In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

I liked the novel and because of it watched the movie about its author. "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." Quote from the back of the book.

This was an interesting read but unfortunately it wasn't very gripping so I didn't enjoy it as much as other books. Saying that, it's a good read for people interested in the whole life cycle of crime and punishment.

Before reading, I paid minimal attention to what this book was about. I was halfway through before I realized this is in the true crime genre and not a crime novel. I jumped right into it. Had I realized right away I might have taken it in differently.

In 1959, four members of the Clutter family are murdered in their small-town Kansas home. A well-liked family, their deaths shook the town, and no one was able to figure out a reason as to why. Looking at the background of the Clutters as well as their murderers, we're taken through each movement of the capture and trial.

Not surprisingly, the writing is fantastic. The biggest issue for me was how slow it was. It picked up in the second half, but by then my interest had dwindled. I'm glad to have read it, though. Again, I might have appreciated the pace more if I'd realized off the bat that this was a work of nonfiction. It's interesting to see how much true crime books have evolved since the time of this book's publication.