The Talented Mr. Ripley

Patricia Highsmith said of The Talented Mr. Ripley, “No book was easier for me to write, and I often had the feeling Ripley was writing it and I was merely typing.” It shows: Tom Ripley is one of Highsmith’s most vivid creations, an amoral and manipulative killer who is nonetheless charming and intelligent. The story is a variation on Henry James's The Ambassadors, as Ripley is hired by the wealthy father of an old acquaintance to travel to Europe and bring back his wayward son (Dickie). But when Ripley meets Dickie, he becomes enchanted with his lifestyle, an obsession that takes him to dark and violent places. Highly recommended.