A lifelong love of Patricia Highsmith inspired debut author Tracy Maton to write The Artful Anna Harris, a bitingly twisted homage to The Talented Mr Ripley. Swapping New York for Somerset and the sun-soaked Italian Rivera for a rainy Exmouth in December, the book retains the cool ruthlessness of the original while keeping its tongue firmly in its cheek.
When we first meet Anna Harris, she appears to have it made. As girlfriend to the lovely, affluent Ben, she is doted on by his tight-knit family and has become a regular churchgoer and much-loved pillar of the wider village community. But the arrival of the rich, free-spirited Sofia unleashes an inner restlessness in Anna that finds its outlet in shocking and increasingly violent acts of rebellion.
As an ill-advised affair with the equally duplicitous Mark threatens to rip her manufactured, faux-perfect life apart at the seams, Anna gradually sheds her air of middle-class respectability to reveal the cold-blooded monster lurking beneath. A darkly fascinating story with memorable characters and a propulsive plot that keeps you guessing until the very end, The Artful Anna Harris is as chilling as it is entertaining. Highsmith would be proud.
