The Postcard Killings is an intense thriller starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but is it based on a true story? James Patterson may not get much critical respect – Stephen King once infamously said the author is “a terrible writer but he’s very successful” (via The Guardian) – but his success can’t be denied. James Patterson has sold over 425 million books throughout his career and is one of the world’s best-selling authors. So naturally, his work has been adapted for multiple films and TV shows.
Arguably the most successful James Patterson adaptations are the Alex Cross movies. Morgan Freeman played the grizzled detective/forensic psychologist in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider before Tyler Perry inherited the part for 2012’s Alex Cross. Patterson’s popular Women’s Murder Club books were adapted for a TV show of the same name, which ran for one season in 2007. Despite his popularity, there aren’t many major movies based on Patterson’s books, with one of the most notable of recent years being 2020’s The Postcard Killings.
The Postcard Killings Is Based On A Book, But It’s Not A True Story
The film has no connection to the real “Postcard Killer”
Starring Famke Janssen and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the movie cast the latter as a detective hunting the killer who murdered his daughter. The Postcard Killings’ murderer drains the victims of blood and then poses their bodies in positions resembling famous works of art. The killer also sends postcards to local journalists in a given city to announce that new killings are imminent. While the setup may sound like it has some basis in fact, The Postcard Killings isn’t a true story and is based on a book co-authored by James Patterson and Liza Marklund.
While there was a serial killer named J. Frank Hickey known as “The Postcard Killer,” but neither Patterson nor Marklund have suggested they pulled from this true story for their novel. Hickey himself was one of America’s first known serial killers, and after abducting and murdering a young boy named Joey Joseph in New York, Hickey began sending postcards about his crimes to the police and Joey’s parents. These cards were designed to taunt his pursuers, but instead created a trail that led police to catch him; he was later sentenced to life in prison (via The Buffalo News).
James Patterson’s Inspiration For The Postcard Killings Book Explained
The Postcard Killings isn’t based in truth but was instead the result of Patterson wanting to collaborate with Marklund. Patterson has co-written novels with many other authors, including Bill Clinton, and after reading Marklund’s work he invited her to pen a thriller with him. The Postcard Killings is based on an original concept by Patterson (via Piratforlaget), which he and Marklund fleshed out together via email before penning the book.
The Postcard Killings was published in 2010 but the movie spent years in development hell, where directors such as Paul Greengrass being attached before exiting. Patrick Dempsey was once set to play the lead role of Jacob Kanon before Dean signed on. The film was released to lukewarm reviews and box office, though it appears to be finding a second life on streaming.
