The Executioners (Cape Fear) by John D. MacDonald

The Executioners has been published under its other title, Cape Fear, since it was made into the classic 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. It was a hit and inspired the 1991 remake by Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and who can forget Juliette Lewis (De Niro and Lewis were Oscar-nominated). These were tense action films, but both strayed very far from the original story.

You may know Cape Fear, but you don't know The Executioners.

Sam Bowden and his wife Carol are comfortably settled in their town, with a teenage daughter, Nancy, and two younger children. He is a partner in a law firm, a straight shooter with defined morals of right and wrong. While in the Navy, he witnessed a drunken Max Cady rape a young girl, and his testimony during the court-martial sent Max away for life. Now, 14 years later, Max has been released—still without remorse; in fact, he blames Sam's puritanical righteousness for his prison time. He has just shown up in Sam's town, he has tracked him down, and he is watching the family.

Sam and Carol are aware of his presence, but they are helpless to stop his stalking and his taunting veiled threats. The police are also powerless until he commits a crime. Strange events like the dog being poisoned and the wheels of the car being loosened are not enough; anyone could have done that. Feeling there is no choice, Sam and Carol decide to trap and kill him. Carol is not only for it but eager to get it done. Even the kids are informed, and they agree. A plan is set at their country house, and although it is murder, the Sheriff privately condones it. "Think of him like he's a tiger. You want to get him out of the brush. So you stake out a goat and you hide in a tree."

Sam dirties his hands with the town underworld as he plans the trap, even the disposal of the body. It beats sitting and waiting, scared every minute, as the tension washes the sand away from their castle walls.

What is most interesting is the original novel being based around the fear of the convict and the decision to kill before he strikes. Both films portray a very different outlook - the defense of a family from attack - whereas here they are cold-blooded executioners. Max is certainly a heavy, cigar-smoking creep with psychotic tendencies that can't be treated - and certainly planning something. Sam feels the right to kill based on fear alone.

There is a lot of talk and little action in this classic setup, until page 175, where an explosion of violence will make you jump out of your seat. Those fifteen pages are breathless and won the entire book over for me.

As a movie fan, I was waiting for a boat/houseboat to appear (as the finale set pieces), but again, the films told a different story about the Bowdens.

Recommended as a classic thriller.

1957 / Hardcover / 191 pages

My other reviews for John D. MacDonald:

A Bullet For Cinderella

The Empty Trap