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Reviews

The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson

cmbohn's review against another edition

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3.0

Repairman Jack is the name he goes by, but he doesn't fix appliances. He fixes other stuff. Like when a mugger beats your grandmother half to death and steals a necklace from her, or when your elderly sister goes missing. Don't look for him in the phone book, or get a recommendation from the police. He doesn't work with the cops, he's not in the phone book; in fact, as far as the government is concerned, he doesn't exist. He pays no taxes and has no driver's license. Well, actually he has several, all in different names, but his real identity is a secret. But when you need someone on your side, someone who won't give up, Jack is your man.

It's a great idea, and he's a great character. But the plot was silly and the love scenes were unnecessary. Still, it was a fun book. I stayed up late trying to finish. I'm not sure I loved the ending, but as I said, I did like the main character. This is not a book meant to be taken seriously. It's just for fun. 3 stars.

tonya_with_an_o's review against another edition

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4.0

My first foray into Repairman Jack as an adult was a whopper! Non-stop action and edge-of-my-seat tension kept me electrified, but I was sad to see that much of the humor of the Young Repairman Jack books was missing. Also, Jack himself is definitely darker, though not necessarily in a bad way. He's still the same loyal person, who would do anything for those he loves. And boy, are those values put to the test in this book! Missing people, monsters, and mayhem may be the least of Jack's worries. F. Paul Wilson has created an enigmatic character that you can't help but want to know more, and so you keep reading. Brilliant in its simplicity, really. I'm certainly a devoted fan.

paperbackstash's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars

“Your believing or not believing in karma has no effect on its existence, nor on its consequences to you. Just as a refusal to believe in the ocean would not prevent you from drowning.”

I have been wanting to start this series for over ten years. I vaguely remember reading another book by the author that may have been in the series in my teens and highly enjoyed it. I like the long-running series with it’s high rating and unusual sounding protagonist, so off I start.

The overall plot is good. Repairman Jack is a unique character - he’s a good guy who doesn’t color in the lines and does what’s needed (even in the criminal element) to get stuff done. The book opens where a woman he loves, with a child he’s grown fond of, have discovered his secrets and want to avoid him. His internal struggles bring some realism to the opening of the story before he gets into a complicated, weird, and paranormal case - a first for him, opening the series on the right foot.

The background on the story is immersed in ancient Indian lore, magic, revenge, charms. There’s some creepiness, some brutality, some surprises - tie it all together into a neatly written bow and you have a good opening to a series. At times some of the backstory dragged, but this was floated along thanks to Wilson’s smooth writing ability.

I’m not a fan of Gia yet but apparently she’s going to stay around awhile, so I hope that she improves in the future. This one doesn't hold back on the violence or the paranormal brutality, so it falls into a darker and grittier Urban fantasy mystery type. I’m curious about the future books and will be continuing the series.

Also, you can’t go wrong with a main character who loves the classic Universal Monsters.

acknud's review against another edition

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5.0

Excellent read. Well paced, good storyline. I am not much on cliffhangers but I know this is a series so I have to live with that.

warwriter's review against another edition

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5.0

This is the first of Repairman Jack. Damn, this guy's good. I have the series...and it's worth it.

solaniisrex's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is hard to describe. Jack is almost a typical Noir hero. He fixes problems, that is to say he makes them go away in a manner the law might disagree with. But he's not a bad man, not a thug, instead he's more like the A-Team. He's the guy you hire when nobody else can help. And in this particular case, he's on the trail for an old lady who disappeared in the middle of the night when he discovers that it's time to re-evaluate whether or not he believes in the supernatural.

jmcguoirk's review against another edition

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4.0

F. Paul Wilson, I'm hooked. What a fun read. Onto the next in the series. Thanks.

trevert's review against another edition

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4.0

Cheerful, upbeat sort of horror... Kind of an "Indiana Jones meets the Wolfman" story. Repairman Jack is immediately likable thanks to being introduced in the middle of a James Whale movie festival, and it rolls from there. Ancient Indian monsters are being used by a madman to settle an age-old score, and Jack gets pulled into the middle of it when he's asked to find an old lady's stolen necklace. Daring-do, fisticuffs, and square-jawed heroics ensue. Very enjoyable.

kamatari2021's review against another edition

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4.0

This is my first foray into the Repairman Jack series and I didn't know what to expect from The Tomb. However, I found this mash-up of elements that reminded me a little at times of Indiana Jones, sometimes the X-Files and a lot of Sam Spade-like film noir pulpy detective story thrown into the mix.
The story involves a "repairman" who keeps a low profile and fixes problems for people. Often that involves hurting or killing others and that's why his ex, Gia, dumped him. He lives in a dumpy apartment full of old movies and knick-knacks that might also feel at home in the Rockford Files' home.
The character of Repairman Jack is an intriguing one. No special powers, just a nose for trouble. Trouble finds him in the form of a one-armed Indian man who hires him to recover a stolen necklace for his dying grandma. Having read and watched many stories like this, I immediately identified the significance of the necklace and was unsurprised when grandma disappeared shortly after its return to the original owner.
However, that's not a slap against the book. Watching Repairman piece together what I had already figured out was engrossing enough.
If I have any knock against this book it would be with the supporting characters. The female characters often seemed weak or clueless or both and that I found a little annoying. However, I look forward to grabbing more books with Jack and I would recommend this to fans of Supernatural or Dresden Files.

elden's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am glad that they did. This is the first in a series of books about Jack and is a mixture of a detective story and a supernatural story which I liked. Though only thing I wonder about in this book is what does the title "The Tomb" have to do with the actual story.