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：2022-11-07 11:21:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Roseanne Montillo
  • ISBN：1797147994
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Reviews

Claire ，

It was okay。 I knew most of the information already。

Susan ，

Hmmm。 The author took one teensy tiny little link between Truman and Ann Woodward and built a whole premise around it。 It was a stretch to say the least。 I've read enough about Truman Capote and the whole Swans/Le Côte Basque debacle so I didn't learn anything new there at all。 And I still don't get why Babe Paley was considered one of the most beautiful women of her era。 But whatever。The Ann and Billy Woodward parts of the book were the most interesting to me。 I knew about them and the tragic s Hmmm。 The author took one teensy tiny little link between Truman and Ann Woodward and built a whole premise around it。 It was a stretch to say the least。 I've read enough about Truman Capote and the whole Swans/Le Côte Basque debacle so I didn't learn anything new there at all。 And I still don't get why Babe Paley was considered one of the most beautiful women of her era。 But whatever。The Ann and Billy Woodward parts of the book were the most interesting to me。 I knew about them and the tragic shooting but only peripherally。 Enjoyed isn't the correct word in the circumstances but it was enlightening to read about what happened that night and then to Ann and their two sons later on。 Very tragic outcomes all the way around。The author repeated sentences and phrases often which got a little tiresome。 But I would actually give this a 3。5 so I upped it to a 4 just because。 。。。more

Rosemary Ellis ，

I almost gave up on reading this book， getting lost in all the details about very minor characters in the two story lines that seemed to take forever to come together。 Perhaps what also made the book difficult for me was that not one of the main characters was very likable。

Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill ，

4。5 stars！！ What a kick off for non fiction November！！ 🥳 Absolutely fascinating。 Review to come

Susan ，

In high school the book that introduced me to true crime was In Cold Blood。 It was the book to read。 That introduction to Truman Capote was an eyeopener。 At the time I had no knowledge of Ann Woodward and her connection to him。 All I can say is Wow， what a read。 I sat down to read maybe a chapter or two and before I knew it I was so hooked I set other things aside so I could finish it。 Yes， I think it's that good。Both Ann Woodward and Truman Capote were born poor and set their sights on getting In high school the book that introduced me to true crime was In Cold Blood。 It was the book to read。 That introduction to Truman Capote was an eyeopener。 At the time I had no knowledge of Ann Woodward and her connection to him。 All I can say is Wow， what a read。 I sat down to read maybe a chapter or two and before I knew it I was so hooked I set other things aside so I could finish it。 Yes， I think it's that good。Both Ann Woodward and Truman Capote were born poor and set their sights on getting into high society。 What they got was personal destruction。 As Capote admitted， he was nasty。 When he used his "swans" and then wrote a thinly veiled story about Ann and the shotgun killing of her husband Billy Woodward when she thought he was a prowler， well that was the end for both of them。 Society can be a harsh mistress and， try as they might， neither one could find a place in the rich and glamorous world they so wanted to inhabit。 True crime， on the whole， isn't my preferred genre but I'm glad I requested Deliberate Cruelty。 It's a very well written and well researched book， one I will be recommending to my friends who are fans of the genre。 They won't be disappointed。My thanks to the publisher Atria Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Kathleen ，

Deliberate Cruelty follows the lives of Truman Capote and Ann Woodward， exploring the similarities of their rise in society and， ultimately， how their fates intertwined。 I'll say that I was sucked into it right away - I found the prose to be enchanting while remaining respectful to its subjects。 This can be a difficult balance in nonfiction （as can be seen in the works of Capote， as discussed throughout the book）， so I was excited to see it handled so well！The time period we're experiencing thro Deliberate Cruelty follows the lives of Truman Capote and Ann Woodward， exploring the similarities of their rise in society and， ultimately， how their fates intertwined。 I'll say that I was sucked into it right away - I found the prose to be enchanting while remaining respectful to its subjects。 This can be a difficult balance in nonfiction （as can be seen in the works of Capote， as discussed throughout the book）， so I was excited to see it handled so well！The time period we're experiencing through this novel - mostly the 1950s - is entirely fascinating to me， so I was excited to take a deep dive。 It was something of an introduction to New York society for me， and I found myself constantly Google-ing the names mentioned to learn just a little bit more！ I love readjng nonfiction that pushes me to learn more， and Deliberate Cruelty really scratched that itch。My only real issue came from the pacing。 There were times we were so long following Truman Capote that I forgot entirely that a huge part of the book was also meant to be about Ann Woodward。 Had there been more about Ann laced in through the latter half of the book， I think it would have felt less completely focused on Capote。An extremely interesting read， and I'm excited to read more about the era！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Jean ，

