The novel introduced the character of con man Tom Ripley, whom Highsmith wrote about in four subsequent books.

Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City by any and all means, including a series of small-time confidence scams.

Ripley agrees, exaggerating his friendship with Dickie, a half-remembered acquaintance, to gain the elder Greenleaf's trust.

Soon after Ripley arrives, Freddie Miles, a school friend of Dickie's, visits the summer home.

Ripley senses that Dickie has begun to tire of him, resenting his constant presence and growing personal dependence.

He later disposes of the body on the outskirts of Rome, attempting to make the police believe that Freddie was killed in a robbery.

Ripley enters a cat-and-mouse game with the Italian police but manages to keep himself safe by restoring his own identity and moving to Venice.