Peter Benchley, Jaws

Fantastic use of suspense. I have never felt so emotionally attached to a book, in a way that i was reading quicker, the more intense the suspense became. I loved the film but the book was pure gripping entertainment.

Peter Benchley, Jaws - Synopsis:

It was just another day in the life of a small Atlantic resort until the terror from the deep came to prey on unwary holiday makers. The first sign of trouble - a warning of what was to come - took the form of a young woman's body, or what was left of it, washed, up on the long, white stretch of beach. One man, officer Brody, takes it upon himself to stop whatever it is that is killing the tourists. But he never expected such a monster - a gigantic Great White shark with an appetite to match.

Peter Benchley's classic novel Jaws is definitely one of the most gripping novels that I have read in a long time. You all know the score with this book, we've all seen the film, but the novel really does build on the characterisation well. The novel is extremely well-written throughout, with the classic heart stopping moments described in vivid detail. There are slight differences between the book compared with the film, especially with the ending (but I won't ruin it for you). Benchley has really managed to create an atmosphere of isolation and sheer terror within the pages of the book. I'd say that it is a novel that most people will find it hard to put down. This is the sort of book people will be reading from generation to generation. A classic novel of terror and suspense.