Explore the real-world places that appear in Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Durham Police Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Casanova's Kidnapping Compound, Durham Regional Hospital, Chapel Hill Police Department and 9 more.
East Main Street — Detective Nick Caputo's headquarters
Detective Nick Caputo, a seasoned homicide investigator from Washington D.C., coordinates the investigation into the serial killer known as 'Casanova' from the Durham Police Department. The precinct becomes the nerve center where Caputo and local detectives analyze evidence of missing women and murdered girls. Caputo briefs his team on the killer's pattern and works to connect the North Carolina crimes to similar cases in Washington D.C.
The Durham Police Department has served the city since the mid-19th century. By the 1990s, Durham was experiencing urban revitalization while dealing with increased violent crime, mirroring the novel's setting.
The Durham Police Department remains headquartered downtown and continues to serve the city. The building and department are not open for public tours.
Franklin Street — Campus where victims are abducted
Multiple victims, including college students, are abducted from and near the UNC Chapel Hill campus. The killer targets young women associated with the university. Detective Caputo investigates the campus area, interviewing students and faculty. The university setting becomes crucial to understanding Casanova's victim selection and his knowledge of campus routines and isolation points.
UNC Chapel Hill, founded in 1789, is one of America's oldest public universities. The campus expanded significantly in the 1970s-1990s with multiple residential areas and wooded sections, providing both community and isolation.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill remains one of the nation's premier public universities with over 30,000 students. The historic campus is open for visitor tours and remains a vibrant academic community.
Visit: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Visitor Center (landmark)
Undisclosed rural location near Chapel Hill — The killer's hidden lair
Casanova maintains a secret compound where he holds his captives in cells, torture devices, and chambers designed for his sadistic games. The killer forces victims into a twisted competition called 'The Game,' where they must compete against one another for survival. Detective Caputo and FBI agent Kyle Craig lead the final assault on the compound. Dr. Kate McTiernan, herself a survivor and medical examiner, uses her knowledge of the killer's psychology to track him there.
The novel references rural areas surrounding Chapel Hill where such an isolated compound could theoretically exist undetected. Patterson based the fictional location on actual cases of serial killers maintaining hidden bases in rural North Carolina.
The specific compound location is fictional and not a real place on the map, though it represents the type of isolated rural property that exists throughout central North Carolina.
Fulton Street — Where Dr. Kate McTiernan works as a medical examiner
Dr. Kate McTiernan, an emergency room physician and medical examiner, works at Durham Regional Hospital. She becomes intimately involved in the investigation when she is herself abducted by Casanova and forced into 'The Game.' After her escape, McTiernan uses her medical expertise and intimate knowledge of the killer's methods to help Detective Caputo track him. Her professional credentials give her insight into the killer's forensic knowledge and apparent medical background.
Durham Regional Hospital has served the Durham area since 1974, becoming one of the region's major medical centers. By the 1990s, it was a full-service hospital with emergency and forensic facilities.
Duke University Hospital (formerly Durham Regional) operates as a major medical center in Durham. The facility is not open for public tours related to the novel but remains an active hospital.
Henderson Street — Local law enforcement coordination center
The Chapel Hill Police Department coordinates with Detective Caputo and the FBI investigation. Local officers provide crucial information about missing persons and campus security protocols. The department becomes a secondary investigation hub where Chapel Hill police share jurisdiction and evidence with the Durham police and federal agents hunting Casanova.
The Chapel Hill Police Department was established in the late 1800s and grew alongside the university. The department expanded significantly in the 1980s-1990s to handle increased campus-related crime and student population growth.
The Chapel Hill Police Department remains headquartered downtown and continues to serve the community. The facility is not open for public tours.
North Carolina State Route 86 — Victim discovery site
Bodies of murdered women are discovered near Finley Golf Course, one of the killer's dump sites. Detective Caputo investigates the area, working with forensic teams to collect evidence. The golf course location represents Casanova's pattern of leaving victims in semi-public areas where they will eventually be found, part of his sadistic need to see his work discovered and publicized.
Finley Golf Course has been a private golf facility in the Chapel Hill area since 1962. The surrounding woods and relative isolation made it a notable landmark in the region's geography.
Finley Golf Course continues to operate as a private 18-hole golf course open to members. The facility maintains its wooded character, and the course is not open to the public for non-golf purposes.
Visit: Finley Golf Course (landmark)
Downtown Durham — Statewide crime coordination
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation provides statewide resources to track Casanova. FBI agent Kyle Craig works with the SBI, sharing interstate database information and profiling resources. The field office coordinates forensic analysis and manages leads from across North Carolina and neighboring states, helping Detective Caputo recognize Casanova's multi-state crime pattern.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, established in 1925, expanded significantly during the 1980s-1990s to handle organized crime and serial crimes. The Durham field office became increasingly important as violent crime investigations grew more sophisticated.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation maintains offices throughout the state, including Durham. These facilities are not open for public tours.
