In Cold Blood - November Book Selection

Join us to discuss this classic, true-crime novel. We would love to have you join us!

In Cold Blood is a pioneering 1966 non-fiction novel by Truman Capote that reconstructs the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in the small agricultural town of Holcomb, Kansas.
The Crime

• The Victims: On November 15, 1959, four members of the respected Clutter family—successful wheat farmer Herb Clutter, his wife Bonnie, and their teenage children Nancy and Kenyon—were savagely murdered in their home.
• The Perpetrators: Ex-convicts Perry Smith and Richard "Dick" Hickock broke into the house looking for a non-existent safe filled with cash, after hearing a rumor from a former cellmate that the family was wealthy. Finding no safe, they killed the family and fled with little money or goods.

The Investigation and Trial

• The Manhunt: Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) lead agent Alvin Dewey spearheaded the case, which initially lacked clues or a clear motive. The break in the case came from a prison tip by Floyd Wells, who had shared a cell with Dick Hickock.
• Capture and Execution: Smith and Hickock were eventually tracked down, arrested in Las Vegas, confessed to the crime, were convicted, and were executed by hanging in 1965 after a lengthy appeals process.

Style and Legacy

• Non-Fiction Novel: Capote, assisted heavily by childhood friend and author Harper Lee, spent six years researching the crime, interviewing locals, and developing a deep, complex rapport with the two killers.
• Literary Impact: The book helped launch the true-crime genre and New Journalism, blending deep journalistic reporting with the pacing, structure, and psychological depth of a novel.
• Controversy: While celebrated as a masterwork, later scrutiny revealed that Capote fabricated certain scenes, dialogue, and narrative details for dramatic effect.

November- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
December - Red Tent by Anita Diamant
January - A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
February- The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
March- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
April - Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
May- Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult