THIS IS A hybrid BOOK CLUB--JOIN US IN PERSON OR ONLINE VIA ZOOM

"Tom Ripley is a charming sociopath who inspires both love and loathing in The Talented Mr. Ripley, the first of the five-book Ripliad series. Patricia Highsmith’s most notorious character, a nefarious social climber willing to do anything to attain a life of wealth and privilege, became a blueprint for psychopathic anti-heroes from Tony Soprano to Walter White. The 1955 novel sees Tom travel to the fictional Italian resort town of Mongibello on a deceptive mission to befriend errant shipping heir Dickie Greenleaf and persuade him to come home to America at the behest of his beleaguered father, who is funding Tom’s venture. It won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for best international crime novel and has inspired a number of stage and screen adaptations, including the 1960 film Purple Noon and the 1999 Matt Damon-led The Talented Mr. Ripley. Highsmith would publish more than 20 novels throughout her career, including renowned titles such as Strangers on a Train, The Price of Salt (later republished as Carol), and Deep Water. (H)er legacy as one of the most influential crime writers of the 20th century is undeniable...." —Megan McCluskey for Time

Stop by the Reference Desk after the previous month’s meeting to pick up a copy of the title, or request it through the catalog HERE.  You are also welcome to acquire your own copy.

Supplemental Reading:

Wikipedia overview of the novel and background HERE.

Join us to watch the 1999 movie on Thursday, December 18 at 1:00 pm. Register HERE.

Book Club Background:

Join us in person or online to look at the history of Mystery as a book genre.

It has been almost 200 years since the publication of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and since then, mystery as a genre has exploded in form, length, language, and more. From The Lady in White, Wilkie Collins’ novel that is considered the first of the genre, through the serialized adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the Golden Age of Agatha Christie, the advent of noir, the rise of thrillers, romantic suspense, and an international cast of characters ranging from retired police officers to meddling sleuths, some famous twins, and armchair detectives.

TIME MAGAZINE PICKS THE 100 BEST MYSTERY NOVELS OF ALL TIME

Each month we might read an article, a short story, a book, or a selection from the same author or the same country. We’ll look at award winners and debut novelists, the standard bearers and the rule breakers. We may talk about movies and TV, too.  We’ll work our way through the decades, looking at similar themes, exotic settings, and recent innovations in a genre that is both familiar and new.

Some of the authors we’ll cover: Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, Mary Higgins Clark, Alexander McCall Smith, Jo Nesbo, and more!

Check out the recent Edgar Award winners HERE.

We’ll run this group as hybrid, so anyone can join. Please click below to register for the program the first time you wish to attend. Contact the Library at HERE to request the Zoom link. Returning readers do not need to register unless they need the Zoom link. You can choose in-person or Zoom each month, as it fits your schedule!

At the end of the day, the butler may have done it, but we’ll decide if he was justified!