Cold City

Repairman Jack: Early Years Trilogy, Book 1

By: F. Paul Wilson

Narrated by: Alexander Cendese

If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel, this is the place to begin.

It's 1990. A twenty-one-year-old named Jack has dropped out of college, leaving his old life behind to build a new one in New York City. Manhattan's rough edges are jagged enough to shred any unwary newcomer, but perhaps not one who is determined to stay off the grid, at any cost, in the busiest metropolis on earth. And to do so, he'll have to take jobs of a less than legal nature.

An interstate smuggling operation seems to fit the bill perfectly. But Jack's initial foray into the trafficking of illicit goods carries greater risk than he bargained for, putting him afoul of a preteen slavery ring, a group of jihadists, and a pair of vigilante brothers. As if those problems weren't enough, Jack is hunted by some machete-wielding maniacs, and his bartender Julio is harassed by the mob. How these things are linked, and what they have to do with the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane in Manhattan's East Side Marriott, is a mystery Jack cannot let go of.

Cold City is the first of three new novels revealing the early years of one of the most popular characters in contemporary fiction: a self-styled "fix-it" man who is no stranger to the macabre or the bizarre, hired by victimized people who have nowhere else to turn. This is where he begins the metamorphosis from a naïve New Jersey refugee into the urban mercenary known as Repairman Jack.

©2012 F. Paul Wilson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

A book for guys

Any additional comments?

I listened to the book almost straight thru.

Most important is once I listened for about 1 hour I was sucked into the book and the action. I look for books that hold my attention.

If you liked this book and want to read other books that have a bit of action here are a few books that I recommend you also listen to:

01) "The Lion's Game"

02) "The Cleaner"

03) "A Clean Kill in Tokyo"

04) "The Butcher's Boy"

05) "The Hunter (Victor the Assassin #1)"

06) "Beat the Reaper" THRILLER, non-stop action.

07) "The Gray Man"

08) "Dead I may well be"

09) "Sharpe's Tiger"

10) "Killing Floor"

11) "The English Assassin"

12) "American Assassin "

Kept me engaged

A very decent first(?) novel with good pacing and character development. I was surprised that the book ended before the plot lines did, however. I may have to get the next installment to have resolution, but I do feel a little cheated.

Fun, but not fabulous

I enjoyed the characters, and the story was pretty fun though the ending was not good - very abrupt. It made it seem like a chapter rather than a stand-alone book.

The narrator was great, even navigating the poorly- written and juvenile sex scenes with aplomb

Chain Reaction

After committing a murder to avenge his mother's death, Jack removed himself from his family and leaves home. They have no idea where he is and what his life has become. This is the first book in a series will be interesting to see how it all works out.

A Tease!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Wish I had known before starting that the book would end with ALL of the plot lines still open and unresolved. I thought there had been a flaw in Audible's recording (actually, one chapter was repeated twice, so there was a flaw) until I went back and re-read the reviews, finally spotting one that gave a hint of the problem. The 30-50% of a novel that I did get to listen to was enjoyable throughout, if a strain on credulity at times.

Would you be willing to try another book from F. Paul Wilson? Why or why not?

Possibly, but only a full one.

Which scene was your favorite?

Anything with Abe, the sporting goods store owner, in it.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Not if it ended as this audiobook did.

Any additional comments?

Audible owes its listeners a warning if an audiobook is a come-on and will leave them hanging, looking for another installment in what is apparently a series of interconnected books.