The King of Hearts: A Symbol of Broken Hearts and Obsession in The Color of Death

Introduction

In Trey Gowdy and Christopher Greyson’s thriller The Color of Death, an ordinary playing card becomes a chilling emblem of psychological warfare. The King of Hearts—torn in half, mailed, and later threatened—appears at key moments to mirror a protagonist’s shattered soul and an antagonist’s cruel design. This article unpacks what the card literally is, where it recurs, how its meaning shifts, and its ties to characters and themes.

What Is the King of Hearts Playing Card?

The King of Hearts is a standard playing card featuring a king facing left, traditionally holding a sword behind his head—a pose that earned him the nickname “Suicide King.” In the novel, the card is torn vertically, splitting the king’s body and the heart symbol. It first appears when JD, the mastermind of a revenge plot, deliberately rips the card in [Chapter 16] and addresses an envelope to Colm Truesdale. The card reappears in [Chapter 28] when Colm receives it at his sister-in-law Mae’s house, and again in [Chapter 70] when JD mutilates a King of Hearts in a diner, calling it the “Suicide King.”

Recurrence and Meaning

First appearance: JD’s workshop (Chapter 16)

JD tears the card while watching trail‑cam footage of Colm’s house. Knox urges action; JD insists Colm must “suffer, not just die.” The torn card is JD’s opening move in a psychological campaign. At this stage, the card signals JD’s methodical patience and his need to inflict emotional pain before physical death.

Second appearance: Mae’s mailbox (Chapter 28)

Colm receives the torn King of Hearts in an envelope. He tells Mae it is “not the first suicide king” he has gotten since losing his wife Ally and daughter Jaci. He dismisses the threat, believing it comes from someone reminding him of his broken heart. Here the card represents Colm’s unresolved grief and his habit of minimizing danger.

Third appearance: JD’s diner booth (Chapter 70)

After Colm wins a court victory and seems happy with waitress Belle, JD watches from a corner booth. She tears another King of Hearts in half, muttering “Suicide King. So close.” This moment shows the card’s meaning evolving from a grief token into a direct threat. JD now targets not just Colm’s past pain but his present and future happiness.

The suicide connection (Chapter 60)

Though not a direct card recurrence, [Chapter 60] reveals that JD once attempted suicide—a car exhaust plan that failed when the car ran out of gas. When JD finds Colm in his garage attempting the same method, she saves him, thinking “Not like this.” The “Suicide King” title thus resonates with both characters: JD survived her own attempt and now keeps Colm alive to suffer longer.

Character Connections

JD (Jane Doe)

JD’s obsession with the King of Hearts reflects her need to control suffering. She tears the card as a ritual, linking physical destruction to psychological manipulation. Her own history of attempted suicide gives her a twisted empathy: she knows what rock bottom feels like and wants Colm to experience it without escape. The card also foreshadows her ultimate plan—driving Colm to despair rather than granting a quick death.

Colm Truesdale

For Colm, the torn card embodies his fractured world. He interprets it as a reminder of his lost family, not a credible threat. That misreading reveals his deep grief and his tendency to internalize blame. The card is both a mirror of his emotional state and a blind spot—he fails to see the danger when it arrives by mail.

Knox

Knox, JD’s impulsive accomplice, does not use the card. His impatience contrasts with JD’s theatrical cruelty. While Knox wants direct action, JD prefers symbols that linger in the victim’s mind. The card thus helps define the antagonists’ partnership: one desires results, the other desires performance.

Theme Connections

Grief and Loss

The King of Hearts directly ties to grief and loss. Colm’s loss of Ally and Jaci leaves him with a “broken heart” that the card externalizes. JD weaponizes that grief, knowing that visible reminders will wound more deeply than any physical blow.

Justice versus Revenge

JD’s use of the card blurs the line between justice and revenge. She frames her campaign as avenging an injustice—her brother Larry’s imprisonment—but the card proves she seeks personal satisfaction, not fairness. The torn king symbolizes a system of justice torn apart by vendetta.

Corruption and Power

The card also touches on corruption and power. JD wields the envelope as a tool of intimidation, a cheap but effective way to assert dominance over a former prosecutor. The card’s anonymity (sent without a return address) mirrors the hidden networks of corruption that let JD move unseen.

Mentorship and Redemption

Colm’s relationship with Belle and his renewed purpose toward the novel’s end introduce mentorship and redemption. When JD sees them together, she tears the King of Hearts again, threatened by Colm’s possible recovery. The card becomes a counter-symbol to hope—an attempt to drag him back into darkness.

The Nature of Closure

Colm’s early belief that “closure is a myth” (Chapter 2) is embodied in the card. Each torn king offers a fake closure: JD sends it as a form of communication, but it leaves Colm confused rather than resolved. The card proves that some hurts cannot be neatly sealed.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does JD tear the King of Hearts in half rather than use another card?

Answer: JD tears the King of Hearts because its standard nickname—the Suicide King—matches her strategy. She wants to remind Colm of his suicidal grief (from losing his family) and later to torment him with the idea of a “suicide king” that she controls. Tearing it also mirrors her own brokenness and need to destroy what appears strong.

2. How does Colm’s reaction to receiving the card in Chapter 28 reveal his psychological state?

Answer: Colm dismisses the card as another “reminder” of his broken heart and lies to Mae about reporting it. His refusal to investigate shows that he has internalized guilt and expects punishment. He is more focused on surviving daily grief than on external threats, which makes him vulnerable.

3. What does the term “Suicide King” mean in the context of the story, and how does it connect to both Colm and JD?

Answer: The term “Suicide King” is a traditional name for the King of Hearts card. In the story, it foreshadows Colm’s suicide attempt in his garage (Chapter 60) and JD’s own past attempt. JD explicitly thinks “Suicide king, here we are” when she finds Colm in the car. The card thus symbolizes the shared trauma of contemplating suicide and the twisted power struggle over who controls death.

4. How does the meaning of the King of Hearts change from its first appearance (Chapter 16) to its last appearance (Chapter 70)?

Answer: In Chapter 16, the card is a private ritual for JD, a psychological weapon aimed at Colm from a distance. In Chapter 70, after Colm has begun to heal and find happiness with Belle, the card becomes a direct threat in the present tense—JD tears it while watching Colm, vowing he “can’t stop what’s coming next.” The shift shows JD escalating from symbolic intimidation to imminent danger.