Legacies

A thriller/mystery, Legacies follows Jack as he tries to solve the problem of Dr Alicia. Alicia’s father recently died in an ocean plane crash leaving her his house. But Alicia’s brother is fighting her over the inheritance and he is backed by shadowy millionaire backers. The problem? Everyone Alicia hires ends up dead.

I ended up liking Legacies much more then the first novel. I felt that the writing was better while the novel maintained the same interlocking plot that i liked before. The only issues i have with this one is how two things at the end of the novel were wrapped up- but i didn’t feel that they were enough to dock a star.

If you liked Tomb, or thought that it was just ‘ok’, give Legacies a try- you may be pleasantly surprised.

F Paul Wilson is on to something with Repairman Jack; Jack is a solid main character who can carry a story all by himself. Wilsons writing is tight and clear, his stories flow evenly and is a master of description and action.
My initial research into Legacies was Luke warm, the story description was rather pedestrian; however, this is a solid tale of mystery, merging storylines and surprises. Not much on the supernatural side, just plain Jack doing Jack-stuff.
I will eventually explore the next book after I read a few other authors who dont charge as much for their work.
If the higher than customary price for an electronic book is not an issue, this is a great option to read.

The first Repairman Jack novel by F. Paul Wilson was written in 1984; the character would lie fallow for quite a while till the late 1990s, when Wilson started producing the Repairman Jack books on a more regular basis. That first book was called The Tomb, and while a good book, actually had nothing at all to do with a tomb. In contrast, the second book in the series, Legacies, has a lot to do with legacies.

In particular, the legacy in this story is a house belonging to the late Ronald Clayton – a brilliant scientist but generally unpleasant guy – and has been willed to his daughter Alicia. Alicia, a doctor at a children’s AIDS clinic, despised her father and would normally want nothing to do with the house. When her brother Thomas, a loser who can hardly earn a living (and was cut out of the will), offers her a huge sum for the house, she resists, sensing something fishy. Her brother then contests the will, and the people she turns to for help wind up dead.

After Jack does her a favor by retrieving some toys stolen from the clinic, Alicia tries to get his assistance. Initially reluctant, he eventually decides to help. It is apparent that there is something in the house that someone wants, and Jack wants to find it first. He also needs to know who is backing Thomas with a lot of funds.

Unlike many other Wilson books, this is a nonsupernatural story, but there is still some out-of-the-ordinary stuff going on. In addition, we get a good amount of the suspense and action that Wilson does well. On the other hand, there are times in the book that rescues come from out of nowhere which cheapens some of the story. Generally, Wilson is a dependable writer of four star books, and I’ll give this one such a rating, but it is a little weaker than his other works.

For those who are new to the series, Repairman Jack doesn’t officially exist. He has no social security number, no tax records, and no legal identity of any kind. Jack has spent his adult life trying to disappear from society, even distancing himself from his family. He’s also a man that people come to for help with problems. For a fee, Jack will “repair” the situation. In Legacies, Jack helps a doctor named Alicia Clayton with a simple robbery but he soon gets involved in a much deeper problem of hers. Without giving away too much of the plot it involves everything from international intrigue to a dark family secret that has haunted Alicia since she was a child.

Legacies is a solid entry in the Repairman Jack series. There is no supernatural element at all, but we do get healthy doses of suspense and action. Jack is in fine form as usual and a relatively minor character named Yoshio is quite interesting as a Japanese operative who becomes something of an ally to Jack. The subplot with Alicia, especially her AIDS hospital, was a lot less compelling to me but these parts aren’t difficult to skim if you want to get through them quickly. Fans of Jack will find this well worth reading but I wouldn’t recommend it for first timers.

The Tomb (Adversary Cycle/Repairman Jack)

or

Conspiracies (Repairman Jack)

would both be better choices as they are better reads and are natural starting points for the character and his mythology.

F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack is a great protagonist! He’s one of the good guys, even though he plays it fast and loose with the law. He’s only able to do this because he’s managed to stay below the radar of Uncle Sam and other government entities. I like Jack because he has a conscience that keeps him in line… well, in his line, I guess. And I like him because the bad guys “catch it rough” from him. He’s not blood thirsty, but he doesn’t mind shedding a little blood when it solves the problem at hand. Also, Wilson’s stories have just a touch of the supernatural in them–an underlying implication of other-worldly involvement. It’s not too prominent, but more suggestive in some situations. Just enough to keep us wondering.

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