Tom Ripley, the American conman and sociopathic killer, returns in the second entry in Highsmith's series.
Now living in a villa in southern France, Tom is almost completely retired from his life of crime, drawing income from his wealthy wife's family and a will that he forged years before. He spends his days painting, gardening, and playing the harpsichord.
But Tom still operates one illicit enterprise: in London, there is a gallery that sells the recent works of the famous and reclusive painter Derwatt. The only thing odd about this is that Derwatt has, in fact, been dead for nearly 10 years.
Now, Tom's business is threatened by a wealthy American collector who has recognized his purchase as a fraud, a squad of policemen who are nosing around Derwatt, Ltd., and an unstable art forger who wants out from the scheme.
Tom must now go to great lengths to protect his business, his veneer of respectability, and his marriage, and someone might just have to die to make that happen...
This report prepared by James Craver
Tom Ripley is back, now married and living in France. He's involved with forged paintings (hard to believe a book about forged paintings could be so suspenseful, but there you go). Ripley will go to any length to protect his secret...
This report prepared by Lisa West
