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Product Description
Review
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE ALEX AWARD
WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
WINNER OF THE CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER
WINNER OF THE BARRY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
NOMINATED FOR THE ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
NOMINATED FOR THE DILYS AWARD
"This one is too good for words."--The New York Times Book Review
"Hamilton … understands what’s truly scary, what’s truly suspenseful.”--The Washington Post
"The Lock Artist is superior in every way: intriguing, carefully crafted characters and a devious plot, all told in the haunting voice of a young man who has no voice. Just for spice, there's a really good love story, too. . . . Hamilton slowly builds this story in layers, using time as a device of suspense and never losing the threads. How and why Mike ended up in jail is only a small part of this incredibly clever novel."--The Globe and Mail
“Mike is one of those unreliable narrators you can’t help rooting for-- a traumatized soul fighting his way back from the brink-- and the mystery of his silence will have you blazing through pages. A smart, inventive thriller, The Lock Artist is packed with a standout cast of characters, plus enough safe-cracking trade secrets to tempt you to dig up that old combination lock and test your newfound knowledge.”--Louisville Courier Journal
"An enthralling read . . . Michael [is] an utterly believable and thoroughly captivating character . . . The Lock Artist is a terrific coming-of-age tale and a great crime novel all wrapped in one, with a liberal sprinkling of romance and teenage rebellion to boot."--San Francisco Book Review
“Fascinating, with enough bits of high-voltage action to keep the pulse pounding.”--Houston Chronicle
"The unconventional The Lock Artist surpasses even Hamilton's high standards. . . . Hamilton delves deeply into Mike’s psyche, saving the tragedy that propelled him to silence until near the end. When the story of why Mike cannot speak is revealed, it is a devastating moment and Hamilton knows how to draw out all the emotional impact.”--Florida Sun-Sentinel
“The Lock Artist is far more than a suspenseful heist caper. It’s the story of a boy emerging into his own life… The talent Steve Hamilton has developed over the course of the Alex McKnight series is in full bloom here in this daring and deeply satisfying novel.”--Reviewing the Evidence
"Propelled by an aching desire to recover his voice, [protagonist] Mike has brushes with the law, flirts with romance and makes alliances with criminals, from rank amateurs to consummate professionals. Along the way, Hamilton drops tantalizing clues about Mike’s troubled past and his uncertain future. Readers will hope to hear more from Mike."--Publishers Weekly
“Sharp prose and a strong cast.”--Kirkus Reviews
“Intense and involving.”--Booklist
"Hamilton has a knack for weaving a complicated web of intrigue and irony and a knack for hoisting the system on its own petard."--Chronogram Magazine
"Hamilton maintains a seamless narrative of escalating suspense as he juggles alternating adolescent and late-teen storylines that merge in the revelation of Mike's brutal secret. With this absorbing coming-of-age tale scarred by horror and adversity, the New York author breathes new life into the oldest chestnut of all, the redemptive power of love."--Winnipeg Free Press
"Hypnotic ... a proven master of suspense moves in a brand new direction - and the result is can't-put-it-down spectacular."--Lee Child
"I haven't read a book this captivating in a long time. The Lock Artist is gutsy, genuine and, flat out, a great read. You won't be disappointed."--Michael Connelly
Praise for Steve Hamilton:
"Hamilton's prose . . . remains an unself-consciously terse pleasure."--Entertainment Weekly on Blood Is the Sky
"Steve Hamilton writes the kind of stories that manly men and tough-minded women can't resist." --The New York Times on North of Nowhere
"A Stolen Season is one of those mysteries that lulls readers into a sense of security, but nothing is certain here."--Washington Post Book World
"Ice Run turns on edge-of-the-seat psychological suspense that Hamilton has honed to precision."--Florida Sun-Sentinel
"Hamilton's prose moves us smoothly along and his characters are marvelously real."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Hunting Wind
Book Description
"I was the Miracle Boy, once upon a time. Later on, the Milford Mute. The Golden Boy. The Young Ghost. The Kid. The Boxman. The Lock Artist. That was all me.
But you can call me Mike."
Marked by tragedy, traumatized at the age of eight, Michael, now eighteen, is no ordinary young man. Besides not uttering a single word in ten years, he discovers the one thing he can somehow do better than anyone else. Whether it's a locked door without a key, a padlock with no combination, or even an eight-hundred pound safe ... he can open them all.
It's an unforgivable talent. A talent that will make young Michael a hot commodity with the wrong people and, whether he likes it or not, push him ever close to a life of crime. Until he finally sees his chance to escape, and with one desperate gamble risks everything to come back home to the only person he ever loved, and to unlock the secret that has kept him silent for so long.
Steve Hamilton steps away from his Edgar Award-winning Alex McKnight series to introduce a unique new character, unlike anyone you've ever seen in the world of crime fiction.
The Lock Artist is the winner of the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Novel.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unusual "Narrator," Multiple Mysteries, Literary Quality Metaphors, Multiple Time Lines, and a Unique Plot,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: The Lock Artist: A Novel (Paperback)
"But He is unique, and who can make Him change?And whatever His soul desires, that He does." -- Job 23:13 (NKJV) Just when you thought you had read so many mysteries and crime stories that you always know what to expect from them, along comes Steve Hamilton's Edgar-winning Best Novel to show you that creativity and originality are alive and well in the genre. If you haven't read this book, you have a major treat ahead of you. I don't want to spoil the story for you, but as the title and book cover copy suggest, the protagonist is someone who can open locks to homes, closed rooms, and safes. Many of my favorite mysteries and fictional crime stories involve burglaries. So I was excited to read this book, and I wasn't disappointed. As gifted as he is with locks, Michael isn't so good with words. He can say them fine in his head, but his voice utters nothing. As the prologue explains, something happened in 1990 when he was eight that put Michael in the headlines as "the Miracle Boy," "Boy Wonder," and "Terror Tyke." From the beginning you'll wonder what that's all about, and that mystery unravels very slowly throughout. The story quickly splits into three timelines that are intertwined, one describing what happened since 1990 while the other two focus on 1999 and 2000. The 1990 timeline helps you become acquainted with Michael's growing up with his uncle Lito. The 1999 story explains how he ended up on an unexpected career trajectory. The 2000 story describes his professional criminal career and includes lots of interesting details about how he overcomes locks. Along the way, Mr. Hamilton is generous with explanations that help you understand what's going on without revealing all of the background. You are left with substantial mysteries to solve other than what happened to Michael in 1990. It's deft storytelling. By the time you are done, you'll realize that the story has beautifully built a literary-quality metaphor for what life is all about, explained and developed from several different perspectives. When I finished the book, I had the urge to reread the book just to pick up on more of the metaphor writing. It's very impressive. The plot is also unlike any other plot I remember. I won't allude to it further lest I inadvertently let something slip that I shouldn't. Michael is a sympathetic and interesting character. You'll both identify with him and feel yourself pulled into the story through his observations and emotions. The book also has some other memorable characters that I will not identify by name . . . again in the interest of keeping the story unspoiled for you. While it might sound as if the story keeps you off balance with surprises, I felt instead as though the story kept pulling me into the fictional world . . . making it seem more real and compelling. Not knowing what was coming next made me read more carefully and helped me to focus more on what was happening at that point rather than trying to fill in all of the blanks. That's because there were far more blanks than I could hope to fill in on my own until quite late in the book. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great writing, great story!,
By
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This review is from: The Lock Artist: A Novel (Paperback)
This is one of the best books I've read for a while. The author starts in the present and then goes back and forth through earlier parts of the main character's life. Even though we're shifting back and forth, it's easy to follow because of what's happening in his life at the time. The main character is a very likeable guy which is always a plus for me. He didn't lose my attention once throughout the book and I found it difficult to put down. The only reason I didn't read it all in one day is because I couldn't stay awake.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (130 customer reviews) 115 of 124 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
