Cape Fear: A Novel

By John D. MacDonald

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... 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" x 0.5" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

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.