Closure Rate by Dennis Barger – Corporate Success Barters Human Cost

Sitting behind your desk at an office, where every day feels much the same as the one before, slaving away at meaningless tasks, always so repetitive; have you ever once let your mind plummet into the darkness? Of what could happen if you rewrote the rules for yourself? Took advantage of a system that is built upon doing the exact same to you, without consequence? This is a story of a calculated descent into the world of corporate crime. A fraudulent lifestyle is easier to adopt than it is to escape. Not everyone will make it out alive.

Success is measured in numbers. For both Danny and Steve, their guarantee for keeping the jobs that keep them afloat depends on the number of insurance claim cases closed, and the number of new clients attained, respectively.

Their industries are cut-throat, white collar, high stakes businesses. They demand the best from themselves and nothing less. Failure to provide results in severance with little to no thought spared for their personal obligations by those at the top of the food chain.

Beyond a certain threshold, profits are not earned nor deserved by those whose pockets are heaviest. An elaborate plan is hatched by the two men to take what they have worked hard for and then some. Unbeknownst to one of the pair, ulterior motives over a decade in the making spurred the other’s motivation behind their scheming. If caught, all they have to lose is everything…including their lives.

Spoiler-Free Plot

Married to his high-school sweetheart, with kids, a dog, a house in a charming town in Georgia and a job straight out of college with a reputable law firm—including potential for further promotion—spells a satisfied and fulfilling life for Steve Shields. His finances are nothing to brag about, but the family unit he has created, which means the world to him, wants for nothing. All of that is put at risk by his failing work performance. Discussions of consequences for a lack of expansion are broached, and Steve feels immensely pressured to deliver.

Cue an old friend from his teenage years: Danny Martinez, now Danny Martin. During a serendipitous encounter at Steve’s local bar, they discover they are in much the same position. Although their reasons differ, ultimately, neither is above putting their ambitions before their morality. What unfolds is a thrilling and terrifying story of greed and revenge. We discover just how much seemingly ordinary people can take, how far they can go when the stakes are raised exponentially above what they believe themselves to be capable of.

My Take on Closure Rate

Here’s one reason why I love reading so much: there is a ton to be learned about all sorts of things between the two covers of a book. Things you might never have sought out yourself, and have been largely ignorant about your whole life up until the moment you get to witness it described in such detail, with such dedication within a story. This can be the result of either excellent research or personal expertise. In the case of author, Dennis Barger, it is the latter.

Topics such as insurance feel as though they are invisibly embedded into the fabric of society, not considered until the very moment it has to be. Reading about the inner workings of the insurance system was an unexpectedly intriguing time. Basing a story around an industry he knows so well was absolutely the right call. Dennis’ proficiency was evident as I read along.

I noticed that the tone of voice used in the narration of this story was quite impersonal, and for lack of a better term—rigid. I thought this was a good fit for the themes of the story, as the content was more serious than other books in the same genre, which allow for moments of brevity every now and again.

One thing I would ask the author to take into consideration would be abandoning the tone during characters’ dialogue, which works so well else wise. When there are meant to be deep, emotional ties tethering characters together in a scene, both positive or negative ones, a more organic approach to their speech would help readers connect to the characters beyond the plot and their actions; something to keep in mind for the next go around. Regardless of this, the story as a whole was satisfying to read.

Age Rating

15 years and above

Content Warnings

Death, Drugs, Gore, Sexual Themes (Trafficking and Prostitution), Suicide, Torture, Violence.

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