Feral: A Novel of Suspense by Berton Roueche is a 149-page hardcover published by Harper & Row Publishers, 1974, Book Club Edition. The dust jacket has a clear label affixed to the lower spine, perhaps an old library book label. The jacket has multiple chips and closed tears and surface wear. Inside, there is a book plate and sticker affixed to the inside cover paste down. The number "1961" is written in red ink on the lower page edges. The binding is slightly cocked. Otherwise, the pages are clean and unmarked and the pages are tightly bound. The condition is fair.
The Bishops, Amy and Jack, had been looking for a suitable house in the country. And when they saw the Lester place, near Amagansett on Long Island, they knew it was exactly what they wanted: three bedrooms--the smallest a room which Jack Bishop, who was an editor on Modern Science World, could turn into a study--a nice bath, a big brick fireplace in the living room, and a fully equipped kitchen.
The house was just fine, its location was fine--they moved in.
It was all just fine, then one night Jack awoke to the sound of a scream. "Oh, my God," Amy said, "what is it?"
"I don't know," Jack said. "It sounds like--"
He went to the window and pressed his face against the screen and tried to see. "It's a cat. It's a cat with something--it looks like a baby rabbit."
When he went out to look, there was a cat--which ran away--leaving, yes, a dead baby rabbit.
Then there was their own cat--kitten, really--Sneakers. Something had scared her.
And then there were the strays--and the eyes shining in the night.
This is a frightening book, and, after you've read it, you'll probably never want to go near Long Island.
