I loved this book. It was so detailed, it was as though it was a fictitious novel. I can't wait to watch the movies.

This novel by Truman Capote has been hailed as the best true crime story ever written, and it definately lives up to the praise.
It was originally published in 1965 and delves into a homicide that took place in a small farm town in Kansas.
The murder is that of the Clutter family who were brutally gunned down in the middle of the night by two career criminals, the shy Perry Smith and the more brazen Richard Hickock.
Richard Hickock comes up with the scheme to rob the Clutter's after he hears that they have money hidden in a safe at their farm house. When come to get their big score in the middle of the night, they soon learn that the money does not exist and are left with a house full of witnesses.
Once they have killed the family, the story then follows them as they try to outrun the law and make their way out of the country.
Truman Capote soon catches wind of the story and becomes so enthralled with it, that he travels down to Kansas with his friend Harper Lee (who went on to write To Kill A Mockingbird) to follow the happenings more closely.
What makes this story so well written is the fact that it did consume Capote so much. He even went on to develop a friendship with Perry Smith that last until his hanging.
In Cold Blood is a compelling and suspenseful read from cover to cover. The story is full of intriguing characters who are so well written that putting the book down becomes an impossibility as you become invested in what will happen to them next.
Capote is also able to achieve the difficult task of making the reader feel empathy towards the one criminal, Perry Smith. Now whether this is because he was actually a decent person led astray by Hickock, or if it was due to Capote's own feelings for Perry, that is left up to the reader.
I would recommend this book to anyone who not only loves true crime stories, but anyone who has an apprecitation for a well written and enthralling story.
In Cold Blood is a literary masterpiece that will continue to be relevant through the years.

Got me interested by the time I got to the discoveries of the murders(1/4 way into book)...story of a couple of degenerates who senselessly murder an entire family for a mere $50.00 cash, their rebellious cross-country journey and their inevitable demise at the gallows.

I first time heard about this book was after reading a review about the movie Capote starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. Because of its acclaim I decided to watch the movie myself. I was immediately immersed into the movie, and I can totally understand why Hoffman won his academy award. Inspired to learn more, I decided to go straight to the source. I took out In Cold Blood from my local library. From the moment I read the first page, I knew this book was different from the rest. The way it was written made me feel as if I was actually there every step of the way. And all the words flowed fluently without any missteps along the way. I never felt comfortable reading a book this professionally written. By the time I finished the last page, all I could do was sit back and reminisce about everything I had read. This was the first I have ever felt satisfied with an ending of a novel. So expertly written, the ending didn't leave me crave for more or feel it was too much. It actually made me say out loud, "now that's an ending." And I still agree.