"For the first time I had tried to open a lock, and I had failed.",
By Luan Gaines "luansos" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Lock Artist: A Novel (Hardcover)
Hamilton structures a quirky and innovative thriller around a young safecracker- or boxman- who has not spoken a word since a traumatic incident in his childhood. Raised in a rundown part of Michigan, Michael, named by the press "The Miracle Boy", finds amusement in opening locks he buys in a neighborhood antique shop. Indulging his love of drawing or spinning the chambers of the locks, Michael develops a unique skill that will prove invaluable to men who seek to exploit his talent. As Michael tells his story in chapters that alternate between the conflicts of the present and his past, from the days with comic books, drawing pads and Uncle Lido to a stint on probation, circumstances conspire to send the youth on a troubled road. Michael doesn't confide the exact nature of the tragedy that caused him to stop speaking, a fact that contributes to the mystery of his character, a young man who walks a solitary path, making the few choices available to him. And when fate delivers Amelia into his life, Michael senses his one chance at intimacy with another, a vague but promising future.Hamilton sets his protagonist among the criminal element that exists in the underbelly of every city, the boy a talented boxman who does each job required with professional detachment and no worry of turning on his partners in crime. Considering his background and environment, Michael is a moral, conscientious young man caught in a world not of his making but requiring innate intelligence to survive. Part love story, part thriller, Michael flirts with the wrong side of the law, but only because he has no options. Hamilton builds Michael's predicament like a fortress against freedom, the opportunities for flight few and dangerous. Honor binds Michael to his illegal commitments and a concern for Amelia, trapped in the world of her father's mistakes, a thwarted Romeo and Juliet. Traveling with fast company, Michael learns quickly that there is no honor among thieves. He may be confined by circumstances, but never succumbs to a doomed future. Shifting between the traumatic events of the past and the challenges of the present, Hamilton reveals the effects of trauma and poverty on an innocent child, a child who is not only a survivor but a young man of exceptional courage. There are no happy endings in this tale, but an example of the human spirit in the face of adversity and the healing power of love, even in the most extreme circumstances. Shocking, poignant and provocative, this unusual story is a blend of reality and hope in an indifferent world. Luan Gaines/2010. 45 of 48 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tremendous story, wonderful writing,
By E. Jacobs - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Lock Artist: A Novel (Hardcover)
This was just the book I was looking for. It's been awhile since I've read a book with a powerful story and excellent writing, all wrapped up into one. It's difficult to write a review without any spoilers due to the nature of how the story unfolds; however, it is centered around Mike, the lock artist, and the majority of the book covers about 2 years of his life. Mike is a criminal and doesn't deny it. But it is impossible not to root for the guy.The book covers how he learned how to break into just about anything, and why he simply cannot walk away from doing it. It's far deeper than just a story of locks and safes and how to crack them. It also makes you realize how extremely difficult it would be to not speak for any length of time, let alone ten years. When I began the book I was dubious that Mr. Hamilton was going to be able pull off having a silent main character, but the way he approaches it is simply poetic. There were some points in the book where I felt the detail of him opening yet another lock were repetitive and I glazed over a bit when reading those sections. This is the only reason that I did not give the book five stars. But all in all, the book includes interesting characters, a great plotline, and a little humor mixed in. I've never read a book by this author before, but I will definitely seek out others, especially since according to another reviewer his other books are much better. I am having difficulty imagining that, but I'll give the others a try for sure now. 38 of 43 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hamilton does it all in The Lock Artist,
By kali review - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Lock Artist: A Novel (Hardcover)
I have enjoyed Steve Hamilton's Alex McKnight series....entertaining, suspenseful,and Alex is always real.Opening The Lock Artist was fun.....something new and exciting from the author of some of my favorites.... so it could be tough to please me with this one. However, he did it and he did it great. Big suspense and real characters, plenty of imagination, and a very unique story. If you want something that steps out of the shadows of the run of the mill thriller....still packed with intrigue and suspense...I highly recommend The Lock Artist. |
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