No Safe Place

Kerry Kilcannon #1

by Richard North Patterson

In the high-stakes, high-pressure world of Presidential politics, where predators carry microphones and one misstep can savage a lifetime of achievement, Kerry Kilcannon is the rarest player of all. Kilcannon believes he can make the system work. And he just may die trying. Driven by the violent nightmare of his childhood, fueled by forces that few could understand, and burdened by secrets no one must know, Kilcannon is running for President--and entering the crucial battleground of California with seven days to go. But for Kilcannon, there are hurdles that his courage, charisma, and compassion may not overcome: the network correspondent he still loves; the reporter bent on their exposure; the rival who'll do anything to win; and the fanatic who believes that he must murder Kilcannon to protect the right to life.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Legal Thriller, Politics, Suspense, Crime

560 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Richard North Patterson is the author of fourteen previous bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Formerly a trial lawyer, Patterson served as the SEC’s liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor and has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups dealing with gun violence, political reform, and women’s rights. He lives in San Francisco and on Martha’s Vineyard.
Macmillan.com Author Profile

Awards
Edgar Award, 1980, Best First Novel for The Lasko Tangent

Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, International Award, 1995 for Degree of Guilt

http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A jaw-dropping exposé of the realities of American presidential politics and US voting culture!

The premise of NO SAFE PLACE is simplicity itself. It’s a fictional biography of Kerry Kilcannon from a rough and tumble youngster, the child of Irish immigrants, through to his election as a senator climaxing with his contesting the crucial battleground of the California primary as the Democrat nominee for president. It’s dramatic, provocative, evocative, frightening, gut-wrenching, compelling and awesome in its realistic depiction of the insanity that is the American electoral system.

A handful of quotations will serve to portray the flavor of Patterson’s brilliant achievement:

On the character, capabilities, and competence of 20th century politicians: “Politicians were … petty men taking small chances for selfish reasons, trying to manipulate just enough of a cynical public to keep themselves in office.” or “A candidate should make speeches … not decisions. Decisions are too important.” and the succinct characterization “… everything that’s wrong with politics in the nineties – cowardice masked as cleverness, leadership b poll, symbolic gestures, careful attention to special interests.”

One might go so far as to say that NO SAFE PLACE was a door-stopper size condemnation of the entire political process in the USA which, in my opinion, is eminently warranted and absolutely deserved.

On racism and illegal immigration: “You and I will never live to see the day that being a white guy isn’t a better deal. And you have illegals in California partly because whites want cheap labor.”

On the 2nd Amendment: “The notion that James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights so that racists and sociopaths and madmen could slaughter innocent men, women, and children with assault weapons or handguns is one of the most contemptible notions that an irresponsible minority has ever crammed down the throats of its potential victims.”

On electioneering and political campaigning: “ … we have a ‘shoot to kill’ political culture premised on permanent scandal, where people in both parties don’t just try to win but to destroy each other with charges and countercharges. And I’ve stopped counting the number of special prosecutors there are.” (Aileen Cannon, are you paying attention? But I digress!)

On the country’s attitude toward its own military and veterans: “One of the ugliest truths of Vietnam was that the Americans who died there were disproportionately poor, disproportionately black, disproportionately less educated. And one of its ugliest legacies is the elitist notion the only men and women who now need serve our country are those for whom the military is a jobs program.”

Electoral reform, abortion, right-to-life and evangelical Christianity (obviously) popped up their heads repeatedly for consideration in a novel that, in a single phrase, needs to be read.

Well done, Richard North Patterson.

Paul Weiss

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Wonderful. Suspenseful.
Not the sort if book I thought could intrigue me.
Kerry Kilcannon a senator from New Jersey is running for president. He is the younger brother if a murdered aspirant.
But he is being stalked.
Beautiful written. Unputdownable.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually steer clear of the political thriller genre because more often than not, they're simply thinly veiled propaganda machines for a certain particular agenda. Oh and US politics generally makes me feel nauseous at the best of times. However, this book was chosen by a book club I'm in, and not wanting to be a party pooper, I reluctantly joined in.

No Safe Place was actually a fun, fast paced suspense thriller that hooked me in from the first chapter. There is some agenda pushing of course (in this case gun control, abortion rights and privacy issues), but I felt like the discussions the characters had for and against abortion were well constructed and intelligent. The story is mainly focused on an intense Presidential primary where a Democrat hopeful Kerry Kilcannon seems to be fighting against all the odds, battling with a crazy anti-abortion assassin and dealing with his personal life being exposed and scrutinised in the press. The politics is very believable, easy to get into and thoroughly compelling, though there are some tangents here and there that make the story drag out unnecessarily. A little editing would have made this book so much more enjoyable, but I loved it for the most part.

