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ISBN: 0449131904

Cape Fear: A Novel

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ISBN: 0449131904
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A readable copy with all pages intact.

Formats

Conditions

A readable copy with all pages intact.

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Book Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - How far would you go to save your family? In this masterwork of "terrific suspense" (The Philadelphia Inquirer), a mild-mannered family is tormented by an obsessed criminal--and decides to take matters into their own hands.

With an Introduction by Dean Koontz

"A powerful and frightening story."--The New York Times

Sam Bowden has it all: a successful law career, a devoted wife, and three children. But a terrifying figure from Bowden's past looms in the shadows, waiting to shatter his pristine existence.

Fourteen years ago, Bowden's testimony put Max Cady behind bars. Ever since, the convicted rapist has been nursing a grudge into an unrelenting passion for revenge. Cady has been counting the days until he is set free, desperate to destroy the man he blames for all his troubles. Now that time has come.

Originally published as The Executioners This description may be from another edition of this product.

Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
ISBN:
0449131904
Release Date:
April 2006
Publisher:
Fawcett
Length:
224 Pages
Weight:
0.28 lbs.
Dimensions:
7.0″ × 0.5″ × 4.3″
Murder InvestigationsSmall TownsThrillerFictionHard-BoiledLiterature & FictionMysteryMystery, Thriller & Suspense

More by John D. MacDonald

John Dann MacDonald, better known as John D. MacDonald , launched his writing career with a stroke of good luck. His wife submitted to a magazine one of his short stories, and the magazine published it. During the next forty years, McDonald wrote hundreds more stories as well as his series of detective novels. MacDonald was born in 1916 in Pennsylvania. He enrolled in the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, but left without completing his degree. He later finished his undergraduate degree at Syracuse University and received an M.B.A. from Harvard University. MacDonald served in the OSS in Asia during World War II. MacDonald's novel The Executioners was adapted into the film Cape Fear. MacDonald was named a grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America and won the only National Book Award awarded in the mystery category. He died in 1986.

Customer Reviews

4 customer ratings | 3 reviews
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fun, suspenseful .. yet forgettable

'Cape Fear' by John MacDonald equates to so many mystery novels found on supermarket shelves nowadays. That is, there is a formulaic plot, some honest to goodness suspense, and one getting the sense of reading the book before (, or perhaps seeing it on television). Although the book is set in the 1950s and has a dated feel to it, I still found it suspenseful and the story largely credible. So what about the story? Well it is only roughly similar to the film adaptations. We have and "Ozzie & Harriet"-type of family who are stalked by a crazed psychopath and sexual predator. It seems that "Ozzie" was instrumental in sending Mr Psycho to the clink because he witnessed him raping a teenager. Fast forward fifteen years and we have our wholesome family, now with a nubile fifteen year old daughter, scared witless. But in the end they do collect their wits in order to survive (...sorry, no spoilers). Bottom line: a reasonably good read that probably would have gone out of print if not due to the legacy of the film adaptations.

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Enjoyable Read

This is a good read and MacDonald has an easy to read prose style. This is an enjoyable but not gripping book. I liked it but it is not a grab you by the shirt collar suspense book.

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Great Book

Cape Fear is a great book. I think it is the best I've ever written. In this story, convicted rapist Max Cady is released from prison and goes after the star witness against him, a lawyer, Sam Bowden. Bowden has to defend his family from Cady before he kills them all. I would reccommend this book to anyone.

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The Executioners / Cape Fear Mentions in Our Blog

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Published by Ashly Moore SheldonJune 23, 2026

It's June! Time to get your summer reading list in order. As part of our Endless Summer project, we've put together a few curated collections to help you fill out your summer TBR list. Here are 20 of the books behind the buzziest new and upcoming book-to-screen adaptations. 
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