Two individuals originally from the South with one common denominator: they were rejected by their mother。 They never had contact with one another until they came across each other at a social event， This meeting will result in a compilation of events that will become a factor in her suicide and his downfall as a successful writer。 The two: Ann Woodward and Truman Capote。 Ann was suspected of killing her husband， William （Billy） Woodward， Jr。， in their home after a society dinner to honor the Du Two individuals originally from the South with one common denominator: they were rejected by their mother。 They never had contact with one another until they came across each other at a social event， This meeting will result in a compilation of events that will become a factor in her suicide and his downfall as a successful writer。 The two: Ann Woodward and Truman Capote。 Ann was suspected of killing her husband， William （Billy） Woodward， Jr。， in their home after a society dinner to honor the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1955。 Truman Capote had ingratiated himself into society by befriending a group of society women that he called “his swans” and listened to their intimate details about their lives and their friends， He decides he will write another great novel but before it is finished， he sells the serial story to a magazine， This book is truly worthy of its title。 This book will be particularly appealing to those who like the True Crime genre， enjoy reading about the lifestyle of the rich and famous of the 1950s and how the need to be wanted and respected by others can be a disaster， I particularly felt sorry for the Woodward sons。 Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC of this book; this is my honest review。 。。。more

Robertjruttenberg ，

funThis was a fun book to read—almost an exercise in history。 I also found it very enlightening。 You will too

Jill Meyer ，

There’s nothing like a well-written true crime book， combined with a high society setting， to get my little reader’s heart racing。 And that is exactly what Roseanne Montillo has given readers in her new book， “Deliberate Cruelty”。 The extended title， “Truman Capote， the Millionaire’s Wife， and the Crime of the Century” tells exactly the who’s，， where’s， when’s， and why’s were。 I’m not sure it really was “the crime of the century”; we’ve heard various crimes from Leopold and Loeb in 1924 to OJ Si There’s nothing like a well-written true crime book， combined with a high society setting， to get my little reader’s heart racing。 And that is exactly what Roseanne Montillo has given readers in her new book， “Deliberate Cruelty”。 The extended title， “Truman Capote， the Millionaire’s Wife， and the Crime of the Century” tells exactly the who’s，， where’s， when’s， and why’s were。 I’m not sure it really was “the crime of the century”; we’ve heard various crimes from Leopold and Loeb in 1924 to OJ Simpson in 1993 described in that way。Montillo’s book is the story of Truman Capote and Ann Woodward， both crashers into New York’s 1940’s and 50’s High Society。 Both came from somewhat sketchy beginnings but Capote used his writing talent， while Ann Woodward used her beauty to gain a foothold on the Upper East Side society ladder by marrying Billy Woodward， scion of a banking family。 To say Billy Woodward’s family didn’t like the social-climbing Ann is an understatement。 They loathed her。 （It didn’t help that Billy’s father had had some type of relationship with her when she was an up and coming model and dancer in a nightclub before passing her along to his son。） Billy and Ann married during WW2， but the marriage was not a success。 There were both physical and verbal abuse between the two。In 1955， at their Oyster Bay home， Ann shot Billy after mistaking him for a burglar。 Cops were called to the house， followed by the press。 How did Ann Woodward mistake her husband for the burglar operating in the area？ Billy Woodward was naked when he shot。 The “accident” story was actually accepted by Billy Woodward’s mother who publicly supported Ann because she wanted to avoid the growing scandal。 Ann Woodward lived her remaining years quietly on the edge of the New York society。But the story doesn’t end there。 By the end of the 1950’s， Truman Capote had found fame and his fortune by his writing。 He wrote both fiction and non-fiction， and was about to publish “In Cold Blood”， his account of the murders of the Clutter family in Kansas。 But Capote had also become involved with six or seven wealthy society matrons like Babe Paley and Slim Keith。 At the edge of the group was Ann Woodward。 She and the other “Swans” gave Truman earfuls of gossip and secrets about themselves， and often， of the others。 They thought they could trust him。 They couldn’t。 In 1975 he sent out copies of “Answered Prayers”， where he skewered the women he had been adopted by。The repercussions of “Answered Prayers” were immediate。 Read Montillo’s excellent book to get the whole story。 。。。more