Stadium Drive, Chapel Hill — UNC campus landmark near victim abduction areas
The area near Kenan Stadium and the surrounding campus grounds becomes significant to the investigation as Detective Caputo traces the paths Casanova used to abduct victims. Several women disappeared from campus areas near athletic facilities and popular student gathering spots. McTiernan uses her knowledge of campus geography to help investigators understand how the killer moved through the university environment to find and stalk his prey.
Kenan Football Stadium, completed in 1927, is one of the oldest football stadiums in the South. The stadium and surrounding campus area have been a central gathering place for UNC students and community members for nearly a century.
Kenan Stadium remains the home of UNC Tar Heels football and continues to host major sporting events and concerts. The stadium is accessible during games and events, and campus tours include views of the stadium area.
Visit: Kenan Football Stadium (landmark)
Downtown Washington — Where Detective Caputo discovers similar crimes
Detective Nick Caputo, formerly of the Washington D.C. Metro Police, discovers that similar murders occurred in Washington D.C. before the killer moved to North Carolina. Caputo's former colleagues help him connect Casanova's D.C. victims to the North Carolina murders, establishing the killer's interstate pattern. This connection is crucial to understanding that they are hunting a highly mobile, sophisticated predator with a long history of violence.
The Washington D.C. Metro Police Department, established in 1861, is one of the nation's largest urban police forces. During the 1980s-1990s, D.C. experienced a significant violent crime surge that contributed to its reputation as the 'Murder Capital of the U.S.'
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia continues to serve the capital. The department headquarters is not open for public tours.
Between Wilson Library and Davis Library — Central campus gathering spot
The Pit, UNC's sunken plaza and central campus meeting place, serves as a location where Detective Caputo and McTiernan track the killer's victim selection patterns. Students gathered there regularly, and the Pit represents the kind of high-visibility campus area where Casanova identified and stalked his victims. The location underscores the killer's comfort moving through university spaces while selecting prey.
The Pit was constructed in 1968 as an outdoor amphitheater and gathering space. By the 1990s, it had become the beating heart of UNC campus life, where students studied, protested, and socialized.
The Pit remains the central gathering place at UNC Chapel Hill. It is open to the public and accessible during campus visiting hours. The space is frequently host to events, protests, and student gatherings.
Visit: The Pit at UNC Chapel Hill (landmark)
Erwin Road, Durham — Forensic pathology and medical analysis
Duke University Medical Center provides forensic pathology expertise for the investigation. Medical examiners and forensic specialists analyze victim remains and cause of death. Dr. McTiernan's medical background connects her to Duke's medical community, and the center provides autopsy facilities and forensic databases crucial to understanding the killer's methods and identifying patterns in his murders.
Duke University Medical Center, established in 1930, grew to become one of the world's leading medical institutions. The forensic pathology department expanded significantly in the 1980s-1990s as violent crime investigations became more sophisticated.
Duke University Medical Center remains one of the nation's premier medical research and teaching institutions. Tours of the medical center require special arrangements and are not routinely available to the general public.
Route 54 between Chapel Hill and Durham — Dumping ground for victim remains
The Highway 54 bridge area becomes significant when victim remains are discovered beneath or near the bridge. The location represents Casanova's pattern of using transportation corridors and bridges to dispose of bodies. Detective Caputo investigates the area, understanding it as part of the killer's established routes between Chapel Hill and Durham where he feels comfortable disposing of evidence.
Highway 54 is one of the major transportation corridors connecting Chapel Hill and Durham. The highway and its bridges represent key infrastructure that has connected the two cities since the mid-20th century.
Highway 54 continues as a major transportation route in the Research Triangle. The bridge area is accessible but not a designated public attraction.
Charlotte, North Carolina — Interstate coordination and profiling
FBI agent Kyle Craig coordinates the multi-state investigation from the Charlotte field office, managing the profiling and case coordination. Craig's FBI resources become essential to understanding Casanova's psychology and predicting his behavior. The FBI field office provides national crime database access and behavioral analysis that helps Caputo understand the killer operates across state lines.
The FBI's Charlotte field office has operated since 1964, serving North Carolina, South Carolina, and surrounding regions. By the 1990s, it was a major FBI division handling complex violent crime investigations across the Southeast.
The FBI maintains a field office in Charlotte. The facility is not open for public tours.
Old Battle Ground Road, Chapel Hill — Secluded wooded search area
The wooded areas surrounding the North Carolina Botanical Garden become search zones where investigators hunt for additional victims or evidence. The secluded nature of the botanical garden's grounds mirrors the types of isolated natural areas Casanova uses. Detective Caputo and search parties comb through the dense vegetation, understanding that Casanova selects locations where bodies can remain hidden for extended periods.
The North Carolina Botanical Garden was established in 1952 as part of the University of North Carolina system. The garden's 313 acres of natural botanical preserve include significant forests and wetlands.
The North Carolina Botanical Garden is open to the public and offers self-guided tours of its naturally preserved botanical areas. The garden is free and accessible during daylight hours, making it a peaceful public resource.
Visit: North Carolina Botanical Garden (park)
More by James Patterson: Along Came a Spider locations map · All James Patterson books
Other nearby maps: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks locations map