Fear City

An epic, riveting history of New York City on the edge of disaster—and an anatomy of the austerity politics that continue to shape the world today.

Rage, terror, and redemption: these are the stones upon which F. Paul Wilson builds the concluding chapter of Repairman Jack: The Early Years, the prequel trilogy focusing on the formative years of Wilson's globally popular supernatural troubleshooter. The strands of Jack's life, established in the first two books, Cold City and Dark City, are now woven into a complete pattern.

A killer is targeting New York City strippers, and world-weary policeman Al Wheeler (Billy Dee Williams) confronts sleazes Matt Rossi (Tom Berenger) and Nicky Parenzo (Jack Scalia), who have a hand in the local adult entertainment scene. Wheeler wants the duo to dig up some clues and threatens to find find a reason to put them behind bars. But, as Matt watches his stripper ex-lover, Loretta (Melanie Griffith), cope with the murders through drug abuse, he decides to hunt down the killer himself.

Strippers in Manhattan are being stalked and maimed by a psycho-killer. A conflicted ex-boxer-turned-talent-manager and his business partner and friend, who represent some of the girls, set out to find him before he strikes again.