Infernal, the ninth book of F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack series, is pretty dark. It’s tricky to go into detail without major plot spoilers, so let’s just say being a lightning rod for encounters with the Otherness is hazardous to those around you.

Infernal breaks the usual formula of “fix it” jobs with a larger encounter with something related to the Otherness. This book is a bit more personal, dealing with some of Jack’s family, but there’s still plenty of supernatural adversity going on. It sets up a major plot twist for the next book, which is even darker…

If you haven’t read any of the Repairman Jack books, do yourself a favor and start with one of the earlier books. (The Tomb, Legacies or All the Rage are good choices.) Infernal one may be important stepping stone in the series, but you don’t really see Jack at his best.