HIGHSMITH, Patricia ~ Ripley Under Water. Signed by the author.

FIRST UK PRINTING. Bloomsbury, London: 1991.

8vo., blue publisher's boards, lettered in gilt to spine with publisher's device to foot; blue endpapers to front with publisher's emblem; lower paste-down showing author's note; blue ribbon marker; the dustwrapper (unclipped, £13.99) showing an illustration by Elspeth Ross to the upper panel; THE BOOK near-fine, with pages lightly toned; THE WRAPPER just a little sunned to edge of front flap, with a little scuffing; also near-fine. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First UK edition, first printing, with full number line 1-10. This copy neatly signed by the author to the title page. The final novel in Highsmith's 'Ripliad' series, which feature the protagonist Tom Ripley. Beginning with 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1955) and continued with 'Ripley Under Ground' (1970), 'Ripley's Game (1974) and 'The Boy Who Followed Ripley' (1980) the books follow a con artist who, in the debut novel, is sent to Italy in order to convince a shipbuilding magnate's son to return to New York and take over the family business. Ripley's subsequent obsession with 'Dickie' leads to tragic - and dramatic - results. 'Ripley Under Ground' continued the narrative six years later, as the protagonist settled in France with a sizable inheritance, married an heiress and became involved in the art world. Book three saw Ripley attempting to 'get back into the game', with Tom plotting to bribe an English picture framer to commit a murder, causing suspicion to fall on a rival mafia family. The penultimate book centers around the kindred relationship between Tom and a teenage boy, Frank, who admits to having pushed his father over a cliff. In this, final installment, Tom has to contend with an American couple in his village - a couple who seem to know a little too much about his mysterious past. The books have been adapted for film, TV and radio multiple times, with the most recent iteration in 2024, starring the wonderful Andrew Scott in the lead role. Highsmith herself described her character as complex: a "suave, agreeable and utterly amoral" man. Scarce signed.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Near Fine