Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire’s Wife, and the Murder of the Century

Montillo (Atomic Women: The Untold Stories of the Scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb) traces the parallel lives and brief, catastrophic interaction between socialite Ann Woodward and author Truman Capote in this unexpected chronicle. Mia Barron’s narration, while smooth and pleasant, carries the perfect amount of brittle edge to represent both subjects. In particular, Barron captures Capote’s distinctive timbre and speech patterns. Woodward, born Evangeline Crowell, worked her way into New York society by becoming a showgirl and marrying a banking heir. Capote, born Truman Streckfus Persons, did the same by being a witty bon vivant with a razor tongue. Both endured deep insecurities and eventually suffered exile for their actions. Ann killed her husband with a shotgun, claiming she was defending herself against an intruder, while Truman’s writer’s block led him to publish a poisonous story spilling all his society friends’ secrets. Did Ann murder her husband in cold blood? Did Truman’s intimation of her guilt drive Ann to suicide? The answers are beyond knowing, but the examination of the possibilities is fascinating.