[Rebekkila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was under the impression that Richard North Patterson wrote thrillers, this read more like a romance. The story follows Senator Kerry Kilcannon's final week of candidacy for the democrat nomination for president. He is pro-life, pro-gun control, and a champion of women, gays, minorities, and the downtrodden. This man is so perfect that even his opponent's wife appears to respect him more than her own husband. The only thing unsaintly that this man has done was have an affair with a reporter,Lara, which led to a pregnancy and subsequently an abortion. His wife was a bit of a cold fish who married him under false pretenses. He left his wife after the affair but couldn't stop the abortion. This whole thing got on my nerves. It was pounded down the reader's throat how perfect Kerry is.

The sub-plot was a 20 year old pro-lifer who sets out to kill Kerry before he becomes nominated. The assassination attempt led to the reunion of Kerry and Lara and the nomination.
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I will probably give this author one more chance, but if any of his books veer back into the "but dammit, I love you" like this one did I will not be able to finish it. The book had some very cheesy dialogue between Lara and Kerry that I found distracting. I cannot recommend this book, I do have several other RNP books on my bookshelf, hopefully they are better than this.

PS I know unsaintly isn't a word.

[Peter Jerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dramatic political thriller centred on an affair and a plot to kill the protagonist.

Overall the story seems a bit pathetic due to the political importance it gives to the protagonist having an affair. Especially considering this book was written at the end of the 90s when personal scandals became more common/known in US politics.

The author attempts to portray the protagonist as a radically progressive candidate for the presidential elections. However, Patterson does not succeed completely in doing so. Additionally, characters appear relatively all similar to each other in terms of their way of speaking as well as their names.

In conclusion, the book could have been shorter, more dynamic, and with better characters. It also seems like a platform for the author to approach the topic of abortion in a rather odd way

It would have been 2 stars without the plot twist at the end.

[Carl Alves · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Safe Place is a political thriller that has no interest in realism or believability. In this convoluted story line, Kerry Kilcannon is a senator whose brother is killed while running for the White House. He decides on his own run, even though he has an affair with a reporter that can bring him down. Also, in his past, he saved a boy from his father who wanted to kill him. Now the same boy wants to kill Kilcannon for his position on abortion. Yes, the plot is as ridiculous as that sounds.

This novel is weak and barely readable. Obviously Patterson doesn’t care about whether or not his readers will buy into his plot. There was very little about this novel that I liked. Kilcannon is a weak character and the plot went from bad to worse. This is a novel that you will want to skip.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the tense final days of his Presidential campaign, a charismatic young senator is closing in on his party's nomination, but a past love affair is catching up with him, and a would-be assassin is moving in to fulfill his own crusade.

3.5 stars - Two suspenseful plot lines and fascinating behind-the-scenes moments of a political campaign made this an enjoyable read but, at just under 500 pages, I thought it was way too long and I could've done without many of the detailed flashbacks.

[Ken N · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not even finish this book. It was like a chore every time picked up to read. It was so slow ,oving I finally had to give up after 100 pages. I normally do not give up on books, but this one to me was terrible.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel lacks true excitement. Sure the stories behind Kilcannon are well flushed, however, an important relationship lacks enough fire to draw much of this reader's empathy. 4 of 10 stars

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

atterson, Richard North: No Safe Place ****
Kerry Kilcannon's brother is assassinated when he was running for president. Now Kerry is running and a scandal lurks in the background as well as an assassin looking for him. Patterson's characters are multidimensional and intriguing. Well written. Recommended

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, it's not difficult to see where it's going but it's enjoyable joining the story on its journey to get there

[gaia pretends to be shocked · Rating 1 out of 5]

