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Book Review of The Lock Artist

The Lock Artist
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 5


So many books are so heavily hyped that I get almost reluctant to read them, fearing disappointment. Steve Hamiltion had never disappointed yet, so gave this stand alone novel a chance. Reader reactions might vary to the constantly changing timeline as the narrator and lead character moves through the tale, telling his history by weaving different times and events together.

Quirky, fresh, and beautifully written, The Lock Artist is both powerful and adsorbing, succeeding on several levels. It's about what happens in a few years, yet it is almost a lifetime. A strange, and touching romance plays out in what initially seems a minor key, as Michael, survivor of the ultimate childhood trauma, goes silently through life, bonding with only a few a people, a friend who deserts him, and a girl Amelia. His great gift, besides art, is being able to open locks - all locks. Yet the one lock that he cannot open, is the self imposed one on his own voice. Justifiably an award winner.

The style takes some getting used to, though the author does warn that. I became so adsorbed, I forgot about it and just enjoyed a beautifully crafted, highly original book.