Elaine ，

I found this book incredibly difficult to get in to。 The characters are flat， the storyline is lacking-a hard no for me。

Di Prokop ，

Rosanne Montillo’s well-researched and perfectly titled Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote， the Millionaire’s Wife， and the Murder of the Century， outlines how the two things Capote and Woodward seemed to have sought from high society - acceptance and respect - they denied each other。Did they realize how much they had in common？ Was Capote drawn to Woodward， not just for the sensational story of a socialite killing her wealthy husband with a shotgun， but because he hated that she reminded him of Rosanne Montillo’s well-researched and perfectly titled Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote， the Millionaire’s Wife， and the Murder of the Century， outlines how the two things Capote and Woodward seemed to have sought from high society - acceptance and respect - they denied each other。Did they realize how much they had in common？ Was Capote drawn to Woodward， not just for the sensational story of a socialite killing her wealthy husband with a shotgun， but because he hated that she reminded him of his mother， of himself？ Somehow， I was unfamiliar with the story of Billy Woodward’s killing and Truman Capote’s culpable role in Ann Woodward’s suicide。 I was intrigued from the opening but then grew weary as it lagged in parts looking back on the early life of the young Ann， Truman and their mothers。 Once Montillo got back to the time of Billy Woodward’s death， however， I was riveted。It was interesting to learn about Capote’s intimate connection to the research for his iconic In Cold Blood and his relationship to the murderers up until the moment they hanged。 Montillo painstakingly shows the coldness with which Capote turned his venom on Woodward and other women in his life， which led to his ultimate undoing。 As is often the case with true crime， the ending leaves you questioning why things had to play out the way they did。 I received a free egalley courtesy of Simon and Schuster， through NetGalley。 This review is fair and impartial。 。。。more

Sarah Flood ，

Interesting to read about things I had no knowledge of that took place in basically my backyard。

Janilyn Kocher ，

Deliberate Cruelty is a well written book。 It’s also an enveloping read。 I inhaled it in one sitting。I had never heard of Ann Woodward so I read her story with great interest。 I was less enchanted with Truman Capote。 I’ve never had much regard for him; in fact he’s a vile， vicious person who reaped what he sowed。Comparing the two lives was an interesting prospect， but I skim read all the parts about Capote because they didn’t interest me。 He was a puffed up very small person。An interesting book Deliberate Cruelty is a well written book。 It’s also an enveloping read。 I inhaled it in one sitting。I had never heard of Ann Woodward so I read her story with great interest。 I was less enchanted with Truman Capote。 I’ve never had much regard for him; in fact he’s a vile， vicious person who reaped what he sowed。Comparing the two lives was an interesting prospect， but I skim read all the parts about Capote because they didn’t interest me。 He was a puffed up very small person。An interesting book all around。Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more

Brenda ，

Talk about a gripping book！ Only vaguely aware of the Woodward/Capote story previously， I quickly became glued to Deliberately Cruelty and remained riveted until the very end。 Though Nonfiction it reads easily like fiction and is about poverty， privilege， passion， power， provocation and possessions。 Lifestyles of the rich and famous are often interesting to read about and this certainly holds true here。 Seeing and being seen were crucial in the 1940s and 1950s Manhattan。Evangeline Crowell （then Talk about a gripping book！ Only vaguely aware of the Woodward/Capote story previously， I quickly became glued to Deliberately Cruelty and remained riveted until the very end。 Though Nonfiction it reads easily like fiction and is about poverty， privilege， passion， power， provocation and possessions。 Lifestyles of the rich and famous are often interesting to read about and this certainly holds true here。 Seeing and being seen were crucial in the 1940s and 1950s Manhattan。Evangeline Crowell （then infamously Ann Eden and Ann Woodward） grew up with hardships and had an unusual upbringing but was clever and had a high IQ。 She knew what she wanted since she was a young girl and did everything in her power to live a super elite lifestyle。 Her marriage to uber wealthy Billy Woodward was not one of love。 She shot him one night believing he was a prowler。 It was sad to read about her relationships with her mother， children and， of course， her own suicide。 Truman Capote also grew up with similar dreams and achieving his ambitions at any cost。 And he got there and was well known in high society。 He became a cunning writer and delighted in treading on toes and poking fun at people in his own blatant way。 But he pushed it too far when he wrote salaciously about Ann without naming names。 But she and others knew。 Woodward and Capote were very much alike， yearning for belonging and the spotlight。 They were both successful by their definitions。 Interestingly， Ann was not one of Capote's infamous "swans"。 They publicly despised each other。 Capote apparently did not feel remorse for his exposing Ann but rather felt the pain of being shunned socially。 Rising to the top was his ultimate goal。 He did it but his downfall was swift and hard。 What particularly intrigued me are the histories of each of the people involved， including those of Ann's parents and her unorthodox childhood and rise to stardom。 My sincere thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the privilege of learning more about these fascinating people。 。。。more

