casavca's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Started off quick slowed down and finished fast.
Check content warning before reading
Check content warning before reading
david_agranoff's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed The Tomb, but it was this book the second in the series that sold completely on reading the entire saga. As strong as the Tomb was Legacies is a much stronger book and really defines Jack as a character in deeper way. There is good reason for that, it was the first novel that was intended to be a repairman Jack novel, and it was a good decade and half since Wilson created the character.
If you trust my opinion consider that I am finding it hard to review this book without a wee bit of spoilers. You have been warned, because twists in the plot were a huge part of why I found this book to be one of the best in the series.
The novel starts when Jack is hired by a doctor working in a clinic for children with AIDS. He is hired because the Christmas toys were stolen and the police basically said there was nothing they could do. Jack has an idea of how to track down the toys and Fixes the problem. His ability to solve this problem shows his customer Doctor Alicia Clayton that she can trust Jack with a family secret.
She has inherited her father’s house and large sum of money. She doesn’t want the house, but everyone she hires to look at the house or take care of it dies. Most authors writing a series develop a series around a set of characters through into stories and settings that only change slightly.
After the monster story of The Tomb (and fans of the novel waiting 15 years for a sequel) Legacies looks another supernatural novel. The first 100 pages seem like Wilson was setting up a haunted house novel. Wilson has done this before, in his classic horror novel The Keep (Adversary series book one) The Keep appears for more than a good chuck of the novel to be a traditional vampire novel complete with a Transylvanian castle. It also has Nazis and World War II back drop, but in many ways it is more of a Lovecraftian tale that sets off the events that lead to five more Adversary novels and fifteen Repairman Jack novels.
Legacies starts strong and moves through plot twists and suspense in a different and stronger way than the first book. This is the most stand-alone of all the Repairman Jack novels, so I think it is a great introduction, plus if you are only going to read one, this is the one to read. After this one the books start to build on each other.
majkia's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good second book of the series. Although I confess to being unhappy with some aspects of how the author presented the main female protag. It gets better later on, but I was almost ready to stop reading at one point.
I've read other books by Wilson and never before felt that way about his writing. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have that issue with Wilson.
I've read other books by Wilson and never before felt that way about his writing. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have that issue with Wilson.
readinggrrl's review against another edition
4.0
This is the 2nd repairman Jack novel I've listened to with a different narrator. At first I wasn't sure I liked this narrator but he soon grew on me and I really started to like his interpretation of the characters.
In this book Jack's humanity shines through. His girlfriend Gia introduces him to a house that helps children with AIDS and he finds his aversion to AIDS and those with it dwindling as he gets to know the children. He also meets Dr. Alicia Clayton and winds up helping her with a problem she seems to be having.
With themes of drug addicted and abandoned children, children whose parents don't care or want them and those adults whose parents had once used and abused them this book had the feel of an Andrew Vachss novel. Jack becomes the savior of many and his disgust of child abuse and his love of Vicki, Gia's daughter, shine throughout the book.
There is another character that plays in this book a mysterious Japanese man who is tailing some principle players in the book, his take on Jack and Jack's character were very intriguing to me as he called him a Ronin and a warrior. The definition really seems to fit Jack and I'm starting to enjoy this series more and more.
In this book Jack's humanity shines through. His girlfriend Gia introduces him to a house that helps children with AIDS and he finds his aversion to AIDS and those with it dwindling as he gets to know the children. He also meets Dr. Alicia Clayton and winds up helping her with a problem she seems to be having.
With themes of drug addicted and abandoned children, children whose parents don't care or want them and those adults whose parents had once used and abused them this book had the feel of an Andrew Vachss novel. Jack becomes the savior of many and his disgust of child abuse and his love of Vicki, Gia's daughter, shine throughout the book.
There is another character that plays in this book a mysterious Japanese man who is tailing some principle players in the book, his take on Jack and Jack's character were very intriguing to me as he called him a Ronin and a warrior. The definition really seems to fit Jack and I'm starting to enjoy this series more and more.
acknud's review
4.0
Fast read. Typical Wilson book. Hard to put down. A little cheesy in the description of the HIV children.
count_zero's review
4.0
If you were expecting something more in the horror line, you might be a little disappointed. This is definitely a more conventional mystery-thriller.
warwriter's review
5.0
Great as usual, but now the romance is getting sweet. Jack needs to get mean again.
oleester's review
4.0
I read this again thinking I hadn't finished the first time. Turns out I did. Still a great ride. The storyline is a tad dated and extreme on hindsight. But when character development, plots and prose are as strong an as they are in this book, plausibility of scenarios can take a step back. Enjoyment is there for the taking.