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In Cold Blood

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In Cold Blood

By: Truman Capote
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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About this listen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The most famous true crime novel of all time "chills the blood and exercises the intelligence" (The New York Review of Books)—and haunted its author long after he finished writing it.

On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.

In one of the first non-fiction novels ever written, Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, generating both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.

©1965 Truman Capote (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc. Murder True Crime Exciting Scary Fiction

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Critic reviews

"The resulting chronicle is a masterpiece, agonizing, terrible, possessed, proof that the times, so surfeited with disasters, are still capable of tragedy." ( The New York Times Book Review)
All stars
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... revenge is all it is."
I very recently read Helter Skelter for the first time and decided then to revisit Capote's In Cold Blood, which I first read in print form about 50 years ago, not long after publication. Whilst details of the crime and the search for the killers had faded, the characters had remained with me, as real as old friends, both the victims at the Cutter farm, and the two perpetrators themselves. This true story of a barbaric slaughter concentrates far more on all of the people involved than on the blood and gore, although, of necessity, this too is covered. Taking the crime and the Cutter family as a central point, Capote sends out a search light to focus on everyone involved, from the killers and law offices involved in the crime detection, to friends and townsfolk of the victims, family of the perpetrators and people they met along the way as they evaded discovery, prison contacts, before and after, and the people involved in the trial.

Truman Capote was trying a, then, experimental form of writing, a blend fiction and nonfiction. The murder of the Clutter family provided him with the opportunity to interview numerous people, reconstructing not just the crime, but also the atmosphere, thoughts, fears a nd beliefs by embellishing real conversation with his own in character artistic liscence. Now frequently used 'faction' this was, in the '60s, revolutionary. And Capote's fine writing and excellent presentation make this book as gripping and insightful as it was half a century ago, standing out when compared with more recent similar books. Narrator, Scott Brick (who also read the Manson murders account, Helter Skelter) is, as always, superb, easy on the ear, text beautifully cadenced: a very fine performance.I

This is a book not just for true crime readers but is also a beautifully written, character filled thriller and a tale of a place, time and relationships which reads just like an excellent novel. Highly recommended

I'm not against capital punishment...

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I'm not a fan of Capote the person, and I thought I. would not be able to look past this but lucky for me I did, thanks to the narrator. A baffling crime made worse by the fact that you get to know the family before the crime and become enamoured with them, it then becomes a heartfelt loss when the crime was described by the perpetrator who included narrative from each member of this wholesome family.

Be prepared to be deeply saddened.

Wonderfully Narrated

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This book didn't disappoint. A beautifully written work. Made you feel like you were actually there.
Very well narrated by Scott Brick.
EXCELLENT.

GRIPPING

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As a UK reader I’d not heard of this book or crime before so had no preconceptions. The style is so interesting. A work of non-fiction written like a story. The detail is really immersive. There are some complex themes around justice presented but you are left to make up your own mind. Highly recommend.

Immersive, fascinating, grizzly

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Verite ,a word usually associated with film, could be applied to this book ; a commitment to the truth of the chain of events. It seems to cheapen It to say it's a"true crime"book, as it's so superior to the default product ; so REAL! so authentic! A cut above phony contrived sensationalized crime saga's whether true or invented. This quality marks It out as a timeless classic.

So REAL!

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Reads like a novel. The research this must have taken is mind blowing (if you'll excuse the pun... ). So glad I chose this to listen to.

Fantastic telling of a shocking crime with such depth and insight.

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Wonderful crafted account. A masterpiece. Narrator was excellent. Always wanted to read this and it certainly lived up to all my expectations.

Superb Writing at its very best.

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What a well-told, gripping story! Great narrator, does justice to the gravity of the story.

Gripping

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Capote poetically charts the convergence of the lives of both the victims and the perpetrators.

Incredibly well-written and researched true crime

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Despite the case being 60 years old and the original book written over 50 years ago, this stands the test of time. A really well written, well balanced story that doesn’t, in my opinion, feel like a story written so long ago. It is helped by a really excellent narrator. I would recommend this to anyone liking true crime.

Stands the test of time

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