The Boy Who Followed Ripley

by Patricia Highsmith

First published 1981

When a young man with a guilty conscience arrives on Tom Ripley's French estate, he draws the older sociopath into a dangerous game of deception and murder. Frank Pierson, a wealthy American, has committed a terrible crime and believes Ripley is the only one who can shield him from the consequences. As the two men grow closer, a twisted friendship develops between the guilt-ridden youth and the ruthless con artist who has no qualms about taking a life. In this taut psychological thriller, Ripley's involvement with the troubled Frank threatens to unravel his carefully constructed façade and expose the darkness that lurks within.

Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, psychological-thriller

Vibes: dark, intimate, suspenseful

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator

348 pages · Paperback · W. W. Norton & Company

Content warnings: murder, violence

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