***
Family of five is threatened when a psychopathic man who was sent to prison on the testimony of the father is set free. Unusual thriller in the sense that dad garners lots of sympathy but little real help from the authorities, and is ultimately forced to band together his own family for their protection, being (refreshingly) unable to handle it all himself. Suspenseful and exciting -- up to a point. MacDonald's more realistic approach also undercuts the drama as the villain can do only so much and remain plausibly at large. Filmed as Cape Fear in 1962 and 1991, and also published under that title even though it has no relevance to the book.
Family of five is threatened when a psychopathic man who was sent to prison on the testimony of the father is set free. Unusual thriller in the sense that dad garners lots of sympathy but little real help from the authorities, and is ultimately forced to band together his own family for their protection, being (refreshingly) unable to handle it all himself. Suspenseful and exciting -- up to a point. MacDonald's more realistic approach also undercuts the drama as the villain can do only so much and remain plausibly at large. Filmed as Cape Fear in 1962 and 1991, and also published under that title even though it has no relevance to the book.