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Repairman Jack: The Early Years #1
Cold City
Cold City is the first of three Repairman Jack prequels, revealing the past of one of the most popular characters in contemporary dark a self-styled "fix-it" man who is no stranger to the macabre or the supernatural, hired by victimized people who have no one else to turn to.We join Jack a few months after his arrival in New York City. He doesn't own a gun yet, though he's already connected with Abe. Soon he'll meet Julio and the Mikulski brothers. He runs afoul of some Dominicans, winds up at the East Side Marriott the night Meir Kahane is shot, gets on the bad side of some Arabs, starts a hot affair, and disrupts the smuggling of preteen sex slaves. And that's just Book One.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2012
69 people are currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
F. Paul Wilson
421 books1,989 followersFrancis Paul Wilson is an author, born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He writes novels and short stories primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel from 1992-1996.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
January 18, 2013
This book get's a five star rating, but just barely...do you know why it gets the rating just barley?????? BECAUSE I HATE _______ CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I!!!!HATE!!!!CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!!!
If you're going to write a trilogy...I don't know at least tie up each volume!
Okay...whew takes deep cleansing breath now that I got that out of my system...
Here we have the first of a trilogy that's a prequel to the Repairman Jack books...and so far it's good. I placed this on my fantasy and urban fantasy shelves but there's no real sign of that in this volume. The Repairman Jack books tend to move slowly into that arena and in this book Jack is just "arriving". Getting to know the character(s) we'll become familiar with later and establishing his identity/non-identity for his "off the grid life" we see him just starting out on the road that will lead to his more of less knight errant/Robin Hood/Batman type character. He begins making money in a "minor" criminal way but (of course) gets "drawn in to something he'd rather...avoid.
Sadly the book ends with several people still looking for our hero with, less than benign intentions.
Did I mention how much I hate cliffhangers????
Anyway, excellent book, good story, good character and it's got me trying to make space on my "currently reading list" for the books I still have left on my "to be read list" from the Repairman Jack books.
Enjoyable, and recommended.
If you're going to write a trilogy...I don't know at least tie up each volume!
Okay...whew takes deep cleansing breath now that I got that out of my system...
Here we have the first of a trilogy that's a prequel to the Repairman Jack books...and so far it's good. I placed this on my fantasy and urban fantasy shelves but there's no real sign of that in this volume. The Repairman Jack books tend to move slowly into that arena and in this book Jack is just "arriving". Getting to know the character(s) we'll become familiar with later and establishing his identity/non-identity for his "off the grid life" we see him just starting out on the road that will lead to his more of less knight errant/Robin Hood/Batman type character. He begins making money in a "minor" criminal way but (of course) gets "drawn in to something he'd rather...avoid.
Sadly the book ends with several people still looking for our hero with, less than benign intentions.
Did I mention how much I hate cliffhangers????
Anyway, excellent book, good story, good character and it's got me trying to make space on my "currently reading list" for the books I still have left on my "to be read list" from the Repairman Jack books.
Enjoyable, and recommended.
August 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this glimpse into how Jack tentatively got started as everybody's favourite "fixer". It's 1990, and having dropped out of college, and experiencing a violent work-related altercation, a young and emotionally-raw Jack sets himself further adrift in his cold and callous new home of New York City. In need of cash, and necessitated to stay off the grid due to his vengeful first kill, it isn't long before Jack is stumbling headlong into the seedier circles of the city's underbelly, learning how to handle a gun, and becoming immersed in an interstate smuggling network. The money's good, and the driving jobs are easy and relatively safe, but when the illicit cargoes shift from cigarettes to young Mexican girls, Jack finds himself in a tight spot with some ruthless people.
But dealing with an expansive international cabal of smugglers and terrorists isn't Jack's only problem. Having recently made the acquaintance of series regular and struggling bar owner Julio, Jack inserts himself into trying to help him with his sister's scumbag conman of an ex-husband. Jack certainly has his plate full, so it's no surprise that these formative years of Repairman Jack are a trilogy.
Jack remains a troubled, fascinating and very likable character, and it's interesting to see his young self being tested, one problem at a time, in ways which eventually inform the code of honour he operates by.
I for one can't wait to get stuck into the second part, Dark City, to see how Jack scrapes himself out of this mess.
But dealing with an expansive international cabal of smugglers and terrorists isn't Jack's only problem. Having recently made the acquaintance of series regular and struggling bar owner Julio, Jack inserts himself into trying to help him with his sister's scumbag conman of an ex-husband. Jack certainly has his plate full, so it's no surprise that these formative years of Repairman Jack are a trilogy.
Jack remains a troubled, fascinating and very likable character, and it's interesting to see his young self being tested, one problem at a time, in ways which eventually inform the code of honour he operates by.
I for one can't wait to get stuck into the second part, Dark City, to see how Jack scrapes himself out of this mess.
June 22, 2024
The first of one of two trilogy prequels to the Repairman Jack series, The Tomb. This series, the early years, establishes Jack's break from his old life drops out of college and how he develops into the Repairman. We are introduced to Jack and many of the peripheral characters that end up in the Tomb: Julio and Abe, for example. The other prequel trilogy seems to be some sort of YA series of Jack in high school.
So I deducted one star because I came into the series with the promise that if you liked urban fantasy like the Dresden files, this was a good series to check out. It barely feels like an urban fantasy. Yes there are demons in the Tomb, but beyond the occasional reference to an "order" running the world, really no supernatural elements in Cold City.
i took off another point because there are too many coincidences intertwined in this plot. I do not need this to dovetail with actual terrorist events. It seems that it will be necessary to read the entire early years series for all these elements to be wrapped up. It is very well written and I would rate it higher if there wasn't an element of disappointment for what it was promised to be [not the author's fault].
So I deducted one star because I came into the series with the promise that if you liked urban fantasy like the Dresden files, this was a good series to check out. It barely feels like an urban fantasy. Yes there are demons in the Tomb, but beyond the occasional reference to an "order" running the world, really no supernatural elements in Cold City.
i took off another point because there are too many coincidences intertwined in this plot. I do not need this to dovetail with actual terrorist events. It seems that it will be necessary to read the entire early years series for all these elements to be wrapped up. It is very well written and I would rate it higher if there wasn't an element of disappointment for what it was promised to be [not the author's fault].
March 10, 2015
I had heard good things about Repairman Jack, so I grabbed book one and dove in. Well apparently it's not that easy. This is book one of the
Repairman Jack: The Early Years
trilogy, not to be confused with the
Young Repairman Jack
trilogy, which along with the
Repairman Jack
(currently a quinquadecology) are all spin-offs of
The Adversary Cycle
.
