While the martinis are being mixed, Tom Ripley evaluates his surroundings. The windows of the villa reveal epic views of Italy’s Amalfi Coast; the interior, a vision of mid-century Bohemian opulence, is just as arresting. Between the living room’s vaulted ceiling and colourfully patterned floor tiles, a Picasso hangs behind a desk with the ease of a casual shrug.
Beckoned onto the terrace for his cocktail, Ripley looks out onto the Mediterranean. Bobbing on the water is the yacht of the villa’s owner, Dickie Greenleaf, the playboy heir of a shipping magnate who’s absconded to Italy with vague hopes of becoming a painter.
