'Before 1966, true crime was largely unheard of. Then came the Clutter family, and Truman Capote's infamous exploration of their murder. In Cold Blood is seen as a pioneering work in the formation of the true crime genre, coming in second as the highest selling true crime book in the history of publishing. Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter, chronicling the Manson murders, is first.' (Publication abstract)