Il problema principale di questo libro è che non è un thriller politico come viene descritto, bensì un romance drammatico, scritto anche male, con una campagna presidenziale di sottofondo. Potevano essere 150 pagine ed invece è stato annacquato, una lagna dall'inizio alla fine.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really should have read this before reading Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson, because many of the issues and some major characters are found in both books and No Safe Place is first chronologically.
Kerry Kilcannon is following in the footsteps of his assassinated brother, James ) who had been running for the presidency. We learn more of Kerry's character through assorted flashbacks to his early experiences having to deal with corruption in the prosecutor's office where he had been relegated to the unit trying spousal abuse cases. (There is a link to an earlier case that I found completely unbelievable and unnecessary, but aside from that, things fit.)
Kerry is trying to pry the Democratic presidential nomination away from an insipid vice-president, Dick Mason. The Mason camp has discovered a secret in Kerry's past, that he, while still married, had had an affair with Lara Costello, a reporter. That she had aborted Kerry's child is not yet known and not revealed until the sequel, but it's a tantalizing bit of suspense for the reader. Lara has now been asked to cover the Kilcannon campaign, and the information has been released secretly to other reporters who are desperate to have it confirmed so they can target Kilcannon and Lara. Kerry is also being tracked by Sean Burke, a fanatical right-to-lifer, who has come to California to kill Kerry having killed several people at a Boston abortion clinic.
Patterson is marvelous at sympathetically portraying the many shades of complicated issues and showing how politics and the press manipulate the issues to their own benefit. As I noted in my review of Protect and Defend, Patterson has done lots of research into the workings of politics and its competing forces, and his novels, particularly the more recent ones, reek of authenticity. All of the characters are revealed as intensely human with multiple flaws and passions. Clearly he argues for candidates who understand life’s ambiguities and aren't afraid to express their doubts rather than consistently mouth the usual platitudes. It comes across as more real than reality.
It must be difficult to write a "realistic" novel when reality has begin to mock itself. After all, we just went through, as critic Daniel Pink wrote, "a president turn[ing:] the Oval Office into a love hutch for himself and his chipmunky White House intern, while a maniacal prosecutor establishes his own fourth branch of government to hunt down her presidentially embossed cocktail dress."

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character of this book, Presidential candidate Kerry Kilcannon, is analogous to the high-cheek boned, overly-endowed, wish-fulfillment women one often sees in fantasy novels or risque comics. A JFK by way of Martin Sheen's character in The West Wing, his politics are too incorruptible, honest and unpractical to be believed. It's as if Richard North Patterson threw every idealist trait he could find in him.

I'm not necessarily complaining about this, but when one has such an unvarnished character who makes a very unlikely rise from special victims attorney to Senator to Presidential candidate, it makes the rest of the tale unbelievable. Patterson, to his credit, is a good writer and he does ground his characters and almost manages a decent tale. But the story just can't handle all that he tries to deal the white knight: a Kennedy-esque dead brother, a stereotypically amoral political opponent, a haunting dalliance with the reporter covering him and a meditation on women's rights via abortion and abuse. It's just too much even for a 492-page read. The book sails along well, it is well-written and keeps the reader's attention but every time it is about to hit a high note it falls flat on its wish-fulfillment face.

The best portions of the novel were not the candidate's run for office, rather his days as a state's attorney in New Jersey as he tries to prosecute an unrepentant wife beater. I would have read a whole book on that, depressing though it would have been, because Patterson is a good writer and its when Kerry Kilcannon seems the most human.

I'd recommend this to political junkies (there's so little quality political fiction out there) and liberal idealists who need a tourism read. I will read some more Richard North Patterson at some point, hopefully not on politics.

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall - a good political intrigue book that was informative and thought provoking.

I was looking for a thriller and a page turner but it took me a while to get into the book which was disappointing and surprising because I like books involving politics. It was always intriguing but the real page turner, thrilling part didn't really happen for me until the last half of the book. Then I didn't want to book the book down.

However, I rated it a 4 rather than a 3 because I very much enjoyed 1) the character development of all the central characters, 2) the background information about politicians (living in a fish bowl, handlers trying to control every move, very little privacy, being examined constantly, public expectations of perfection etc.) and 3) the many current issues touched upon in the book (party fundraising, choice/pro-life, poverty and despair, guns, illegal immigration, education, children and the future etc.)

I thought it was all quite realistic and found myself strongly empathazing with the main character - an Irish Democrat (go figure) who was running for his party's nomination for president. I was routing for him throughout and actually got chills when he made one of his speeches near the end. I get stirred like that watching great political speeches on television but for a writer to be able to evoke the same kind of emotion using the written word I thought was quite remarkable.

There is also human interest and romance in the book along with some ethical/moral issues raised which really makes one think. And as indicated above just the discussion about the issues the candidates were debating was quite thought provoking.

An overall good read that was enjoyable, provocative and informative.

