Familiar to most readers via her Ripley books and Strangers on a Train, Patricia Highsmith specialized in creepy portraits of sociopaths as their paths crossed and destroyed the lives of ordinary folk.  This less well known little gem starts out innocently enough with a wealthy Manhattan couple and their missing dog, but gets ugly fast as the dognapper proves to be obsessed with teaching them a lesson and the young cop investigating the case turns out to be equally obsessed with protecting the couple and imposing justice.

With the kooks on both sides of the law this time there's an even more claustrophobic effect, as she shows just how frightening the people around us may be and how dangerous every day life is, but it's all offset by a dark sense of humor.  It's not as good as her best, but it's worth seeking out.

(Reviewed:22-May-01)

Grade: (B)

Patricia Highsmith Links:
-REVIEW ESSAY: THE CREEPIEST: John Malkovich as Tom Ripley (ANTHONY LANE, 2004-02-09, The New Yorker)

Book-related and General Links:
    -Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) - Mary Patricia (née Plangman, stepfather's name Highsmith); has also written as Claire Morgan (kirjasto)
    -ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA : "patricia highsmith"
    -ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA : Highsmith, Patricia
    -BOOK SITE : The Talented Mr. Ripley (Random House)
    -EXCERPT : from  The Talented Mr. Ripley (Random House)
    -PROFILE : A dark view (Susan Adams, Forbes Magazine, 06.15.98)
    -The Knitting Circle: Literature : Patricia Highsmith
    -Patricia Highsmith (1921 - 1995) (Queer Theory)
    -Patricia Highsmith AllReaders Club
    -xrefer : Highsmith, Patricia
    -ESSAY : Poet of Apprehension (John Gray, New Statesman,  June 19, 2000)
    -ESSAY : Dead writers: Movies spur Highsmith revival (JEFF BAKER, 08/05/01, THE OREGONIAN)
    -ESSAY : The Killer in Me Is the Killer in You : Everyone is a potential murderer in the malleable moral universe of Patricia Highsmith (John Freeman, City Pages)
    -BIBLIOGRAPHY :  PATRICIA HIGHSMITH (Stop You're Killing Me)
    -ARCHIVES : "patricia highsmith" (NY Review of Books)
    -ARCHIVES :  "patricia highsmith" (Find Articles)
    -REVIEW : of The Talented Mr. Ripley (Bob Wake, Culture Vulture)
    -REVIEW : of The Talented Mr. Ripley ( Robin Brenner, Rambles)
    -REVIEW : of The Talented Mr. Ripley (Michelle LeBlanc , Literal Mind)
    -REVIEW : of The Ripley novels (Ian Lace)
    -REVIEW : of Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith (Alice K. Turner, Washington Post)
    -REVIEW : of Selected Stories by Patricia Highsmith (Penelope Mesic , Book)
    -REVIEW : of Selected Stories by Patricia Highsmith (Fritz Lanham, Houston Chronicle)
    -BOOK LIST : "Death in Venice" is No. 1 gay novel #36 The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith (HILLEL ITALIE, Salon)
 

FILMS :
    -FILMOGRAPHY : "patricia highsmith" (Imdb.com)
    -INFO : Strangers on a Train (1951) (Imdb.com)
    -REVIEW : of Strangers on a Train (Alexander Walker, This is London)
    -REVIEW : Strangers on a Train DVD (Almar Haflidason, BBC Online)
    -ESSAY : Ripley believe it or not (Ben Pappas, Forbes Magazine, 06.15.98)
    -Official Website of The Talented Mr. Ripley
    -INFO : The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)(Imdb.com)
    -BUY IT : The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) DVD (Amazon)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)
    -REVIEW : of The Talented Mr. Ripley (Stanley Kaufman, New Republic)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley (Charles Taylor, Salon)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley (Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley  (James Berardinelli's ReelViews)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley (Stephen Hunter, Washington Post)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley  (Russell Smith, Austin Chronicle)
    -REVIEW : The Talented Mr. Ripley (Hillari Hunter, Christian Spotlight on the Movies)
    -REVIEW : of The Talented Mr. Ripley (Tom Block, Culture Vulture)
    -ESSAY : "Ripley" explores meaning of identity, director says (MARGARET A. McGURK, The Cincinnati Enquirer)
    -INFO : Plein Soleil (Purple Noon) (1960) (Imdb.com)
    -REVIEW : of  Purple Noon (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)
    -REVIEW : of Purple Noon (Mike Clark, USA TODAY)
    -REVIEW : of Purple Noon (Walter Addiego, SF Examiner)
    -REVIEW : of Purple Noon (Edward Guthmann, SF Chronicle)
    -REVIEW : of Purple Noon (James Berardinelli's ReelViews)

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