Entering the series with Cold City [Repairman Jack: The Early Years 01] you will find a young man looking to lose himself in New York City, shedding his name and all contact with his past. At the start of the book he is working as a landscaper on a mixed-race (I'll get to it) crew when he gets bullied by one of the other men and seemingly has a psychotic break, nearly beating the man to death. Apparently this is not his first murderous episode having previously (and ritually) killed a kid who thoughtlessly killed Jack's mother. Our titular psychopath then looks up a family friend and gets involved in the lucrative field of trafficking stolen goods and worse.
From my vantage point he is aimlessly drifting from scene to scene. He stumbles into various characters but with the compartmentalization of illegal enterprises and cabals he never learns anyone's last names, history or true motivations. Most of the character development is based on the most base stereotypes of various racial/ethnic backgrounds. It is shorthanded and lazy writing. Realizing far too late that this is a prequel I imagine all of these are important figures and settings in the primary spin-off series. It is probably a highlight reel for anyone already familiar with the series, but on its own is frustratingly directionless, then ends with numerous unresolved story lines and cliffhangers. As a stand-alone story is falls short of recommending.
Side note about the Goodread blurb:
At no point in this book is there any hint of anything supernatural. It is shelved as Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Mystery and it is literally none of these things. It is barely a Thriller and definitely a Crime book, but only because Jack is committing the majority of the crimes. If you are curious about Repairman Jack my guess is to start with The Tomb [Adversary Cycle 02], and perhaps loop back to Cold City when you feel nostalgic.
Entering the series with Cold City [Repairman Jack: The Early Years 01] you will find a young man looking to lose himself in New York City, shedding his name and all contact with his past. At the start of the book he is working as a landscaper on a mixed-race (I'll get to it) crew when he gets bullied by one of the other men and seemingly has a psychotic break, nearly beating the man to death. Apparently this is not his first murderous episode having previously (and ritually) killed a kid who thoughtlessly killed Jack's mother. Our titular psychopath then looks up a family friend and gets involved in the lucrative field of trafficking stolen goods and worse.
From my vantage point he is aimlessly drifting from scene to scene. He stumbles into various characters but with the compartmentalization of illegal enterprises and cabals he never learns anyone's last names, history or true motivations. Most of the character development is based on the most base stereotypes of various racial/ethnic backgrounds. It is shorthanded and lazy writing. Realizing far too late that this is a prequel I imagine all of these are important figures and settings in the primary spin-off series. It is probably a highlight reel for anyone already familiar with the series, but on its own is frustratingly directionless, then ends with numerous unresolved story lines and cliffhangers. As a stand-alone story is falls short of recommending.
Side note about the Goodread blurb:
...one of the most popular characters in contemporary dark fantasy: a self-styled “fix-it” man who is no stranger to the macabre or the supernatural...
At no point in this book is there any hint of anything supernatural. It is shelved as Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Mystery and it is literally none of these things. It is barely a Thriller and definitely a Crime book, but only because Jack is committing the majority of the crimes. If you are curious about Repairman Jack my guess is to start with The Tomb [Adversary Cycle 02], and perhaps loop back to Cold City when you feel nostalgic.
December 27, 2016
Book one of the trilogy has no resolution. I prefer each book to have some kind of closing, some miniscule way in which it's wrapped up. I enjoyed it enough that I'm eager to find out what the resolution is - so it's on to book two and three.
January 27, 2025
This was Fun, fast-paced, and "younger" Jack was mostly well-realized. There were a couple of eye-roll moments mostly dealing with his unneeded love interest. My only other complaint was the open-ended ending.
December 8, 2014
Review pending
September 7, 2015
Just don't get what all the fuss is about with this Repairman Jack series.
December 31, 2022
On the back cover of the book, it states that if you've never read Repairman Jack before, this is the place to start. Arguably, that holds true. While there's a lot in the story for those who have followed Jack over the years to enjoy, this tale is just the very beginning of his "origin story" so anyone could begin with this book and the continue in chronological order of the "Jack" stories, if not in publication order. Just 21 years old and fairly new to New York City after leaving New Jersey and his old life behind, Jack is already living under the radar, with no ID, no back account, no telephone and paying for everything in cash. At the start he loses his under-the-table paying job as a landscaper after getting into a vicious fight with one of his illegal immigrant co-workers. Fortunately, he already knows Abe and Isher Sports and is hooked up with a cigarette runner to earn some money. Along the way he also happens upon The Spot with its co-owner and bartender Julio. In the course of his travels and happenings, Jack runs into sex traffickers, anti-sex trafficker vigilantes, jihadists, the mafia, a despicable ex-brother-in-law of Julio's and, unbeknownst to any of them, the Order - the chaos-loving group that will cause Jack nothing but problems many years down the road as it tries to bring about the end of times. It took a little while to get into the book, as Jack is actually rather unlikable at first, until the various events he encounters start shaping him into the "Repairman" he will eventually become. But Wilson's storytelling prowess is fully on display, and the book is an engaging one for Jack fans and newcomers to the franchise alike. The only disappointing thing about the novel is that, despite being almost 500 pages, it's only part one of Jack's introduction. Most of the major plot lines are still barley underway at the end of the book, meaning it's on to Dark City to see where things are headed.
February 22, 2019
I found this in a used bookstore somewhere or another. A friend has been recommending these books for years so I figured I would start out with the earliest part of the narrative.
Its a pot-boiler. There are no illusions there, but the author is very careful with world-building, and the plotting itself works very very well. It was fun... in a terroristy, violent, cigarette smuggling way..
Its a pot-boiler. There are no illusions there, but the author is very careful with world-building, and the plotting itself works very very well. It was fun... in a terroristy, violent, cigarette smuggling way..
November 29, 2012
Original review by John posted at Layers of Thought.
2.5 stars actually.
A book that goes back in time and sets the foundation for the popular “Repairman Jack” series of novels. He is the “urban mercenary” and fix-it man who helps victimized people that have nowhere else to turn.
About: Jack is a 21 year old college dropout who decides to sever all home and family ties and move to New York City. With absolutely no personal documentation or links to his past life, he moves “off the grid” and leads a solitary and hard-working life, being paid in cash and using only cash to live on. While initially working with a group of Latinos as a gardener, inevitably he ends up taking on some dodgy jobs – not hard-core crime but definitely not legal either.
Through a growing reputation for reliability and trustworthiness, he builds up a core of contacts who find him useful and who may be able to help him. Some might even become friends. But living life on the edge of society, he also comes across many unscrupulous and dangerous people.
In no time he encounters (or becomes embroiled with) interstate smugglers, a child slavery ring, a group of dangerous jihadists, the mob, a vengeful con-man and a pair of ruthless vigilantes – some of whom Jack aggravates. While already blessed with wits and plenty of “street smarts”, he has to learn quickly from some of his new-found friends and contacts in order to stay one step ahead of his new enemies.
John’s thoughts: This is a fun, action-oriented piece of escapism. A few bits of the plot and some of the characters aren’t very believable, but it doesn’t really matter in a story like this.
