REVIEW: The Postcard Killers by James Patterson

Title: The Postcard Killers
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: August, 2010
Hardcover: 400 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 8/10

Description: PARIS IS STUNNING IN THE SUMMER

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him—he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each café through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

THE KILLING IS SIMPLY MARVELOUS

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm—and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet.

My Thoughts: Patterson gets major points from me for delivering another story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with each page. Just when you think he has pulled out all the stops and can’t shock you anymore than he already has, BAM! There he goes again! As shocking and intense as the story was, it wasn’t one of my favorites. I didn’t feel much of a connection to the characters though I was intrigued by them and curious to see what Jacob was going to do once his daughter’s killers were brought to justice. I have felt a much stronger connection to other Patterson characters like Lindsey Boxer and Michael Bennett. Those characters I am practically in love with. But, even so, I gave this story high marks for the “in your face” rollercoaster ride of a story.

Jacob Kanon is a damaged character. He has seen horrible things in his life and experienced his share of heartbreak so when his daughter and her boyfriend are brutally murdered while on vacation in Rome a year before, he becomes a man obsessed. He shows up in Stockholm and makes contact with, almost to the point of stalking, Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson. He places himself into the investigation, almost to the point of interfering and obstructing it. He comes across as brash and abrasive and though his behavior is completely understandable given the circumstances, I was surprised that he didn’t end up in jail or getting himself killed. Dessie is a complex character. In love, she has batted for both sides of the team and has been unsuccessful with both. Her family history is slightly shady but she appears to be straight forward and committed to solving these murders. The attraction between Jacob and Dessie is made known fairly early on in the story so the romance twist between them doesn’t come as a surprise and doesn’t enhance or take away from the core story.

The characters I actually found the most riveting and was the most focused on were the suspected killers, Sylvia and Malcolm Rudolph. Upon first meeting them, I assumed they were a married American couple vacationing in Europe. These characters are what gives the story the “in your face” rollercoaster ride. With each page, more is revealed about this couple making them more complex and drawing the reader into their web. Some of the things that are revealed are quite shocking but instead of turning the reader off of the story, it draws them in even further. Are they innocent or guilty? Are they the monsters that Jacob Kanon believes them to be or are they innocent tourists who have been wronged by the Swedish justice system? You are going to have read the book to find out so climb aboard, buckle up and hang on for one hell of a ride!