Reading order · 7 books · 1979 to 2003 · Mostly set in San Francisco
Kilcannon and Masters Books in Order
Richard North Patterson’s legal and political thrillers share a cast. Christopher Paget is a San Francisco lawyer, Caroline Masters a lawyer who becomes a judge, and Kerry Kilcannon a senator who runs for President.
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Series facts
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 1979 to 2003
- First book
- The Lasko Tangent
- Latest
- Balance of Power (2003)
- Setting
- Mostly set in San Francisco
The reading order
Every Kilcannon and Masters book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
7 books · Mostly set in San Francisco
- 1The Lasko Tangent1979With Christopher PagetChristopher Paget, a young government lawyer, investigates a businessman with friends in the White House.Buy on Amazon
- 2Degree of Guilt1993With Christopher PagetTelevision journalist Mary Carelli shoots a famous novelist and claims self-defence, and Christopher Paget, the father of her son, takes on her case.Buy on Amazon
- 3Eyes of a Child1995With Christopher Paget and Terri PeraltaTerri Peralta’s estranged husband is found dead during a bitter custody battle, and suspicion falls on Christopher Paget.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Final Judgment1995With Caroline MastersJudge Caroline Masters returns to her family home in New England to defend her niece, who is accused of murder.Buy on Amazon
- 5No Safe Place1998With Kerry KilcannonSenator Kerry Kilcannon runs for President, haunted by the assassination of his brother.Buy on Amazon
- 6Protect and Defend2000With Kerry KilcannonPresident Kilcannon nominates Caroline Masters as Chief Justice, just as a divisive case reaches the Supreme Court.Buy on Amazon
- 7Balance of Power2003With Kerry KilcannonPresident Kilcannon takes on the gun lobby after a mass shooting.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
The books can be read separately, but read in order to follow the characters, starting with The Lasko Tangent.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Christopher Paget | Kerry Kilcannon | Caroline Masters | Terri Peralta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Lasko Tangent | LLead | |||
| 2 Degree of Guilt | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 3 Eyes of a Child | LLead | LLead | ||
| 4 The Final Judgment | LLead | |||
| 5 No Safe Place | LLead | |||
| 6 Protect and Defend | LLead | MMajor | ||
| 7 Balance of Power | LLead |
Characters in the Kilcannon and Masters books
4 characters from Richard North Patterson’s chart, with the number of Kilcannon and Masters books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher PagetLawyer | 3 | The Lasko Tangent 1979 |
| Kerry KilcannonSenator, later President | 3 | No Safe Place 1998 |
| Caroline MastersLawyer and judge | 3 | Degree of Guilt 1993 |
| Terri PeraltaLawyer, Paget's partner | 2 | Degree of Guilt 1993 |