The Lock Artist

by Steve Hamilton

First published 2010

Michael Kaye pushes a lawnmower across a Florida yard, sweat dripping as he tries to forget his past as a professional safecracker. His partner died on their last job, and Kaye promised himself he was done with breaking into safes forever. But landscaping pays poorly, and desperation gnaws at him daily. Across the street sits a massive house owned by an elderly man who seems to live alone. No alarm system. No security cameras. No dog. The house practically begs to be robbed. Kaye tells himself he'll just look around, maybe case the place for old times' sake. What he discovers is that the harmless old man isn't harmless at all. Some marks choose you back, and some houses contain more danger than any safe Kaye ever cracked. His attempt to return to crime becomes a fight for survival that will test every skill he learned in his criminal career.

Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action

Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: redemption, second-chance

Setting: Florida

Period: contemporary

Paperback · Minotaur Books

Content warnings: violence

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