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trevert's review
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
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.
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
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.
loryndalar's review against another edition
3.0
3 and 1/2.
Enjoyed it, will read more of the series, but a little old-fashioned (funny to see the author updated the text, changing things like betamax to DVD, but the style is still older).
The author's (presumed) Libertarianism politics is pretty clear, but I can go along with that for this setup.
Enjoyed it, will read more of the series, but a little old-fashioned (funny to see the author updated the text, changing things like betamax to DVD, but the style is still older).
The author's (presumed) Libertarianism politics is pretty clear, but I can go along with that for this setup.
jackdaw's review against another edition
4.0
I saw almost every one of the plot twists coming, but this is the sort of book where you don't really mind it. Good action, interesting characters, and a decent supernatural element make for a quick, fun thriller.
buildhergender's review against another edition
5.0
The introduction to repairman jack
Really liked this book
The rakoshi I felt were a bit less described than i think they should have been, possibly the authors preference that less is more in scaring, letting you make up the own image in your head, but I keep thinking of triffids when I think of them, despite the nominal description of deformed humans.
Really liked this book
The rakoshi I felt were a bit less described than i think they should have been, possibly the authors preference that less is more in scaring, letting you make up the own image in your head, but I keep thinking of triffids when I think of them, despite the nominal description of deformed humans.
krisrid's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first - and THE first - Repairman Jack book, and I really enjoyed it. Well written and super-exciting.
Repairman Jack isn't your average repairman. He doesn't fix appliances or broken fences. He "fixes" things for people who can't, or won't go to the regular authorities for help with problems. Jack is the last resort for people who are desperate for help and have nowhere else to go.
Jack doesn't exist as far as the "normal" world is concerned. He doesn't have a bank account, a social security number or any legitimate identification, and the IRS doesn't even know he exists. But even so, he's the answer to a prayer for the people who need his help . . . if they can find him, that is.
In this book, Jack is approached by a diplomat from India. He tells Jack his grandmother has been mugged and brutally beaten and is at death's door in the hospital. What he asks of Jack is odd, however. One of the things the mugger took is a necklace his grandmother was wearing. He tells Jack the necklace is a family heirloom and of great sentimental value and he wants Jack to find it and return it to her before she dies. And just to make it more complicated he tells Jack he MUST find the necklace and get it back around her neck within 24 hours or she will be dead and it will be too late.
Jack takes the assignment, never for a moment believing he has a hope in hell of finding a particular mugger in a city the size of New York, not to mention any hope that the necklace is still in one piece, in 24 hours. And yet, he does!
Once the necklace is returned, however, everything gets weird very fast. The grandmother is spirited secretly out of the hospital and the diplomat goes back to his work at the U.N.
And Jack goes back to trying to convince his ex-girlfriend Gia to give their relationship another try. When Gia found out what Jack's life is REALLY all about, she could not get past the violence and the secrecy his work involves and she definitely doesn't want him or his work around her young daughter, Vicky. Unfortunately, Vicky adores Jack and can't accept his departure from their lives. So between Jack and Vicky, Gia's having a hard time keeping Jack away, especially since she really loves him.
Then, one of Gia's two beloved and elderly aunts by marriage [to her rich but rotten ex-husband now living in London] disappears from their townhouse without a trace. Gia is desperate enough to ask Jack for help finding her.
And Jack is happy to help, especially since if he finds Aunt Grace, he hopes Gia will give them another chance. But once he starts investigating, the trail leads back to the Indian diplomat and his younger and beautiful sister. Jack can't figure out what's going on.
When he finally does figure out what is happening, he can't believe it. The things he sees and learns can't be real - they just can't! [No spoilers - you'll have to read the book to find out].
Things really heat up when Vicky is taken by the same evil that got Aunt Grace. At that point Repairman Jack goes full force and doesn't care who he has to go through to get Vicky back.
The story is extremely fast-paced and thrilling. Once the facts about what's going on are revealed, the book moves like lightening and the events really grab you and drag you along with them at 90 miles an hour. Towards the end I realized I was actually holding my breath and that doesn't happen to me very often.
There are some aspects of this story that require you to suspend disbelief about what is possible in the real world. But if you can go with Hamlet and embrace his reminder that: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosopy," well then, this is a great thriller with a terrifically exciting plot and great characters. I will definitely read other books in this series and recommend them to others.
Repairman Jack isn't your average repairman. He doesn't fix appliances or broken fences. He "fixes" things for people who can't, or won't go to the regular authorities for help with problems. Jack is the last resort for people who are desperate for help and have nowhere else to go.
