DNF: at the end of chapter 19 and beginning of 20 there was sexual violence that I could handle. The previous 30% of the book was fabulous! Super well written super fast paced and very interesting! I loved the multiple points of view and how the story was told!

A beautiful secluded house, with no close neighbors and it backs up to a National Forest. For Nelle and Evan, this house was their dream home, until one day when an intruder entered and held Nelle captive in her basement. This was no random intrusion, and Evan had a deep secret that could destroy them.
I enjoyed this book, but found the ending to be weak. I do thank the author and publisher for my ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Well, I thought this book would be a really captivating thriller and it had potential to be that, but the inane plot was just too much for me to suspend belief. I understand this is fiction but the events in this novel reminded me of watching an episode of the Keystone Cops. A couple who come into a large amount of money and decided to live a simpler life made no sense to me although I understood why they might have chosen that route given the circumstances. But to become the target of two separate perpetrators?? On the same day?? I found that just a bit far fetched. The bad guys are all very clichéd. The good guys, Nelle and Evan, are unlikable despite trying to make them look like just good people. There were definite plot holes and eye rolling moments. Too many. The book read long which is not a good sign. Much of that was due to repetitive passages of people trying to hurt other people and escape, survive, kill, all the things that would happen in a home invasion, true, but the amount of detail was unnecessary and the description of the thought processes of the characters was also overdone. On top of that the author loved to throw in words throughout the book that I have never heard over the 66 years of my life. I felt that to be pretentious and unnecessary. This is a cheap thriller after all, not a great classic of literary fiction. Some people might really enjoy this book if they’ve never read really good thrillers before. I’ll pass on further works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who loves a good home invasion or hostage story, this one sounded right up my alley. I've read two books from this author before and enjoyed them both so I was certainly hoping this could be a new favourite. The book certainly started off strong with a scary man breaking into the house and tying up the wife. However, as the story progressed the suspense and tension weakened. The story is told over multiple timelines which muddied the narrative. There is more to the story than the premise suggests, but in this case a simple story would have worked better. I still believe the author is an entertaining storyteller, but unfortunately this one is not his best.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This book seriously floored me! Every time that I thought I had things figured out, the author twisted it all and left me with my jaw on the floor! One of the twistiest thriller/suspense stories that I’ve ever read. I felt like I had seen most plots before, but this author proved me wrong. I was surprised until the very last page. Incredible story; highly recommend! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc in exchange for my honest opinion, I loved it!

Closing Cost was a book I just did not finish. It pretty far-fetched in so many ways. I am all for suspense, but this was not my cup of coffee.

Closing Costs by Bracken MacLeod is a superb read with a well defined plot and characters. Well worth the read!

This book kept me awake reading all night. I could not wait to find out what was really going on! Tons of twists that keep you on edge of your seat.

When choosing this book to read, I knew that it was meant to be a bit of a thriller, but I personally wasn’t prepared for the detailed violence, and I wasn’t expecting it to unfold the way it did, not that this is necessarily a bad thing if you are ok with lots of detailed gore and violence.
The book was written with lots of details and gave great explanations of characters and the story revealed itself well without confusion or loss of suspense of what was to come.
Quick read and a page turner, I read this book in three evenings at bed time, however, I do not feel it needed 61 chapters, The story had great context and could have been summarized down and still had a great depth where a read would feel satisfied.
I thought the story was going to be completely different story than it was, but surprising in a good way as you didn’t know what was coming, kept you wondering.

Oh. My. God. This book was awesome. Talk about edge of your seat from the gitgo and stay on the edge of your seat every minute the whole way through. This book captured my attention right away and kept it til the end. Well written and well crafted. Can't say enough about this one. Excellent read!!!!

thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
You can read the story summary easily enough for your self. There was a lot about this book that I found a bit unrealistic. Would you really take the money that you found on line? even if your father had done what Nelle's had done? and what are the odds that two similar scenarios would happen to the same person. Nelle and Evan didn't have much depth to their characters. There were places that could have moved along a bit quicker. HOWEVER , having said all that,,,,i still enjoyed this read. It started off by jumping right into the story, something that I appreciate in a book vs waiting to figure out what's going to happen. And while some of the action may be predictable, it was still a creepy thriller. It is after all...a story!. And a pretty good one. I'd recommend it!