However - annoyingly, the jacket describes this as a novel and it isn’t; it is a partial novel. After reading 360 pages you find out that nothing is answered, nothing has become clear, and you have to read more books in the series in order to reach any sort of conclusion. Very frustrating. When I read a book that is clearly part of a series, I do expect there to be some loose ends or hooks that can provide a foundation for future stories, but I also expect the book to be reasonably coherent and to stand on its own. This one does not.
So I can’t tell you about how cleverly multiple plot threads are brought together or how the story builds to an exciting climax, because I don’t know. Which is a shame, because the Jack character is interesting and the story pulls you along at a good pace. I blew through the 360 pages in no time at all and was looking forward to seeing how everything turned out.
Given that I have no idea how anything ends up, I can only rate the book 2.5 stars. It’s definitely one for existing Repairman Jack aficionados, or for people who like the sound of the character and are prepared to invest their time in a lengthy series of books.
2.5 stars actually.
A book that goes back in time and sets the foundation for the popular “Repairman Jack” series of novels. He is the “urban mercenary” and fix-it man who helps victimized people that have nowhere else to turn.
About: Jack is a 21 year old college dropout who decides to sever all home and family ties and move to New York City. With absolutely no personal documentation or links to his past life, he moves “off the grid” and leads a solitary and hard-working life, being paid in cash and using only cash to live on. While initially working with a group of Latinos as a gardener, inevitably he ends up taking on some dodgy jobs – not hard-core crime but definitely not legal either.
Through a growing reputation for reliability and trustworthiness, he builds up a core of contacts who find him useful and who may be able to help him. Some might even become friends. But living life on the edge of society, he also comes across many unscrupulous and dangerous people.
In no time he encounters (or becomes embroiled with) interstate smugglers, a child slavery ring, a group of dangerous jihadists, the mob, a vengeful con-man and a pair of ruthless vigilantes – some of whom Jack aggravates. While already blessed with wits and plenty of “street smarts”, he has to learn quickly from some of his new-found friends and contacts in order to stay one step ahead of his new enemies.
John’s thoughts: This is a fun, action-oriented piece of escapism. A few bits of the plot and some of the characters aren’t very believable, but it doesn’t really matter in a story like this.
However - annoyingly, the jacket describes this as a novel and it isn’t; it is a partial novel. After reading 360 pages you find out that nothing is answered, nothing has become clear, and you have to read more books in the series in order to reach any sort of conclusion. Very frustrating. When I read a book that is clearly part of a series, I do expect there to be some loose ends or hooks that can provide a foundation for future stories, but I also expect the book to be reasonably coherent and to stand on its own. This one does not.
So I can’t tell you about how cleverly multiple plot threads are brought together or how the story builds to an exciting climax, because I don’t know. Which is a shame, because the Jack character is interesting and the story pulls you along at a good pace. I blew through the 360 pages in no time at all and was looking forward to seeing how everything turned out.
Given that I have no idea how anything ends up, I can only rate the book 2.5 stars. It’s definitely one for existing Repairman Jack aficionados, or for people who like the sound of the character and are prepared to invest their time in a lengthy series of books.
November 24, 2012
I actually haven't heard of this series although it is popular. I don't often read "contemporary dark fantasy" so it makes sense that I might have missed these, but the premise sounded interesting so I gave it a go. Plus, this is the first book of 3 prequels and the book guaranteed me that I need not read the other books to get into this one. It's true. I didn't need to read the others. This book is also set in 1990s.
I will say I had a problem with Jack at first. I didn't connect to him. He was cold and a bit of a jerk. When he started making friends, some you could tell would become his self-made family, I really started to connect to the character. He started to show real compassion to the "innocent" and I believed he wanted to help. He was also young and just starting to feel his way through his life and his coldness made sense since he had a hard time trusting others. When that trust started to appear, it made his character much warmer.
I also had a personal problem with the racial slurs and prejudices within the book. I want to make this clear... I'm not saying that about the author at all. It fits his "bad" characters to say those things, and wouldn't have made the bad guys as bad without them. It's a personal thing and it seemed worse before I really got to know Jack. Perhaps because if that, it seemed more pronounced but it also seemed to lessen in frequency once Jack became more interesting. However, I will say that it did make sense for the characters. Again, it's just a personal problem many others may not have.
Even with these problems, and as I said above, once Jack got involved with his new friends I found myself rooting for him and much more interested in the chaos surrounding him. The adventure did have a feel to keep you wanting to know what happened next.
The ending is odd for me. I get that this is a trilogy of prequels, but it didn't give you closure on everything that was going on. There were many (almost too many) things going on, but yet they all seemed to fit together in one way or another. I say the ending is odd because in one way it does feel complete even without the conclusions to events currently going on. It also gave me a taste of what Jack becomes and I have to say that I am curious enough to pick up one of the other Repairman Jack books. This is odd for me because I crave closure in my books but didn't seem to hate this ending.
I give this book 3 stars. I think this is perfect especially for men who enjoy dark urban books with a lot of action. It is also great for those already into the Repairman Jack series. Even if you haven't read them, I think you'll start to get a feel for the character Jack and like his growth in this book.
I will say I had a problem with Jack at first. I didn't connect to him. He was cold and a bit of a jerk. When he started making friends, some you could tell would become his self-made family, I really started to connect to the character. He started to show real compassion to the "innocent" and I believed he wanted to help. He was also young and just starting to feel his way through his life and his coldness made sense since he had a hard time trusting others. When that trust started to appear, it made his character much warmer.
I also had a personal problem with the racial slurs and prejudices within the book. I want to make this clear... I'm not saying that about the author at all. It fits his "bad" characters to say those things, and wouldn't have made the bad guys as bad without them. It's a personal thing and it seemed worse before I really got to know Jack. Perhaps because if that, it seemed more pronounced but it also seemed to lessen in frequency once Jack became more interesting. However, I will say that it did make sense for the characters. Again, it's just a personal problem many others may not have.
Even with these problems, and as I said above, once Jack got involved with his new friends I found myself rooting for him and much more interested in the chaos surrounding him. The adventure did have a feel to keep you wanting to know what happened next.
The ending is odd for me. I get that this is a trilogy of prequels, but it didn't give you closure on everything that was going on. There were many (almost too many) things going on, but yet they all seemed to fit together in one way or another. I say the ending is odd because in one way it does feel complete even without the conclusions to events currently going on. It also gave me a taste of what Jack becomes and I have to say that I am curious enough to pick up one of the other Repairman Jack books. This is odd for me because I crave closure in my books but didn't seem to hate this ending.
I give this book 3 stars. I think this is perfect especially for men who enjoy dark urban books with a lot of action. It is also great for those already into the Repairman Jack series. Even if you haven't read them, I think you'll start to get a feel for the character Jack and like his growth in this book.
December 18, 2013
Original Review Here
What to say? This book was awesome! I typically read and review fantasy, so this was a break from the norm for me. Apparently this series delves into that genre later on, but there wasn’t any of it in here. I’m glad I read it though as everything about it I loved.
