The First Gentleman: Full Book Quiz – 20 Questions

Test your recall and understanding of James Patterson’s The First Gentleman with this comprehensive 20-question quiz. Questions span the full novel, from the trial of Cole Wright to the investigation by Brea Cooke and Garrett Wilson. The answer key includes brief explanations tied to the story’s key events.

Quiz Questions

Part 1: Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)

1. At the start of the trial, why does Cole Wright insist on entering the courthouse through the front entrance instead of the rear?

   • A) He wants to greet supporters
   • B) He believes entering through the back signals guilt
   • C) The Secret Service advised it for safety
   • D) He forgot the rear entrance route

2. What is the name of the secret economic plan President Madeline Wright is pushing that she keeps hidden from the public?

   • A) The New Deal
   • B) The Patriot Plan
   • C) The Grand Bargain
   • D) The Green Initiative

3. Which former NFL equipment manager is revealed in a controversial photograph to have been the person Cole Wright was pretending to choke, not a cheerleader?

   • A) Tony Romero
   • B) Timmy Gervin
   • C) John DeMarco
   • D) Craig Donovan

4. Where is Suzanne Bonanno’s body ultimately discovered at the beginning of the investigation?

   • A) In a shallow grave near the Dartmouth campus
   • B) In the trunk of a car stopped for a DUI
   • C) Buried under a shed on Tony Romero’s property
   • D) In a sealed room at the White House

5. What item of evidence do Brea and Garrett dig up near the Reverend Bonus Weare memorial rock that they later rebury?

   • A) A man’s wristwatch
   • B) A football
   • C) A tennis bracelet
   • D) A letter

6. Who calls the anonymous 911 tip that leads police to the gravesite in Seabrook?

   • A) Brea Cooke
   • B) Tess Hardy
   • C) Felicia Bonanno
   • D) The narrator (the lawyer/protagonist)

7. What does Garrett Wilson learn from prison inmate John DeMarco about the Bonanno case?

   • A) DeMarco confesses to the murder
   • B) DeMarco offers to reveal the location of the body in exchange for help with his appeal
   • C) DeMarco claims he saw Cole Wright commit the crime
   • D) DeMarco says the crime was committed by a mob boss

8. How does President Madeline Wright respond after Cole’s conviction?

   • A) She orders a new trial immediately
   • B) She resigns the presidency
   • C) She issues a pardon
   • D) She appoints Cole to a cabinet position

Part 2: Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

1. Why does the narrator (the lawyer/former journalist) believe Cole Wright is responsible for her partner Garrett Wilson’s death?

   • (Short answer – 1 to 2 sentences)

2. What motivates Tony Romero to kill Suzanne Bonanno and frame Cole Wright?

   • A) He wanted to collect insurance money
   • B) He was jealous that she planned to raise their baby with Cole
   • C) He was paid by Burton Pearce
   • D) He hated Cole for a college rivalry

3. Why does Brea Cooke refuse to pay Teresa Bonanno for information about Amber Keenan?

   • A) She doesn’t have enough cash
   • B) She believes the information is false
   • C) She sticks to journalistic ethics and tries another approach
   • D) She is afraid of being set up

4. What is the primary reason Cole Wright calls an “audible” and secretly flies to New Hampshire to meet Garrett Wilson?

   • (Short answer – 1 to 2 sentences)

5. Why does Dr. Cameron Graham use the alias “A Brother” when texting Brea?

   • A) He is protecting a secret federal informant role
   • B) He wanted to scare her away from the investigation
   • C) He is mentally unstable
   • D) He was trying to blackmail her

Part 3: Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)

1. The tennis bracelet serves as a symbol throughout the novel. What does it primarily represent?

   • A) Cole Wright’s wealth
   • B) The bond between Suzanne and Cole
   • C) The fragmentary and contested nature of memory and evidence
   • D) The cheerleading squad’s unity

2. The title “The First Gentleman” highlights a recurring theme of:

   • A) The dignity of the president’s spouse
   • B) Public image versus private reality
   • C) The importance of traditional gender roles
   • D) The glamour of political life

3. During her closing argument, defense attorney Tess Hardy argues the trial is a “political trial.” What theme does this emphasize?

   • A) Justice is always impartial
   • B) The legal system is immune to political pressure
   • C) The case against Cole may be driven by electoral timing rather than evidence
   • D) All trials are political by nature

4. What does President Madeline Wright’s decision to resign after Cole’s conviction symbolize about her character?

   • (Short answer – 1 to 2 sentences)

Part 4: Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

1. Compare the investigative methods of Brea Cooke and Garrett Wilson. How do their approaches complement each other?

   • (Short answer – 2 to 3 sentences)

2. Identify one significant piece of evidence that the prosecution uses against Cole Wright and one counterargument that the defense uses to create reasonable doubt.

