• In Cold Blood

  • By: Truman Capote
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (14,915 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
In Cold Blood  By  cover art

In Cold Blood

By: Truman Capote
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.26

Buy for $21.26

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial review


By Kat Johnson, Audible Editor

IN COLD BLOOD IS STILL THE GOLD STANDARD IN TRUE CRIME

In Cold Blood was the first true crime book I ever read, and after that, the bar was set. I was a junior in high school and a massive bookworm, though until then I’d read almost exclusively fiction, usually of the Great American Novel variety. For all I knew when I first picked it up, at a thrift shop or take-one/leave-one library where I hunted down cheap books, it WAS fiction, such was the towering reputation of Truman Capote and the breathless description of murder and Americana on the back cover.

Of course, as I now know full well, In Cold Blood is Capote’s 1966 masterpiece of narrative nonfiction—so rich in detail, dialogue, and character that it’s also called a "nonfiction novel"—and the crime it depicts was real, a media sensation in its day. Capote had already published a bestselling debut novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948), and the triumphant novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958) when he went to Holcomb, Kansas with his friend Harper Lee to report on the shocking murders of four members of the popular and prosperous Clutter family, inspired by little more than a brief New York Times article calling it "the case of a psychotic killer." Armed with charm, confidence, and boundless ambition, Capote gained the locals’ trust and soon convinced all the key sources that his story was the one they had to be part of.

Capote was right. Like Serial a half-century later, In Cold Blood ushered in a new kind of true crime storytelling, one that centered both journalistic excellence and the narrative art of fiction. Showcasing Capote’s immaculate prose and intimate access to those involved (particularly convicted killer Perry Smith), the book was an instant success whose reputation has only grown. From its frightening description of the murders—the lonely Clutter farmhouse and open Kansas plain scare me to bits even without the quadruple homicide, thank you—to Capote’s authenticity-soaked regionalisms and atmosphere, In Cold Blood is an entire world as seen through the lens of a crime: the random, senseless violence; the hyper-nuanced portraits of the victims and killers, who lives might have turned out some other way, any other way; the peculiar celebrity of murder; the slow machinations of justice and the horror of death row.

I will never forget that first time reading it, which transported me from my dorm room in Rhode Island to a Kansas farmhouse, then to a claustrophobic prison cell. More recently I discovered the audio version, a legend in its own right thanks to narrator Scott Brick’s pitch-perfect performance, which seamlessly marries Capote’s haunting authorial voice with homespun prairie-isms (I lost count of all the "I don’t rightly know"s). With chilling precision and palpable respect for the material, Brick captivates as the tale gathers momentum. Depending on where you are when you listen, his performance might even be too immersive for comfort.

True crime conveys truths about the world that can be hard to hear. But in Capote’s telling and Brick’s performance, In Cold Blood beats with beauty, humanity, and propulsive storytelling to keep us listening through the darkness and through the decades.

Continue reading Kat's review >

Publisher's summary

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.

Critic reviews

"A masterpiece ... a spellbinding work." —Life

"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

Featured Article: The Best Nonfiction Audiobooks to Jump into Right Now


The best nonfiction audiobooks take involved, often intimidating subjects and reinvigorate them with sharp narration so you can stay focused and on track. In this list, we’ll share our picks for some of the best nonfiction audio out there, encompassing a wide array of topics—from the entire history of humanity to astrophysics to the American prison system. Engage with some of the most fascinating, deeply human real-life stories our catalog has to offer.

What listeners say about In Cold Blood

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9,203
  • 4 Stars
    3,785
  • 3 Stars
    1,372
  • 2 Stars
    344
  • 1 Stars
    211
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8,714
  • 4 Stars
    2,487
  • 3 Stars
    740
  • 2 Stars
    184
  • 1 Stars
    115
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7,808
  • 4 Stars
    2,860
  • 3 Stars
    1,096
  • 2 Stars
    291
  • 1 Stars
    169

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Must listen if you are a true crime fan

Any additional comments?

Yes, this book is over 50 years old, but the writing is so good this is a must read. If you are a fan of true crime at all, you will love this. It is one of the best books ever.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Chilling account

Would you consider the audio edition of In Cold Blood to be better than the print version?

No, although Scott Brick is wonderful throughout the book. Still, the printed version is, to me, always necessary to be fully aware of all the details going on.

What other book might you compare In Cold Blood to and why?

I have no comparison

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Perry Smith, because Truman Capote demonstrated (or created!) a cavernous inside life for Perry.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb, loved it

I will listen to this book again, guaranteed. Writing, narration, quality, all fantastic. Just a terrific book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Capote's Tour de Force

What did you love best about In Cold Blood?

Scott Brick, who performed the play "In Cold Blood" on Broadway gives an outstanding performance. Capote's vivid descriptions of the personalities and setting gives the book a sense of history and location.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Cold Blood?

The description of the blonde motel clerk.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Scott Brick brings and understanding of the characters that is integral to the performance. It is difficult to pull off and even makes sense with female characters, which can come off clowny but here is spot on.

If you could give In Cold Blood a new subtitle, what would it be?

A True Crime Novel that Redefines the genre.

Any additional comments?

Why the audiobook cover differs from the actual book cover that has a hatpin topped with blood. Curious.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Creep good!

Where does In Cold Blood rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Awesome book. Spooky, chilling, great thriller!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that it was about a true story, but was disturbed by the same.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Enjoyed listening to Brick.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Cold Blood Review

If you could sum up In Cold Blood in three words, what would they be?

Very good listen

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The nature of there mindsets and how they were caught..

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Very unusual and different voices that portrayed the characters well. You could almost visualize exactly what they looked and sounded like which gave a much more real listening experience.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?


When they were confronted by Dewey in jail and were finally accused and "caught".

Any additional comments?

The audio book was just a little long... it could have been shortened as the end wasn't as interesting, sort of anticlimactic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

well done

Would you listen to In Cold Blood again? Why?

descriptive and very deep character development.

Any additional comments?

Well done classic novel- Scott Brick is awesome and brings the book to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Chilling Story beautifully told

The book itself is a classic, with enough detail to make you feel a part of the small Kansas town. The narrator is also wonderful, reading in such a way as to keep you captivated.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great nonfiction story

Where does In Cold Blood rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a pretty great book. It's well researched and extremely well written.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Cold Blood?

If I told you that I would ruin the book!

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Scott is a great narrator. This is the second book I listened to with him and I'm enjoying his style.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Should have read this long ago

Thank goodness for audibles! No one should go throughout life without knowing this story. I agree with something I read somewhere "Capote is the first of a the true crime authors". He balanced the characters (victims/killers) very well. There's probably not much I can add since this book is already deemed a classic and I agree.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!