Advertisement

F. Paul Wilson is not deaf to readers pleas; enigmatic hero Repairman Jack has returned in a new gripping adventure. This is the same "invisible man" who captured our interest in The Tomb and All The Rage, but, unlike other such vigilante creations, Jack continues to grow and develop. Rather than shutting down his emotions a bit more with each new tragedy, he allows us to see more of his humanity, another glimpse into the mind of the man.

The tense adventure explodes into action with the fortunate/unfortunate presence of Jack in a subway car with a shooter and a crowd of panicked passengers. From that pyrotechnic beginning, the pace and tension in Hosts never relents. Wilson maintains the taut atmosphere, even cranking up the pressure again and again.

This time out Jack is drawn into a deadly fight against a conspiracy with the potential to destroy the world as we know it. A face from Jack's past is the lure that drags him into the crossfire, when his older sister enlists his help to bring back the lover she is losing to an unseen force. What they uncover is bigger and more overwhelming than they could ever have imagined. It may well be more than they can handle.

Add to all of these threats one ambitious tabloid reporter with visions of bylines in his eyes. He's determined to make Jack famous. That's the one thing Jack cannot allow, but how do you shake such a dogged admirer? And just what predators might be out there waiting for him to surface? Because, you know, there is always something out there lying in wait.

Hosts is the closest look ever allowed by Wilson into this troubled, lethal, but very human character. This story opens Repairman Jack to us more than ever before. Be prepared, though: this insight does not come without its price. Just as in real life, to be human is to be vulnerable, to accept the possibility of pain. Jack is not a superhero, not indestructible; given the right circumstances any of us could end up in his shoes. How long we would survive is another question...

In Hosts, Wilson introduces a new prospect to the Repairman Jack series. Perhaps, there is another purpose ahead for him. Jack is a fixer, but how far will that role be carried out? However it unfolds, wherever the journey takes him, whatever anguish awaits along the way, we will willingly accompany him, because Jack is a hero worth following.

A killer? Yes, when it is the only way. A vigilante? He will help whenever no one else tries. A hero? Forget the firepower and look into his heart -- it stretches to encompass so many, but when it breaks, it is so empty.

In between reviews, articles, and interviews, Lisa DuMond writes science fiction and humour. DARKERS, her latest novel, was published in August 2000 by Hard Shell Word Factory. She has also written for BOOKPAGE and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. Her articles and short stories are all over the map. You can check out Lisa and her work at her website hikeeba!.