F. Paul Wilson, The Tomb

Having heard references to F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack novels for some time, I decided finally to take the plunge. The Tomb, originally published in 1984, introduces us to Jack. He's a for-hire vigilante who lives off the grid in New York City. He's careful not to let too many people know what he really does: his father, in this outing, is surprised that he's in such good shape for an appliance repairman. And Jack is also careful about the work he takes on. It's a plus if a case inspires his righteous indignation.

In this initial foray into Jack's world, a for-hire case—the recovery of a necklace for an old woman who was mugged—overlaps with some work he undertakes for personal reasons, the disappearance of his former girlfriend's elderly aunt. How the cases are connected comes as a surprise. I hadn't known going in that Jack's job would involve brushes with the supernatural: think The Equalizer meets the Night Stalker. That it did disappointed me at first, but I got over it, and the story worked out okay.

Jack is a likeable hero with a cool secret who also has an appealing personal life. The action is well described. The book is tense and well written. A glance around the web suggests that Repairman Jack has a fanatical following and that the universe of the novels is a large and daunting one. (Just take a look at the author's web site.) I'm not really one for immersing myself in alternate worlds when I read, so I'm a bit put off by all this, but The Tomb was a fun enough read that I may well leap into book two one day.