I had seen the film already, so was pleasantly surprised at the differences between the adaptation and the book. The only other book I’ve read by Highsmith, is The Talented Mr Ripley, and as with that one, it feels like the impetus for the meat of the plot has a homoerotic undercharge being danced around. Never explicit in any way, yet the two men’s actions, especially one, in particular, with the scheme of taking lives, ushers them into a transgressive intimacy.

The plot beats themselves feel pretty predictable, what’s compelling about it was the unraveling of each as they “got what they wanted”. A great way to be unhappy, according to many psychologists, is to get what you want - it can really mess you up. It’s a lot more healthy to wish and strive for unobtainable things for all your day, supposedly. Either way, the inner thoughts and turmoil will out makes for a pretty strange, but compelling reading experience. The characters make this, not the plot at all, which is funny, considering the idea of two strangers executing the “perfect” murder sets some expectations for a heavily plotty novel, I’d think. Highsmith is so idiosyncratic, I’d wager the responses to this are pretty polarizing. But it’s regarded as a modern classic, so perhaps not so much?