The Postcard Killers
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Liza Marklund, James Patterson |
| Products | Crime thriller novel |
The Postcard Killers (2010) is a crime thriller co-authored by Swedish novelist Liza Marklund and American writer James Patterson.
Plot
While vacationing in Europe, a young American couple is found murdered. Jacob Kanon, the woman's father and a detective from New York City, journeys to Europe to uncover the perpetrator. Several analogous killings of young couples have been reported across France, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, with connecting clues suggesting a pattern. Kanon collaborates with Scandinavian reporter Dessie Larsson to pursue the suspect, working against the clock as each homicide is preceded by a postcard sent to local newspapers.
Publication
The book initially appeared in Sweden in January 2010, followed by its English release in August of the same year. By late August, it had climbed to the top position on The New York Times Best Seller List, making Marklund only the second Swedish author after Stieg Larsson to achieve this distinction.
Conception
Having read all of Marklund’s novels, Patterson suggested they co-write a thriller together. Although Marklund intended to study Spanish in 2009 and had no plans to write, she traveled to Florida to brainstorm with Patterson. He created a synopsis that Marklund refined; this collaborative effort involved numerous email exchanges. Marklund composed the initial draft in Swedish, which was then translated into English before Patterson developed the second draft. This project represented their first joint work across languages.
Film adaptation
In an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen, Patterson revealed that Hollywood studios expressed interest in adapting the novel, naming Paul Greengrass (director of The Bourne Supremacy and United 93) and Gavin O'Connor (director of Miracle) as potential filmmakers. He suggested that Marklund’s Swedish background, akin to Stieg Larsson’s, played a role in attracting attention.
After spending several years in development hell, production on the film adaptation entitled The Postcard Killings commenced in March 2019. Directed by Danis Tanović, it stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Jacob Kanon and Cush Jumbo portraying Dessie Larsson (renamed Dessie Leonard). Initially, Janusz Kamiński was attached as director, with Patrick Dempsey cast as Kanon alongside Dakota Fanning and later Britt Robertson as Leonard.