Patricia Highsmith books in order
American novelist and short story writer
- Lived
- 1921–1995
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 40
- Series
- 1
- Also writes as
- Claire Morgan
Patricia Highsmith published 25 novels, 1 novella, 10 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book and 3 other books, beginning with Strangers on a Train (1950). The series is Tom Ripley (5 books, starting with The Talented Mr. Ripley). The best-known is The Price of Salt (1952).
Updated September 2026
Tom Ripley books in order (5)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955) · 2 Ripley Under Ground (1970) · 3 Ripley's Game (1974) · 4 The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980) · 5 Ripley Under Water (1991)
- 1.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Nov 1955)
- 2.
Ripley Under Ground (1970)
- 3.
Ripley's Game (1974)
- 4.
The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980)
- 5.
Ripley Under Water (Oct 1991)
Where to start with Patricia Highsmith
Start here
The Price of Salt
Patricia Highsmith's most-read book.
Shortest way in
Strangers on a Train
One of the most-read, at about 256 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Strangers on a Train (1950)
The Price of Salt (1952)
The Blunderer (1954)
Deep Water (1957)
A Game for the Living (1958)
This Sweet Sickness (1960)
The Cry of the Owl (1962)
The Glass Cell (1964)
The Two Faces of January (1964)
Those Who Walk Away (1967)
The Tremor of Forgery (1969)
The Snail-watcher and Other Stories (1970)
A Suspension of Mercy (Random Acts of Kindness) (1971)
Edith's Diary (1977)
People Who Knock on the Door (1983)
Found in the Street (1985)
The Mysterious Mr. Ripley (1985)
A Dog's Ransom (1986)
Small G (1995)
Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives (2013)
Novellas in order
Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction (1981)
Short story collections in order
Eleven (1970)
Eleven: Short Stories (1970)
Little Tales of Misogyny (1975)
The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder (1975)
Slowly, Slowly in the Wind (1979)
The Black House (1981)
Mermaids on the Golf Course (1985)
Tales of Natural and Unnatural Catastrophes (1987)
The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith (2001)
Nothing That Meets the Eye (2002)
Non-fiction in order
Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks (2021)
Other books in order
Sour Tales for Sweethearts (2015)
Patricia Highsmith (2022)
Carol
Film and TV adaptations
- Strangers on a Train (1951)Film · from Strangers on a Train
- Once You Kiss a Stranger (1970)Film · from Strangers on a Train
- Carol (2015)Film · from The Price of Salt
- Enough Rope (1963)Film · from The Blunderer
- A Kind of Murder (2016)Film · from The Blunderer
- Purple Noon (1960)Film · from The Talented Mr. Ripley
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)Film · from The Talented Mr. Ripley
- RipleyTV · from The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Eaux profondes (1981)Film · from Deep Water
- Deep Water (2022)Film · from Deep Water
- This Sweet Sickness (1977)Film · from This Sweet Sickness
- The Cry of the Owl (1987)Film · from The Cry of the Owl
- The Cry of the Owl (2009)Film · from The Cry of the Owl
- The Glass Cell (1978)Film · from The Glass Cell
- The Two Faces of January (2014)Film · from The Two Faces of January
- Ripley Under Ground (2005)Film · from Ripley Under Ground
- The American Friend (1977)Film · from Ripley's Game
- Ripley's Game (2002)Film · from Ripley's Game
- Ediths Tagebuch (1983)Film · from Edith's Diary
About Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character Tom Ripley. She wrote 22 novels and numerous short stories in a career spanning nearly five decades, and her work has led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her writing was influenced by existentialist literature and questioned notions of identity and popular morality. She was dubbed "the poet of apprehension" by novelist Graham Greene.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Patricia Highsmith FAQ
- How many books has Patricia Highsmith written?
- Patricia Highsmith published 25 novels, 1 novella, 10 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Patricia Highsmith's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Tom Ripley with The Talented Mr. Ripley. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Patricia Highsmith's last book?
- Small G (1995).
- What is Patricia Highsmith's most famous book?
- The Price of Salt (1952) is Patricia Highsmith's most widely read book.
- Are Patricia Highsmith's books connected?
- 5 books belong to 1 series (Tom Ripley); the other 35 books stand alone.
- Does Patricia Highsmith write under a pen name?
- Yes: Patricia Highsmith has also published as Claire Morgan.
- Which Patricia Highsmith books have been adapted?
- 12 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Strangers on a Train (film, 1951), The Price of Salt (as Carol, film, 2015), The Blunderer (as Enough Rope, film, 1963) and The Talented Mr. Ripley (as Purple Noon, film, 1960).
Authors like Patricia Highsmith
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.