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Book Review of The Tomb (Repairman Jack, Bk 1)

The Tomb (Repairman Jack, Bk 1)
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1


The Repairman Jack novels focus on a man named Jack, who lives off the radar of the government and most of society, acting as a sort of urban mercenary in modern-day New York City. For a hefty price, Jack creatively handles situations that can't be dealt with publicly or through the branches of the legal system -- things like blackmail or sabotage of other lucrative but less-than-legal endeavors.

The first book in the series sees the enigmatic protagonist battling a supernatural force that is unlike his usual "fix-it" jobs. Though it may not be the most complex of storylines, it is very fun and rather well-written, feeling like the sort of action-packed story you could see brought to the silver screen. Jack has quickly become one of my favorite characters in contemporary fiction and I can't wait to see where he goes.

I never thought I would enjoy this book as much as I did, or how hooked I would get on the series, for that matter. The Repairman Jack novels are an interesting mix of mystery and horror/sci-fi. For that reason, I feel like it would appeal to readers of private-eye or hardboiled detective stories looking to branch out into a more speculative fiction genre. I'd also recommend this book to fans of Jim Butcher and the Harry Dresden novels as it is written in a very similar style with its roots in urban fantasy.