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In Cold Blood

a True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
Nov 04, 2016rpavlacic rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Though true crime books were written before "In Cold Blood," Truman Capote's story - originally a series of four feature length articles in The New Yorker in 1965 prior to its publication in book form a year later - is the gold standard of the genre, the one by which all others are measured. Capote had written several plays and novels beforehand (e.g. "Breakfast at Tiffany's") but he outdid himself with this one. A masterful piece of investigative journalism but written in the style of a novel, the story of a functional Kansas family who was held hostage then systematically murdered remains haunting to this day. It is still shocking that Dick Hickock and Perry Smith took over the Clutter home in the mistaken belief that the family had $10,000 in their possession, only to make off with $40 and leaving behind to survive two adult sisters (fortunately not there at the time); then going on a crime spree hanging bad cheques and stealing cars (and license plates) across America before they were finally caught in Las Vegas. Also notable is the effect the atrocity had not just on the townsfolk of the community, but also on the prosecutors and law enforcement officials who had to deal with something on a scale almost unprecedented in the state's history. Capote wrote several books after this one, but none ever measured up to what proved to be his masterpiece. It remains a shame that a lifestyle of hard living ended his career and life in 1984 at the age of 59. The fact the book remains in print speaks to its power and enduring legacy. A must read, although it is definitely too graphic for pre-teens.