Tom Ripley Books in Order: Patricia Highsmith's Ripley Novels Ranked and Reviewed
Patricia Highsmith wrote five Tom Ripley novels, known as the "Ripliad". Read them in publication order, starting with The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955), because each book builds on what Tom got away with in the one before.
Below you'll find my spoiler-free verdicts, a frank ranking, and a quick guide to how the books differ from the screen versions.
Table of Contents
Is Tom Ripley popular
Tom Ripley got some popularity recently with the movie, A Talent for Murder. It opened in select US cinemas on 23 October 2026. Helen Mirren plays Highsmith, and Alden Ehrenreich plays a young editor and an imagined Tom Ripley.
The movie isn't an adaptation of any Ripley novel, though. It's based on Joanna Murray-Smith's 2014 play Switzerland, about a man who tries to talk Highsmith into writing one last Ripley book.
The film opens in the UK on 20 November 2026.
Ripley was one of the “Fictional Toms,” appearing in the 25 October NYT Connections puzzle, along with Sawyer, Swift and Thumb.
Check popular Tom Swift books here
The Tom Ripley books in order
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955)
- Ripley Under Ground (1970)
- Ripley's Game (1974)
- The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980)
- Ripley Under Water (1991)
With the 15-year gap after book one, when Tom comes back, he's older, married and living comfortably in France. The tone changes with him.
My spoiler-free ranking
The Talented Mr. Ripley: start here
This is the one to read first. A young con man is sent to Italy to bring a rich man's son home, and Highsmith makes you root for him while your skin crawls. The suspense comes from being stuck inside Tom's head. I think it's a perfect book.
Ripley's Game
This is the most gripping of the sequels. Tom drags an ordinary, decent man into a scheme purely out of spite. It reads like a modern psychological thriller, and the moral rot spreads slowly enough that you barely notice it.
Ripley Under Ground
An art-forgery plot. It's clever and very readable, but it relies on coincidence more than book one does. Read it mostly to see how Tom has settled into his stolen comforts.
Ripley Under Water
Highsmith's last Ripley. Tom's past starts snooping around his house, which is a great premise, but the book sags in the middle. It's still worth reading to finish the series.
The Boy Who Followed Ripley
This is the oddest book in the series and, for me, the weakest thriller. A runaway teenager attaches himself to Tom, and it's oddly tender. Some readers love it for exactly that reason. I wanted more bite.
Books vs screen: what changes
- Purple Noon (1960, Alain Delon): gorgeous to look at, but it changes the ending of book one.
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999, Matt Damon): adds new characters and makes Tom's feelings for Dickie much more explicit. The novel leaves that ambiguous.
- The American Friend (1977, Dennis Hopper) and Ripley's Game (2002, John Malkovich): both adapt book three. Malkovich's cold, older Tom is closer to the later novels.
- Ripley Under Ground (2005, Barry Pepper): a little-seen adaptation of book two.
- Ripley on Netflix (2024, Andrew Scott): eight black-and-white episodes. It's the most faithful to the book's slow, creeping mood. Don't wait for a second season, though: in March 2026 Scott told Deadline it's "not going to happen now" (via ScreenRant). Netflix hasn't confirmed anything officially.
Watch any version you like, but read the book first. Highsmith's trick is that you're inside Tom's head, and no camera fully manages that.
What to read next
If the Ripley books hook you on morally slippery narrators, check my Gone Girl review or The Housemaid review. Kindle readers should check whether the Highsmith titles are in their Kindle+ plan, as the catalogue differs from country to country.
Which Ripley is your favourite, on the page or on screen? Tell me in the comments, and have a look around Book Blabber for your next thriller. Happy (slightly sinister) reading!
FAQs about Tom Ripley books
Who plays Tom Ripley in A Talent for Murder?
Alden Ehrenreich. He plays two roles: Edward Ridgeway, a young editor from a New York publisher, and an imagined version of Tom Ripley. Helen Mirren plays Patricia Highsmith. The film is based on Joanna Murray-Smith's play Switzerland and doesn't adapt any of the Ripley novels.
Which Tom Ripley book should I read first?
Start with The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955), the first and best of the five novels. The later books assume you know what Tom did in Italy, so reading them in publication order makes the most sense: Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley, then Ripley Under Water.
Is Tom Ripley a real person?
No. Tom Ripley is a fictional character created by Patricia Highsmith, who first appeared in The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1955. Highsmith wrote four more Ripley novels, the last of which came out in 1991. He has been played on screen and radio by actors including Alain Delon, Matt Damon, John Malkovich and Andrew Scott.
Liked the article?
Join Book Blabbers WhatsApp group to bond over books, memes and quotes.
Subscribe to Book Blabber's Bulletin to get book summaries, reading tips and occasional hugs in your inbox.
Comments