I had somehow read all around this book but never actually read it through cover to cover. I have an interest in true crime but also a very low tolerance for being scared so I mostly limit myself to podcasts and the occasional book. In Cold Blood was one of the recommended books on my library app, and as it is recognized as the book that began the genre I thought it was worth the insomnia.
In Cold Blood is an exhaustively documented chronicle of the murders of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas. Four members of this family: father Herb, mother Bonnie, and teenage children Nancy and Kenyon were murdered in their home in the early morning hours with seemingly no motive. Capote lays the book out in three concurrent narratives: that of the family, the murderers, and the investigators in the days leading up to and following the crime. The town of Holcomb is a small farming town, and Capote spends a lot of time detailing the impact that this crime has on the individual members of the community, from the woman responsible for Holcomb’s mail to the members of the 4H club where Herb spent part of his last day. This book was exhaustively researched, a gripping read, and a great reminder to check out home security systems.