I have never read a “Jack the Repairman” book by F. Paul Wilson before of which there are a lot already. This is the first of a prequel series to those other novels (which I will read). Consequently, I already knew Jack survived, but even without the fear of death on the plate, the book kept me captivated and rooting for our “hero”. Since I knew nothing of what comes after, everything was new to me. I look forward to lots of “ah-ha!” moments as I “catch up” with the series.
The book takes place along the eastern seaboard of the US in the early/mid 1990s, but mostly within New York City. Our hero is a college dropout who is about off the radar as much as anyone can be. He lacks a social security number, a license, even a telephone. And that is exactly the way he wants it.
Every single character is rich in personality. Each is unique and has their own desires. Dialogue is fantastic – not once did I think to myself “who would say that” – and the conversations all flowed fast and smooth. The attention to details the author took with the characters is something only those who read other people very well can manage. I was truly blown away by these aspects of the book. If you love great characterization, you will do flips for this book.
The plot was amazing too. There were always four or five things going on at once between multiple factions. From the mob and jihadist terrorists, to Latin gangs and tobacco runners, you never knew what was going to happen next. There was mystery and suspense on almost every page with new clues that lead to more questions while providing the answers you wanted to know. I can’t forget to mention the love interest that came into play despite our hero’s reluctance or his mysterious best friend who owns a successful sporting shop yet never has any customers. I can’t give enough accolades for this book.
I rate this book a stunning 5 out of 5 stars. If you like mystery and thrillers you will devour this novel.
What to say? This book was awesome! I typically read and review fantasy, so this was a break from the norm for me. Apparently this series delves into that genre later on, but there wasn’t any of it in here. I’m glad I read it though as everything about it I loved.
I have never read a “Jack the Repairman” book by F. Paul Wilson before of which there are a lot already. This is the first of a prequel series to those other novels (which I will read). Consequently, I already knew Jack survived, but even without the fear of death on the plate, the book kept me captivated and rooting for our “hero”. Since I knew nothing of what comes after, everything was new to me. I look forward to lots of “ah-ha!” moments as I “catch up” with the series.
The book takes place along the eastern seaboard of the US in the early/mid 1990s, but mostly within New York City. Our hero is a college dropout who is about off the radar as much as anyone can be. He lacks a social security number, a license, even a telephone. And that is exactly the way he wants it.
Every single character is rich in personality. Each is unique and has their own desires. Dialogue is fantastic – not once did I think to myself “who would say that” – and the conversations all flowed fast and smooth. The attention to details the author took with the characters is something only those who read other people very well can manage. I was truly blown away by these aspects of the book. If you love great characterization, you will do flips for this book.
The plot was amazing too. There were always four or five things going on at once between multiple factions. From the mob and jihadist terrorists, to Latin gangs and tobacco runners, you never knew what was going to happen next. There was mystery and suspense on almost every page with new clues that lead to more questions while providing the answers you wanted to know. I can’t forget to mention the love interest that came into play despite our hero’s reluctance or his mysterious best friend who owns a successful sporting shop yet never has any customers. I can’t give enough accolades for this book.
I rate this book a stunning 5 out of 5 stars. If you like mystery and thrillers you will devour this novel.
January 20, 2016
4.5 Stars F. Paul is a master at weaving a tale and controlling the elements to such a degree that we have a seamless storyline that spans over 20 years. This book is the first of a bridge trilogy that will span Jack’s young adult years to Jack’s place in the History of the World storyline. When F. Paul wrote the Tomb, Jack was a side character that wasn’t supposed to survive the ending. He didn’t actually kill Jack; he just left him there in the end severely wounded. F. Paul got such a response from his fans wanting to know what happened to Jack, that it spawned a 15 book series featuring Repairman Jack. But fans wanted more and F. Paul wrote 3 YA novels featuring Jack as a teenager and featured his famous fix’its as a boy that would eventually follow him into manhood.
Now Jack has come to NY as a 22 year old and cut off all ties to his family. Due to the murder of his beloved mother and the retaliation on Jack’s part, he feels the only way to survive is to let go and become a loner. He promptly meets back up with beloved character Abe, whom he met as a kid and held on to his card. We also see Jack start to interact with characters that later will play roles in the History of the World. Jack also starts honing his fixit talents. Jack also meets Julio for the first time…meng.
If you haven’t read the series, then this is a good place to start as we start to see Jack’s life in NY start to develop. F. Paul mastery over keeping elements in line as we see hints of how little control Jack has had over his entire life. He doesn’t know it yet, but he will. As you are reading, you can pick them out if you have read the entire story. If you haven’t, don’t worry, you won’t be lost. All it does is reinforce how talented F. Paul is about staying true to his storyline. Just be aware this is a trilogy and the ending is left hanging to be picked up in the next book. Love the series and love that we don’t quite have to say good-bye just yet to our favorite Repairman Jack.
Now Jack has come to NY as a 22 year old and cut off all ties to his family. Due to the murder of his beloved mother and the retaliation on Jack’s part, he feels the only way to survive is to let go and become a loner. He promptly meets back up with beloved character Abe, whom he met as a kid and held on to his card. We also see Jack start to interact with characters that later will play roles in the History of the World. Jack also starts honing his fixit talents. Jack also meets Julio for the first time…meng.
If you haven’t read the series, then this is a good place to start as we start to see Jack’s life in NY start to develop. F. Paul mastery over keeping elements in line as we see hints of how little control Jack has had over his entire life. He doesn’t know it yet, but he will. As you are reading, you can pick them out if you have read the entire story. If you haven’t, don’t worry, you won’t be lost. All it does is reinforce how talented F. Paul is about staying true to his storyline. Just be aware this is a trilogy and the ending is left hanging to be picked up in the next book. Love the series and love that we don’t quite have to say good-bye just yet to our favorite Repairman Jack.
February 10, 2017
Ahhh…it’s a wonderful feeling to get back to Repairman Jack, one of my all-time favorite series, and one of my favorite characters. I’d finished the original RJ series over a year ago as well as the related series, “The Adversary Cycle” (some 20 books in all) and have been looking forward to diving into this prequel trilogy ever since then.
This first book of the trilogy is really a fairly straight-forward thriller novel, albeit with quite a complex array of sub-plots. It basically serves as a sort of origin story for Jack. We get to see how he gets his start as a fixer, how he learns to live off the grid, the budding relationship with friend and mentor Abe, as well as quite a few opportunities to see how he acquires his various skills (hand-to-hand fighting, lock picking, pick pocketing, shooting, etc.) that will come in so handy in the later series. This novel does set up the second and third books and while a variety of antagonists are introduced, their plot lines are not all concluded in this first book.
