The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

June 23, 2015

The Lock Artist won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. This story is narrated by Mike, a young man sentenced to life in prison for being a “boxman,” also known as a “safe cracker,” in a series of heists.

Mike has been mute since he was eight years old, when a terrible family tragedy nearly killed him. When he can’t open the safe for the crook who tries robbing his uncle’s liquor store, Mike develops an interest in lock picking.

After many years and lots of practice at picking locks, 17-year-old Mike is coaxed into lock picking the home of a local high school jock. When he gets caught, Mike must work off his crime by performing odd jobs for Mr. Marsh, the man whose home Mike broke into.

Backing up for just a moment—when Mike breaks into the Marshes’ home, he spends a few moments browsing the room of 17-year-old Amelia Marsh. He discovers her talented sketches, then immediately falls in love with her after seeing her portrait. When they finally meet, Mike and Amelia start communicating with one another using comic book panels, considering Mike is mute.

As time goes by, Mike realizes that Mr. Marsh’s “extracurricular” business affairs are getting riskier. He vows to do one last job as a boxman for Mr. Marsh before quitting so he can run off with Amelia and live happily ever after.

The imagery in The Lock Artist is vibrant and colorful. You won’t really get lost or lose track of what’s going on in this book, even though the story jumps around a lot describing Mike’s various experiences working as a boxman. The connection between Mike and Amelia is realistic and creative, given the lovebirds are both great artists.

I was eager to reach the end of The Lock Artist so I could find out how Mike became mute. The ending wasn’t what I expected, and I’ll never think about safes and lock in the same way ever again. I’m impressed by the amount of research Steve Hamilton invested in learning about the inner workings of lock picking so he could write Mike’s character.

Other books by Steve Hamilton include:

What did you think about The Lock Artist?

Last Updated on November 21, 2025 by Sarah Ann

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