Cape Fear: A Novel
Conditions
A readable copy with all pages intact.
Formats
Conditions
A readable copy with all pages intact.
Conditions
A readable copy with all pages intact.
Formats
Conditions
A readable copy with all pages intact.
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.
'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.
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.
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.

Published by Ashly Moore SheldonJune 23, 2026