Jack doesn't exist as far as the "normal" world is concerned. He doesn't have a bank account, a social security number or any legitimate identification, and the IRS doesn't even know he exists. But even so, he's the answer to a prayer for the people who need his help . . . if they can find him, that is.
In this book, Jack is approached by a diplomat from India. He tells Jack his grandmother has been mugged and brutally beaten and is at death's door in the hospital. What he asks of Jack is odd, however. One of the things the mugger took is a necklace his grandmother was wearing. He tells Jack the necklace is a family heirloom and of great sentimental value and he wants Jack to find it and return it to her before she dies. And just to make it more complicated he tells Jack he MUST find the necklace and get it back around her neck within 24 hours or she will be dead and it will be too late.
Jack takes the assignment, never for a moment believing he has a hope in hell of finding a particular mugger in a city the size of New York, not to mention any hope that the necklace is still in one piece, in 24 hours. And yet, he does!
Once the necklace is returned, however, everything gets weird very fast. The grandmother is spirited secretly out of the hospital and the diplomat goes back to his work at the U.N.
And Jack goes back to trying to convince his ex-girlfriend Gia to give their relationship another try. When Gia found out what Jack's life is REALLY all about, she could not get past the violence and the secrecy his work involves and she definitely doesn't want him or his work around her young daughter, Vicky. Unfortunately, Vicky adores Jack and can't accept his departure from their lives. So between Jack and Vicky, Gia's having a hard time keeping Jack away, especially since she really loves him.
Then, one of Gia's two beloved and elderly aunts by marriage [to her rich but rotten ex-husband now living in London] disappears from their townhouse without a trace. Gia is desperate enough to ask Jack for help finding her.
And Jack is happy to help, especially since if he finds Aunt Grace, he hopes Gia will give them another chance. But once he starts investigating, the trail leads back to the Indian diplomat and his younger and beautiful sister. Jack can't figure out what's going on.
When he finally does figure out what is happening, he can't believe it. The things he sees and learns can't be real - they just can't! [No spoilers - you'll have to read the book to find out].
Things really heat up when Vicky is taken by the same evil that got Aunt Grace. At that point Repairman Jack goes full force and doesn't care who he has to go through to get Vicky back.
The story is extremely fast-paced and thrilling. Once the facts about what's going on are revealed, the book moves like lightening and the events really grab you and drag you along with them at 90 miles an hour. Towards the end I realized I was actually holding my breath and that doesn't happen to me very often.
There are some aspects of this story that require you to suspend disbelief about what is possible in the real world. But if you can go with Hamlet and embrace his reminder that: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosopy," well then, this is a great thriller with a terrifically exciting plot and great characters. I will definitely read other books in this series and recommend them to others.
terrafyd's review against another edition
3.0
I like the concept of this series. Repairman Jack is an interesting character. I had a hard time with the movement of the plot. It seemed to take while to get to moving the plot to the next point. Perhaps it will get better in the other books? There were a couple of holes in Jack's decision making process and a lack of urgency that didn't match the severity of the situation. It just left off although the other characters called him. In it. So perhaps it's a learning curve? Over all I'm not sure I will continue the series since there are so very many other series to explore.
vinaybourai's review against another edition
3.0
The Tomb is the second installment in the Adversary cycle after the [b:The Keep|62571|The Keep (Adversary Cycle, #1)|F. Paul Wilson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386925088s/62571.jpg|3354329]. The story is not a continuation of the previous book and follows a different protagonist.
Jack is a repairman who masquerades as an appliance repairman to the world. His real job is as a shady illegal person who can help with matters relating to the criminal world. Gia is a former love interest with a daughter from a failed marriage. Other characters include Kusum and Kolabati(sic) from West Bengal in India and other minor characters.
One major issue I had with the book was reading it as an Indian. While the author may have made inadvertent errors, it is difficult not to cringe at them while encountering basic mistakes. Kusum and Kolabati are not Bengali names, nor is the turban worn in Bengal. Also "Hindutvu"(sic) is not target for right wing nationalists and demons are called "Rakshash" not "Rakoshi". I think this is due to an inherent bias in me as a reader but these additions do not hamper the story in any way.
Jack starts off the book with an appointment with an Indian diplomat, Kusum, who needs his help in recovering an artifact that was stolen from his mother. Jack reluctantly agrees even though he has to accept another case related to his former girlfriend Gia. Gia's rich aunt has disappeared without a trace and the police are unable to help. Due to his previous experience with a British officer ,Jack is recommended to both the incidents. Jack finds and returns the artifact on time and gets to meet Kolabati, Kusum's Sister. A quick chemistry develops between them and this seems to irk Kusum. Gradually the story moves forward telling us about the past of both Jack and Kusum. After about halfway into the book, the real demons appear and the story moves at full speed. Jack encounters the demons and finds out the Gia's daughter Vicky might be the next target. He has to move quickly to save Vicky's life while finding out more secrets about the Indian siblings.
