Legacies (original 1998; edition 1998)

I enjoyed the book, but kept anticipating some sort of supernatural involvement or twist as in his other books. That anticipation made me not enjoy this quite as much--but that's what I get for trying to force a book to fit my expectations! ( )

The female lead character was just a tad too screwed up in the head to be sympathetic and realistic. ( )

Alicia Clayton, a doctor who suffered a very traumatic youth, returns to New York City to run a center for Children born with HIV. Her father passes away and leaves Alicia with everything, including a very cryptic will that alludes to secrets within her childhood home. Alicia wants nothing to do with her father or any of his possessions, but something was left behind and millions of dollars are being offered to her to sell the property. What lies in these haunted walls that a Saudi Arabian will kill countless people to retrieve? Why is a Japanese diplomat in pursuit of this same mystery? Repairman Jack is called to the case and in true "just Jack" fashion he teams up with Alicia, hunts the hunter and unravels a riddle that is literally worth billions and has the potential to change the world.

Fans of Repairman Jack will enjoy the second book in the series, Legacies. The writing is a bit more polished and the supernatural element that persisted throughout "The Tomb" is disbanded and replaced with a bit more of a realistic storyline. Legacies is an action packed thriller ripe with Repairman Jack goodness. ( )

Repairman Jack is back. After a 14 year hiatus, the series continues with its sophomore title. "Legacies", in my opinion, is a more tightly paced book, compared to "The Tomb" as the focus is on the here and now, with no flashbacks. There is also a certain lack of the supernatural (which abounded in the prequel) which should make some readers less skeptical about the story this time.

Although this book is fun in general, with Jack's usual flair for action (or reaction) and tricks, people interested in reading this book should be strongly warned about some of the subject material in this volume. Though nothing objectionable against the story, it should be warned that Jack is facing some pretty scummy antagonists. For those who have a weak stomach against childhood traumas, you should probably stay away.

For the rest of you, enjoy. ( )

I don't know if the author has HIV or knows someone close to them who contracted it around the time he started writing the book but he really didn't hold back about it to the detriment of the book.

The first quarter of the book is just him on a soapbox preaching about the evils of HIV and the suffering of the children in the clinic. He lets up on it for a while but every now and then he will bring it back up with a long passage about how awful it all is completely out of nowhere.

Now I'm all for there being a message in a book but Wilson is SO lacking in subtlety he might as well be beating us over the head with a 2x4 and it really distracts from the actual story of the book which isn't at all related to HIV or anything about it. Alicia who could just as easily have had any other job in the world and it wouldn't have changed the story in the slightest. HIV, crack babies and unwanted children have no bearing at all.

If I'm honest, if it was any other subject matter I would have come away from this book less sympathetic for the cause than I was going in just for Wilson being so obnoxiously in your face about the whole thing. ( )