The ancient katana from Black Wind has been stolen, and Jack is hired to retrieve it. In the process, he runs into the Japanese cult believed destroyed in Hiroshima. They, the Kickers, and the Adversary are all on the move.

This close to the end-game, the plots are not wrapping up as neatly. This is addictive stuff, even when it's not fully satisfying. ( )

For those familiar with Repairman Jack, By The Sword will be a familiar friend. Wilson is working his way to the conclusion of the secret history of the world, and this volume pushes further toward that end. In fact, Wilson has put together a roadmap for the rest of the story, which he gives in an endnote here.

For those not familiar with Repairman Jack, he's an independent agent off the grid, earning a living by "fixing" broken situations for clients. Part of the appeal of these stories is in how Jack creatively resolves the problems presented him. But Jack is much more than that. It turns out that there's a conflict between, well, Evil and Indifferent entities in which the Earth plays a small part. But Jack's a big part of the conflict here, and as the series unfolds, the reader discovers more and more about this secret history.

Recommended, but this is a story arc covering a number of books. Wikipedia or F. Paul Wilson's website has the complete list of works in the series with the proper order. Start at the beginning, if you can. ( )