THRILLER

The First Lady

By James Patterson, PenguinRandomhouse, $37

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This is not so much a pure sequel to the recently published The President is Missing (written with Bill Clinton) as a combination sequel and counterpart. There is a bit of Clinton history in it too.

President Tucker is campaigning for re-election, yet an affair has been publicised and he needs the First Lady (his wife Grace) to stand by his side if he is to win. But she has a mind of her own, and suddenly vanishes. Has she had enough of deception and betrayal, or is there something sinister afoot?

The novel rushes along in typical breathless but readable Patterson style. —