The First Lady is a political thriller by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois. James Patterson is an author who I used to read more of than I do now. He is very prolific and assisted by a large number of co-authors but his books are fast paced and very competent. This is a standalone novel where the main characters are Grace Tucker and her husband who is the President of the United States of America.
The President is standing for re-election but a scandal has arisen because the fact that he has had an affair has reached the media. He desperately needs his wife to support him to improve his credibility, but Grace has her own plans and she disappears. The problem is that the President’s team and the security services don’t know if she has gone away of her own volition or has been kidnapped. They need to find her quickly whilst hiding the fact that she is missing and Grace wants time and space to make her own decisions for the future, meanwhile other parties are interested in locating the First Lady.
This is a book where one event quickly follows another and the pace is fast throughout the story. There are plenty of twists and turns which, combined with betrayals and deceit, keep the tension high and the reader turning the pages. There isn’t a huge amount of time given to building complex characters but Grace is engaging and I found myself supporting her all the way through. This was a quick and enjoyable read.
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