Overview

• The First Gentleman, released June 2 by Little, Brown and Company, marks Bill Clinton and James Patterson’s third political thriller collaboration.
• Set in a future United States led by its first female president, the novel follows First Gentleman Cole Wright as a decades-old murder charge threatens his wife’s re-election bid and her Grand Bargain economic reform.
• Two investigative journalists, Brea Cooke and Garrett Wilson, drive the plot as they reopen the cold case of Suzanne Bonanno and expose secrets that could upend the presidency.
• In his June 2 USA Today interview, Clinton recounted receiving a box of M&M’s on his 100th presidential run—an anecdote that inspired authentic White House detail in the story.
• Critics praise the blend of Patterson’s brisk pacing and Clinton’s insider perspective for delivering tense courtroom drama and high-stakes political intrigue.