[Maurean · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, I think the book was much too drawn out....a 500 page story that, IMO, could have been captured in about 300 (I found the repetition of his beliefs to be annoying - state them, and move on with the storyline!)

Although I found the politics behind the politics interesting enough, the rather liberal bent of the main character (and perhaps the author?) was a bit too much for my particular taste (gun control, affirmative action, social programs....eh.)
And, I found it difficult to "get behind" the protagonist as he had an extramarital affair then stooped to the level of his opponents by making the political race a personal one. I'm sure this was written to make him seem more "human", but it left a bitter taste in this readers mouth.

I will say, tho, that I enjoy Pattersons writing style; he drew me into the story, and kept the pace brisk, albeit repetitive. For that, I will attempt to read another novel, and give him the benefit of the doubt

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Discovered I really don't enjoy political fiction.

[Taveri · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't inspire me to read any more Patterson

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually love to read Richard North Patterson books, but this one I was not thrilled with. This does not mean this book was not well written, it was. Why was I not thrilled with it? Maybe because I have worked as a volunteer since the 1960's on different political campaigns. Also a National Convention and maybe because he is too close to the truth, of how sleazy our journalists get, and when one puts down the book, one ends up with a bad taste in ones mouth.

However, Mr. Patterson is too close to the truth as we watch on our T.V. at night while one party continuously dishes dirt against another party, using sleazy news people. He has delved into the political scene very well.

This story is about a good man, who runs for President. Unfortunately, like so many of our "illustrious leaders" he makes the mistake of having an affair. Unfortunately, again, it is with a journalist. Although the young lady has tried hard to keep their affair quiet, years later, she finds out she has not been so discreet, she has also blabbed to a health professional who had betrayed her trust.

The Presidential candidate has already had a brother shot, and yet he continues to run, his opponent is out to get him, the news people are out to destroy him, and a man is out to kill him. Can her survive? Will he live? Just have to plug through it yourself. I did not like the candidate, neither of them, however, was it because the writer gave them a platform that I politically did not agree with, or did the writer just make me feel like everything about the book was dirty?

I look forward to reading my next Patterson book, hopefully it will not be about bad journalists and politicians.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Safe Place is a smart, emotional deep dive into presidential politics with a main character (Kerry Kilcannon) who's basically a mix of JFK and a political superhero. He’s principled to the point of being almost too good to be true, and while that’s inspiring, it also makes him feel a little less real at times. Still, you can’t help but root for him.

The book tackles a lot; seriously, a lot: abortion, gun control, immigration, race, media ethics, political corruption, domestic violence… and Patterson doesn’t shy away from getting into the messy details. Some of that makes the book feel powerful and important; other times, it feels like it's trying to carry too much. There are moments when the pacing slows way down, especially in the first half, and I wasn’t fully hooked until closer to the end.

That said, there are some standout parts, especially the flashbacks to Kilcannon's earlier life as a prosecutor. Those scenes felt more raw and grounded, and honestly, I kind of wished the whole book had that same energy. The political side of things is well done, but Kilcannon’s character is so idealized that it’s hard not to feel like you’re reading about someone built to be admired more than understood.

Still, I found it thought-provoking and surprisingly emotional in parts (yes, I got chills during one of his speeches). If you're into political fiction and don't mind a slower burn with some heavy themes, this one's worth picking up. Just be ready for a lot of issues and a candidate who might make real-life politicians seem even more depressing by comparison.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, what's not to like about a political party that advocates killing unborn babies, even up to the time they are being born, and never gives a reason why they don't consider it murder. The contender for prez almost lost his support because he accidently muttered that "it's a life". Yep, the book was about mostly the abortion issue, or "a woman's right to choose (killing her baby)", and the gun issue, where they actually think the bad guys will turn in their guns because the government bans them. And let's take the money from people who have jobs to give to all the people who don't want to work. Not one likeable character in this book, and the pro-life guy was made to be a deranged killer. With the two main characters, she got pregnant and had the required abortion, but at least they agonized over it for a few minutes, and she didn't give the father any say in the issue. it was for the greater good, and to have the baby might destroy both their careers, which of course was what's most important. I gave it 3 stars because I knew it would be politics, but at least the warring was between two democrats running for prez, and not D vs. R. I found it interesting to read how the liberals justify their thinking, even though the author never missed a chance to dis the conservative side of an issue.

