Kerry Kilcannon Books In Order

Publication Order of Kerry Kilcannon Books

The name ‘Kerry Kilcannon’ refers to a series of political fiction novels written by Richard North Patterson. Kerry Kilcannon is also the primary protagonist of the series.

+The Story
Kerry Kilcannon was an attorney several years ago, a state prosecutor. The things he saw, the men and women he prosecuted, not to mention the victims he sought to protect shaped his view of the world.

Kerry doesn’t know when his political aspirations were ignited. And he doesn’t believe that he would have made much headway if his brother, a senator, hadn’t died.

In the wake of the tragedy, steps were taken to elevate Kerry to the position of senator, with Kerry having been talked into believing that taking his brother’s place on the national stage would honor the dead man.

When the Kerry Kilcannon series begins, the seemingly impossible has happened. ‘No Safe Place’, the first novel in the Kerry Kilcannon series finds the titular character on the road to the presidency.

Kerry is determined to win the Democratic Party ticket for the coming elections. However, the man determined to stop him, the current vice president, has no scruples. There is nothing he won’t do, no reputations he won’t tarnish to stop Kerry dead in his tracks.

Unfortunately for Kerry Kilcannon, he isn’t exactly the squeaky clean politician that most voters look for. There are skeletons in his past, secrets that he’s fought so hard to keep hidden but which his enemies are determined to bring to light.

‘No Safe Place’ sets the stage for a merciless, high stakes game that will see Kerry fight tooth and nail to keep his name in the race. The Kerry Kilcannon series as a whole explores the politician’s journey to the oval office and the trials he encounters once he actually attains victory.

Kerry has been compared both to the real-life president Kennedy and Martin Sheen’s fictional president from The West Wing Television show.

The comparisons appeal to some readers while others feel like they make the series clichéd and predictable.

Kerry definitely fits the bill. He is a tall, well built, handsome man, that would make most women weak in the knees. Despite a few hiccups from his younger days, Kerry has lived a morally and ethically upright life.

He loves his people, he respects everyone he meets and his intelligent is without question. And even when his opponents attempt to drag him through the mud, to overwhelm him using the most underhanded methods, Kerry never compromises his beliefs and philosophies.

And that makes him an appealing character, almost like Richard North Patterson set out to create the ideal picture of a great American president, a man that is deeply flawed but who never stops trying to do the right thing, and most readers believe he succeeded.

The majority of the Kerry Kilcannon series is spent pitting Kerry against some of America’s most controversial topics. Through his protagonist’s struggles, Richard North Patterson throws a light on the social, political and economic battles that have so drastically divided the United States over the years and decades.

The Kilcannon books have been commended for tackling difficult political subjects without becoming preachy. Patterson does not set out to push any specific message. He merely creates the platform upon which Kerry must fight to reach a compromise on contentious issues that threaten to reduce the people he leads to ruin.

Patterson has been praised for his strong writing, deft plotting and impressive characterization. While there are a few evil, amoral characters that feel exaggerated, most of the author’s supporting characters are nuanced.

In 2016, the Kerry Kilcannon series was optioned for a possible television adaptation by the Weinstein Company. Harvey Weinstein said his attention was drawn to the Kilcannon series by president Bill Clinton who once told him that ‘Protect and Defend’, the second novel was one of the best books he had ever read.

+The Author
Richard North Patterson is an American author that has written numerous critically acclaimed bestselling novels, some of which have received movie adaptations.

Patterson was a lawyer. He has been active as an advocate for issues like political reform and gun violence.

+No Safe Place
Kerry Kilcannon’s brother was vying for the oval office when he was assassinated. That was over a decade ago. Kerry took his brother’s place and rose through the ranks. Now the day of reckoning has come.

In a few days, Kerry will know whether or not he will represent the Democratic Party in the presidential elections. However, life on the road to the oval office is anything but simple.

Because of his strong stance on the abortion issue, Kerry has been drawn into a situation that saw an anti-abortion fanatic murder three women at a clinic, and there seems to be a threat of more violence to come.

If that wasn’t problematic enough, Kerry had an affair with a reporter years ago. He was married at the time and someone is looking to bring those sordid details to light.

Along with the amoral Dick Mason’s uninhibited determination to derail Kerry, the next few days will test Kerry Kilcannon’s mental, physical and emotional mettle.

+Protect and Defend
The victory was hard-won but Kerry Kilcannon is finally president. And after taking his oath, Kerry wastes little time in appointing a female judge with an amazing record to the Supreme Court.

Caroline Masters’ appointment should have proceeded without issue. Her reputation was that good. But things are going wrong. The Senate is determined to reduce her record to ruin. On the social front, there is an abortion case in court that is threatening to tear America apart.

And because Kerry’s opinions on abortion are so well known, the abortion case is bleeding into the issue with his Supreme Court nomination. The president figured that Caroline’s emergence would create a bit of a hullaballoo.

However, what Kerry has on his hands is all out war. And there are so many pieces on the board, most of which the new president cannot control. It will take extreme cunning and sacrifice on the part of Kerry Kilcannon for peace and calm to be restored.