Books
Tom Ripley books in order: the complete series
Image: Derek Hudson, Getty Images
If, like us, you can’t get enough of Andrew Scott’s performance in Ripley on Netflix, why not dive deep into the anti-hero’s backstory, with Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley books in order?
Tom Ripley is as charming as he is reckless, as suave as he is completely amoral, and one of the great anti-heroes of crime fiction. A career criminal, con artist and ultimately, a serial killer, what Ripley lacks in conscience he certainly makes up for in cunning, repeatedly getting away with murder, quite literally.
An outstanding thriller series that delights in the genius of a psychopath, Patricia Highsmith draws us into the mind of a man completely indifferent to evil and revels in it.
Here are the Tom Ripley books in order.
Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley books in order:
The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
1. The Talented Mr Ripley (1955)
Tom Ripley wants money, success, and the good life – and he’s willing to kill for it. Struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors, and the law, Ripley leaps at the chance to start afresh on a free trip to Europe. But when his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.
Ripley Under Ground by Patricia Highsmith
2. Ripley Under Ground (1970)
An American art collector is claiming that the expensive masterpiece he bought is a fake. He wants to meet with the artist – but Tom Ripley knows that artist no longer exits.
Ripley needs to hide his role in the fraud, and keep his colleague’s mouth shut. But not everyone’s nerves are as steady as his, especially when it comes to murder.
Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith
3. Ripley’s Game (1974)
Tom Ripley is enjoying his wealthy lifestyle in France, until an associate asks him to kill someone again. But Ripley detests murder, unless it is absolutely necessary. Someone else should do the dirty work for them – yes, someone with no criminal record could earn a very generous fee for doing a couple of simple murders.
The Boy Who Followed Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
4. The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980)
When a troubled young runaway arrives on Tom Ripley’s French estate, he is drawn into a world he thought he’d left behind: the seedy underworld of Berlin, involving kidnapping plots, lies and deception. Ripley becomes the boy’s protector as friendship develops between the young man with a guilty conscience and the older one with no conscience at all.
Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith
5. Ripley Under Water (1991)
Tom Ripley is quietly living in luxury at his chateau at Villeperce. He has a past, however, that would not bear too much close scrutiny.He is certain that he has covered his tracks where murder and forgery are concerned. But when a certain American couple move in next door, he soon realises his every move is being shadowed.
Ripley fears his secrets may be discovered and he will stop at nothing to prevent that from happening…
There you have it – all Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley books in order!
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.