While some readers may want to start here so as to read the entire RJ series in chronological order (not counting the “Secret Histories” YA trilogy that takes place even earlier), I am happy to be coming to it at the end. Knowing Jack’s future and having a good handle on the entire “Secret History of the World” makes it fun when Easter Eggs happen in this prequel trilogy. There’s just something about elderly women and dogs that tends to affect Jack’s life so when I see that here, I understand the nature of destiny and what is waiting in Jack’s future.
This first book of the trilogy is really a fairly straight-forward thriller novel, albeit with quite a complex array of sub-plots. It basically serves as a sort of origin story for Jack. We get to see how he gets his start as a fixer, how he learns to live off the grid, the budding relationship with friend and mentor Abe, as well as quite a few opportunities to see how he acquires his various skills (hand-to-hand fighting, lock picking, pick pocketing, shooting, etc.) that will come in so handy in the later series. This novel does set up the second and third books and while a variety of antagonists are introduced, their plot lines are not all concluded in this first book.
While some readers may want to start here so as to read the entire RJ series in chronological order (not counting the “Secret Histories” YA trilogy that takes place even earlier), I am happy to be coming to it at the end. Knowing Jack’s future and having a good handle on the entire “Secret History of the World” makes it fun when Easter Eggs happen in this prequel trilogy. There’s just something about elderly women and dogs that tends to affect Jack’s life so when I see that here, I understand the nature of destiny and what is waiting in Jack’s future.
February 18, 2017
Really great start in to the early years of young Jack, he is a fine new MC. I'm looking forward to the second book in Repairman Jack: The Early Years series.
December 14, 2012
The first of three planned Repairman Jack prequels. I had expected three stories but it's clearly going to be one story in three books. By the end of this one, Jack has made an assortment of enemies--the Order, a human trafficker, a group of bloodthirsty Dominican landscapers, a skeevy con artist, and a small cell of Gambino mobsters--not one of whom has been sorted out.
Cold City begins shortly after Jack abandons his family and drops out of college to find his fortune in the Big Apple. We meet a few characters who appear in the main series (Abe, Drexler, Julio, Vinny Donuts, a Septimus goon named Kris, a woman with a dog) and a number of important characters that I don't recall. I can only assume they're Red Shirts.
It's all about Jack learning the ropes. We see his introduction to gun culture, learning how to stay off the government's radar and invest his ill-gotten gains, and stretching his legs in a couple of early fixes.
Cold City felt--was--incomplete, but it's a lot closer to the juicy fun of the early Repairman Jack novels than to the tortured contrivance of the last few, which were completely hijacked by the Adversary series.
Cold City begins shortly after Jack abandons his family and drops out of college to find his fortune in the Big Apple. We meet a few characters who appear in the main series (Abe, Drexler, Julio, Vinny Donuts, a Septimus goon named Kris, a woman with a dog) and a number of important characters that I don't recall. I can only assume they're Red Shirts.
It's all about Jack learning the ropes. We see his introduction to gun culture, learning how to stay off the government's radar and invest his ill-gotten gains, and stretching his legs in a couple of early fixes.
Cold City felt--was--incomplete, but it's a lot closer to the juicy fun of the early Repairman Jack novels than to the tortured contrivance of the last few, which were completely hijacked by the Adversary series.
May 13, 2013
Repairman Jack has been one of my absolute favorite characters since The Tomb, so I'm always happy to read more of his adventures. And it was nice to read one that's early Jack, before he really because Repairman Jack. I only had three complaints about this book:
1. The Adversary. I hated the fact that every RJ book had to center around the Adversary, and this one is no different. It's completely unnecessary here, and gets in the way of what's otherwise a fun story.
2. The Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade syndrome: pretty much everything that makes Jack who he is occurs in this book, and I'm assuming the few that haven't yet will in the next two. It should take a lot more time and a lot more adventures to form him into RJ, not just one extended incident.
3. The cliffhanger. I'm fine with books ending by setting up things for the next book, but this book barely ended at all! It needed more closure for the immediate storyline.
All that said, I still loved reading it and will absolutely be buying the next two.
1. The Adversary. I hated the fact that every RJ book had to center around the Adversary, and this one is no different. It's completely unnecessary here, and gets in the way of what's otherwise a fun story.
2. The Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade syndrome: pretty much everything that makes Jack who he is occurs in this book, and I'm assuming the few that haven't yet will in the next two. It should take a lot more time and a lot more adventures to form him into RJ, not just one extended incident.
3. The cliffhanger. I'm fine with books ending by setting up things for the next book, but this book barely ended at all! It needed more closure for the immediate storyline.
All that said, I still loved reading it and will absolutely be buying the next two.
February 7, 2013
This book is everything I love about Repairman Jack, but he isn't really Repairman Jack yet. F. Paul Wilson has taken the reader back to Jack's beginnings and we find out the hows and whys of Repairman Jack. We find out why he has chosen to live off the grid and how his mother died and what he did to avenge her. We see his attachment to his friends and how be discovers what he wants to do and be in his life. No mysterious "The Other," no weird aliens, this is just pure adrenaline with some philosophical musings thrown in for discussion's sake. We meet Abe for the first time and find out how Jack came to depend upon him. Highly recommended for all Repairman Jack fans!
November 19, 2024
Just getting back to read all of the Repairman Jack content that came out after I finished the main series. It was great to see the initial meetings with characters and to see Jack continue to find his destiny. I can't be sure Wilson's passion is still powering these things, but he is living up to his own legacy however he is motivating himself.
March 29, 2023
Having read all the Repairman Jack books this read was a fun experience. This origin story was fast paced, funny and involving. Looking forward to his next edition. Another actual review from 2013.
December 23, 2024
Cold City is the first book of a trilogy that tells the story of Jack's first two years in New York City, when he's in his early 20s, and immediately after committing a murder to revenge the murder of his mother. Jack is a young man raised in a small town in New Jersey, whose last name we never learn, and who's living off the grid - he keeps his past to himself, has no ID, and avoids anything that would get his name in any government system. Cold City picks up Jack's life shortly after he arrives in New York City, and shows us how Jack met some characters who become regulars in the Repairman Jack novels. Living off the grid means that Jack has to take jobs outside the legal system, which leads him into a series of unfortunate experiences that take him down the path of vigilante justice and make him the man he will become, Repairman Jack.
Cold City is the first of a trilogy and should not be read as a standalone book - there are a lot of story threads started here, and few are resolved until the second and third books of the series. The various story threads all interconnect at various points through the series, though those connections are largely only seen by readers and not always seen by Jack himself. In many of F. Paul Wilson's books there are shady characters behind the scenes orchestrating events, and that's the case here as well. We meet some of those characters, working for "The Order", though we learn only a small amount about The Order and it's mission.
"The Early Years" trilogy is full of interesting characters, including Jack's various friends and collaborators, but also the various villains, who are often fleshed out in parts of the story told from their eyes. Early on, especially in this book, Jack is bumbling his way through various crises, but he becomes more competent, and more determined, as the trilogy progresses.
