Ripley Under Ground

Six years after the events of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley is now in his early thirties and living a comfortable life in France with his wife, heiress Héloïse Plisson. The lifestyle at his estate, Belle Ombre, is supported by Dickie Greenleaf's fortune, occasional fence work with an American named Reeves Minot, and Derwatt Ltd.— an art forgery scheme that Ripley helped set up years before as a silent partner.

Years prior, after the painter Philip Derwatt disappeared and committed suicide in Greece, his friends—photographer Jeff Constant and freelance journalist Ed Banbury—began to publicize his work and sold a number of authentic paintings. Thanks to their efforts, Derwatt became more famous and his paintings more valuable. When the original Derwatts began to run out, Ripley went into business with them and persuaded Bernard Tufts, another painter, to produce forged Derwatts. The money is rolling in, but Tufts, who had idolized Derwatt, is plagued by guilt for his role in the scheme.

Derwatt Ltd. is threatened by a disgruntled American collector, Thomas Murchison, who surmises that one of his Derwatts is a forgery. Worried that the lid is about to be blown on the whole scheme, Ripley decides to go to London and impersonate Derwatt, meet with Murchison and convince him that the paintings are genuine. Ripley is unsuccessful, however, particularly as Tufts meets with Murchison and tells him not to buy any more Derwatts. Ripley, as himself, invites Murchison to Belle Ombre to inspect his own two Derwatt paintings—one genuine, one a fake—to try to dissuade him from taking the case to a Tate Gallery curator and the police.

Murchison inspects Ripley's paintings and rightly believes the fake is a fake. Realizing that the argument is futile, Ripley comes clean on the entire scam, asking for mercy for Tufts' sake. Murchison refuses, however, so Ripley kills him. He abandons Murchison's suitcase and painting at Orly Airport, then buries his body in the woods near Belle Ombre. Later, Dickie's cousin Chris comes to stay while on a European tour. He notices the fresh grave outside the house. Tufts also visits Ripley, saying he wants to confess everything to the police. Ripley tells Tufts that he killed Murchison and, realizing his own terrible choice of a gravesite, asks him to help move the body. Together, they dump the corpse in a river.

The French police, together with Inspector Webster from Metropolitan Police, investigate Murchison's disappearance, making trips to Belle Ombre and inspecting the property. Tufts leaves a hanging effigy in the cellar that is discovered by Héloïse, along with a note suggesting that he is going to confess. When he returns to Belle Ombre, Tufts unsuccessfully tries to strangle Ripley, who feels pity for the disturbed man and does not retaliate. Later, Tufts knocks Ripley out with a shovel and buries him alive in Murchison's empty grave. Ripley manages to escape and returns to London to impersonate Derwatt for a second appearance, this time for Webster and Murchison's wife. Mrs. Murchison decides to pay a visit to Belle Ombre, the last place her husband was seen.

After Mrs. Murchison's visit, Ripley realizes that Tufts is contemplating suicide. Feeling responsible, he searches for him in Greece, Paris and finally Salzburg. When he approaches Tufts, the painter believes Ripley is a ghost. Tufts runs from Ripley and leaps off a cliff to his death. Ripley partially cremates and buries the body. He tells Webster that Derwatt committed suicide and Tufts disappeared in Salzburg, presumably to follow suit. He gives Webster some of Tuft’s remains—which he claims are Derwatt’s—and agrees to accompany him to Salzburg to show him where the rest of his body is buried. The novel ends with Ripley steeling himself for another performance with Webster and the Austrian police.