I've been reading about Repairman Jack in F. Paul Wilson's novels for nearly twenty years now and I can only say that, with every book, I like this character more and more. In F. Paul Wilson's latest Repairman Jack novel, THE HAUNTED AIR, Jack once again finds himself on the job helping his "clients" solve their problems. The strange thing is, whenever Repairman Jack is involved, these so-called problems always end up hip-deep in the supernatural.

You see, Repairman Jack isn't anyone that you'll find in the Yellow Pages. He isn't someone that hands out business cards. He isn't a guy with a Union Card, an ID badge or even a driver's license. The guy simply doesn't exist...at least, not on paper. Sure he's a flesh and blood human being just like you and me but, legally, the guy is a black hole. A non-entity. A shadow lurking among those who need to be brought to justice. Ok, so you're saying that he's a vigilante? Well, maybe he is. But Jack fixes the things that need fixing and does whatever it takes to keep them fixed. He sure does charge a hefty fee for affecting his repairs but most of his customers leave happy once he's done. You might not be able to say that for those that he does the "fixing" to but a happy customer is a paying customer.

Anyway, in this particular outing, Jack finds himself driving some of Gia's friends (Gia is his more-than-girlfriend but not-yet-wife) to a psychic medium or, as some call them, a charlatan. Once inside, Jack recognizes all the usual tricks of the trade and lets it ride. You see, Jack used to be in the psychic biz back in his youth so none of this stuff surprises him. However, he notices a bullet hole in one of the front windows and immediately knows that the psychic-owner of the spooky house has some very serious troubles. He doesn't like having his girl in a house that anyone's been recently using for target practice and, as soon as possible, he's out of there with Gia.

However, just as usual, the trouble usually finds its way back to Jack. Soon, Jack finds himself working a job for the psychic and his brother/partner which leads him to another side-job that somehow, beyond coincidence, is just a little bit more than related to his first job. How is that, you might ask? Well, Jack has recently been told that there will be NO MORE COINCIDENCES in his life and these two jobs are proving that theory.

F. Paul Wilson is a master when it comes to telling a normal story, a story that could be taking place to any one of us at any time, while also introducing us to a spooky, mysterious and spine-tingling aspect of the tale that ultimately makes your body start to shudder and your eye dart toward the fuzzy not-quite-thing that it caught moving in the far corner of the room about a split second ago. He's been doing it to me ever since I picked up his horror masterpiece THE KEEP way back in the early 80's and he's still doing it to me today.

By the way, if you've never had the pleasure of reading THE KEEP, I highly recommend that you go out and pick up a copy as soon as possible. From there, you'll enjoy many of his other books, most related somehow, yet always a separate story.

Repairman Jack has become a fan favorite over the years and I guess he'll keep writing about the man with no last name as long as the fans keep laying down their money for him at Barnes & Noble and Borders. But don't think that Repairman Jack is all that F. Paul Wilson has to offer. If you pick up a Repairman Jack novel and enjoy it, I urge you to continue with your F. Paul Wilson collection—the man keeps you turning the pages and gives you what you ask for: a spooky romp through a horror-reality story that feels like its taking place right there inside your very own house! Of course, THE HAUNTED AIR, is not the very best of F. Paul Wilson's work but, then again, I haven't read an F. Paul Wilson novel that I didn't like yet and I'm pretty sure that I won't ever have that pleasure as long as the man keeps writing.

As for more of the plot of THE HAUNTED AIR...well, you'll just have to pick up a copy and find out for yourself. Who knows? You might just wind up a Repairman Jack fan after all.