The Haunted Air

Repairman Jack #6

by F. Paul Wilson

In the sequel to The Tomb, Repairman Jack returns in a chilling adventure set against the backdrop of a Queens house haunted by the ghost of a nine-year-old girl as Jack becomes embroiled in a terrifying struggle in which the forces of evil threat.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural

518 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 18, 2002

About the author

Francis 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...

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Modern pulp hero Repairman Jack is back and this is one of the best in the series so far.

Jack is dealing with the fallout from the last book, and finds himself drawn into two different cases.

Jack is a problem-solver-for-hire and lives a life outside convention. He doesn’t pay taxes, doesn’t even have a social security number.

So the first case involves two brothers with a shady psychic operation, while the second case revolves around another set of brothers, one of whom needs Jack’s protection. That’s as bare bones as I can get, and nothing is what it seems in this story.

Jack’s longtime girl Gia wants to settle down with Jack, although that’s a very tall order when Jack doesn’t exist on paper.

Wilson has created a really great contemporary world for these characters. His storytelling moves quickly and has a lot of heart to offset some of the truly awful events in these books. Supernatural horror can rise up out of nowhere in this series, Jack is frequently forced into violent situations, and there’s an overarching story within Wilson’s world that we keep getting glimpses of.

There is a sequence here with a father talking about his missing daughter and the toll it had taken on his family in the decade since she disappeared. I read plenty of stories where things like that happen, F. Paul Wilson’s writing skill during that segment was far above most.

This series can be read in any order, you won’t be left with an incomplete story if you pick one at random. I’d recommend the Repairman Jack stories to anyone who likes Preston and Child or Robert McCammon.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Repairman Jack is back and better than ever! While I thought the 5th installment was a bit of a let down, the 6th IMO is one of the best so far. As usual, we have a few story lines that seem separate, but come together in the end (and what an end!). THA starts with Jack still recovering from the loss of his sister Kate from the last installment. Even though the Repairman Jack books were written years apart, the story line in all of them so far takes place in less than a year, so THA starts about a month after the last one.

Jack finally decides to go back to 'work', and meets in Julio's bar a man who states he wants Jack to 'keep tabs on his brother' because he might be a danger to someone. Jack does not really do this type of thing, but figures it will be easy work to get back on the horse so to speak. Meanwhile, at a party of some friends of Gia, one of the guests insists she has to see her new medium as she lost her 'lucky bracelet'. Jack has a car so he takes her and some others to Astoria to see the medium. While walking into the house, there is a sudden earthquake...

Turns out Jack has some experience with mediums as he used to work for one early on in his career; he knows the game and Wilson plays this for all its worth. The new medium, however, has been having some problems being harassed by another medium in NYC; as Kyle's 'practice' has been growing, he has been receiving lots of clients from other mediums in the City. Jack likes Kyle so he takes another job in finding out who the offender is and 'fixing it'. Some excellent shenanigans ensue!

What I really liked about this one is several loose ends in the story lines from previous novels start coming together, even lines from The Keep. Jack's role with 'the otherness' becomes a little clearer, but lots of questions still remain...

Well written, THA flows nicely in a classic thriller tempo, but mixed in with some 'outre' elements that define the series. So, if you have enjoyed the Repairman Jack series so far, you should really like this one! Especially after a bit of a let down with the previous volume. 4.5 stars!!

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repairman Jack heads into straight horror territory this time around. Haunted houses, ghosts, child killers, bogus psychics and the other still lurking in the background. This one is dark and creepy!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars


The Haunted Air by F Paul Wilson is the 6th book in The Repairman Jack Series and to me they keep getting better and better. Wilson has done things the smart way in that he has taken the slow approach to the development of our main character and his underlying main story. The Haunted Air is a book that centers on Jack, his family, and the Otherness. The haunted house story along with the creative con artists make this a very fun read. I have found that I cannot seem to get enough of this character, his story, and Wilson's amazing writing.

If you are reading this review then you already know what to expect from Jack's latest adventure. Action, Anger, Strangeness, and Kick Ass resolutions. If you haven't read these book let me point out some things about Jack as pointed out in this book:





“That talent had found the visitor named Jack a hard read. Bland-looking guy: nothing-special clothes, brown hair, mild brown eyes, not handsome, not ugly, just… there. But he'd moved with a secret grace inside a damn near impenetrable shield. The only thing Lyle had sensed about him besides the steer-clear warning was a deep melancholy.”




“But strangely he was the most moral man—her father aside—that she'd ever met. He was like an elemental force. She knew he would never break faith with her, never leave her in the lurch, never allow her to come to harm. She knew that if it ever came down to it, he'd give his life for her. She felt safe with Jack, as if surrounded by an impenetrable shield.”





This is such an amazing series that should have a huge audience. These books make amazing beach reads. Jack is awesome and so is F Paul Wilson. A must read series...go get it.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

And again we're here with Repairman Jack. This is another good addition to the series and while there are things in it that almost cost it a star (the book tends to slow up a bit as it spins out the various threads of the story that will need to be woven together at the end) it also has an interesting little twist buried in it.

The Repairman Jack series begins with The Tomb (Adversary Cycle, #2) which is listed as #2 in the Adversary cycle. Now if you look at the list of the books they don't actually overlap...but they do touch. The Tomb reminded me very little of The Keep, just some slight tie in. Here with no mention at all (and this book isn't mentioned in the list of books in The Adversary cycle) there is (for those who've read The Keep a big obvious tie in. I don't know, I found it interesting.

The story winds out and basically builds on what we've already been seeing about Jack and his particular place in the cosmos. It seems at first glance to be a somewhat minor entry into the overall saga, but I suspect that a lot we see here will figure later.

I will mention for the Christians here that the book plays a bit with faith and that can be a little annoying for believers (in the way they are pictured and so on) if you let it be. I don't think that's intentional however and the book can be read while keeping that at arms length (at least it didn't bother me I just thought I'd make you aware.)

So another good book. A nice set of subplots (with some "dragginess" [yes I know it's not actually a word] in some of those parts). We get some horror wrapped up in an Urban Fantasy story with the romance for the all you "romance lovers" (get it, " romance lovers") out there. Very readable and recommended. I like this series. As a matter of fact I like it a lot. I originally rated this book 4 stars but on reflection I've decided to up it to 5 stars.

I do that/this because once I put this book down I went immediately to my shelf and pulled down the next. I'm "involved" in the story, so in spite of a few things that bothered me a little I'm going 5 stars. The series starts out a little slow, but it builds and is good (in spite of Gia and some of the other slight glitches, LOL).

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Read!!!
This was an intense addition to the Repairman Jack series! It also left me with some thoughts about the dark group within this story, and after pulling in something from one of the titles in The Adversary Cycle series, I really want to read more or those books as well!

[Garry · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Wilson's greatest strengths is doing a series of novels that keeps the reader somewhat in the dark, and yet gives them just a smidge more knowledge of what is going on than the protagonist, Jack. It makes for an enjoyable tension. And it doesn't let up.

This was a different take on the haunted house trope, and as always, it ended in a slightly unexpected way. Much fun.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack ends up working a couple of cases at the same time. First, a man asks him to shadow his brother, who has admitted wanting to hurt somebody innocent during a moon phase. Second, a medium/fortune teller looks to Jack for help from a despicable husband/wife mystic team seeking to run him out of business.

Throw in the ghost from a 9 year old girl, a secret sect who sacrifices kids, and the pregnancy of someone close to Jack, and it's a full plate for the Repairman.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2003. Two Repairman Jack books in December so I must have been on a roll. My last book of 2003. I read 82 books that year.

[Brett Grossmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent full of tension

[David Agranoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best of the Repairman Jack series so far. Legacies (#2) was the best plotted, Conspiracies (#3) is probably the most fun, and Hosts (#5) was the most heart-breaking. The Haunted Air is the most perfect blend so far. It has all the elements that make a great Repairman Jack novel and it is a quick fun read.

It is fitting that Wilson does a slight of hand plot wise, he has done that before with Legacies and The Keep. Those novels will dupe you with misdirection. Well F.Paul Wilson you fool me once shame on you fool me twice double good on you. I was convinced 100 pages into the novel that Legacies was a haunted house novel. It was in no way a haunted house novel. This Repairman Jack novel is very much a haunted house novel. Of course I assumed it was another trick. Damn you Wilson!

It is indeed a haunted house novel, and due to the house’s unique residents the novel becomes a refreshing take on the classic tale. It is a Repairman Jack novel after all. Jack is hired by two so-called psychics who run a bait and switch scam out of the haunted house. (The hardest trick of the haunted house novel is why would the victims stay? Solved here by the scammers needing the house for their scam)

At first the haunted aspects of the house are considered the acts of jealous competing psychics. Jack helps fix the problem by running a scam on the psychics. At the same time the greater web of horror involving the background of Jack’s life begins to unravel. His girlfriend Gia is pulled into the horror hidden below the house. Jack already knows there are no coincidences in his life anymore.