The series has dark themes - sex trafficking, terrorism, torture and mutilation, etc. - getting darker and more violent as the series progresses. There's also quite a lot of anti-Arab racism throughout, though I suspect this is less the author's personal views seeping into the story than because a theme of the story is the radicalization of young Arab men leading to the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. (I think this because some of the Muslim characters are fighting against the terrorists, and some of the non-Muslim characters are bothered by, and don't themselves share/espouse, the anti-Muslim racism).
Unlike many of F. Paul Wilson's other books, the supernatural is largely absent here, though we see brief glimpses of greater powers at work, subtly guiding Jack into encounters, and sometimes protecting him, though often at the expense of those around him. (Other reviewers have complained about the excessive number of coincidences that happen throughout these stories, which, while true, fails to understand the broader set of stories that involve a fight between good and evil forces with Jack being chosen and guided as a warrior against the adversary).
Overall I enjoyed this trilogy a lot, so much so that I finished all three books in about four days. I am sure that I am especially enthusiastic about it because I have read many other Jack stories and so I understand the many references to his life and other events that are scattered throughout and will likely be lost on a reader for whom this is the first Repairman Jack novel. I listened to the audiobooks, narrated by Alexander Cendese, who does a fantastic job bringing a diverse set of characters to life.
As for ratings: I think Cold city would be a 4* book for me if it were standalone, but I was so engrossed by the trilogy that I give the trilogy 5* as a series, with the first two books being the best (and so I gave them both 5*). The audiobook performance is fantastic, a solid 5*.
My personal rating scale: 5 (best of the genre, highly recommended); 4 (good book, recommend to others who like similar types of books); 3 (decent book, enjoyed reading it but not enough to recommend to others); 2 (has merit, but I didn't enjoy it much, and possibly didn't finish it); 1 (trash that shouldn't have been published).
Cold City is the first of a trilogy and should not be read as a standalone book - there are a lot of story threads started here, and few are resolved until the second and third books of the series. The various story threads all interconnect at various points through the series, though those connections are largely only seen by readers and not always seen by Jack himself. In many of F. Paul Wilson's books there are shady characters behind the scenes orchestrating events, and that's the case here as well. We meet some of those characters, working for "The Order", though we learn only a small amount about The Order and it's mission.
"The Early Years" trilogy is full of interesting characters, including Jack's various friends and collaborators, but also the various villains, who are often fleshed out in parts of the story told from their eyes. Early on, especially in this book, Jack is bumbling his way through various crises, but he becomes more competent, and more determined, as the trilogy progresses.
The series has dark themes - sex trafficking, terrorism, torture and mutilation, etc. - getting darker and more violent as the series progresses. There's also quite a lot of anti-Arab racism throughout, though I suspect this is less the author's personal views seeping into the story than because a theme of the story is the radicalization of young Arab men leading to the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. (I think this because some of the Muslim characters are fighting against the terrorists, and some of the non-Muslim characters are bothered by, and don't themselves share/espouse, the anti-Muslim racism).
Unlike many of F. Paul Wilson's other books, the supernatural is largely absent here, though we see brief glimpses of greater powers at work, subtly guiding Jack into encounters, and sometimes protecting him, though often at the expense of those around him. (Other reviewers have complained about the excessive number of coincidences that happen throughout these stories, which, while true, fails to understand the broader set of stories that involve a fight between good and evil forces with Jack being chosen and guided as a warrior against the adversary).
Overall I enjoyed this trilogy a lot, so much so that I finished all three books in about four days. I am sure that I am especially enthusiastic about it because I have read many other Jack stories and so I understand the many references to his life and other events that are scattered throughout and will likely be lost on a reader for whom this is the first Repairman Jack novel. I listened to the audiobooks, narrated by Alexander Cendese, who does a fantastic job bringing a diverse set of characters to life.
As for ratings: I think Cold city would be a 4* book for me if it were standalone, but I was so engrossed by the trilogy that I give the trilogy 5* as a series, with the first two books being the best (and so I gave them both 5*). The audiobook performance is fantastic, a solid 5*.
My personal rating scale: 5 (best of the genre, highly recommended); 4 (good book, recommend to others who like similar types of books); 3 (decent book, enjoyed reading it but not enough to recommend to others); 2 (has merit, but I didn't enjoy it much, and possibly didn't finish it); 1 (trash that shouldn't have been published).
December 16, 2018
F. Paul Wilson continues to milk the Repairman Jack cash cow in Cold City!
Definitely not a blurb you'll read on this book, but it's honest. When this book was published, Repairman Jack had already been featured in 16 novels, telling a complete story from his rise as a guy that fixes problems others can't to the possible hero of a battle between good and evil. There have also been three prequel novels, telling us what Jack was like as a kid and how he had always been tied into the forces that would be at work in his adult books. Oh yeah, there's also the Adversary Cycle, a six book series that overlaps with the Repairman Jack series. What more is there to say with the character?
Judging from this first book, there's still a little story left to tell but not a large one. We already know how Jack and Abe met from the prequel trilogy, but don't you want to know how they became friends? What about Jack's other friend, the rarely seen Julio who owns a bar? Well, there's a story to be told there as well. What was the evil Order doing when Jack was in his early 20's? And was Jack getting any action?
That's pretty much the extent of the story arc in this book, Cold City which tells about Jack's life at 21 or 22 in New York City. There's not a lot of unexplored story left for this character, and in order to stretch this out to a new trilogy of books Wilson ends this one with nothing resolved and very much in the middle of a story. I can't complain too much because I knew this was a long series when I got into it, and for the most part Wilson has avoided the crappy installments that have plagued other lengthy series like the Ender's Shadow books or Jack Reacher.
Compared to the previous prequel trilogy, Cold City fixes one of the major mistakes of the high school books. My biggest problem with those books was how Jack experienced so much crazy and paranormal stuff, and but was also a complete skeptic when we first met him in The Tomb as an adult. Although there was some supernatural stuff present in this book, none of it was something that Jack would notice as being odd (and many readers could probably miss as well**).
The fix-its that Jack tries are pretty amateur compared to his best stuff in other books. For the most part that's ok, as he's not supposed to be the confident professional of the main series yet. If you're hoping for a very clever fix in this book nothing is even to the level of the locker hi-jinks from the last young adult book. What is here though is not bad. We get a look at Jack getting his first gun, learning Abe's secrets, and even deciding what sort of moral code he's comfortable having in a post first murder world. I get the feeling that the next two books will all just be completing this storyline, and if that's the case I'd much rather this have been released as one lengthy prequel book than an entire trilogy.
**One rule of the Repairman Jack series, any time a dog is mentioned, it is tying into a supernatural force for good.
Definitely not a blurb you'll read on this book, but it's honest. When this book was published, Repairman Jack had already been featured in 16 novels, telling a complete story from his rise as a guy that fixes problems others can't to the possible hero of a battle between good and evil. There have also been three prequel novels, telling us what Jack was like as a kid and how he had always been tied into the forces that would be at work in his adult books. Oh yeah, there's also the Adversary Cycle, a six book series that overlaps with the Repairman Jack series. What more is there to say with the character?
