Ripley Under Ground

In this second Ripley novel, Tom is living comfortably in a grand house near Paris with his wealthy young wife Heloise. His income depends partly on a scheme involving an artist named Derwatt, whose paintings continue to be sold even though the painter has vanished. When an American collector grows suspicious about the works, Tom must act to protect the arrangement.

The book mixes dark comedy, forgery and quiet menace, as Tom improvises his way through new dangers with remarkable composure. It deepens the portrait of a man who is likable on the page and morally troubling, and it plays with questions of authenticity and imitation.