In Cold Blood

The most famous true crime novel of all time, In Cold Blood, is a bestseller that haunted its author long after he finished writing it.

 Chills the blood and exercises the intelligence ... harrowing. --The New York Review of BooksOn 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.

Reason: Banned, Violence, sexual content, and obscene language

Author: Truman Capote
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 02/01/1994
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780679745587

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.1
Point Value: 21
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 79631 / In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences

About the Author
Truman Capote was born on September 30, 1924, in New Orleans. After his parents' divorce, he was sent to live with relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. It was here he would meet his lifelong friend, the author Harper Lee. Capote rose to international prominence in 1948 with the publication of his debut novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms. Among his celebrated works are Breakfast at Tiffany's, A Tree of Night, The Grass Harp, Summer Crossing, A Christmas Memory, and In Cold Blood, widely considered one of the greatest books of the twentieth century. Twice awarded the O. Henry Short Story Prize, Capote was also the recipient of a National Institute of Arts and Letters Creative Writing Award and an Edgar Award. He died on August 25, 1984, shortly before his sixtieth birthday.