The Talented Mr Ripley - Patricia Highsmith

Whether The Talented Mr Ripley is Highsmith's masterpiece or not is a matter of opinion, but the character of Tom Ripley (running to a further four sequels) certainly rates as one of the greatest creations from an author whose exploration of the criminal mindset is unparalleled in its psychological depth and insight.

From the early pages of Tom skulking around the streets of New York expecting to be picked up by the police for petty fraud of an Income Tax office (where he hasn't even cashed any of the cheques he has embezzled) to his actions as a smooth murderer and impersonator in Italy and Europe, the becoming of Tom Ripley is fascinating in its progress.

The person tracking Tom down in New York turns out to be Mr Greenleaf, who knows of Tom as an acquaintance of his son Dickie (he hardly knows him in reality). Greenleaf tasks him with travelling south of Naples to an Amalfi village of Mongibello (a fictional village using the ancient name for Mount Etna) to convince his son to return to America. Dickie however has been enjoying an extended stay in Italy, becoming friends with fellow American writer Marge, enjoying the Italian lifestyle, the food and the climate. Tom, feeling slightly inferior, would love to be Dickie, and, well, after bashing him over the head with an oar, he becomes him. The act seems to come naturally, Tom's frustrations at being dismissed and a non-entity rising to a head.

Tom Ripley is indeed a great creation. He is almost a blank slate but is at least capable of recognising his limitations as only being the limitations of Tom Ripley. As Dickie Greenleaf, there are more options for developing his hitherto hidden and unexploited "talents" for fraud and impersonation. These extend to adopting Dickie's facility for speaking in Italian, imitating his speech and letter writing mannerisms, forging of his signature when cashing cheques, painting in Dickie's style, and in his acting ability to convince people - and even the police - that he is indeed Dickie Greenleaf.

That can only get him so far, and he finds that he needs to murder again to cover his tracks, constantly trying to keep one step ahead of the Roman police who are trying to trace both the missing Tom and the missing Dickie, managing to make each of them turn up unexpectedly just when they are needed. Highsmith uses this identity crisis to keep things wonderfully on edge, wondering if Tom can manage to avoid making a slip that will alert the authorities, Dickie's father, Marge or one of his acquaintances who are becoming increasingly concerned and suspicious. In other crime novels with a moral compass - or have one dictated by publisher and editorial policy - that might happen, but not evidently in The Talented Mr Ripley.

Highsmith's writing is superb, psychologically probing and insightful not just into the criminal mind, but you can perhaps even read some satire at the nature of Americans abroad in Europe. Even if it isn't Highsmith's masterpiece - there are any number among her incredible catalogue I would have competing for that position - there is no doubt however that The Talented Mr Ripley is as good as crime fiction gets; daring, thrilling and enormously influential as one of the major works of the genre.