# No Way to Treat a First Lady

By Christopher Buckley

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/no-way-to-treat-a-first-lady-9104d00e/

First Lady Beth MacMann faces trial for killing her unfaithful husband, the president. She calls the country’s most notorious defense lawyer, Boyce Baylor, who also happens to be the boyfriend she abandoned in law school.

## What makes it funny?

The opening chapter treats Baylor’s billing rate as a historic barrier and his fourth divorce as a professional record. A national scandal takes up so much news space that war with Russia and China would struggle to reach the front page.

### The comedy at work

Baylor anticipates the cameras outside his office as eagerly as the case itself. Buckley gives lawyers, politicians and television journalists competing reasons to turn a death into a career opportunity.

### Try this if…

Washington scandal and celebrity trials supply the targets. The courtroom battle also gives two former lovers an opportunity to resume their old contest.

### Good to know

Sexual scandal and adultery drive the setup, which includes explicit sexual description and the president’s death.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary · Crime & thriller
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy · Satire
- The atmosphere: Irreverent
- Format: Novel

## Sources & further reading

- Review: [Kirkus review](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christopher-buckley/no-way-to-treat-a-first-lady)
- Publisher: [Publisher and excerpt](https://penguinrandomhouselibrary.com/book?isbn=9780375758751)