OVERVIEW
This is the third collaboration by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. I have read all three books, but this one is not the strongest (I think the second book was the best, by far).
I liked this book, but didn't love it. It was a fast and easy read; however, I figured out the mystery about one-third of the way through the book.
A huge pet peeve is the huge amount of white space in this book. It could have been consolidated so much better.
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
The writing is meh. I assume that President Clinton wrote most of the legal and president-adjacent material, which is the most interesting part of the series to me. James probably wrote the plot outline with President Clinton doing the heavy lifting.
I have felt that James' books have deteriorated in quality of writing for the past fifteen years or so. Most especially, once he started writing with partners.
Character development: 3.5 stars
The main characters are Maddy (the President), Cole (the First Gentleman), and Burton (the President's Chief of Staff). The three have been friends since they were undergrads at Dartmouth over twenty years ago.
The secondary characters are Garrett and Brea (a lawyer-journalist writing team) and Suzanne (a murdered woman).
The tertiary characters include various attorneys, mobsters, police, FBI, coworkers, family, and friends of the main and secondary characters. There are a lot of characters, which is to be expected in a procedural crime mystery.
The character development was adequate - it wasn't weak, but it wasn't strong either.
Storyline: 3.5 stars
The storyline is the discovery of Suzanne's body and the police and prosecution's case against the suspected killer. The plot goes in multiple directions, which helped me figure out the mystery.
The locations were New Hampshire, Dartmouth, and Washington, D.C.
Memorable/Informative: 4.0 stars
It really made me realize that politics is a "dog-eat-dog" proposition and how back-door deals make things run in Washington, D.C.
Book cover: 3.0 stars
I don't understand who it is or what it is about.
Book title: 4.0 stars
There was much more to the story - it wasn't just about the First Gentlemen.
Recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook
The First Gentlemen by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
474 pages
Little, Brown and Company
Release date: 6/2/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Alcohol, death of a parent, grief, cancer, medical content, gun violence, murder, death, car accident, violence, rape, and strong cursing.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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