This near perfect Repairman Jack novel weaves small touches from the Adversary novels (The Keep and Reborn) while moving the greater story of Jack forward. I loved this novel, as I have the others. The only tiny nitpick I would have would be the dialogue of Lyle and Charles, the scammers were born and lived most of their lives in the Detroit ghetto. Some of it didn’t ring true; I had this same problem with Dan Simmons Carrion Comfort. Tiny thing in a novel that is so solid.

Haunted Air is a great stand alone Repairman Jack novel, but it also weaves into the greater story of the Secret history of the World. If you only read one I would read Legacies or this one. You can’t go wrong.

[Jadewik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repairman Jack continues his battle against "The Otherness" in this novel-- this time he battles an unknown force and a ring of "immortals". You learn more about Jack's past in this novel. You also see him develop as a character when Abe tells him he's "gotten soft"... but to find out why, you'd have to read the book.

This book was a little difficult to stomach. I think it was the little plot development with Gia that I didn't like because I feel it's an over-used plot device... though, my disdain also could have been the mention of murdered children. The novel doesn't talk about the actual killings but once towards the end of the novel; and you're gradually eased into it little by little. If you're squeamish about the mention of murdered children, I'd skip this one... or maybe try to skip those basement paragraphs. Though, as usual, Jack does make the punishment fit the crime. The question is, does Jack come out alright in the end?

The way he played some mediums felt like a chapter in a Houdini Biography... but that's not all Jack Magic has to conquer this time. He also battles a ghost and a ring of "immortals" who require a yearly sacrifice.

I wasn't happy with the ending, but this book was a stepping stone for the series as it did contain a lot of things that move the underlying story of "Otherness" forward another inch or twelve. For me, the second half of the novel drug onward... but it's still Repairman Jack and I still want to know what the future holds for him.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Haunted Air is installment #6 in the Repairman Jack series, and while it's a bit different than the others, it's still a great read. For anyone who's not aware of Repairman Jack, think about the old television show called "The Equalizer," add in a bit of HP Lovecraft and you're pretty much there. He's a man who lays low, under the radar, and wants to keep it that way. But you definitely want him on your side. In this episode, Jack makes the acquaintance of two brothers who are psychics (or at least claim to be), and is drawn into the world of psychic phenomena, the occult and the Otherness (a force which is his sworn enemy) all rolled into one. This is much like the classic haunted house slash ghost story, but with a few twists unique to Jack.

Repairman Jack is one of my favorite good guys, and this series has never let me down. If you want a fun read, you may wish to try this book -- but I would definitely not start the series here. It's a great book for escape reading -- nothing serious, nothing profound, not great literature. It's a bit of fast-action horror, verging into occult territory, along with a side trip through pulp. I would recommend this book to anyone who is reading the series and to others who may be thinking about it. Horror fans who like it light may also enjoy this one.

[Michael Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to put down a Repairman Jack book once you start reading one, and Haunted Air was no exception. The writing is easy to follow filled with action, suspense, and a dry sort of humor. What begins as two separate cases eventually ties together as another piece in the cosmic battle of the indifferent good and malevolent evil that Jack is involved in. It was a thing of beauty to see the sting come together against the big shot medium that was making trouble for Jack's clients, who in turn were running their own psychic/seance scam themselves. The irony of it all was to find out that the brothers were living in a real haunted house! He's also working on a case were he was approached by a mysterious to keep a watchful eye on his brother who has said that he would hurt someone during the new moon. We find that the circumstances of this case are not all as they appear to be and has a connection to the "haunted" house as well as more direct personal connection to Jack's girlfriend and her daughter. Jack has been told that there are to be no more coincidences in his life, due to his involvement against the "Otherness", but this story does stretch these coincidences a bit making the plot a bit of a stretch and somewhat tedious at times. Luckily the great characters, the what-comes-next suspense, and hard hitting action alleviates that.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading these Repairman Jack novels in no particular order over the past several years. This one is the most fun of all the ones I've read so far. It has a lot more humorous dialogue, and manages to be both whimsical and seriously creepy at the same time. And the little twist at the end was perfect! I'm surprised Wilson didn't go anywhere with the Lom reference, though. He probably just threw that in to amuse alert readers like me. :)

The main plot deals with a haunted house and ring of evil men seeking immortality. There's a snappy little subplot that takes a jab at so-called psychics and the people foolish enough to waste money on them. I don't believe in ghosts or psychic abilities, so this was all a fun ride for me. If you DO believe in ghosts, this one might make you lose a little sleep.

