The Terrorizing of Hipstas
Review of the Mariner Books hardcover (July 20, 2021)

It will seem a bit counter intuitive, but after reading Mai's hilarious and entertaining 2-star "live-tweeting-reaction" style review of this book, I couldn't resist trying it out for myself. Partly just to see if I had similar reactions and/or others.

This is a domestic invasion thriller where a married couple who have moved into an isolated home which is apparently beyond their means are terrorized at first by one assailant and then later by another pair as well. The mystery elements are who is the first invader (who is unidentified for quite some time), where did Nelle & Evan get the money to buy the house, & what are the additional assailants after? The domestic terror aspect is amped up considerably and all the villains are of a sufficiently cartoonish evil nature that you will not mourn them when karma comes calling.

Mai was certainly spot on with her reactions and my only further thoughts were along the nature of Chekhov's gun, in that what seemed like interesting and quirky plot elements were introduced, but which apparently had no purpose. The couple Nelle & Evan have a Portuguese last name and speak some Portuguese for no apparent reason (it is never used as 'secret' language to deceive their assailants). They are regularly described as "rockabilly hipsters" which aside from sounding anachronistic (an old-time music that is hip?) did nothing further in the plot except perhaps dictate their music choices. So it was just quirkiness introduced for its own sake. The authorities are apparently clueless and have no access to modern forensics, allowing for a tidy wrap-up with no questions asked.

Anyway, the domestic terror aspects here are often quite repellent so steer clear if that is not to your taste. ( )

“Closing Costs” is about buying a home, well that and a lot more. Evan and Nelle, a couple of “rockabilly hipsters” find their “Dream Home.” The narrative travels back and forth in time, both before and after the closing, with chapters identifying the time frame and the point of view. It turns out that several people have secrets, and things do not go exactly as Evan and Nelle had planned with this house.

The story centers on Evan, Nelle, and the house, of course. Immediately, readers know things are not going to go well, and soon the anticipated tranquility of the new home is shattered by horror and incredulity. Who are these home invaders? Why this house? Why Evan and Nell? Why indeed? Secrets, lies, and mistakes have unintended consequences. There is plenty of drama and action; some events push characters and readers to the very the edge of credibility. Secondary characters wander in and out of the story to add color, interest, and danger. There are perhaps a few too many since some do not really contribute a lot.

“Closing Costs” is powerful and gripping. Evan and Nelle thought that they were prepared for everything, that they would know how to react in an emergency. They were wrong. I received a review copy of “Closing Costs” from Bracken MacLeod and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing. The action increases exponentially, and there are twists and turns on every page. In the end, well, it ends, and I won’t spoil it. ( )

3.5 Bracken MacLeod's new novel, Closing Costs, has just released. If you like thrillers, then this is a book for you!

Nelle and Evan have just closed on their 'forever' home. It's perfect - there's only one neighbor they can't see and their property backs onto a state forest. Uh huh....you're getting an inkling aren't you...? Nelle is alone when a man invades her home...

MacLeod uses one of my favorite devices, writing a past and present narrative from two points of view - Elle and Mack, the invader. The pivot point is the sale of the house. Where did Elle and Evan get the money for such a house? Who is Mack and what does he want? You'll be quite surprised by the answers to both questions. MacLeod throws in a nice turn I hadn't expected.

Closing Costs reads like a movie in the vein of Bruce Willis. Nelle and Mack just keep getting up again and again, going far beyond what you would think the human body could tolerate. But, like those movies, suspend your disbelief and keep turning pages. The action is non stop and the tension is really high! And you've just got to know how it all turns out.

I'm not sure I liked Elle very much, even though I was behind her need to best or escape Mack. Mack is, as my gran used to say, a piece of work - a violent misogynist. MacLeod's depiction of him gave me the shivers.

Closing Costs could perhaps shortened up a bit - the escapes, near misses and more started to lose their impact after so many times.

(Gentle readers, this one's probably not for you - there are definitely trigger situations.) ( )