We turned the calendar to October two days ago so it’s time to break out all the haunts! I get in the spirit through spooky books. I’m sitting in my library right now, window cracked, listening to the cold rain and wind with the movie Halloween muted and playing in the background. It’s 100% fall. Especially since I just turned to the last page of, In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote.

Since I watched the Netflix mini-series this summer, FEUD, Capote vs The Swans, I have been intrigued by the striking American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. I knew I needed to read In Cold Blood. It sat on my bookshelf until it properly felt like autumn and then I opened it up with a vengeance…

In the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, on November 15, 1959, four members of the Clutter family were viciously murdered in their farmhouse. This book is considered non-fiction because it tells a true story. But the way the story is told is what’s great about it. It’s through detailed narration and interviews of family acquaintances, community members, and the killers.

Capote takes the characters and dissects them from all sides. It’s unique because it examines the “why” of the murders rather than the usual “who did it”. He interviewed the killers after they were convicted but the book wasn’t published until 1965.  It’s considered a masterpiece because of the innovative writing in the genre of true crime, his extensive research, and the description of the characters in rotating sequences. 

I am so glad I read it after all these years! I didn’t explore the book’s content beforehand, so exploring many of these attributes was interesting as I turned the pages. 

There were a couple of things about the book that weren’t appealing. There were four sections of the book. No chapters. That means there weren’t any major stopping places and I need that in a book. Also, the type was small, but that’s my problem..lol. 

I believe anyone who enjoys true crime novels needs to read this classic book. It turned me into a real Capote fan. And why not read it during the month that frames nicely with all things spooky? I also followed up by watching the 1967 film which is worth watching. Boo!

“But that’s impossible. Can you imagine Mr. Clutter missing church? Just to sleep?”