Judging from this first book, there's still a little story left to tell but not a large one. We already know how Jack and Abe met from the prequel trilogy, but don't you want to know how they became friends? What about Jack's other friend, the rarely seen Julio who owns a bar? Well, there's a story to be told there as well. What was the evil Order doing when Jack was in his early 20's? And was Jack getting any action?
That's pretty much the extent of the story arc in this book, Cold City which tells about Jack's life at 21 or 22 in New York City. There's not a lot of unexplored story left for this character, and in order to stretch this out to a new trilogy of books Wilson ends this one with nothing resolved and very much in the middle of a story. I can't complain too much because I knew this was a long series when I got into it, and for the most part Wilson has avoided the crappy installments that have plagued other lengthy series like the Ender's Shadow books or Jack Reacher.
Compared to the previous prequel trilogy, Cold City fixes one of the major mistakes of the high school books. My biggest problem with those books was how Jack experienced so much crazy and paranormal stuff, and but was also a complete skeptic when we first met him in The Tomb as an adult. Although there was some supernatural stuff present in this book, none of it was something that Jack would notice as being odd (and many readers could probably miss as well**).
The fix-its that Jack tries are pretty amateur compared to his best stuff in other books. For the most part that's ok, as he's not supposed to be the confident professional of the main series yet. If you're hoping for a very clever fix in this book nothing is even to the level of the locker hi-jinks from the last young adult book. What is here though is not bad. We get a look at Jack getting his first gun, learning Abe's secrets, and even deciding what sort of moral code he's comfortable having in a post first murder world. I get the feeling that the next two books will all just be completing this storyline, and if that's the case I'd much rather this have been released as one lengthy prequel book than an entire trilogy.
**One rule of the Repairman Jack series, any time a dog is mentioned, it is tying into a supernatural force for good.
June 5, 2025
https://agmuhs.com/2025/06/04/cold-ci...
BOOKER’S TAKE
Ah, early 90s New York. I was never actually there, but Wilson’s writing makes it feel like I lived there. So dope.
These are repairman jacks formative years, and the supernatural element I’ve heard about in this series doesn’t play a big role during this book. If you came for that, you’ll probably be disappointed. The magic is more like background noise.
What’s great about this book is Jack’s obsession with Justice, and the way he rationalizes the duplicity of his actions. You see, Jack does a whole bunch of really scummy things, but as long as his moral code hasn’t been violated—a moral code that he’s still developing—he doesn’t feel the anger.
Oh, and that anger. That anger is so beautiful to read about.
I’m guessing this is going to be one of the central themes played around with in this series, and I’m so here for it. Jack has this psychotic bent to him due to some terrible stuff that happened to him in his childhood (like actually terrible—no two-bit sob-story here, faint-of-heart be warned).
There are some terrible things in this book. It’s a crime thriller, and the crime starts out as a harmless cigarette smuggling franchise, but it eventually moves on to the possibility of preteen sex trade. Fortunately, our main character tries to put a stop to that. It is stopped. Hooray. But of course the reader is left knowing that this continues and is successful quite often.
There’s also some really strong anti-muslim notions here. Even though the character doesn’t explicitly feel hatred toward muslims, at least not the main character, there’s some prejudiced things said, and a definite hint that Islam leads people to violence. I didn’t like that about this book.
It was a really fun read though. ⅗ Stars.
WRITERS TAKE
I haven’t read the other repairman Jack series before, so I decided to start on these books, which were actually released later, but come first and chronological order.
What I loved most about this book was the way that Wilson switches point of view. His switches are very meaningful, and none of the characters ever feel like they’re just two dimensional constructs to move the plot along. Every character feels like they’re supposed to be there. That’s vital. I’m not saying this is necessarily a character-driven work—quite the contrary—but the characters are all alive.
It’s important to have your characters all be alive.
There’s a lot of ways to go about this, but, from personal experience, the best way is to start with a two-dimensional character—i.e. the banker, the drug dealer, the teacher—and then discover who that character is during the writing process.
BOOKER’S TAKE
Ah, early 90s New York. I was never actually there, but Wilson’s writing makes it feel like I lived there. So dope.
These are repairman jacks formative years, and the supernatural element I’ve heard about in this series doesn’t play a big role during this book. If you came for that, you’ll probably be disappointed. The magic is more like background noise.
What’s great about this book is Jack’s obsession with Justice, and the way he rationalizes the duplicity of his actions. You see, Jack does a whole bunch of really scummy things, but as long as his moral code hasn’t been violated—a moral code that he’s still developing—he doesn’t feel the anger.
Oh, and that anger. That anger is so beautiful to read about.
I’m guessing this is going to be one of the central themes played around with in this series, and I’m so here for it. Jack has this psychotic bent to him due to some terrible stuff that happened to him in his childhood (like actually terrible—no two-bit sob-story here, faint-of-heart be warned).
There are some terrible things in this book. It’s a crime thriller, and the crime starts out as a harmless cigarette smuggling franchise, but it eventually moves on to the possibility of preteen sex trade. Fortunately, our main character tries to put a stop to that. It is stopped. Hooray. But of course the reader is left knowing that this continues and is successful quite often.
There’s also some really strong anti-muslim notions here. Even though the character doesn’t explicitly feel hatred toward muslims, at least not the main character, there’s some prejudiced things said, and a definite hint that Islam leads people to violence. I didn’t like that about this book.
It was a really fun read though. ⅗ Stars.
WRITERS TAKE
I haven’t read the other repairman Jack series before, so I decided to start on these books, which were actually released later, but come first and chronological order.
What I loved most about this book was the way that Wilson switches point of view. His switches are very meaningful, and none of the characters ever feel like they’re just two dimensional constructs to move the plot along. Every character feels like they’re supposed to be there. That’s vital. I’m not saying this is necessarily a character-driven work—quite the contrary—but the characters are all alive.
It’s important to have your characters all be alive.
There’s a lot of ways to go about this, but, from personal experience, the best way is to start with a two-dimensional character—i.e. the banker, the drug dealer, the teacher—and then discover who that character is during the writing process.
March 27, 2021
I recently listened to Cold City written by F. Paul Wilson and narrated by Alexander Cendese.
Cold City is supposedly a precursor novel to a series with a dashing character known as, 'Repairman Jack.' I am unfamiliar with the series as a whole, thus my knowledge of these novels is confined to this book. There is no way to review a book that's this bad, without getting into some spoilers. If this is an issue, I suggest you stop reading.
Jack seems to be a mostly amoral male 'Mary Sue,' sort of character. He has a tragic backstory tinged with nightmarish violence, mainly on his part. He seems to be unable to control his anger and, oddly, is an expert at physical violence, despite a lack of training.
