Reader Score
92%
92% of readers
recommend this book
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.
"Capote controversially labeled this true-crime book a "nonfiction novel." But the depth of reporting is magnificent, and the writing spellbinding. The first three pages alone are worth the price of admission, creating a sense of place better than anything I've ever read."
"Capote gave me permission to be the writer I wanted to be: someone who could explore darkness with deep empathy. The first true-crime book ever written, and groundbreaking for its unflinching exploration of the criminal mind. It's as propulsive as it is beautiful and strange."
"A remarkable, tensely exciting, superbly written 'true account.' " --The New York Times
"The best documentary account of an American crime ever written ... The book chills the blood and exercises the intelligence ... harrowing." --The New York Review of Books