Stephanie ，

🎁📚 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀3/5 🌟𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒆 by Melanie Benjamin， about Truman Capote’s symbiotic but doomed friendships with some of the most famous socialites in the world， is one of my very favorite books。 So I couldn’t resist the opportunity to read this true-crime take on the relationship between Capote’s and the scandalous murder of wealthy Billy Woodward at the hands of his wife， Ann， 1955。 I was disappointed to find most of the book flat and dry， a straight description of both Capote 🎁📚 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀3/5 🌟𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒆 by Melanie Benjamin， about Truman Capote’s symbiotic but doomed friendships with some of the most famous socialites in the world， is one of my very favorite books。 So I couldn’t resist the opportunity to read this true-crime take on the relationship between Capote’s and the scandalous murder of wealthy Billy Woodward at the hands of his wife， Ann， 1955。 I was disappointed to find most of the book flat and dry， a straight description of both Capote’s and the Woodwards’ upbringings and downfalls。 Capote and Ann have much in common， and the author does a beautiful job painting their hardscabble upbringings and fight to make it to the upper echelons of high society。 Many pages were devoted to Capotes writings， which is certainly deserving of it， but I was hoping to read more about the relationship between Capote and Ann。 The Woodward murder ruined Ann’s life， as she was exiled， shunned and eventually died by suicide， and also inspired Dominic Dunne’s classic， 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝑴𝒓𝒔。 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔 （which is amazing！！）。 Though thoroughly researched， I wish there’d been a bit more flow and in the retelling of the incidents; I guess I was hoping this true crime examination would read more like a novel， like Capote’s own 𝑰𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅。 Montillo did get the title perfectly right - “deliberate cruelty” seems to describe Capote’s personality to a T。 An intriguing and fabulous topic， but I recommend checking out Benjamin’s or Dunne’s books if you want more entertaining take on the subject。 Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book！ Pub date is November 1， 2022。 #biblliophile #stephsalwaysreading #deliveratecruelty#bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #tbrlist #truecrime#theswansoffifthavenue#thetwomrsgrenvilles#trumancapote#whatshouldireadnext #netgalley#ARC 。。。more

Shelby Brown ，

In 1955， socialite Ann Woodward shot her husband Billy late one night， believing he was a prowler。 Or did she？ Many believe that Ann deliberately murdered her husband， and that she was a gold digger and social climber who killed him when he discovered secrets about her past。 Years later， Truman Capote decided to publish a short story based on the murder， a decision that would lead to Ann’s suicide， and the downfall of Truman’s writing career。I absolutely loved this book！ I read it in one sitting In 1955， socialite Ann Woodward shot her husband Billy late one night， believing he was a prowler。 Or did she？ Many believe that Ann deliberately murdered her husband， and that she was a gold digger and social climber who killed him when he discovered secrets about her past。 Years later， Truman Capote decided to publish a short story based on the murder， a decision that would lead to Ann’s suicide， and the downfall of Truman’s writing career。I absolutely loved this book！ I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down。 This story is incredibly well written， engaging and skillfully told。 We learn about Ann， Billy and Truman， and the author really explores the psychology of these people， and of their relationships。 I felt like we took such a deep dive into who these individuals were as people， and why these events happened the way they did。 This was like a true crime book combined with a well written historical non fiction， with a touch of soapy drama。 I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more

