# Is "The Executioners (filmed as Cape Fear)" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Executioners (filmed as Cape Fear) by John D. MacDonald (Simon & Schuster, 1958) is identified by: Simon & Schuster, New York, 1958 hardcover, first printing (no later-printing notation). The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first; the story was later reissued in paperback under the title Cape Fear.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster, New York, 1958 hardcover, first printing (no later-printing notation)
- Bound in black boards with a pink cloth spine
- Basis for the film Cape Fear
- The first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster, New York, 1958 hardcover, first printing (no later-printing notation) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster, New York, 1958 hardcover, first printing (no later-printing notation). Bound in black boards with a pink cloth spine. Basis for the film Cape Fear. The first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first; the story was later reissued in paperback under the title Cape Fear.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition shows a blind-stamped dot on the rear board and a jacket with no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Executioners (filmed as Cape Fear)* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-executioners-filmed-as-cape-fear
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.