The book is recommended for fantasy and horror lovers that like to read light action.
Jack is a repairman who masquerades as an appliance repairman to the world. His real job is as a shady illegal person who can help with matters relating to the criminal world. Gia is a former love interest with a daughter from a failed marriage. Other characters include Kusum and Kolabati(sic) from West Bengal in India and other minor characters.
One major issue I had with the book was reading it as an Indian. While the author may have made inadvertent errors, it is difficult not to cringe at them while encountering basic mistakes. Kusum and Kolabati are not Bengali names, nor is the turban worn in Bengal. Also "Hindutvu"(sic) is not target for right wing nationalists and demons are called "Rakshash" not "Rakoshi". I think this is due to an inherent bias in me as a reader but these additions do not hamper the story in any way.
Jack starts off the book with an appointment with an Indian diplomat, Kusum, who needs his help in recovering an artifact that was stolen from his mother. Jack reluctantly agrees even though he has to accept another case related to his former girlfriend Gia. Gia's rich aunt has disappeared without a trace and the police are unable to help. Due to his previous experience with a British officer ,Jack is recommended to both the incidents. Jack finds and returns the artifact on time and gets to meet Kolabati, Kusum's Sister. A quick chemistry develops between them and this seems to irk Kusum. Gradually the story moves forward telling us about the past of both Jack and Kusum. After about halfway into the book, the real demons appear and the story moves at full speed. Jack encounters the demons and finds out the Gia's daughter Vicky might be the next target. He has to move quickly to save Vicky's life while finding out more secrets about the Indian siblings.
The book is recommended for fantasy and horror lovers that like to read light action.
zade's review against another edition
3.0
The first of the Repairman Jack novels, set in the mid-80s, was interesting to read. The protagonist is okay, but not completely engaging. Although Repairman Jack predates Jack Reacher, the best comparison I can come up with is that Repairman Jack is sort of a watered-down, callow Jack Reacher. Although RP is supposed to be 34 in this story, he seems no more mature than in the recently written prequels to the series, in which he is supposedly 22.
The plot is interesting, but nothing new. This seems to be a theme in the few books of Wilson's I've read--he takes a well-worn theme and adds a twist to it. In this case, it's the mummy's curse translated into an Indian background. Oh, and there is no tomb in the story. A temple, yes, but no tomb. Weird. The outcome of the plot is fairly predictable. I was never in doubt as to how the story would end, but there was enough suspense involved in how Wilson would get to the end to keep me reading.
As in other of Wilson's novels, what makes this one interesting is that he complicates the standard good/evil binary. One character observes that the "bad guy" is essentially what Jack would be if he were insane. Wilson manages to make the antagonist sympathetic at the same time his actions are horrifying. The parallel I found most interesting is that between the antagonist and the man for whose actions he seeks revenge. The original transgressor was seeking to redeem his family's honor, which he had endangered by his own sins. Likewise, the antagonist seeks to cleanse himself of sin by fulfilling his family's duty. Having read a couple of Wilson's novels now, I have to believe that Wilson constructs these complementary themes deliberately and with great care. Even when I don't love the narrative, the way Wilson weaves his subtext brings me back for more of his work.
The plot is interesting, but nothing new. This seems to be a theme in the few books of Wilson's I've read--he takes a well-worn theme and adds a twist to it. In this case, it's the mummy's curse translated into an Indian background. Oh, and there is no tomb in the story. A temple, yes, but no tomb. Weird. The outcome of the plot is fairly predictable. I was never in doubt as to how the story would end, but there was enough suspense involved in how Wilson would get to the end to keep me reading.
As in other of Wilson's novels, what makes this one interesting is that he complicates the standard good/evil binary. One character observes that the "bad guy" is essentially what Jack would be if he were insane. Wilson manages to make the antagonist sympathetic at the same time his actions are horrifying. The parallel I found most interesting is that between the antagonist and the man for whose actions he seeks revenge. The original transgressor was seeking to redeem his family's honor, which he had endangered by his own sins. Likewise, the antagonist seeks to cleanse himself of sin by fulfilling his family's duty. Having read a couple of Wilson's novels now, I have to believe that Wilson constructs these complementary themes deliberately and with great care. Even when I don't love the narrative, the way Wilson weaves his subtext brings me back for more of his work.