Tom Ripley, a young man with no specific occupation, meets a wealthy entrepreneur Herbert Greenleaf, who hires him for a delicate task: he needs to return his son Dickie from Italy, where he has been staying for quite a long time, captivated by the Mediterranean climate and the charms of his companion. Not without some hesitation, Tom agrees. However, this assignment unexpectedly turns out to be quite difficult, because Tom also really likes Italy. Moreover, he really likes the lifestyle that Dickie leads. Delving deeper into Dickie's world, Tom discovers a taste for a rich and sophisticated life and understands that at any cost he must become Dickie Greenleaf...

“The Talented Mr. Ripley” is the first novel in a series of psychological detective stories about Tom Ripley . In 1999, it was brilliantly filmed by director Anthony Minghella, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow.