Crime

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

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

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  • Create Date：2022-10-26 17:21:47
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Roseanne Montillo
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Summary

This scintillating and glittery look at the darkly intertwined fates of infamous socialite Ann Woodward and literary icon Truman Capote sweeps us to the upper echelons of Manhattan’s high society—where even the richest cannot escape murder and infamy。

When Ann Woodward shot her husband， banking heir Billy Woodward， in the middle of the night in 1955， her life changed forever。 Though she claimed she thought he was a prowler， few believed the woman who had risen from charismatic showgirl to popular socialite。 Everyone had something to say about the scorching scandal afflicting one of the most rich and famous families of New York City， but no one was more obsessed with the tale than Truman Capote。

Acclaimed for his bestselling nonfiction book In Cold Blood， Capote was looking for new material and followed the scandal from beginning to end。 Like Ann， he too had ascended from nobody to toast of the town， but he always felt like an outsider， even among the exclusive coterie of high society women who adored him。 He decided the story of Ann’s turbulent marriage would be the basis of his masterpiece—a novel about the dysfunction and sordid secrets revealed to him by his high society “swans”—never thinking that it would eventually lead to Ann’s suicide and his own scandalous downfall。

Page-turning and deliciously fascinating， Deliberate Cruelty is a haunting cross between true crime and literary history that is perfect for fans of Furious Hours， Empty Mansions， and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil。

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Reviews

Leigh Farina ，

I received a review copy from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review。In reality this is probably a 3。5 star book for me。 Although an interesting tale that was well researched and well written。 What dropped this down for me was that I could tell the author had a hard time finishing up the narrative。 That was my only draw back on this。 In truth it was an interesting story and gave me a delightful insight into Truman Capote and Ann Woodward。

Michelle Kidwell ，

Deliberate CrueltyTruman Capote， the Millionaire's Wife， and the Murder of the Centuryby Roseanne MontilloPub Date 01 Nov 2022 Atria Books True Crime I am reviewing a copy of Deliberate Cruelty through Atria Books and Netgalley:Ann Woodward shot her husband， banking heir Billy Woodward， in the middle of the night in 1955， changing her life forever Though she claimed she thought he was a prowler， few believed the woman who had risen from charismatic showgirl to popular socialite。 Everyone had so Deliberate CrueltyTruman Capote， the Millionaire's Wife， and the Murder of the Centuryby Roseanne MontilloPub Date 01 Nov 2022 Atria Books True Crime I am reviewing a copy of Deliberate Cruelty through Atria Books and Netgalley:Ann Woodward shot her husband， banking heir Billy Woodward， in the middle of the night in 1955， changing her life forever Though she claimed she thought he was a prowler， few believed the woman who had risen from charismatic showgirl to popular socialite。 Everyone had something to say about the scorching scandal afflicting one of the most rich and famous families of New York City， but no one was more obsessed with the tale than Truman Capote。 Truman Capote acclaimed for his best selling nonfiction book In Cold Blood， Capote was looking for new material and followed the scandal from beginning to end。 Like Ann， he too had ascended from nobody to toast of the town， but he always felt like an outsider， even among the exclusive coterie of high society women who adored him。 Truman Capote was looking for new material and followed the scandal from beginning to end。 Like Ann， he too had ascended from nobody to toast of the town， but he always felt like an outsider， even among the exclusive coterie of high society women who adored him。I am reviewing a copy of Deliberate Cruelty five out of five stars！Happy Reading！ 。。。more

Judy Odom ，

Deliberate Cruelty is the fascinating yet tragic story of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote。Although I was familiar with both stories I did not realize the connection between the two and how it effected both their lives。The author does a fantastic job of hooking you into both their stories and the sadness of them。After the shooting be it accidental or murder and an article that Capote had written is published the consequences are far reaching。Ann commits suicide and Truman is ostracized by all his Deliberate Cruelty is the fascinating yet tragic story of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote。Although I was familiar with both stories I did not realize the connection between the two and how it effected both their lives。The author does a fantastic job of hooking you into both their stories and the sadness of them。After the shooting be it accidental or murder and an article that Capote had written is published the consequences are far reaching。Ann commits suicide and Truman is ostracized by all his friends。The research was extremely well done and has me going down a rabbit hole on Truman Capote。Deliberate Cruelty is a book that I will think of often。Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a compelling read。 。。。more

Judy Odom ，

Deliberate Cruelty is the fascinating yet tragic story of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote。Although I was familiar with both stories I did not realize the connection between the two and how it effected both their lives。The author does a fantastic job of hooking you into both their stories and the sadness of them。After the shooting be it accidental or murder and an article that Capote had written is published the consequences are far reaching。Ann commits suicide and Truman is ostracized by all his Deliberate Cruelty is the fascinating yet tragic story of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote。Although I was familiar with both stories I did not realize the connection between the two and how it effected both their lives。The author does a fantastic job of hooking you into both their stories and the sadness of them。After the shooting be it accidental or murder and an article that Capote had written is published the consequences are far reaching。Ann commits suicide and Truman is ostracized by all his friends。The research was extremely well done and has me going down a rabbit hole on Truman Capote。Deliberate Cruelty is a book that I will think of often。Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a compelling read。 。。。more

CrabbyPatty ，

Interesting stuff here， although it does tend to drag at times。 The book is a compare and contrast story of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote， who both came from broken families and viewed New York City as their salvation， but for each it brought tragedy。FULL REVIEW TO COME。I received an ARC from the publisher， via NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。

Susan Obryan ，

I thought I was familiar with Truman Capote; I've read his books and watched the movies。 However， Roseanne Montillo puts Capote in a different light with her well-researched book。 It's a fascinating look at how the need to be accepted can ruin lives。The author draws a distinct line between socialite Ann Woodward and Capote and the ever-shifting rule of high society。 Woodward killed her husband， and Capote killed his career by writing about her。 But it's not that simple， as Montillo points out。 B I thought I was familiar with Truman Capote; I've read his books and watched the movies。 However， Roseanne Montillo puts Capote in a different light with her well-researched book。 It's a fascinating look at how the need to be accepted can ruin lives。The author draws a distinct line between socialite Ann Woodward and Capote and the ever-shifting rule of high society。 Woodward killed her husband， and Capote killed his career by writing about her。 But it's not that simple， as Montillo points out。 Both came from similar backgrounds， struggled to fit in with New York society， and then were discarded。 Woodward committed suicide after Capote used her as a barely disguised character in a story that spilled all the secrets of social "swans，" his circle of female friends who found Capote entertaining。 He heard it all from his close circle of "friends，" who turned on him in a heartbeat。 The little man who wrote "In Cold Blood，" who befriended the rich and wicked， turned out to be just another sad story。 I would like to know more about Woodward and her life between her husband's shooting and her suicide。 As for Capote， it's a shame his literary talents ran dry。 I look forward to whatever Montillo takes on next。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Ashley ，

This is such an engrossing story with two main characters （Truman Capote and Ann Woodward） who were both raised without means in less than desirable family circumstances。 Both made their way to New York City and advanced their societal status， him through his writing and uniquely charming persona and she by marriage to one of New York’s wealthiest bachelors。 Ann Woodward finds herself an outcast from New York’s upper crust after mistaking her husband for an intruder and killing him。 Her mother i This is such an engrossing story with two main characters （Truman Capote and Ann Woodward） who were both raised without means in less than desirable family circumstances。 Both made their way to New York City and advanced their societal status， him through his writing and uniquely charming persona and she by marriage to one of New York’s wealthiest bachelors。 Ann Woodward finds herself an outcast from New York’s upper crust after mistaking her husband for an intruder and killing him。 Her mother in law had disapproved of her from the beginning and was more than happy to take her children away and banish her to Europe。 Truman Capote decides to make Ann and the rest of his socialite friends the subject of one of his books which leads to his downfall from the same jet setting Uber wealthy group。 I was familiar with Truman Capote‘s life story but this was a great deep dive into his life and his collection of socialite friends which he called his “Swans”。 I found this book very informative and enjoyable but felt that there was a good bit of repetition and sometimes the transitions between stories was a little bit bumpy。 4 stars and highly recommended！ Many thanks to Netgally and Atria for this ARC。 。。。more

Adrienne Teague ，

I have an unhealthy fascination with Truman Capote。 I have read several things about him and his "Swans"， but this added lots of information。 About Ann Woodward， I knew she had killed her husband and eventually committed suicide， and I knew Capote had ostracized all his friends with his Esquire article， but I didn't realize the two events were connected。 It is not a long book， but all the pertinent info is there and the comparisons made between Ann and Truman are fully supported。 It's a compelli I have an unhealthy fascination with Truman Capote。 I have read several things about him and his "Swans"， but this added lots of information。 About Ann Woodward， I knew she had killed her husband and eventually committed suicide， and I knew Capote had ostracized all his friends with his Esquire article， but I didn't realize the two events were connected。 It is not a long book， but all the pertinent info is there and the comparisons made between Ann and Truman are fully supported。 It's a compelling story。 I kept reading and reading until suddenly I was at the acknowledgements。 。。。more

Brooke ，

Overall this story was ok， it’s very long and kind of slow。 You have two people， Truman Capote and Ann Woodward， while different they do have similarities in terms of wanting to be in the high society circles and how they grew up。 It was interesting to learn about each of them though。

Candace ，

Absolutely loved this book！ I read it in one day， as I just couldn't put it down。 I loved how the story told both the complete stories of Ann and Truman， before and after their encounters。 The research and details is amazing， it reads like a novel， while being nonfiction。 One of the best books I've read in a long time。 Absolutely loved this book！ I read it in one day， as I just couldn't put it down。 I loved how the story told both the complete stories of Ann and Truman， before and after their encounters。 The research and details is amazing， it reads like a novel， while being nonfiction。 One of the best books I've read in a long time。 。。。more

Amanda ，

This book was kindly sent to me by the publisher through a Goodreads giveaway。I enjoyed the intersection of two nonfiction biographies but I wished the author had spent more time discussing Capote's relationships with his swans。 I wanted to see a story written more in the vein of Furious Hours: Murder， Fraud， and the Last Trial of Harper Lee， which had more meat to it。 While I enjoyed the story， I felt like it was somehow lacking。 Capote just came off as a vicious hanger-on， which perhaps he was This book was kindly sent to me by the publisher through a Goodreads giveaway。I enjoyed the intersection of two nonfiction biographies but I wished the author had spent more time discussing Capote's relationships with his swans。 I wanted to see a story written more in the vein of Furious Hours: Murder， Fraud， and the Last Trial of Harper Lee， which had more meat to it。 While I enjoyed the story， I felt like it was somehow lacking。 Capote just came off as a vicious hanger-on， which perhaps he was， but his motivations for his cattiness were never really clear， unless it was his status as an outsider that made him want to ruin the lives of his friends， enemies， and himself alike。 。。。more

Jamie Holloway ，

Interesting book about why Truman Capote was attracted to reporting and writing about this story about a woman who shot her husband。 I won this book on goodreads。

Nancy Dunlap ，

Truth is stranger than fiction is the phrase I would use to describe Deliberate Cruelty by Roseanne Montillo。 Having read fictionalized versions of the Woodward matter and Capote’s swans， I truly enjoyed reading the truth about all the individuals who were involved in these situations。 While Ann Woodward was never tried for murder and Bill’s death was ruled an accident， she certainly paid the price by being ostracized by the same people she tried to impress and desired to be a part of。 Truman Ca Truth is stranger than fiction is the phrase I would use to describe Deliberate Cruelty by Roseanne Montillo。 Having read fictionalized versions of the Woodward matter and Capote’s swans， I truly enjoyed reading the truth about all the individuals who were involved in these situations。 While Ann Woodward was never tried for murder and Bill’s death was ruled an accident， she certainly paid the price by being ostracized by the same people she tried to impress and desired to be a part of。 Truman Capote was also shunned for his sharing of everyone’s secrets in print。 It was interesting to me how alike Ann and Truman were in their upbringings and their desires to achieve and an almost pathological need to belong and to be accepted。 I usually do not read nonfiction， but I found this book， （which reads like fiction） to be informative， enjoyable and a deep dive into what makes us what we are。 Very enjoyable book which I would recommend to my friends。 。。。more

Karen ，

DELIBERATE CRUELTY: TRUMAN CAPOTE， THE MILLIONAIRE'S WIFE， AND THE MURDER OF THE CENTURYBY: ROSEANNE MONTILLORoseanne Montillo who teaches Creative Writing both at Emerson and Tufts， both about an hour away， from where I live， has clearly done her research when crafting this epic tale。 She has even included a Bibliography at the end。 How she managed to include so much about not just Truman Capote， but his "Swans，" as he called his lady friends juxtaposed with Ann Woodward， wife of William Woodwa DELIBERATE CRUELTY: TRUMAN CAPOTE， THE MILLIONAIRE'S WIFE， AND THE MURDER OF THE CENTURYBY: ROSEANNE MONTILLORoseanne Montillo who teaches Creative Writing both at Emerson and Tufts， both about an hour away， from where I live， has clearly done her research when crafting this epic tale。 She has even included a Bibliography at the end。 How she managed to include so much about not just Truman Capote， but his "Swans，" as he called his lady friends juxtaposed with Ann Woodward， wife of William Woodward， Jr。 and his murder by Ann has amazed me。 It was a very interesting reading experience。 How this Author managed to compile all that she did， truly amazes me。 There is a lot of information compacted into not a large amount of pages， is a stunning achievement in and of itself。Here you will read and learn about Ann Woodward's lineage as well as her husband's and she also traces Truman Capote's lineage。 The name that we all know --the infamous Author who is Truman Capote is not the name he was given at birth。 The dates of all incidents included that are so richly detailed in this true literary history are staggering。 At the end of October in 1955， during the night-early morning， Ann Woodward shot and killed her millionaire husband with a shotgun in their home。 She said that she heard a noise and her dog growling and she aimed the shotgun which hit her husband William Woodward， Jr。， who was at the end of the hall。 The police who investigated heard that two lights were on by someone outside who was a witness， but didn't actually see the shooting。 Ann said that there weren't any lights on。 So there is certainly room for ambiguity。 William Woodward， Jr。 and Ann Woodward had been sleeping in separate bedrooms for months。 He had recently changed his will as she was a socialite showgirl of coming from no money。 That day he went to Kansas where Ann was from， and found out that her father was very much alive and that Ann had lied to him saying that her father died。 Ann's Mother-in-law Elsie Woodward didn't like Ann and thought that her son had married beneath him， bribed Ann to give custody of their two sons over to her and Ann did in order to avoid a trial。 She was cast out of the life of privilege that she was used to living。Truman Capote whose mother remarried Joe Capote， who was Truman's stepfather， is how he changed his name。 This book goes into great detail about all six of the parents of Truman Capote， William Woodward， Jr and Ann Woodward。 For the sake of brevity of this being a review， which for purposes of keeping it brief， I would urge you to read the book because it is fascinating and all true。 Truman Capote did not like Ann and she didn't like him， but the pen is sharper than any weapon as evidenced by Truman Capote's "Swans，" whom he betrayed them all when Esquire published a chapter from the book he hailed as his masterpiece。 This mysterious book was never discovered that he kept saying that he had written。 Once hailed as one of America's greatest writers， after he published， "Breakfast at Tiffany's，" which was optioned for film starring Audrey Hepburn in， 1961 after his book was published in， 1958。 He published， "In Cold Blood，" which he called his "nonfiction novel" in， 1966。 I have a nice copy of that book and it is very well written as those two works gave Truman Capote his literary acclaim and made him famous。Both Truman Capote and Ann Woodward were self destructive in their actions。 Ann took her own life when she learned that Truman Capote was going to publish a chapter including how she killed her husband， along with publishing all of his women friends secrets， who were known as "Swans，" private lives and their families private lives that they told Truman in confidence， he decided to publish。 He went downhill after his women friends turned their backs on him and never spoke to him again。 Most all of them， the （Swans）， felt that he betrayed them except for Jackie Kennedy's sister Lee。 His manuscript was never found of the book that he kept talking about rivaling Marcel Proust。 I am grateful to have read an early ARC of "Deliberate Cruelty'。 I LOVED IT！Publication Date: November 1， 2022Thank you to Net Galley， Roseanne Montillo and Atria for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。#DeliberateCruelty #RoseanneMontillo #Atria #NetGalley 。。。more

Ashley ，

Besides having seen the movie Capote and having read ‘In Cold Blood’ and ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ I don’t have any other knowledge about Truman Capote and no prior knowledge of Ann Woodward。 Roseanne Montillo’s new book Deliberate Cruelty is compelling and engaging tying Capote and Woodward together in an incredible true life story。 Montillo’s writing style and subject matter flow so easily that I was already a quarter of the way done the book before I realized it。 She paints a detailed picture Besides having seen the movie Capote and having read ‘In Cold Blood’ and ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ I don’t have any other knowledge about Truman Capote and no prior knowledge of Ann Woodward。 Roseanne Montillo’s new book Deliberate Cruelty is compelling and engaging tying Capote and Woodward together in an incredible true life story。 Montillo’s writing style and subject matter flow so easily that I was already a quarter of the way done the book before I realized it。 She paints a detailed picture of Capote and Woodward’s families and friends making all the players seem familial。 Montillo doesn’t insert unnecessary fluff and keeps you on track so you’re never having to guess who the players are or needing a refresh。 The book describes the parallels between Capote’s and Ann Woodward’s upbringings， to the desire to be part of society， achieving a place within that society that’s never really permanent， and then their eventual ruin via their own hands。 I found Ann Woodward’s story captivating and sad。 If you’ve never read ‘In Cold Blood’ Montillo does an excellent job of summarizing the crime as well as Capote’s time researching and writing the book。 The after effects of Billy Woodward’s death and Capote’s ‘La Côte Basque， 1965’ sent ripple effects through their families and friends years after each occurred。 Montillo’s two subjects became ostracized from the NY society they desperately craved eventually ending in their respective deaths。 For fans of true crime and Real Housewives this book is for you。 A great mix of murder and socialite drama。Thank you to Atria Books for this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Pooja Peravali ，

The fates of socialite Ann Woodward and author Truman Capote collided when he made the accused murderess the star of the book that destroyed his career。I knew about the case of Ann Woodward before I picked up this book。 I watched the episode about in on A Crime to Remember （which is by the way an excellent show）。 As such， this book held no surprises for me plot-wise， though it is indeed a very twisty story。 instead。The author does an excellent job of bringing the setting to life - the rural， rat The fates of socialite Ann Woodward and author Truman Capote collided when he made the accused murderess the star of the book that destroyed his career。I knew about the case of Ann Woodward before I picked up this book。 I watched the episode about in on A Crime to Remember （which is by the way an excellent show）。 As such， this book held no surprises for me plot-wise， though it is indeed a very twisty story。 instead。The author does an excellent job of bringing the setting to life - the rural， rather hardscrabble towns where Ann and Truman grew up， and the cloistered， scandalous world of New York City "high society" that they joined。 The story is a fascinating one， populated with clearly defined personalities， and I liked that the author remained ambiguous on the subject of whether Ann's shooting of Billy was a murder or an accident。However， I did think the two parts of the story didn't always mesh together very well。 We were simultaneously following Ann and Truman， who led very different lives， so the transitions between them were not very smooth。 Also， I did feel that Ann's history after the immediate aftermath of the shooting was rather thin on the ground - I would have liked to know more。 That her story ends before Truman's also made the book feel unbalanced。Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more

Melissa ，

This true-crime story had it all！！ Rich people behaving badly， poor people behaving badly， prowlers， race-horses， （Triple Crown winners！！） murder and the ever colorful Truman Capote！ Well researched， good details and well told。 Thank-you to #netgalley and #simonandschuster for the early copy。 Hoping the physical book has pictures！

Rena McGrath ，

I was absolutely fascinated with the way Ms。 Montillo employed the parallel lives of Ann Woodward's entire life from semi-poverty to the elite stratum of New York society with her marriage into the great banking Woodward family through her whirlwind marriage to the heir， Billy Woodward just before he enlisted in the Navy and almost died when his ship was hit during WWII。 Through all the ups and downs during the marriage which produced two sons and tragically ended in the fall of 1955 after they I was absolutely fascinated with the way Ms。 Montillo employed the parallel lives of Ann Woodward's entire life from semi-poverty to the elite stratum of New York society with her marriage into the great banking Woodward family through her whirlwind marriage to the heir， Billy Woodward just before he enlisted in the Navy and almost died when his ship was hit during WWII。 Through all the ups and downs during the marriage which produced two sons and tragically ended in the fall of 1955 after they both went to separate bedrooms after returning from a party where Ann was very talkative about a real set of break-ins in the wealthy community of Oyster Bay Cove， Long Island。Around 2 in the morning Ann thought she heard an intruder and with the shotgun by her bedside went through the bedroom door and shot twice in the dark hitting Billy fatallyas he was just leaving his shower。。Her mother-in-law， Elsie Woodward made a deal with Ann， The deal consisted of letting Ann off from the charge of murder， if she promised to never see her sons again and have them raised by Elsie permanently and that Ann leave immediately fly to Europe and stay there。Several years later at a posh resort in Switzerland a fatal encounter ensues between Ann and Truman Capote where both throw insults at each other。 That encounter remains permanently embedded in Truman's mind and he makes up his mind that he will get his revenge on Ann through a future novel。Truman， who was born in Alabama also had a tough upbringing being tossed around from home to home while his mother searched for her ""place in society:。 But Truman was a great creative writer and this talent was nurtured and developed as he grew to adulthood。。 With a series if successful books， in particular In Cold Blood， he broke into N。Y high society and that is how he met his ""swans"。who included Babe Paley， Lee Radziwill， Slim Keith， Kay Graham， C。Z。 Guest and Maria Agnelli。 But when Truman wrote :"La Cote Basque 1965" and it was published in Esquire magazine the chapter contained the lurid details of the 1955 Woodward murder， which resulted in Ann Woodward's suicide。 After that his swans began turning against Truman， realizing that over the many years of their acqaintance with Capote they had shared many secrets and overheard gossip about other swans that could end up in a book about them。 Truman became a lonely alcoholic who never finished his opus Answered Prayers and died of a combination of various drugs and alcohol。 In Truman's world Deliberate Cruelty is the one thing that is unforgiveable。 Many thanks to Net Galley， the wonderful authoress Roseanne Montillo and Simon and Schuster for giving me this amazing view into another world。 。。。more

Kate The Book Addict ，

A special thanks to Atria Books and Author Roseanne Montillo for my ARC of “Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote， The Millionaire’s Wife， and the Murder of the Century” for an honest review。 📚 ❤️On sale: November 1， 2022。 This was absolutely one of those books that when you get your hands on it or just read the intriguing title， you KNOW it’s going to be a great read filled with deception and seriously dirty business。 Honestly， almost anything with Truman Capote in it is going to have some fun， cra A special thanks to Atria Books and Author Roseanne Montillo for my ARC of “Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote， The Millionaire’s Wife， and the Murder of the Century” for an honest review。 📚 ❤️On sale: November 1， 2022。 This was absolutely one of those books that when you get your hands on it or just read the intriguing title， you KNOW it’s going to be a great read filled with deception and seriously dirty business。 Honestly， almost anything with Truman Capote in it is going to have some fun， crazy twists and turns。 I really enjoyed this book because it felt like Author Roseanne Montillo and I were best friends sitting at our favorite cafe while she was telling me this beautiful and beyond-belief story， almost like delicious gossip you know you shouldn’t be repeating but you can’t help yourself！ Montillo delivers this story with such familiarity you feel like you grew up with these people—be it extremely poor in Kansas with Ann Woodward to the filthy rich with their opulent， overindulgent lifestyles—that you can’t put this book down。 The only problem is: Now I’m obsessed with immediately getting Montillo’s other books so I can devour them too！！ Happy reading！ 。。。more

Diane S ☔ ，

Truman Capote and Ann Woodward didn't know each other， but their childhoods and quest for acceptance， are similar。 Ann married into a prominently social family and Truman finds acceptance into higher society due to his writing and his friendship with prominent women， who were referred too as his swans。 A chance encounter， years later， after the shooting death of her husband and her flight to Europe to avoid scandal， would entwine their fates to a devastating conclusion。Was quite taken with this Truman Capote and Ann Woodward didn't know each other， but their childhoods and quest for acceptance， are similar。 Ann married into a prominently social family and Truman finds acceptance into higher society due to his writing and his friendship with prominent women， who were referred too as his swans。 A chance encounter， years later， after the shooting death of her husband and her flight to Europe to avoid scandal， would entwine their fates to a devastating conclusion。Was quite taken with this book， was more familiar before reading with Capotes story， had never heard of the other。 If you liked Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil， I think you will enjoy this。 Well done and so interesting。ARC from edelweiss。 。。。more

Tammy ，

I’ve read my fair share about Capote after becoming enamored with Other Voices， Other Rooms many years ago。 Having read The Two Mrs。 Grenville’s （also years ago）， I was vaguely familiar with the Woodward murder。 It never would have occurred to me to draw parallels between Truman Capote and Ann Woodward which is exactly what the author does in Deliberate Cruelty。 Both were desperate to belong to “America’s moneyed aristocracy，” both succeeded and spectacularly fell from grace。 This is their story I’ve read my fair share about Capote after becoming enamored with Other Voices， Other Rooms many years ago。 Having read The Two Mrs。 Grenville’s （also years ago）， I was vaguely familiar with the Woodward murder。 It never would have occurred to me to draw parallels between Truman Capote and Ann Woodward which is exactly what the author does in Deliberate Cruelty。 Both were desperate to belong to “America’s moneyed aristocracy，” both succeeded and spectacularly fell from grace。 This is their story。 Please note that the writing is crisp and the research is extensive。 Always a good thing。 。。。more

Linda ，

So many people and do much information。 I found myself using Google to do research on various people named in this book just to try and keep them relevant in my mind。 I am old enough to remember some of these famous and infamous characters but certainly not all。 I did get a better understanding of 'New York Society' through the eyes of Trunan Capote and a better understanding of Truman Capote himself。 I read IN COLD BLOOD many years ago and did some research and reading about Truman Capote but t So many people and do much information。 I found myself using Google to do research on various people named in this book just to try and keep them relevant in my mind。 I am old enough to remember some of these famous and infamous characters but certainly not all。 I did get a better understanding of 'New York Society' through the eyes of Trunan Capote and a better understanding of Truman Capote himself。 I read IN COLD BLOOD many years ago and did some research and reading about Truman Capote but this book goes into so much more detail and puts him more in context to his ultimate goals in life。 The book was truly interesting but so hard to follow。 So much information。 Ann Woodward became secondary to the theme even though the title of the book would indicate otherwise。 And， if I had it to do over， I would definitely read this book again。 。。。more

CaraDico ，

*Thank you to Roseanne Montillo， Atria books， and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*As a big fan of Dominick Dunne， I first read "The Two Mrs。 Grenvilles" back in the 90s when I was living on the Upper East Side on the same block as their old residence on 86th Street。 I was fascinated by the Woodwards， and the mystery surrounding the murder。 So I was overjoyed to see another book that told of this family， with the added bonus of Truman Capote and result of his obsession with *Thank you to Roseanne Montillo， Atria books， and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*As a big fan of Dominick Dunne， I first read "The Two Mrs。 Grenvilles" back in the 90s when I was living on the Upper East Side on the same block as their old residence on 86th Street。 I was fascinated by the Woodwards， and the mystery surrounding the murder。 So I was overjoyed to see another book that told of this family， with the added bonus of Truman Capote and result of his obsession with society women in the 50s and 60s， with his eventual downfall of society。 This seemed to be two books in one as there doesn't seem to be a strong connection between Ann's suicide and Truman， other than he wrote a story about her that was never finished。 There is one part that tells the background and marriage of Ann and William Woodward and what happened on that night in 1955， and there is another that talks about Truman Capote's obsession on writing about the story of the Woodwards， which he either never completes or it is never found after his death。 I enjoyed both "stories" but felt they could have been different books。 。。。more

Jill Elizabeth ，

I have read a couple of books about Truman Capote and this time period and find both endlessly fascinating。。。 The glamour and high drama。 The excess and shocking amount of violence both casual and intentional。 It's a wild era that definitely reinforces the adage that truth is stranger than fiction。 This was an interesting addition to my reading about the time period， but I must confess that I did not find it as engaging a narrative style or as entertaining a read as others I've previously read。 I have read a couple of books about Truman Capote and this time period and find both endlessly fascinating。。。 The glamour and high drama。 The excess and shocking amount of violence both casual and intentional。 It's a wild era that definitely reinforces the adage that truth is stranger than fiction。 This was an interesting addition to my reading about the time period， but I must confess that I did not find it as engaging a narrative style or as entertaining a read as others I've previously read。 There's a little more history and a little less drama than I expected given the tagline and blurb - and， frankly， the subject matter。 That's not a bad thing， it just means it was a different read than I was expecting。You have to stick with this one。 The drama is there， it just takes a little longer to get the ball rolling。 I also didn't exactly see a huge interplay between Truman Capote and Ann Woodward such that it felt that their stories blended seamlessly。 It felt almost like two books were merged into one。 This contributed to the slower nature of the read for me。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy。 。。。more

Rose ，

I have just read Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote， the Millionaire's Wife， and the Murder of the Century， by Author Roseanne Montillo 。This is a true crime， nonfiction story about the socialite Ann Woodward who shot and killed her husband Billy Woodward who was a wealthy banking heir。 The year was 1955。Ann Woodward claims that she thought he was a prowler， who had broken into their home late one night， as there was a great deal of talk of one being in their neighborhood。The book is also about T I have just read Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote， the Millionaire's Wife， and the Murder of the Century， by Author Roseanne Montillo 。This is a true crime， nonfiction story about the socialite Ann Woodward who shot and killed her husband Billy Woodward who was a wealthy banking heir。 The year was 1955。Ann Woodward claims that she thought he was a prowler， who had broken into their home late one night， as there was a great deal of talk of one being in their neighborhood。The book is also about Truman Capote， who was an icon and bestselling nonfiction Author of the book “In Cold Blood。”I really do not read a lot of true crime books， and thought the Author did a good job with this one， but I did become a little bored with the storyline about two thirds into it。 #NetGalleyThanks to NetGalley， the Author and Atria Books for my advanced copy to read and review。 。。。more

Valerity （Val） ，

I really liked reading about Ann Woodward （again） in this book。 Learning a lot about Truman Capote’s life and career was very enlightening。 Having the lives of both compared and contrasted at times turned out to be an unusual idea， but ultimately a good one。 Both were so eager to be part of high society， which eventually brought them down and cast them out。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。

BAM the enigma ，

11/22

Christine Cazeneuve ，

A captivating story from start to finish。 I never heard of Ann Woodward before but certainly knew who Truman Capote was。 The parallel telling of their lives and the ultimate tragedy that took place， you can't make this stuff up。 This book goes to show that the pen is truly mightier than the sword。 An excellent read。 Thank you to the author， publishers and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion。 A captivating story from start to finish。 I never heard of Ann Woodward before but certainly knew who Truman Capote was。 The parallel telling of their lives and the ultimate tragedy that took place， you can't make this stuff up。 This book goes to show that the pen is truly mightier than the sword。 An excellent read。 Thank you to the author， publishers and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Kathy ，

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC。 Deliberate Cruelty is an excellent true crime， historic biography of sorts。 Ms。 Montillo's work is meticulously researched but never dry or boring。 I knew very little about the life of Truman Capote， other than the fact that he wrote In Cold Blood and was friends with Harper Lee。 This book begins with the story of Ann Woodward， a former showgirl who wanted to climb out of poverty and into high society。 She married Billy， a trust fund b Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC。 Deliberate Cruelty is an excellent true crime， historic biography of sorts。 Ms。 Montillo's work is meticulously researched but never dry or boring。 I knew very little about the life of Truman Capote， other than the fact that he wrote In Cold Blood and was friends with Harper Lee。 This book begins with the story of Ann Woodward， a former showgirl who wanted to climb out of poverty and into high society。 She married Billy， a trust fund baby but was despised by her mother-in-law and most of the high society that she wanted to enjoy。 When Ann kills Billy at their home， believing him to be a prowler that had been in the area， she is vilified by the socialites she wanted to be part of。 At the same time， Truman Capote is climbing the social ladders in the same circles。 Ann makes disparaging remarks regarding Truman's sexuality and he never forgets and exacts his revenge years later， in the form of a story published in Esquire and manages to include all the gossip told to him over the years by the socialites。 His downfall， Ann's death， are scandalous and simultaneous。 Well-written and very fast paced for a study in history and society， Deliberate Cruelty has been one of the most fascinating books I've read so far this year。 。。。more

Natalie ，

Such an interesting book。 I happened to have read “Capote’s Women “ recently， and this was the perfect companion to that book。 I have always been fascinated by Capote and his Swans and this book speaks about his Swans and his ugly duckling，Ann Woodward。 Though I knew the general story， this excellent retelling was fascinating。 For those that are interested in Ann’s story， I urge you read “The Two Mrs Grenvillles” by Dominick Dunne。 It is also an excellent TV miniseries with an incredible cast。 M Such an interesting book。 I happened to have read “Capote’s Women “ recently， and this was the perfect companion to that book。 I have always been fascinated by Capote and his Swans and this book speaks about his Swans and his ugly duckling，Ann Woodward。 Though I knew the general story， this excellent retelling was fascinating。 For those that are interested in Ann’s story， I urge you read “The Two Mrs Grenvillles” by Dominick Dunne。 It is also an excellent TV miniseries with an incredible cast。 Montillo captured the stories of Capote and Woodward and I enjoyed reading this book。 Thierry are several other books that will help the reader delve further into these fascinating characters， as well as movies。 Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this interesting ARC I think my readers will enjoy it and will follow up with more books on these fascinating subjects。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0