Books: “Ripley’s Game,” by Patricia Highsmith

It irks me whenever the good guys lose and the bad guys win. Apparently, this was of no concern to novelist Patricia Highsmith, whose character Tom Ripley is one of the most amoral, bloodless psychos in mid-20th-century literature.

The subject of no fewer than five books, several movies and a recent Netflix series, Ripley first escapes the clutches of the law in America, the UK, and Italy—and, as we find him in “Ripley’s Game” (1974), Highsmith’s third book in the series, now lives guilt- and suspicion-free in a country estate outside Paris.

One night, Tom and his wife attend a neighbor’s soirée and meet Jonathan, a gentle British ex-pat who is a picture framer in the village. The two exchange words, and Tom doesn’t like a crack that Jon makes about the Dickie Greenleaf murder (#iykyk). He decides to seek revenge.

Coincidentally, Tom’s evil acquaintance, Reeves Minot, is looking for someone to help rub out members of a Mafia gang terrorizing Europe. Tom refuses but suggests, almost as a practical joke, and partly for revenge, that Jon the picture framer may be the one to do it.

Why? Seems Tom has discovered is that Jon has a rare blood disease and has very little time to live. Tom meets with Jon and suggests the money he earns for the murder will help support Jon’s widow and children after he dies. Jon in a moment of weakness agrees to do it.

This leads to a series of agita-packed scenarios in Munich, Strasbourg, and other cities—often on a fast-moving train where Mafia members are strangled by Jon and Tom and their bodies are shoved off. Jon and Tom escape suspicion at first but eventually all hell breaks loose.

Highsmith has a great gift for capturing details and building tension into the murder scenes. She also creates a character, Simone, Jon’s wife, who sees Ripley for the scoundrel he is. Simone is appalled that Jon is caught up in the Mafia business. In a sense, she speaks for all of us.

“Ripley’s Game” is Highsmith’s mystery writing at its best. The story was so good, in fact, it was made into a 2002 movie starring John Malkovich as Ripley. Need to find that film streaming somewhere to feed my recent Tom Ripley obsession. Even though the bad guy keeps winning.

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