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Terfex.com - The Tomb (Adversary Cycle/Repairman Jack)
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List Price: $7.99
Our Price: $7.99
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780812580372
ISBN: 0812580370
Label: Tor Books
Manufacturer: Tor Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 448
Publication Date: 1998-08-15
Publisher: Tor Books
Studio: Tor Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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Much to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Gia, Repairman Jack doesn't deal with electronic appliances-he fixes situations for people, often putting himself in deadly danger. His latest project is recovering a stolen necklace, which carries with it an ancient curse that may unleash a horde of Bengali demons. Jack is used to danger, but this time Gia's daughter Vicky is threatened. Can Jack overcome the curse of the yellow necklace and bring Vicky safely back home?
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Was there really anyone who didn't have the whole thing figured out by the end of Chapter 1?
Comment: I was pretty excited when I started this book--it seemed like it would be a good filler until the next Robert Crais "Elvis Cole" book came out. Then I read the first chapter, and knew from that point exactly what was going to happen. The author basically put up big, flashing neon signs that said "THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN 100 PAGES FROM NOW!" Then you had to drag yourself through those hundred pages, wondering if it was really as trivial as you expected it to be. And yes, it was that trivial.
A shame, really. The writing in the first part of the book was tight and well written, other than the fact that you knew what was coming. The writing fell apart at the end. From about the point where Gia leaves Abe's daughter's apartment, it read more like a rough draft than a finished novel.
I don't think I'll be reading any more "Repairman Jack" books. If you want characters as fun as Jack, but with better use of plot, try Robert Crais's books instead. If you just want a good "cop taking care of the bad guys", try Donald Harstad. No repairs required.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Promising Beginning
Comment: The Tomb is one of the most entertaining novels I've read in quite a while. The main protagonist of the book is Repairman Jack, a man living off of society's radar, who doesn't fix appliances, but situations for people. Generally, these situations need resolving without the interference of the law. He is hired by Kasum Bahkti, a one-armed Indian diplomat who wishes for him to retrieve a necklace stolen from his grandmother. Jack is also engaged in locating a wealthy missing Englishwoman for his ex-girlfriend and her former in-laws. Soon Jack stumbles into a bigger mystery that has roots in British controlled India, (revealed marvelously through the viewpoint of a British army officer) that will lead him to some terrifying discoveries.
First of all the character of Jack is one of the most interesting I've run across in fiction. His eccentricities and refusal to play by society's rules are the main detail that set this book apart from other private investigator type stories. He could easily have been rendered a clumsy stereotype, but Wilson gives him depth and character, particularly in his handling of his feelings toward Gia, his ex, and her daughter Vicky. As the novel progresses, the more fully rounded Jack becomes.
The villain in the book is also drawn with precision, the segments told from his point of view no less compelling than those told from Jack's, the British officer, or Gia's. It's rare to find a villain who can rise above the cookie cutter "bad guy" character and I think Wilson succeeds in making his more than that.
Throw in a mysterious seductress, some bloodthirsty supernatural creatures, and some goofy side characters, and you have a recipe for an intriguing read. This is one series I'll be sure to read more of in the future. Excellent stuff.
Customer Rating:
Summary: New Series
Comment: I read a lot of different series, and I have plenty to read, so I'm careful before I begin a new series - especially if there are already a number of them written. Bottom line is that I enjoyed The Tomb well enough to commit to reading the next book in the series. It was well-written and had a compelling protagonist. The little bit of fantasy was real-based enough so that I could accept the book as realistic.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Call it a guilty pleasure
Comment: What can I say? Call it a guilty pleasure. I'm a fan of Repairman Jack. This is the third novel I've read in the series and, despite its flaws, I enjoyed it.
Jack is a vigilante for hire, much like the old Equalizer TV show (not that I watched the show or anything). People who have been wronged or who have a problem that needs fixing (and have the means) can hire Jack to `repair' their problem. Jack finds things that are lost and provides `justice' when traditional legal recourse is not an option or has otherwise failed. The Tomb is the first in a series of novels that merges traditional suspense and supernatural thriller genres in much the same way that Preston and Childs do in the Agent Pendergast series. The Tomb features magic necklaces, ancient rituals, and mythical man eating creatures that feast on human flesh. What's not to like?
I have to admit that there are some flaws to The Tomb (and the rest of the series). Most notably, there is little indication that the author spends a lot of time on research. The creatures in The Tomb originate from India and the villain is Indian, but Wilson appears to have only a superficial comprehension of Indian culture and history. Maybe I'm being too PC, but there are moments when I read this novel (and the other two I've read) when I cringed at the cultural stereo-typing (not quite as bad as an old `Cowboy and Indian' movie perhaps, but not that different either).
Of course the superficial treatment of a Nation's culture has little negative impact on the entertainment value of the novel. It just contributes to the `guilty' part of the `guilty pleasure'. The other thing that I can't help but notice is that Jack's methods are embarrassingly low tech. He relies mostly on luck and silly disguises to get the information he needs.
Wilson's prose and dialogue is unexceptional but he is good at plotting his novels and keeping the reader turning pages. Yes, there are some gaps in the logic and contrivances abound, but nothing that can't be overlooked in light of the novel's overall entertainment value. Jack is one dimensional but I appreciate his cruel streak and rage issues. I haven't read any of the more recent novels in the series but, as often happens with characters like this, I understand that some of his rougher edges are getting softened over time. If that is indeed happening, it would be a shame. I prefer Jack to be merciless.
The bottom line: The Tomb (and the series in general) are enjoyable page turners that should appeal to fans of Preston / Childs (provided said fans are willing to overlook the superficial research). The Tomb is the first Repairman Jack novel and probably the best in the series, making it the best place to start if you're planning to give the series a try.
On a completely irrelevant side note: My version of this novel was an update of the original which was written in the 1980's. The end result is a little bizarre. There are references to DVD players and IPods but not a single character uses a cell phone, a personal computer or the internet. The result is a strange time-warp. It was easy to change a Walkman to an IPod and a VCR to a DVD player (although I'm not sure why the publisher would bother) but it would obviously be impossible to incorporate cell phones and the internet without re-writing the whole novel. These tools would have a huge impact on the story. It didn't detract from the novel, but it did make me scratch my head every once in a while, trying to figure out when in time this story is supposed to occur.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great read!
Comment: Someone recommended this series to me and I'm so very glad they did! Repairman Jack is a wonderful character. It doesn't take long to become sucked into his world. I found myself rooting for this rather unusual hero and was unable to put it down until the last page was devoured! I'm off to get the other books in the series now!
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