I think this book makes a great stand-alone story if you're not the uptight sort who's afraid you might be missing something. All you really need to know is that Repairman Jack does not officially exist. He went off the radar at age 21, so there are no records, no way to trace him. The series has an underlying theme about battling forces called the Otherness and the Ally, but they don't play a part in this particular installment.

[Bryan457 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repairman Jack gets into some truly strange jobs involving a haunted house, an angry ghost, a turf war between psychics, and a ring of adepts who are into child sacrifice.

There was some amusing dialog between Jack and Gia. His fix on the psychics was neat, and I enjoyed the expose on the tricks of the psychic's trade.

There seemed to be a lot of crossover references to some other books set in this universe/reality. I think it is probably "The Adversary Cycle," though the only one of those I have read is "The Tomb."

Something I found interesting was his discussion of the personal religion and philosophy of many of the different characters. He brought up some very tough issues that many Christians don't really have an answer for.

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, two seemingly unrelated cases for Repairman Jack come together as part of a single battle againt evil. One is a pair of brothers running a scam on talking to the dead, while the other is a request to watch a guy's brother to keep him from hurting someone else. Then, throw threats against Jack's girlfriend Gia and her daughter Vicki into the mix, and you have vintage Paul Wilson. Suspenseful.

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vote: 3,75
Class: L-B1 (FP)

(sixth book of the Repairman Jack Series)

Fast pacing, well written and with wonderful characters I've come to really like the Repairman Jack series!
This one pick up where the third book ended, and the supernatural war with the Otherness: grows more and more interesting.
A good and enjoyable reading and I'll follow up with the next installment of the series sometimes in the future.

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[EvilCartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why this remains one of my favorite RJ books, I have gotten into the routine of completely skipping over the Gia parts as she continues to become more and more of an idiot per each installment. This may be be last book where she can even be considered an actual character rather than an naggy plot device that can be depended upon to do the most stupid things imaginable, required to further the story along of course.

She started out as a strong, intelligent character who, book by book, becomes sheer idiotic cardboard.

Besides this, the book is quite enjoyable.

There is one thing that kind of nags at me, and I’ve not figured out a better way to do it.
This you might’ve guessed are the appearances by the mother. I realize she is an enigmatic character but if her motives were really truly to keep them from going into the house, she could’ve easily explained herself and achieve that goal. Instead it’s almost if she’s there talking to the reader rather than the characters in the book and that does a little bit to knock me out of my immersion in the story.

Obviously if she explains the entire deal out of hand then there goes the mystery of the book. But she doesn’t have to be quite as enigmatic to the characters as she is. She could’ve simply pointed to Gia and said going in there is a danger to the baby.

It is always difficult to plot interactions between and omniscient character and an ignorant one. That’s why we end up with so many terrible tropes like “ I can’t tell you over the phone” and all the dumb ways in which the knowledgeable character dies on the way to meet the person who needs the information.

The mother can’t die ( yet) so in the story we’re just stuck with a unsatisfying interaction. Really in the end it may be better for the book that she never even shows up. Or the author could’ve had her observing the events but constrained her powerless in someway to intervene. That way we are introduced to her by her actions or lack there of make a little more sense.

[Stacy Kingsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had its ups and downs (yes, I know that's cliche, but it fits). The book involved a haunted house, the murders of children, a fake psychic, and once again, the ever annoying Gia. This was not a bad book in the series of Repairman Jack. Also, this is one where you don't really have to follow the rest of the series to understand what is going on.

There were parts of this book that were fabulous, and exploring the world of real and fake psychics was very interesting. I love a good haunted house book, and this did not disappoint. There were certain points in the book where it was a little too dramatic, but overall I enjoyed the haunted feel of things.

However, there was still the continuing problem of Gia. I don't like her character, and often when it is her part in the book I want to skip it. She continues to be a whiny little girl about Jack's job, and he annoys be because he just takes it. There is a little surprise in this book, and it forces Jack to consider how to become a legal citizen, but it felt forced, and honestly I am over her character always nagging him about what he does and when he is going to quit. In reality I wouldn't have stayed with her, especially since she is so full of contradictions that her as a character doesn't make sense at all.

