Former President Bill Clinton and author James Patterson are collaborating on a thriller novel set to be published in June 2018 titled The President Is Missing.
The novel will be Bill Clinton's first fiction book, which will be jointly published by the president's longtime publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, and Patterson's longtime publisher, Little, Brown and Co., the Associated Press reported Monday.
Both Clinton and Patterson share the same literary representative, Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who negotiated the publishing deal. The pair began working on the book in late 2016.
Knopf and Little, Brown released a joint statement on Monday, calling the book, "a unique amalgam of intrigue, suspense, and behind-the-scenes global drama from the highest corridors of power. It will be informed by details that only a president can know."
Patterson was overjoyed to be working with Clinton, claiming it has been the "highlight of [his] career."
"I'm a storyteller, and President Clinton's insight has allowed us to tell a really interesting one," Patterson said. "It's a rare combination–readers will be drawn to the suspense, of course, but they'll also be given an inside look into what it's like to be president."
Clinton returned the compliment.
"Working with Jim has been terrific. I've been a fan of his for a very long time," he said in a statement.
"Working on a book about a sitting president–drawing on what I know about the job, life in the White House and the way Washington works–has been a lot of fun," Clinton added.
Knopf and Little, Brown declined to comment on details of the book, including whether it would reference Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
Bill Clinton's autobiography My Life was a bestseller that sold over a million copies.