The Executioners

Set in the 1950s, "The Executioners" follows Sam Bowden, a small‑town lawyer, husband, and father of three whose orderly life is shattered when Max Cady, a rapist Sam helped convict during the war, is released after years in prison.

Obsessed with revenge, Cady begins a campaign of stalking and terror against Sam and his family—poisoning their dog, menacing Sam’s children, and exploiting every gap in the legal system, which is powerless to act until he commits a clear crime.

Forced to confront a form of pure, unreasoning evil, Sam is driven to desperate measures, culminating in a deadly confrontation in which he must decide how far he is willing to go to protect those he loves.

Originally published in 1958 and later reissued under the title "Cape Fear," the novel is noted for its relentless suspense and its exploration of the limits of law, morality, and civilized restraint in the face of brutality.