[Giuliana Unlibropersognaregiuly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I libri suggeriti dallo Zio hanno sempre attirato la mia attenzione, e stavolta ha fatto anche centro. L'appassionante racconto di Patterson sulla candidatura alla Casa Binaca di due uomini diametralmente opposti e di tutto ciò che questo comporta, è stato un viaggio bellissimo. Moltissimi i temi affrontati, dalla ssoluta mancanza di privacy di chi si sottopone ad una decisione simile, ai tanti temi delicati che una campagna elettorale può toccare,come l'aborto,le armi, i diritti delle minoranza e tanto altro.
Ma ciò che credo renda speciale questo libro è l'assoluta bravura dell'autore di rendere i personaggi così reali e autentici, così come le loro problematiche. non c'è un attimo in tutta la lunga e complicata storia, in cui essi ci sembrino artificiali o stereotipati. E gli ideali che per una volta vincono su chi si vuole approfittare delle debolezze altrui è un bellissimo messaggio da lasciare, e lanciare, alle generazioni future.

[Andrew Langert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, written in 1998 but themes still highly relevant today.
This is the first in a series about Kerry Kilcannon. In this book, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Kerry breaks away from his legal career as a prosecutor to run for office. Jamie, that older brother, had been shot and killed while in office at the start of his promising political career.
There are many flashbacks in this novel to Kerry’s youth, to his time as a prosecutor and to his decision to go into politics. But the main plot is his quest to seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, where he is competing against the sitting VP of the USA.
Kerry’s personal life is a big part of the story. Would he too, like his brother, become the target of an assassin? Would his broken marriage and an affair with a news reporter ruin his chances of being elected?
This book is lengthy but fast-paced. I will read the next book in this series soon.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like RNP. I had just finished Conviction and was anxious to try another. This seems like the story of RFK with a better ending. It's a powerful book with a message that today's politicians should take to heart: compassion. Our surrent president is flawed in almost infinite ways but his most glaring flaw is lack of any semblance of compassion. Kerry Kilcannon, despite being an astute politician and a staunch competitor, truly cares about his constituency and their fate as well a woman who could easily ruin him. Too bad that Kerry Kilcannon is fiction...

[Tom Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

My only regret with this book, is the time I wasted reading it. The writing is clumsy when it is not plain corny. The main character, Kerry, is very unlikable, even though he is the Democratic nominee for President. The author seems to think that having Kerry be a fervent supporter of all the standard liberal Democratic positions, he would seem to be a caring person. Instead he comes across as angry and vindictive. A Catholic that is pro-choice and an adulterer. Sounds like the current occupier of the White House. I am surprised Kerry was not in favor of paying off student loans.

[Alex Stote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up at the Bakery in Uvita. Weirdly I also picked up a RNP book on my last backpacking trip to Latin America. I thoroughly enjoyed that one so gave this one a go.

Could not put this book down! All characters have good depth and establish themselves early. The way the books unravels the past between Kerry & Lara while upping the tension in the race to be the nominee, had me gripped. Didn't see the plot twist character revelation coming at all! Will be reading the next book in the series.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely read political novels, but I enjoyed this one. I read this from a Reader's Digest SelectEditions, so they may have cleaned it up a bit. It shows the complexities and stresses of a presidential candidate's life, and no matter how clean he tries to keep his life or how likable he tries to be, there is always something going to come up like a friendship with a journalist that turned into an affair and someone trying to kill him because of a personal promise he was unable to keep.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It wasn't perfect, but it hit a lot of right notes. Except, the tension wasn't there for me, I guessed every surprise in advance. The lack of tension and emotion was why I gave it a 4, but I'm not every reader. I liked the family and courtroom backstories and the political setting. There was a lot about this that was interesting and informative. It sure made me think about how exhausting running for president must be.

[Johann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obwohl schon in den 90er Jahren geschrieben, könnte dieser Roman, in dem es um die Ernennung und Auswahl des demokratischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten geht, auch heute spielen. Die Machenschaften und Intrigen im amerikanischen Wahl- und Vorwahlsystem werden sehr genau beschrieben. Eigentlich sollte es aufgrund dieser genauen bis ins intimste gehenden Durchleuchtung und teilweise auch Verleumdung niemand mehr für das höchste Amt im amerikanischen Staat kandidieren wollen!

[Ke Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

So if there is this politician, perfect in almost every way (smart, straightforward, grounded, caring, daring, energetic...) except one (fatal) flaw (had an affair), is he still a good candidate worth voting for? Would we (more than) accepting if he is just a normal person? Or politicians are essentially a different spices: having to be flawless and potentially boring?