Lisa Leone-campbell ，

Having been an avid fan of Truman Capote ever since I read In Cold Blood back in the 1980’s， I have voraciously devoured （sort of obsessively） anything and everything written about him。 But Deliberate Cruelty goes well-beyond Truman’s notoriously brutal， demeaning and uncaring personality。 This book shows the exact reason all his so-called friends decided he was a piranha。 It is also the story of what seems to have led to his decent into alcohol which ultimately caused his death。It all started w Having been an avid fan of Truman Capote ever since I read In Cold Blood back in the 1980’s， I have voraciously devoured （sort of obsessively） anything and everything written about him。 But Deliberate Cruelty goes well-beyond Truman’s notoriously brutal， demeaning and uncaring personality。 This book shows the exact reason all his so-called friends decided he was a piranha。 It is also the story of what seems to have led to his decent into alcohol which ultimately caused his death。It all started with Truman’s hatred of a socialite named Ann Woodward who was married to banker Billy Woodward。 In 1955 Ann either accidently or intentionally shot and killed her husband Billy one night thinking he was a prowler in the house。 But because of Ann’s position in society， she was never actually charged with a crime and her punishment was to be ostracized to Europe alone without her two children。Ann’s upbringing was similar to Truman’s in there was no stable relationship with their parents， they were left to be raised by relatives and grew up very poor。 Later in life both would reconnect with their mothers and take care of them。 Could this have been the impetus for what Truman did and why？ No one will really know。After Capote hit it big with In Cold Blood， the first non-fiction book ever written， he became not only the talk of Manhattan， but was also invited to every party， lunch， dinner or vacation in which the elite had。 He became their entertainment， telling stories and making them laugh。 Although Ann Woodward was not one of his admirers。So， when years later Truman decided to write a book about Ann killing her husband， no one understood why。 But write he did and not only about Ann， but about all those friends， all women he had met and seduced into telling him their secrets。 These women were known as his “swans” and they took him everywhere， on vacation， to lunch， to parties。 They gossiped to him about the people at those places and about the intimate details of their own lives， thinking Truman was a true friend。But Truman had no interest in secrets。 He had more interest in celebrity。 So， as he was writing the book， he received an offer from a magazine to excerpt some of the juicy details he had been writing about which included Ann and unbeknownst his female friends， them。Ann Woodward heard about Truman’s magazine story and never read it。 She killed herself just before it was published。 Truman never up until the day he died understood or blamed himself for her death。 He also lost all of his swans as their juicy bits of gossip were printed and although their real names were never used， the veil as to who they really were was not very high。 The embarrassment they all lived through would change many of their lives forever， again with Truman never understanding what he actually had done。Without his flock， Truman became a shell of himself and although he tried to make amends with a few of them， he was dumped from their society never to return。 And thus， his spiral began in earnest。Deliberate Cruelty is the perfect title for this story。 In Capote’s life he ruined many a friendship and relationship， but it seems， to keep his fame he would destroy lives， even if it meant someone’s death without an iota of regret。Thank you #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #DeliberateCruelty #RoseanneMontillo for the advanced copy。 。。。more

Drea ，

So good！ Reads like fiction - the story of Truman Capote and Ann Woodward。 I did not know the story of Woodward and although came into reading this knowing a bit about Capote， I soon learned that I had only scratched the surface。 Thoroughly-researched and written in a way that captivated me， this was well-paced and kept me turning pages all afternoon。 Pick this one up。 Go in cold so you’re surprised at the turn of events。 Thanks to Atria Books for the advanced copy！ Loved it。

Lee Husemann ，

Great dual storyline in this very interesting book！ First， there is the story of Ann Woodward who grew up poor in Kansas and was bound and determined to move to New York City and find herself a rich husband。 Ann succeeded in marrying William "Billy" Woodward who was heir to a wealthy New York City banking family。 Ann never really quite fit in with the other socialites who were born into wealth。 One night after partying and retiring for the night， Ann thought she heard a noise， looked out into th Great dual storyline in this very interesting book！ First， there is the story of Ann Woodward who grew up poor in Kansas and was bound and determined to move to New York City and find herself a rich husband。 Ann succeeded in marrying William "Billy" Woodward who was heir to a wealthy New York City banking family。 Ann never really quite fit in with the other socialites who were born into wealth。 One night after partying and retiring for the night， Ann thought she heard a noise， looked out into the dark hallway and fired a shotgun killing her husband， Billy。 Ann was acquitted but people were divided as to her guilt and she was shunned even more and sent off to Europe by her mother-in-law who despised her。The second storyline is about the life of author Truman Capote who was born in New Orleans， grew up poor and went to New York City in search of fame。 He authored the book "In Cold Blood" which made him famous and he was very popular with the "in crowd" of New York City。 He befriended a lot of the socialites who confided all their scandalous secrets to him， but he was known to be a gossipy tattle-tale and often divulged everyone's secrets。 He referred to these socialites as his "swans。" Truman went on to publish articles where these socialites identities were thinly-veiled and their secrets published which in turn led to Truman being shunned by his "swans" ultimately leading to his downward spiral。 Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this fascinating books that kept me mesmerized from start to finish。 。。。more