[Stephen Holtman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the books in the Repairman Jack series. In this one, Jack is hired to investigate a supposed haunting at a fake medium’s house. I liked the way that the jack caratcher was able to have a really great charisma to him. It added to the feel of the aura of the rest of the book’s environment. The other caratchers are well represented too. You have the girlfriend Gia who is a really interesting supporting Caratcher. I say that because she radiates the aura of a woman who is torn between loving her man and hating what he does for a living. Vicki, Gia’s sweet, loveable daughter and the other assorted caratchers who make up this great world.As for the story itself, It was a nice little action story. It doesn’t contain the moviealistic possibility that a pendergast novel does. But it does it’s own thing very nicely. The way that the suspence builds as Jack gets further into the mystery is very cool. Because there are so many ways that this could have gone wrong and it didn’t. This book, and in fact the whole RJ Series, is like that show Monk in the fact that it’s not as intense, or as dark as others in it’s field. But that gives it a certain appeal. It’s not R rated, but not PG either. It’s nicely settled in between.

[Chris Tweitmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Jack finds himself caught up -- or is he being drawn towards? -- a multitude of supernatural happenings. A haunted house. A restless and vengeful ghost. A turf war between psychics. A circle of believers pursuing immortality through horrific, sacrificial means. And, to boot, Jack's first child is on the way. And you thought your life was full?

Easy to pick up and read. A guilty pleasure to indulge that you don't regret hours later. As always this series offers a unique and fascinating blend of the gritty, private gumshoe genre and the eerie, creepy ethos of H.P. Lovecraft. I really appreciate Wilson's gradual approach in unfolding the development of his characters as well as the broader plot of this series. He always provides just enough in just the right way to have you come back for more.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Never Disappoints

I’m a fan of Repairman Jack, so I indulge in one of the series books regularly. After reading some of the reviews, I was expecting Haunted Air to be a slight dip in the usual high standards set for Jack; but that was not the case for me. All the supporting characters are here and the storyline had the usual subplots which tied together nicely in the end.
Haunted Air was entertaining, fairly pedestrian and pretty much down to earth for the most part, then a massive buildup at the end.
Jack’s character gives the reader an insight to the going ons in New York life, which include the con artist and scams so common, of course Jack routinely turns the tables on the bad guys, so we get to cheer him on.
Haunted Air is well constructed and Jack, the every-man’s man, accomplishes what’s needed in a most believable way.

[Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, a masterpiece of fiction. This book was self contained, and in the areas that it overlapped from a previous story there was a slight recap. The recap happens just after the thought though. If your're reading them in order like I am, you'll have a quick sense of dread (or elation) at the familiarity you have with that situation.

For this novel in particular, it was scarier than previous entries; had the great elements that have made the series a blast for me to read; and had offered me more to the growing world he has created.

BTW, I love a great ending. This installment is no different, all story branches are trimmed up nicely, but there is a longing for more Repairman Jack.

[David B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repairman Jack, off-the-grid fixer of problems and pivotal figure in a cosmic battle between good and evil, gets mixed up in a conflict between rival psychics that leads to more nefarious doings such as child sacrifices and evidence that the Otherness is beginning to penetrate our reality. While I am enjoying this series overall, I often find myself wishing that the books were better. This long novel is bloated with filler material. I suppose Wilson should be commended for diversifying his cast of characters, but the slangey hip hop dialect he gives some of his characters sounds like exactly what it is—an old man’s idea of what urban youth sound like. A passable entry but definitely a step down from the previous entry in the series.

https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com

[Cris Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repairman Jack takes on two seeming unrelated jobs - a man who can't control himself and needs to be watched for a couple of nights, and two brothers who work as mediums and believe someone is trying to sabotage them. Ghosts, murderers, immortality and the Otherness collide with Repairman Jack in the middle in this terrific entry in the series.

[Tammie M Eichmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't go wrong with Jack

Yet another great novel in the Repairman Jack series. My husband suggested these and they never disappoint. My only regret is that I'm a working professional and can't stay up all night reading. Once again the twists and turns have you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend the entire series.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library thinking it was more a murder mystery because I don’t really like the horror genre . But I really enjoyed this… it wasn’t too scary or graphic. A page turner for sure and I loved Repairman Jack as a character. There are references to earlier books but you absolutely did not have to read the previous novels to enjoy or understand this story.

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my 5th Repairman Jack book in a row.. I guess it's time for something different. Where I thought i'd be hooked for the full 20something books, Jack became kinda annoying after the first three. The story is kinda slow paced and there isn't much going on. It had the potential to be a 4 of even 5 star book, but it just didn't wok ou as well as I expected. Actually, this was one of those rare occcasions where I was about to stop reading and archive this one in my DNF list.