Ground Zero

I loved this book and was not disappointed in it at all. So many reviewers were disappointed that there were no usual RJ "fixes," but, in reality, his "fix" is to save Weezy and that leads to his "fix" to try and save The Lady and her dog. For those of you who haven't read the early Jack novels, you will not appreciate this chapter of the RJ storyline as much as those of us who have read about young Jack. After losing his sister, brother, father, and unborn child, it was nice to see him reconnect with someone who was like family to him when he was growing up. It has been hard to see Jack lose all ties to his past, even though he has tried to forget about his past. It also gives him a little of his older humanity back, as he has been on the road to becoming a cold, hardened, weapon, tempered only by Gia and Vicky. Of course this change in him is going to become necessary, but it is nice to hold the complete transformation off for a little while. This book ties up very nicely with Jack: Secret Circles, a book I highly recommend to adult readers. As we RJ fans all know by now, Jack's path was set for him as a young adult and this book brings a recognition that at least two of the characters we have learned about in the adult books, turn out to have been in his life before. And there's a twist about Glaeken which also harkens back to Jack's childhood. For those readers new to Repairman Jack, you will find this review somewhat incomprehensible. So I suggest that you not read this novel as your first taste of F Paul Wilson. Both the Adversary Cycle and the young adult books, as well as the novel Black Wind, give you a great background for the RJ storyline. I suggest reading the books in order and it would be even better to start with the young adult books, moving to the Adversary Cycle, and then into the main RJ novels. This is helpful because The Tomb, an Adversary Cycle book, is actually the first adult RJ series book, and because Jack: Secret Circles has a relation to The Touch, an Adversary Cycle Book. I would also read Black Wind before reading By The Sword. If you read the books in this order, you will come to appreciate Repairman Jack as more than just the fun and exiting "fixer" who is introduced to us in the early RJ adult novels. And, as many loose ends need to be tied up to bring us to the last books (I don't know what I'll do when they are all done), this book, with exposition more than "tons of action" needs to be read. But don't get me wrong, I think there is plenty of action in this book (lots of people get killed; there is plenty of shooting, an attempted kidnapping, and other exciting incidents, such as fires and explosions), even if the last part of the action turns out to be seemingly futile. Yes, I missed having more of Abe in the book, but think that Weezy made a good substitute, as she was Jack's only true friend as a child the way Abe is Jack's only true friend as an adult (not counting Gia, of course, and I do

The story arcs for the Repairman Jack series are far-reaching and amazing in scope. Come for the character, stay for the continuing adventure. The climax is coming soon!

As some said, this one seemed light on action, and though there is plenty, it just doesn't seem like the usual Jack story, with any fix-its. This is purely about Jack and the back history and the leading up to the final 15th book. A lot of questions are answered as well as a few new questions that come out. Throughout this, Mr. Wilson keeps the story moving and it progresses just fine. Weezy is new to the cast and I wonder how she is going to develop from this point on. Gia and Vicky didn't have a lot to do in this one except being referenced to, more than anything. Abe just made a brief appearance near the beginning. About half of the story was from the POV of the bad guys as they grow the Finntmanchka. There would be a few chapters of that then it cuts back to Jack or Weezy. All in all, Jack only had about a third of the book in his POV. Mr. Wilson is building background for the big ending and I think he managed to pull it off while still keeping some kind of story flowing. It was a very enjoyable read and it kept me glued to my seat. If you've never read any of the other books, I wouldn't suggest you start with this one as you will be scratching your head trying to figure out what they are talking about. In that respect, it isn't that great of a stand-alone novel. However, if you take it as part of the series, it answers many questions and made me happy. Highly recommended.

This is the best book I've read in some time. I hope to be able to write a book this well someday. Prior to this, the only Repairman Jack book I'd read was The Tomb (Adversary Cycle/Repairman Jack). Although not familiar with a lot of the storyline in between, I was pulled into this novel and finished it quickly. Rather than leaving me confused, the references to prior story elements piqued my interest and I picked up Bloodline: A Repairman Jack Novel and By the Sword: A Repairman Jack Novel. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers, especially those with paranormal elements - even those who haven't read any of the previous Repairman Jack stories. Looking forward to the final few books in the series and very interested to see how the new Nightworld will compare to the original. If you pick up this book, I think you'll get hooked on the series too!

No one would be disappointed reading the Repairman Jack series! F Paul Wilson has created a hero for all. Jack, Abe, Gia and Vicki are very much like any of us, caught up in mysterious doings. Add Glaeken and the Lady with a Dog and you have a true thriller...