Nelle and Evan are a quirky young couple who nefariously come in to a huge amount of money. They have always wanted a house in the suburbs. They purchase their dream house on an isolated street. Life is great. After a few idyllic months their life begins to crumble. Consequences of their ill gotten fortune rears it’s ugly head. Their life becomes a nightmare.

The evil characters in this story could use a little more development. Some of the actions of the main characters seemed a little impossible and a little absurd. Even though, this book was entertaining. Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC copy.

Although the description made the book sound good, in reality it was extremely slow. I was unable to get into this qnd it was a DNF for me

Overall, I would say 3 stars because it was well written kept me engaged but I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. I still would recommend reading this I think it just wasn't for me and that many others would enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Closing Costs.

I was excited when my request was approved since the premise sounded suspenseful. Sadly, Closing Costs didn't hit the mark for me.

The plot is straight forward; Nelle and Evan are happy homeowners. Finally.

After coming into some money, and some rigorous house hunting, they are settled and living a stereotypical suburban life. Until the day an intruder breaks into their home. And he's not the only unwanted guest.

As some reviewers have noted, this read longer than it should have.

First, there's a lot of filler; about minor and secondary characters, about how frustrating and agonizing a search for the right house can be, descriptions of the interior and exterior and on and on.

Second, there are two subplots featuring very stereotypical characters; a bunch of bad guys (Russian, naturally), a disgruntled and sexist pig of an ex-husband, and nearly all the men are scum, except Evan.

Third, everything is described in minute detail; what Nelle and Evan are doing; how Nelle makes her way out of the house and these overly long paragraphs detracts from the tense scenes and drama.

I didn't like anyone, not even Nelle and Evan, and found them pretty one-dimensional. They also seem to drink a lot.

Nelle's profession was an interesting one but I felt the backstory on what her dad did to her and her mom and what she and Evan would eventually do was too coincidental to be overlooked.

The writing wasn't bad, but this wasn't for me.

Out homes are supposed to be safe spaces, refuges from the world outside. What happens if that is no longer the case? What happens if the world and its violence come walking through the front door?

Nelle and Evan are a young couple looking to start a new chapter of life with a rural home and some distance from past decisions that still hang over them. What they don't realize is that their new house has a history and pursuing your dream life has a cost. In one terrible morning--with a stranger's appearance and an outbreak of sudden violence--Nelle and Evan's lives are turned upside down. Now, threatened by an unpredictable home invader with uncertain motives, the couple's dream home becomes a battleground of will and wits that not everyone will survive.

Taking the familiar framing of a home invasion story, MacLeod's handling of the interlinked lives of these characters soon grows Closing Costs into something greater. As blood is drawn and secrets are revealed, the tapestry of choices and motivations forming one violent day as it first appears. This is a character story brimming with complexity. Both contemporary and primal, the narrative finds power in examining guilt and fear--the cost of secrets and the fight for survival. It also paints an all-too-relevant picture of white male violence within modern society. Its themes are many, but they are seamlessly built into the fabric of the story, born of character and left for the reader to sift through as the consequences of the narrative unfold.

The characters and themes give the story a great deal of weight, but it is ultimately a thriller--and there is no forgetting that fact from the opening chapter to the last page. A tense and exceedingly stressful reading experience, MacLeod brings the reader into the moment to taste the terror and rage of the characters--and does not let go until the very end. Woven through with flashbacks and revelations, the momentum never lets up as the stakes go from bad to worse until reaching a climax that will linger with me for quite some time.

Closing Costs is a visceral reading experience. Claustrophobic and threatening, it is thriller/horror literature not holding back. MacLeod wields each moment to maximum effect, balancing the elements of the narrative and crafting a survival story that holds surprises in store from start to finish. Deeply uncomfortable and truly remarkable, Closing Costs is a gripping and powerful novel for anyone who wants to face the darkness while still looking for the light.

CWs: strong language often directed at women, strong discussion and threat of sexual assault, terror, graphic violence.

Bracket Macleod is one of the best writers in the business these days. He just gets better and better. I thought I would have a stroke reading this book. It was so intense! My jaw was sore from clenching it for chapters on end!. The true meaning of the word "THRILLER", CLOSING COSTS, is as good as it gets. This book deserves every accolade it's sure to receive upon its release. What a stunning experience!

