In Cold Blood

By: Truman Capote

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

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

Artistry in Audio

This incredibly well-produced and narrated audio version of a literary masterpiece is going into my top 10. The story is gruesome and attention-grabbing but the real beauty is in the exploration of every person involved, as well as all of the events leading up to, and following the crime. This one had me riveted enough to leave the TV off for just a little bit longer so I could finish listening to one more chapter - that is extremely rare for me. My opinion is 5 stars without a doubt.

If you love true crime books...

...be sure to get this one. Several folks have said it better than I can, but Capote is the grand pooh bah of the true crime novel. Better still, Scott Brick is the perfect narrator for this outstanding work. You'll get your money's worth from this one.

Masterpiece!

In this amazing book, Capote managed to explore the lives of ordinary people, and mesh them into a spellbinding epic. In order to appreciate the human and social values laced into the narrative, it is important that the reader know the events that lead of the making of the book before reading it. When it was published in 1966 the said events were probably still fresh in the readers' memories. Knowing the end that all the protagonists met with brings every detail of the story to a monumental scale.
The narrator Scott Brick can do no wrong. As usual he serves the book with intelligence and sensitivity.

outstanding

I'm a new fan of the author. You'll believe you've watched this first hand, the writing takes you into the home and into the heads of every character. Really a great book.

Fantastic

I picked this because I saw a review of the movie and got curious.

It is breathtaking. The narrator is excellent and appears to do what the best narrators do - understands the material. The author uses English superbly, maintaining momentum and keeping my interest in a book which is outside my usual genre choice.

There is usually a point in any book over 5 hours where you think "Yes, yes very clever - now get on with it". This is the exception. I listened to it in two continuous sessions because I couldn't wait to get through it. A true classic.

Mixed Feelings

This is only the book for you if you want to know literally everything about a murder case and trial. Everything. Even stories of vaguely related criminals. Still, it wasn't totally uninteresting. The writing was great and the performance was excellent. Definitely would read something else by this author and listen to something else by this performer again.

Craftsmenship

This story as written and read is full of excruciating detail that never becomes heavy or stumbling. As the listener I feel as acquainted with the perpetrators and their victims as anyone could be.Craftsmanship is my chosen title for this remarkable work for excellent reason. Story telling at its absolute best can be anticipated by lovers of true crime stories. Rich and wonderfully evocative.

Great book!

I would recommend this book to people who love the crime mystery’s, perspectives on criminal minds, and a good read :)

A "must read" story! You won't be disappointed!

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

I haven't read the printed version, but I truly enjoyed the audible version. You get an incredible appreciation for Capotes writting ability!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Apsolutley. The events in this book is what every person hopes would never happen to anyone, and esspecially in a small farm community in western Kansas.

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

Perry was the most interesting to me. Throughout the book I thought that there was a chance that he was normal and sane.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laughed hard and still use the quote from Dick, of his perception of Kansas folk - "Prairie Billys" It also was an emtional rollercoaster.

A classic, masterfully narrated.

I've just read some rather vehement critiques of Scott Brick's style - but it works for this classic. His toned-down approach, with a slight drawl, matches the implacable pace of the novel. This is a long, chilling - and worthy - listen.