The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 320 pages
Published: 1955

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith is the first book in a series featuring the titular character. In this first installment, Tom Ripley manipulates his way into Dickie Greenleaf’s life by way of his father. A chance meeting in New York with the senior Greenleaf results in an expense-paid trip for Tom to Italy to convince Dickie to come back stateside to be with his ill mother. 

Once Tom arrives by sea, he quickly meets Dickie and his female companion, Marge. Tom is swept into the lifestyle of the well-to-do in Europe and finds a way to not only get involved in Dickie’s life but take it over. As the plot progresses, the readers wonders how far will one man go to achieve what he deems success? 

Mr. Tom Ripley evolves into a sociopath reaching far beyond the bounds of normal social behaviors. The book is fast-paced. I finished it in a just a few days, and it left me questioning what is right and who is right. I read this book for my monthly in-person book club discussion, and overall, I enjoyed it. The additional discussion made the book more meaningful. Highsmith’s style of writing definitely matches the time (~1950s) in which the book was written, and her personality and personal life shine throughout the story. I would suggest reading an eBook copy of this novel as there are several Italian sentences, and an eReader should offer the opportunity to translate it, thus giving the story more meaning. 

Recommendation: This book is a classic. I intend to see the 90s movie now that I finished it. As always I would recommend reading the book before seeing the movie, and I would encourage readers to read this book with someone as the discussion enhances the experience. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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VENETIAN BLOOD: MURDER IN A SENSUOUS CITY BY CHRISTINE EVELYN VOLKER

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City by Christine Evelyn Volker has all the makings of a juicy mystery: murder, theft, money-laundering, jilted lovers, and lost loves all on the backdrop of one of Italy's most beautiful cities — Venice.

The book starts off with a bang, well a stabbing, — the murder of financier and art investor, Sergio. The reader also quickly meets, Anna, the book's protagonist. Through Anna, the reader learns that Sergio is a murder victim, but not an innocent person by any stretch of the imagination. Anna, who is from California, is on vacation in Italy attempting to settle a score with Sergio after a brief love affair for which he is blackmailing her, healing from her failed marriage, and coming to terms with her infertility. In short, she's got a lot going on, folks. The author also introduces a large cast of characters spanning from the United States to Europe, thus crafting an international whodunnit.

I enjoyed the format of the book. Volker integrated quite a bit of the Italian culture including the language. I found it quite interesting how she included Italian phrases then followed up with the English translation for us non-speakers. As for the mystery, she reveals bit-by-bit through easily digestible chapters that move at an engaging pace. My only criticism is that, at times, the author overdid it with some of the descriptions that proved distracting for this reader. Nonetheless, the overall story was solid, and it was truly a challenge to discern who the real killer was. I was unable to figure it out until I neared the end, which is the sign of a great murder mystery, in my opinion. At one point, Anna seems a bit unstable and so shaken by her past that I began to believe she was the killer. But can a novel make the protagonist the villain as well? You'll have to read for yourself to find out!

Recommendation: I think this would be a good book for someone who is interested in the financial and money-laundering industries as well as Italian history and culture. A must read for mystery-lovers!

Until next time ... Read on!

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