The President is missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson

""The President is missing" by Bill Clinton & James Patterson - President Vs Virus.

This book is published by Century in 2018 and has 528 pages. 

Book starts with American President, Jonathan Duncan, facing a congressional committee hearing that can refer him to the judiciary committee to impeach him for aiding and abetting a terrorist. A young lady utters most secret code words in the ears of President's daughter. President goes missing.

Is President in the wrong? How does the lady know the secret code words? Why is the president missing? Is he running from impeachment? Is he dying? Is he trying to save America?

'Sons of Jihad', a non Islamic, anti west organization specializing in computer hacking, led by declared terrorist Suliman Cindoruk has done something that will bring America to it's knees.

The story is not about assassination or espionage. It's about hacking and computer virus that will take America literally to dark ages. Authors paint a very grim picture of 'Dark Ages'. On one hand President is fighting a war to save the country, on other hand there is a traitor within his circle of elite and he is also fighting failing health due to blood condition. To add to it all,  there is an assassin called Bach who is trying to kill the defected hacker. 

It appears as if it's a fight between President and terrorists instead of America and terrorists. Book portrays the impression that what no agency could do, President did. America comes to know about this deadly virus only because Nina and Oggy defect from the virus team. Otherwise America would not have known what hit them. 

The story is interesting and retains reader's interest for most part. It's narrated in first person by the President. The mitigating actions, in case the virus detonates, are sweeping and severe.

Jonathan Duncan is a good President who puts his country above himself. Caroline is his chief of staff and epitome of efficiency with political acumen, Catherine is his Vice President who he beat to presidential nomination. Oggy is the hacker who does not want the intended devastation. Bach is the pregnant assassin who intends to retire after this assignment. 

Who is the traitor in President's inner circle? Although it becomes a moot point in the end, I was able to guess the traitor. Formula of the least doubted being the traitor applies here. 

I thought that the Saudi angle appeared brought be brought forcefully and unnecessarily. End of the book is dragged a lot. All the loose ends could have been tied through presidential speech. That would have made the end crispy. 

There are typical statements of American arrogance like 'If America is vulnerable, so is every other country'. But that's ok.

In such books,  it's hard to know the contribution of individual authors. James Patterson writes almost all his books with a co-author. So contribution of Bill Clinton is unknown. But we can assume that the presidential inputs came from him. 

Why did I read this book? Bill Clinton. 

What I didn't like? Dragged end, President is the lone fighter.  

What did I like?  Story 

Read you have time.