Eleanora “Nelle” Pereira and her husband, Evan, are three months into their new suburban paradise of home ownership. With one neighbor and a state forest wrapping their house for miles, their bucolic haven gives them the anonymity and peace they have been craving after the bustle of urban Boston life. Then, one Saturday morning, the young couple are attacked and tied up in their basement by an armed and aggressive man with a singular demand: he wants Nelle to make a very important phone call.

Holy Cow!!!! This is a must read! This book had me seriously chewing on my lips.... ( nervous tick)
I had to hurry and read this to finish and see how this story ends. This will have you hanging on the edge of your seat!

Most thrillers keep me up all night, trying to finish the last page. Closing Costs kept me up, hiding under my covers and holding my cell phone ready to call 911.
Home invasion books and movies tend to scare me, but Brandon McCleod kept me terrified from the first few pages.
Imagine that you and your husband are bound and tortured in the basement of your home with no hope of escape. You believe that the maniac is after a fortune that you have acquired illegally, but that is not the case. He wants revenge for something else, even less under your control.
The psychological and physical torture are graphic and unrelenting.
I'll keep my security alarm on at all times and dead bolt all doors for the future.

There are many great things about living in the city…convenience being the key factor. But once that novelty fades, many longtime city dwellers dream of owning a place of their own, somewhere with land, space, privacy, quiet. This is a story of that dream coming true, in fact this is a story of that dream becoming a nightmare.
Nelle and Evan are an adorably hip 30something married couple, too hip for the burbs, but too tired of the city. They had a dream, they took a chance…And now they have a lovely large private place abutting the woods and enough finances to live in it comfortably. Only they didn’t count in the closing costs. And those are going to be a murder. Literally.
And why does everyone think they are safe in the middle of nowhere? I mean, they are pretty much only ever as safe as their alarm company is efficient, at best. Mostly this safety is directly proportional to the evil intent of those around them, because while city living offers some inherent protections, outside of the city between you and the world is just…what? glass? A lock or two? Anyway….
I’ve heard of this author before but in a context of a different genre. Possibly even read some short fiction by him. At any rate, I suppose he judged the current market accurately from supernatural to real and plausible. And to top that off, he geared this thriller perfectly for the MeToo era, since it essentially pits a female protagonist against a despicably misogynistic male attacker.
So…very contemporary and plenty entertaining, especially if you’re into survival stories, but there just isn’t much meat on those bones. To be fair, most survival stories are fairly bare bones, but then again I mostly enjoy those in cinematic form. Mainly because movies are inherently more superficial in a way than books and don’t delve into characters’ psyche as much and just don’t have the same amount of inner life…it is as format demands more show than tell…the expectations there are different than they are for literature. With books you tend to expect more and this one relied more heavily on sustaining danger and unease than on other elements. The final result worked and worked perfectly well, but there’s just nothing special here. There’s no element of mystery really, just a battle of wills, as one couple has to fight the (kitchen sink variety) forces of evil, a confrontation they are only 50% responsible for. The author chose to right this on a very minute scale, literally meaning minute by minute, which made a novella size story into a 330some page book. It’s fine, it read quickly enough. The writing’s actually pretty good throughout, definitely enough tow arrant interest in reading the author further. It’s just that plot wise this book didn’t offer much, a fact especially noticeable in the end, which, of course, discretion and consideration for other readers prevents us from discussing here. Suffice it to say it underwhelms.
There’s a certain flatness to the characters too, like they know this is just an action thriller and they don’t have to try. Mack is almost cartoonishly evil, a man driven to insane behavior by his own bigotry, prejudices and misogyny. Practically fit for a political office, in some places. Nelle is tough and loves her man and that’s about it. Evan doesn’t get much screen time. The mafia goon (yeah, there’s mafia in this too) are way over the top. The frying pan into the fire scenario in fun, but nothing new. That’s the main thing here, nothing new.
The overall effect is perfectly decent, mind you, and it is a fun book, especially if you like your thrillers straight up thrilling without any mystery to muddy the waters, but it doesn’t really stand out from a plethora of other similar fare out there. And much like the rest of it, is more fun as a movie. Thanks Netgalley.