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acidraineburns's review
4.0
Repairman Jack is a "fix-it" man. When there is a problem you cannot fix, you call him. Getting his name from a contact in the UN, Kusum, an Indian delegate, calls Jack to help him retrieve his grandmother's stolen necklace. After being rolled by a guy in the alley, Kusum's grandmother is left on the edge of death. Before he death, he would like her to be reunited with the necklace, a family heirloom. At the same time, Jack's ex-girlfriend asks him to help find her missing aunt.
Taking on both jobs sends Jack on a weird adventure which spans time, continents, and myth. He must face internal and external demons in order to figure out these cases.
Unfortunately, it took me awhile to get through this book. That being said, it was fairly engaging and quite interesting. I found Jack to be an extremely interesting character, and I would love to know more about his back story. To keep off of the grid, he turns all of his money into gold and tapes it up in the wall. Further, even though he is extremely paranoid, he has funny and cute little quirks that make him three dimensional.
For the most part, I found the secondary characters felt a little one-sided. Gia felt like the typical jilted lover, Kolabati was pretty predictable, Vicky was a stereotype, and so on. However, even though she wasn't in the book for very long, Nellie was a neat character. Further, Abe was a little more fleshed out and added an interesting element.
I loved the nature of villain's motivation. The historical back story, the religious issues involved, and so on, were simply amazing and well done. The author also has a wonderful grasp of karma and the Vedic religion. The rakoshi were strange and disturbing monsters, and the twist was unexpected! However, I wish they were fleshed out a bit more. I assume that the author wanted them to stay somewhat vague and mysterious. Unfortunately, in some ways, it kind of worked against him.
This book was a good mystery and had elements of a classic boogeyman horror story. I think this was a good start to the Repairman Jack series, and it looks like it could turn into something brilliant! Even though it took be awhile to read it, the pacing was well done, the storyline had twists and turns, and Jack was a well written character. All in all, this was a fun and enjoyable read.
Taking on both jobs sends Jack on a weird adventure which spans time, continents, and myth. He must face internal and external demons in order to figure out these cases.
Unfortunately, it took me awhile to get through this book. That being said, it was fairly engaging and quite interesting. I found Jack to be an extremely interesting character, and I would love to know more about his back story. To keep off of the grid, he turns all of his money into gold and tapes it up in the wall. Further, even though he is extremely paranoid, he has funny and cute little quirks that make him three dimensional.
For the most part, I found the secondary characters felt a little one-sided. Gia felt like the typical jilted lover, Kolabati was pretty predictable, Vicky was a stereotype, and so on. However, even though she wasn't in the book for very long, Nellie was a neat character. Further, Abe was a little more fleshed out and added an interesting element.
I loved the nature of villain's motivation. The historical back story, the religious issues involved, and so on, were simply amazing and well done. The author also has a wonderful grasp of karma and the Vedic religion. The rakoshi were strange and disturbing monsters, and the twist was unexpected! However, I wish they were fleshed out a bit more. I assume that the author wanted them to stay somewhat vague and mysterious. Unfortunately, in some ways, it kind of worked against him.
This book was a good mystery and had elements of a classic boogeyman horror story. I think this was a good start to the Repairman Jack series, and it looks like it could turn into something brilliant! Even though it took be awhile to read it, the pacing was well done, the storyline had twists and turns, and Jack was a well written character. All in all, this was a fun and enjoyable read.
books_coffee_cornwall's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
steven11's review against another edition
Boring. Didn’t like supernatural aspect.
cmbohn's review
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.
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
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
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.
“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
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
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
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
4.0
F. Paul Wilson, I'm hooked. What a fun read. Onto the next in the series. Thanks.