Clinton, James Patterson join to author thriller
Plot turns on cyberattack, disappearance of president
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The book is officially fiction: the story of a president who disappears as he tries to prevent an apocalyptic cyberattack.
The authors, Bill Clinton and James Patterson, swear it could happen.
“You’re asking the Secret Service, in effect, to walk away from their duty,” the former president said as he and Patterson discussed “The President Is Missing,” the thriller they worked on together that comes out this week. “(But) it could happen. If you were determined to do it, you could do it.”
Prodded to collaborate by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who handles book deals for both of them, Clinton and Patterson drew on their respective backgrounds in completing a 500-page novel that topped Amazon’s best-seller list before publication. Patterson is among the world’s most popular and prolific fiction writers, and the novel is a characteristically fast-paced narrative, with brief chapters and dramatic plot turns.
Clinton, a newcomer to novel writing whose previous books include an autobiography didn’t need a lot of research to tell readers what it’s like to sit inside the White House Situation Room or to be briefed on a possible terrorist attack, or to imagine slipping away entirely.
“Jim wanted it to be authentic,” Clinton said. “Which means: A, the physical setting has to be authentic. B, the procedures had to be authentic, and the interplay between
the president and the staff and all the world leaders and everything had to have the feel of reality, and even how the Secret Service works.”
The novel has received blurbs from Mary Higgins Clark, Walter Mosley and even “Hamilton” author Ron Chernow. The historian said that he was initially “dubious” about the project, but was impressed by the “stylistic blend” of the two authors.
“I have to assume that the crisp pacing comes from Patterson, but there is no doubt that the authenticity of the abundant detail owes a great deal to Clinton’s years in the White House,” Chernow wrote. “The book has a knowing, inside feel.”
Both writers say they want the book to be a page-turner and thought provoking. Clinton spoke in detail of his longtime concerns about cyberattacks, and even referred to one he helped thwart while president that he says remains classified. He expressed dismay that National Security Adviser John Bolton had eliminated the role of cyber coordinator established under President Barack Obama (the stated reason was to “streamline authority”). He explained that because the country is so dependent on internet access, an effective cyberattack could bring train and airline travel to a halt and could destroy everything from savings accounts to medical records.
Clinton is the rare president even to attempt a novel. And he and Patterson could think of few works of fiction they believe effectively captured the life of a president and the political culture of Washington. Both mentioned Allen Drury’s “Advise & Consent,” which Clinton said was effective in part because it didn’t focus only on the president.