes reads from Bill Clinton and James Patterson, S.A. Cosby, Alafair Burke and Stephen King. New thriller books to read this summer Here are 8 new thriller books published in 2025 to check out this summer, complete with chilling murders, creepy coincidences and twisted characters. 'The Dark Maestro' by Brendan Slocumb (out now) Music lovers and thriller readers rejoice – 'The Dark Maestro,' like Slocumb's other novels, is in perfect harmony with both. This thriller follows cello prodigy Curtis Wilson, who is forced to enter the witness protection program because of trouble with his drug-dealing father. Devastated to give up his music career, Curtis and his family realize they must take on the criminals to survive. 'A Thousand Natural Shocks' by Omar Hussain (out now) In 'A Thousand Natural Shocks,' a California journalist lives a double life. By day, he investigates the reemergence of a notorious serial killer. By night, he becomes entrenched in a criminal cult that promises him pills that erase trauma from his memory. But as he starts to lose his memories and sense of self, he discovers something even more sinister about the cult. 'The First Gentleman' by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (out June 2) The third thriller from the former president and bestselling author follows a First Gentleman on trial for murder. Journalist couple Brea and Garrett think they have the book deal of a lifetime investigating a potential murder by First Gentleman and former Patriots linebacker Cole Wright. Decades-old secrets unspool and threaten all involved, as well as the carefully crafted economic legislation the President is about to announce. 'The Ghostwriter' by Julie Clark (out June 3) In this new thriller, a ghostwriter is asked to write about the night her father's two siblings were found dead in their home in 1975. His silence on the matter crystallizes him as a potential suspect in the public eye, and the notoriety only increases when he becomes a horror writer. Now he's ready to tell his story. 'Glass Girls' by Danie Shokoohi (out June 24) Published under thriller queen Gillian Flynn's imprint, 'Glass Girls' follows Alice Haserot, a woman with the unique gift to channel ghosts. She's pregnant, and struggles with whether to keep the baby and pass on a curse that's plagued her family for generations. When her estranged family forces her to come home and use her gifts, the life she tried to escape catches up with her. 'Our Last Resort' by Clémence Michallon (out July 8) In 'Our Last Resort,' a brother and sister who were driven apart by an unspeakable tragedy are reunited after the brother is accused of murder. It's also not the first time Gabriel, the brother, has been accused of murder. The investigation forces Frida, the sister, to revisit their cult upbringing and reckon with the evidence mounting against him. 'Not Quite Dead Yet' by Holly Jackson (out July 22) This is the first adult novel from the author of 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder,' and it follows a young woman trying to solve her own murder. On Halloween night, Jet, the daughter of a wealthy New England family, is violently attacked by a person unknown. It leaves her with a catastrophic head injury that the doctors are sure will trigger a fatal aneurysm in a week – a deadline she'll try and use to find the enemy set on killing her. 'A Twist of Fate' by Se-Ah Jang (out July 29) 'A Twist of Fate' follows two women who meet on a train that changes the course of their lives. Jae-Young is on the run after murdering her abusive boyfriend when she meets a chatty mother and her infant son. But then the woman disappears, leaving her child for Jae-Young with instructions for how to get him to her in-laws. There, the in-laws assume Jae-Young is their daughter-in-law. Could this be the new life she was looking for? More books to read: Most anticipated releases for summer 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@