3. Consider the role of the anonymous “watchers” (Jack Doohan and a female partner) who surveil the protagonists. What does their presence suggest about the power dynamics in the novel?

Answer Key and Explanations

Plot and Sequence

1. B) He believes entering through the back signals guilt.
   (Evidence: Chapter 4, outline – Cole says “Going in through the rear of the courthouse signals that I’m guilty.”)

2. C) The Grand Bargain.
   (Evidence: Chapters 9, 13, 14 – the secret legislation to address national debt and preserve entitlements.)

3. B) Timmy Gervin.
   (Evidence: Chapter 117 – cross-examination reveals the “cheerleader” in the photo is equipment manager Timmy Gervin.)

4. B) In the trunk of a car stopped for a DUI.
   (Evidence: Chapter 47 – state troopers find human remains during an inventory search after a DUI stop.)

5. C) A tennis bracelet.
   (Evidence: Chapter 51 – Brea and Garrett dig up a tennis bracelet matching the one Suzanne wore in a video.)

6. D) The narrator (the lawyer/protagonist).
   (Evidence: Chapter 67 – the narrator makes the anonymous 911 call, later revealed in Chapter 126 when she fears Gagnon will recognize her voice.)

7. B) DeMarco offers to reveal the location of the body in exchange for help with his appeal.
   (Evidence: Chapter 40 – DeMarco proposes a deal: he gives up the body’s location in exchange for legal help.)

8. B) She resigns the presidency.
   (Evidence: Chapter 132 – Maddy tells Burton Pearce she is resigning, and Chapter 134 she gives a resignation speech.)

Character Motivation

1. The narrator believes Cole Wright is responsible because she witnessed a threat from him and later learns from dying mobster Leo Amalfi that “the man in the White House” ordered the hit.
   (Evidence: Chapter 4 (the narrator’s outburst), Chapter 83 (Amalfi says “the man in the White House” ordered the murder).)

2. B) He was jealous that she planned to raise their baby with Cole.
   (Evidence: Chapter 137 – Tony recalls killing Suzanne because she was pregnant with his child and intended to raise the baby with Cole.)

3. C) She sticks to journalistic ethics and tries another approach.
   (Evidence: Chapter 31 – Brea refuses to pay Teresa, citing journalistic ethics. She then convinces Teresa by mentioning the Patriots’ reward.)

4. Cole flies to New Hampshire to meet Garrett Wilson to give an interview and possibly control the narrative, acting without the knowledge of the White House staff.
   (Evidence: Chapter 56 – Cole calls an “audible” to go to Hanover; Chapter 57-58 – he meets Garrett and offers an exclusive interview.)

5. B) He wanted to scare her away from the investigation.
   (Evidence: Chapter 79 – Dr. Graham admits to Brea that he used the alias to try to scare her into stopping her dangerous investigation.)

Theme and Symbol

1. C) The fragmentary and contested nature of memory and evidence.
   (Evidence: The bracelet is both a genuine item from Suzanne and a piece of evidence that the defense argues could have been planted. It also symbolizes the broken past.)

2. B) Public image versus private reality.
   (Evidence: Throughout the trial, the First Gentleman’s public persona of innocence is contrasted with private allegations and hidden actions.)

3. C) The case against Cole may be driven by electoral timing rather than evidence.
   (Evidence: Chapter 95 – Hardy cites President Wright’s narrow win in New Hampshire and the upcoming primary to suggest the trial is politically motivated.)

4. Her decision shows that her personal loyalty to Cole and belief in his innocence outweigh her political ambition, symbolizing a choice of private integrity over public power.
   (Evidence: Chapter 132 – Maddy resigns to focus on pursuing justice for Cole.)

Synthesis

1. Brea relies on archival research, interviews, and digital fact-finding; Garrett uses direct confrontation with sources (e.g., Tony Romero, prison informants). Brea’s caution balances Garrett’s risk-taking. Together they gather both documentary and testimonial evidence.
   (Evidence: Chapter 25 – they split up with Brea digging into the student newspaper and Garrett traveling to Boston and Providence.)

2. Evidence: The Walmart surveillance video showing Cole and Suzanne buying bedsheets later used to wrap her body. Counterargument: The defense argues the video does not prove who killed her, and the sheets could have been planted; the chain of custody is questioned.
   (Evidence: Chapter 115 – video shown; Chapter 112 – Tess Hardy cross-examines the analyst about the fabric.)

3. The watchers, particularly Jack Doohan, represent the reach of powerful interests who can surveil and eliminate threats. Their presence suggests that the protagonists are caught in a larger power struggle between the White House, mob figures, and political operatives.
   (Evidence: Doohan works for an anonymous employer and later attempts to assassinate the narrator; the “watchers” appear multiple times in the outline.)

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