Books by Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995) was an American novelist and “one of the greatest psychological thriller writers of all time,” according to David Baldacci. Her first book, Strangers on a Train, was published in 1950 and turned into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. Most frequently recommended on Five Books is The Talented Mr Ripley (1955), the first of five books featuring Tom Ripley, an amoral killer you nonetheless find yourself rooting for. The others are: Ripley Under Ground (1970), Ripley’s Game (1974), The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980) and Ripley Under Water (1991).
“In Strangers on a Train, two strangers meet on a train and have a conversation about how their lives would be easier if—as one character says—someone killed his mom. The other is like: yeah, if somebody just killed my ex-wife, things would be so much easier for me. One of these men thinks it’s all a joke, a ridiculous conversation, but the other takes it seriously. Deadly serious.” Read more...
Simon Hawkins, Film Director
“The idea that you want him to succeed even though he’s a psychopath is a real feat of literary genius. Because if anyone put that in a synopsis, you’d think, ‘That’s not going to work.’ Even though every part of your moral consciousness is telling you that it’s wrong, there you are thinking, ‘I want you to get away with this, I want it to go your way.’ To get us, as the reader, to empathize with somebody who is such a horrific, damaged person is just such brilliant writing.” Read more...
Interviews where books by Patricia Highsmith were recommended
Psychological Thrillers with a Twist, recommended by Hannah Beckerman
It’s tempting to think that good psychological thrillers are all about plot twists, but in reality it’s the characters that make some books truly memorable. Novelist and literary critic Hannah Beckerman recommends five of her favourites, from Agatha Christie to Alex Michaelides.
The Best Book-to-Movie Adaptations, recommended by Peter Markham
Both books and movies seek to tell compelling stories, but they do so in different ways. Peter Markham, both a director and a long-time teacher of directing at the American Film Institute, talks us through five of his favourite book-to-movie adaptations—and what they reveal about successfully bringing a book to the screen.
The Best Psychological Thrillers, recommended by J.S. Monroe
The best psychological thrillers are books that draw you into the lives of seemingly ordinary people, keep you turning the pages and then (often) floor you with an unexpected twist. British thriller writer JS Monroe, author of No Place to Hide, recommends some of the best ones out there, including the 1955 book that inspired the modern genre.
The Best Classic Crime Fiction, recommended by Sophie Roell
Since the early stories of the 18th and 19th centuries, crime fiction has been an incredibly popular and enduring genre, the investigation of murder somehow capturing the imagination of millions of readers around the globe. Here, Sophie Roell, editor of Five Books, uses strict but simple criteria to pick out the best classic crime fiction, from the Victorian age through to the 1950s.
The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Lucy Atkins
Every week, dozens of new thrillers appear in bookshops. But, often, the classic ones are the best of all. If you haven’t read any of these five yet, you have a treat in store—recommended by British novelist Lucy Atkins, author of the brilliant Magpie Lane.
The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett
When it comes to whodunnits, the latest ones aren’t always the best. Veteran crime writer Simon Brett talks us through some of his all-time favourites, of which the most recent was published nearly four decades ago.
The Best Noir Novels, recommended by Simon Hawkins
Noir is as much an aesthetic as it is a genre of book or movie, explains the film director Simon Hawkins; and though it might be set anywhere, Los Angeles is its spiritual home. Here, he recommends five of the best noir novels—each defined by their strong settings, seedy atmospheres and suspenseful plotting.
The Best Mystery Books, recommended by David Baldacci
The best mystery books are completely unputdownable and addictive, the entertainment they provide more portable than watching TV and so much more satisfying than looking at your phone. Bestselling author David Baldacci, one of the masters of the genre and a passionate advocate for literacy and reading, talks us through some of the best mystery books ever written—as well as the contemporary authors he most admires.
