In Cold Blood

Reader reviewed by Krista Patel

In Cold Blood is a true account of the Clutter family slaying that took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Herbert Clutter, his wife Bonnie, and their two youngest children, Kenyon and Nancy were killed.Their other two daughters, Eveanna and Beverly had already moved out. Capote got material for the novel through interviews of local residents and the killers themselves. In fact, he became close friends with killer Perry Smith.

First of all, I really admire the effort Capote put into this novel. He truly found everything he could about the murders, the killers, the court trials, and just everything really. I cant imagine anyone else being able to do what he did.

In many ways, In Cold Blood was like a puzzle. The ending is known to readers from the beginning, and the pieces of the puzzle needed to be placed perfectly for the novel to work. I believe Capote did just that. When I got to the part where the Clutters were slayed, I was expecting bone-chilling details. I did not get that. Instead, Capote cut right to the point where the bodies were found. Now that Ive read the entire novel, it makes perfect sense to place them later in the novel. Other snippets of important information were also placed at just the right spots.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the novel was how Capote painted faces to the criminals. The reader almost sympathizes with them, in particular, Perry. By characterizing the murderers, Capote makes the novel more realistic and not just some newspaper article. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys reading articles on Crime Library in his or her spare time. ;) If simply reading the novel isnt creepy enough for you, I also suggest googling pictures of the killers, victims, the house, etc.

Reader reviewed by K. Hager

If you've seen the movies "Capote" or "Infamous" then you must read this book! It deals with the murders of a family in a msall Midwestern town. Before these killings, people slept overnight with their doors unlocked. No one felt unsafe in rural farm towns. Then came the Cutter family murders and America lost its innocence.

In the book we get a glimpse into the lives of the killers, Dick and Perry. While Capote doesn't make them symapthetic characters, (if you watched the 2 movies then you might assume he does) he does delve into their family backgrounds to learn about what makes them tick. And you see what confused and twisted souls they are.

It's a scary book in that it makes it seem so real--that something like this could happen in your town, to your family. After I read the book I made the mistake of watching the "In Cold Blood" movie where Robert Blake plays Perry. I couldn't sleep for 2 days!