Nowadays, author Patricia Highsmith is known best as the author of "The Price of Salt," which is a romance novel that explores a lesbian relationship. The book was full of fluttering prose and elegance, reflecting a romanticism that was equally mysterious. It's likely why her follow-up, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," manages to be one of the classiest mystery books of its era. With a memorable character that spawned "The Ripliad," Highsmith captured an upper class sensibility to the drama with debonair protagonist Thomas Ripley. With a story journeying around Europe, the novel manages to excel at being riveting even at its most mundane, creating the sense that these characters are fun to hang around with. It may not be her greatest book, but it works as a pulpy novel full of similar intimacy and adventure.