Pattie ，

Interesting story about a woman who "accidentally" kills her husband and the author Truman Capote。 Interesting story about a woman who "accidentally" kills her husband and the author Truman Capote。 。。。more

Linda Hutchinson ，

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️In Deliberate Cruelty， by Roseanne Montillo， the reader enjoys two stories， both of which have been written extensively in the past。 The first is about socialite Ann Woodward who shot her husband in the dark， thinking （or not） that he was an intruder in their home。 The story of her rise from a poor country bumpkin childhood to living in multiple dwellings with a wealthy husband and thoroughbred horses。 We are talking about a surge from showgirl to doyenne of society。 But be careful what ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️In Deliberate Cruelty， by Roseanne Montillo， the reader enjoys two stories， both of which have been written extensively in the past。 The first is about socialite Ann Woodward who shot her husband in the dark， thinking （or not） that he was an intruder in their home。 The story of her rise from a poor country bumpkin childhood to living in multiple dwellings with a wealthy husband and thoroughbred horses。 We are talking about a surge from showgirl to doyenne of society。 But be careful what you wish for…all that glitters is not gold。 Then， you have the story of Truman Capote。 He came from the same background and made it into the inner circle of high society， including Mrs。 Woodward， and wrote In Cold Blood which became a legendary book and put him in the top 1% of the social hierarchy。 But Truman needs to come up with another novel， so he writes about his swans， like Jacquie Kennedy-type ladies， including Mrs。 Montgomery and a host of other high society mavens。 When a magazine publishes ONE chapter of Truman’s upcoming novel， the swans lose their collective sh！t and turn on Truman Capote so fast he doesn’t see it coming。 Writing the inner secrets of high society gets you banished and quickly。 I have read various versions of this story and liked them all， but I felt this book was accurate and well-written。 Truman finds out that being cruel will cost you， friends。 The song says， “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers。” Truman should have quit while he was ahead。 #highsociety #socialite #newyork #wealthy #fortunes #scandal #murder #secrets @atriabooks @netgalley @roseannemontillo #deliberatecruelty #trumancapotePublication date: November 1， 2022。💰I received a complimentary copy of this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 Thank you to NetGalley， Atria Books and the author for the opportunity to read this book。#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader 。。。more

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 ，

Roseanne Montillo compares and contrasts the lives of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote; each came from broken small-town families and viewed New York City as their salvation， but for each it ultimately brought tragedy， The phrase "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones" is central to both Ann and Truman's lives。 Montillo carefully lays out Ann Woodward's dirt-poor life in Kansas and her heroic efforts to move to New York City， improve herself with acting lessons， vocal less Roseanne Montillo compares and contrasts the lives of Ann Woodward and Truman Capote; each came from broken small-town families and viewed New York City as their salvation， but for each it ultimately brought tragedy， The phrase "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones" is central to both Ann and Truman's lives。 Montillo carefully lays out Ann Woodward's dirt-poor life in Kansas and her heroic efforts to move to New York City， improve herself with acting lessons， vocal lessons to strip away her midwestern accent， and to do whatever was needed to land a rich husband。 Ann succeeded beyond her dreams， marrying old money Billy Woodward in 1943。 But Ann soon realizes she is despised by her mother-in-law and ridiculed by the society women she envies - she will never be enough， and no one will let her forget this。Truman grew up in a small southern town， unwanted by his parents and raised by his maiden aunts and assorted relatives。 Truman's mother Lille Mae viewed New York City as her salvation and soon found a new husband， bringing Truman to live with them when he was 10。 Small， determined， profoundly cruel （Truman once said about himself， "I am about as tall as a shotgun， and just as nasty"） Truman worked hard for his fame， first known as an exceptional short-story writer， and writing Other Voices， Other Rooms， Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories and the classic In Cold Blood， the first true crime non-fictional novel。And at the pinnacle of his fame， Capote famously releases one chapter of his long-awaited novel Answered Prayers - a gossipy， nasty chapter entitled La Côte Basque 1965。 Ann Woodward commits suicide rather than be subjected to yet another round of hatred， and Truman Capote commits social suicide， effectively shunned by the whole of NY society。 Where the book drags a bit is in the telling of Ann's story。 Much is left to speculation （it is mentioned numerous times that Ann and Billy Woodward's father may have had an affair and that Billy was bisexual but this is left unexplored） and one never really gains any insight into Ann， beyond the superficial and shallow。 Overall， 4 stars for an enjoyable read。 I received an ARC from the publisher， via NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

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。