True crime is a genre that many people dive deep into, but what most don’t know is where the genre began. There is one novel that has been described as being one of the pioneers of true crime in books, and fans are saying it is the « best true crime novel ».
In a Reddit thread titled « Looking for the best true crime books… », several users commented that Truman Capote’s novel In Cold Blood should take the crown.
It was also highlighted in Goodreads’ listing of « Best True Crime », taking the number one spot.
Capote’s In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel first published in 1966. It recounts details of the 1959 Clutter family murders in the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas. Upon learning of the quadruple murder, Capote travelled to Kansas to write about the crime, prior to the killers being captured. He was accompanied by his childhood friend and To Kill a Mockingbird author, Harper Lee. Together, they interviewed residents and investigators who had been assigned to the case and took thousands of pages of notes.
The killers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, were arrested six weeks after the murders and later executed by the state of Kansas. Capote spent six years working on the book, which would become an instant critical and commercial success. In Cold Blood is considered by many to be the prototypical true crime novel, and it is also the second-best-selling book in the genre’s history, behind Vincent Bugliosi’s Helter Skelter (1974) about the Charles Manson murders.
The book’s blurb reads: « 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.
« As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerising suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence. »
Fans have taken to Goodreads to share their thoughts on the book, with one describing it as « an absolute masterpiece of true crime literature ». They added: « In Cold Blood is both gritty and intelligent. This should be on everyone’s list of Books to Read in a Lifetime. Capote’s writing in this account is absolutely flawless. »
One also stated that the book had the « best opening line », while another said it was a « masterclass in storytelling ».
