Every Friday Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader where you can share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading. You can also share from a book you want to highlight just because it caught your fancy.

I’m featuring The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, one of my TBRs. After reading Strangers on a Train I thought I’d try this, the first book in Patricia Highsmith’s five-book Ripley series.

I first came across this several years ago listening to the opening episode of the BBC’s Radio 4 adaptation of the book and thought I’d like to read the book.

Tom Ripley is struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors and the law, when an unexpected acquaintance offers him a free trip to Europe and a chance to start over. Ripley wants money, success and the good life and he’s willing to kill for it. When his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.

My copy is a secondhand paperback published by Vintage in 1999, first published in 1955.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Tom glanced behind him and saw the man coming out of the Green Cage, heading his way. Tom walked faster. There was no doubt that the man was after him.

Also every Friday there is The Friday 56, hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice, but she is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. You grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

The American’s name was Freddie Miles. Tom thought he was hideous. Tom hated red hair, especially the kind of carrot-red hair with white skin and freckles. Freddie had large red-brown eyes that seemed to wobble in his head as if he were cocked-eyed, or perhaps he was only one of those people who never looked at anyone they were talking to.

What do you think? Would you carry on reading?