While he does have a few scruples, they aren't many and even as the book progresses you see them quickly eroding away. He is, apparently, an expert at everything from lockpicking to car theft. He assaults or kills others with only minimal hesitation and with the barest of justifications.
The tale itself is clearly designed to be an adventure tale where you watch him stumble through his action packed world. He maims coworkers, buys illegal weapons, and joins a smuggling operation, all in the opening chapters. It's also made clear, in the same opening chapters, that he will be facing off with the mob, Muslim terrorists, and a shadowy organization, known as the "Order," who only desires to sow chaos throughout the world.
He does all of this with aplomb and the depth of character of a piece of single ply cardboard. Oddly enough most of the secondary characters are far better developed and fleshed out than he is. I found myself actually enjoying them, despite the relatively consistent use of a wide variety of racist terms that are thrown about with the narrow aim of an unspayed cat that's not been housetrained.
The narrator, Alexander Cendese, actually does a fairly good job with his material. I think he subconsciously recognized how interesting the secondary characters were and he made each of them live.
Conclusion: The main character is simply unbelievable. I think he is intended to be a hero of sorts. He comes across as a slightly psychotic madman with more luck than an Irish leprechaun.
There is no serious plot and, with one exception, the best possible moments for tension or story are destroyed by the author revealing the bad guy's plans, and their flaws, long before they could build real tension.
I can't really recommend this book to anyone. I suggest you sidestep the bleeding body of this dead plotline. Like Jack, you'll find it easy to forget and be happier for it.
Cold City is supposedly a precursor novel to a series with a dashing character known as, 'Repairman Jack.' I am unfamiliar with the series as a whole, thus my knowledge of these novels is confined to this book. There is no way to review a book that's this bad, without getting into some spoilers. If this is an issue, I suggest you stop reading.
Jack seems to be a mostly amoral male 'Mary Sue,' sort of character. He has a tragic backstory tinged with nightmarish violence, mainly on his part. He seems to be unable to control his anger and, oddly, is an expert at physical violence, despite a lack of training.
While he does have a few scruples, they aren't many and even as the book progresses you see them quickly eroding away. He is, apparently, an expert at everything from lockpicking to car theft. He assaults or kills others with only minimal hesitation and with the barest of justifications.
The tale itself is clearly designed to be an adventure tale where you watch him stumble through his action packed world. He maims coworkers, buys illegal weapons, and joins a smuggling operation, all in the opening chapters. It's also made clear, in the same opening chapters, that he will be facing off with the mob, Muslim terrorists, and a shadowy organization, known as the "Order," who only desires to sow chaos throughout the world.
He does all of this with aplomb and the depth of character of a piece of single ply cardboard. Oddly enough most of the secondary characters are far better developed and fleshed out than he is. I found myself actually enjoying them, despite the relatively consistent use of a wide variety of racist terms that are thrown about with the narrow aim of an unspayed cat that's not been housetrained.
The narrator, Alexander Cendese, actually does a fairly good job with his material. I think he subconsciously recognized how interesting the secondary characters were and he made each of them live.
Conclusion: The main character is simply unbelievable. I think he is intended to be a hero of sorts. He comes across as a slightly psychotic madman with more luck than an Irish leprechaun.
There is no serious plot and, with one exception, the best possible moments for tension or story are destroyed by the author revealing the bad guy's plans, and their flaws, long before they could build real tension.
I can't really recommend this book to anyone. I suggest you sidestep the bleeding body of this dead plotline. Like Jack, you'll find it easy to forget and be happier for it.
October 18, 2023
Coming off of the Young Repairman Jack: The Teen Trilogy, seven years have passed, and Jack has lost his mom in a malicious crime for which Jack has dispensed justice. Jack is a changed young man seeking to cut himself off from his past and become as detached as a person can be without becoming an actual hermit. He takes on a job which puts him in the middle of a web of not so obviously connected players - some good, some bad, so just present, but every one of which will influence Jack's fate. Jack is gaining the experiences that will transform him into Repairman Jack. Not a dull moment or a single page that can be easily set aside, this first in the Repairman Jack: The Early Years trilogy will entertain, inspire, and provoke some thinking. It is my humble opinion that F Paul Wilson can do no wrong. Yes, I'm a fan.
April 15, 2021
So, where to begin?
I both loved and was irritated by this book. I enjoyed it, and will read the others naturally. But..I have issues.
Let's begin with the Pro's.
1. Easy to read
2. Engaging,
3. Inventive and original
Con's
1. This can be very culturally obtuse. Everyone is a sort of ethnic stereotype of sorts then get's more fleshed out. Arabs, Jews and Purto Rican's come off as 1970's movie architypes.
2. Jack is hard to figure out, and is often inconsistent
3. The story lines in this book don't go anywhere. You need to move on to the next book
Again, I enjoyed it, but I was also mostly puzzled by the book
I both loved and was irritated by this book. I enjoyed it, and will read the others naturally. But..I have issues.
Let's begin with the Pro's.
1. Easy to read
2. Engaging,
3. Inventive and original
Con's
1. This can be very culturally obtuse. Everyone is a sort of ethnic stereotype of sorts then get's more fleshed out. Arabs, Jews and Purto Rican's come off as 1970's movie architypes.
2. Jack is hard to figure out, and is often inconsistent
3. The story lines in this book don't go anywhere. You need to move on to the next book
Again, I enjoyed it, but I was also mostly puzzled by the book
June 6, 2019
I'm a huge long time fan of Repairman Jack and thrilled that Mr. Wilson has given us more of Jack with the Early Years trilogy. I finally completed all the Secret History of the World books last year. I would strongly recommend not to start this trilogy until after one completes all of the Secret History books. There are lots of hints of things to come and Jack crosses path with characters that appear in those later books. This was a fast pace story and great to learn Jack's back story. IMO, no Repairman Jack Fans will be disappointed.
August 7, 2021
I’ve only read a smattering of Repairman Jack novels and short stories so I’m not sure how it ties to the wider continuity of the series but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It moves at a cracking pace and features a lot of terrific characters and situations. My only gripe would be that Jack is ridiculously competent for a young man of his age: I know that there are plot reasons for his incredible self-possession but I’d find it more believable if he were even just a mere five years older. Just a niggle but it did take me out of the book a few times. Other than that it was a hoot.
January 20, 2018
When I started listening to this book, I just couldn't stop. I greatly enjoyed the narration and just the flow of the story. The book leaves many of the key plot lines open, so this is not a self contained story and you need to continue with the sequels in the trilogy (I assume!)
Immediately picked up the 2nd book in the series and am not on to that.
Once I finish the early years, I suspect that I'll be adding the Repairman Jack series to my To Read queue.
Immediately picked up the 2nd book in the series and am not on to that.
Once I finish the early years, I suspect that I'll be adding the Repairman Jack series to my To Read queue.
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