Safecracker: A Chronicle of the Coolest Job in the World

Like a character in a Hitchcock movie, Dave McOmie travels the country breaking into bank vaults, cracking jewelry store safes, and decoding unbreakable codes secured deep in government facilities. He's never been arrested or charged with a crime--because it's his job! Safecracker reveals a shadowy world where tumblers are twirled, skeletons are exposed, and longstanding mysteries are solved. You'll ride shotgun with Dave for one crazy week, beginning with an impenetrable vault in Vegas with a midnight deadline, and ending with Prince's ultra-secure music vault in the basement of Paisley Park. In between are factual stories that read like fiction: drilling the same model ATM from the notorious episode of Breaking Bad, meeting a mystery man from the Department of Defense at a remote location to crack two high-security safes, chronicling the corruption and ineptitude that dogged efforts to develop the first electronic safe lock to guard our national secrets, tackling a hundred-year-old antique bank vault in downtown Salt Lake City, and more. What's in all these safes and vaults? Gold and silver, drugs and cash, guns and ammo, family heirlooms and X-rated paraphernalia . . . and a few secrets that should have remained secret. Shhhhh!

About the Author :
Dave McOmie is a leading member of the elite cadre engaged in opening safes and vaults for banks, insurance companies and estates. He's a rock star in his profession. He opened his first safe in the spring of 1972 and was hooked. He spent the spent the next decade learning the craft. In August of 1986 he began writing a monthly column on safecracking for The National Locksmith magazine. In the fall of 1992, in conjunction with National Publishing, he started The National Safeman’s Organization and has been its Director ever since. Over the course of the last two decades he has written 16 how-to books on the arcana of safecracking, developing and refining drill points for most of the safes and vaults that have been used in the United States. After 33 years in this crazy and obscure business, he is still having the time of his life.

Review :
"A mesmerizing unputdownable book from the best in the biz."--Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-winning author of The Lock Artist "Ask professional safecrackers who they want in their corner on a tough safe or vault, and they'll answer in unison: 'Dave McOmie.' Dave's knowledge of his arcane craft is unrivaled, and Safecracker is your backstage pass into the shrouded, whispery world he inhabits."--Martin Holloway, covert entry specialist and President, Hollotec "If Jobs and Wozniak had combined their DNA into one person with a passion for safes rather than computers, the result would have been (something very much like) Dave McOmie. Dave is as comfortable with abstract concepts as he is with concrete details, and his innovative safecracking classes have long been the industry gold standard. He is a living legend, and Safecracker is hands-down his best book."--Rick Rolland, Chief Executive Officer, Rolland Safe Co., Inc. "The weight of all the drill bits Dave McOmie has used in his long and storied career would sink the Titanic. He's a monster. He's also the most prolific author in the field. But in Safecracker, Dave has outdone himself. You'll root for him when the pressure is on, cheer at each victory, and cross your fingers for a sequel!"--Jeff Volosing, President, StrongArm Inc. "When we needed to consult a safecracker for one of our movies, Dave McOmie was the obvious choice. His expertise and wit were matched only by his fantastic stories: drilling the Vegas vault (like Ocean's Eleven but real!), cracking special safes for the government, opening the late Prince's bank vault at Paisley Park, and more. These adventures form the core of Safecracker, a fun and fascinating memoir that breaks new ground in the genre--there isn't anything remotely like it."--Adam Yorke, Head of Development, Wildling Pictures