Taxed to Death
Debra Purdy Kong
Mystery/Suspense
[rating: 3/5]
Available in:
• Mobi/Kindle
• ePub/iPad
• PDF
• HTML
… from…
• Amazon
• MobiPocket
• AllRomanceEbooks
• OmniLit
Also in paperback
When Revenue Canada auditor Alex Bellamy discovers that $150,000 is missing from Ice Craft Jewelers inventory, someone from Special Investigations suddenly takes him off the case. But Alex decides to keep investigating anyhow, and before he knows it, his best friend is dead—suicide, if you can believe it. Moreover, someone is chasing Alex himself, and he must turn to Jillian Scott, a woman he’s never met and who is as afraid of him as he is of being caught. Soon, her fears and his search embroil them in a bizarre and disturbing nightmare.
I read Taxed to Death as part of a review-exchange on GoodReads: I read someone’s book, and someone else reviews one of mine. To that end, and short of cash, I purchased a copy of Debra Purdy Kong’s Taxed to Death on the used market. This is the first in the Alex Bellamy series, the second being her more recent release, Fatal Encryption. But I couldn’t find a used copy of the more recent title, and I thought it would probably be best to start with the first in the series, anyhow.
The book started by throwing names and facts at me, as many mysteries do. Unfortunately—maybe because I’m dense—I didn’t get what was happening until later in the story. The story is billed as a mystery, but in some ways, it reads more like a suspense novel… except that I didn’t understand the characters, at all. In fact, the major viewpoint character, Les Silby, who gets the most screen-time, he’s one of the suspects. Him I got, at least as much as I could without knowing his full role until the end. Alex and Jillian, the hero and heroine of the story, I had no idea why they did most of the things they did.
As a side-effect, because the story can’t give away the ending, it frequently gave me a partial view, blanking out obvious things that the viewpoint character could see and was thinking about. Now, I’m not an expert in the mystery genre. As I recall, the mysteries I’ve read have achieved this effect simply by staying in the mind of the detective. Suspense novels, not so much, but in a suspense, it’s more important to maintain the tension between hero and villain, rather than to keep secret who the villain is. I’m not sure I liked the effect in Taxed to Death.
The story did get better near the end, as the situation became clear and the forces of evil began to close around our heroes. Even so, I never understood why Alex and Jillian did most of what they did, or felt what they felt, or thought what they were thinking. This is extremely important to me, because rich, three-dimensional characters are key to a good story. And these characters just fell flat.
This story is also missing a theme, as far as I can tell. I had originally expected something like: financial fraud is about more than money. (And that could be the theme of the story… maybe, kinda.) Or: we all pay when someone embezzles funds. (And I didn’t get that at all from this story.) Much less did I see an uplifting, character-based theme. It simply wasn’t that kind of book.
After all of that, I do hope to read the next book in the series Fatal Encryption. Why? Well, Taxed to Death is Debra Purdy Kong’s first book, published 15 years ago. That means that Debra probably put more into it than any other story she’s written, but also that it reflects her inexperience as an novelist. I’m hoping that Fatal Encryption, which came out just a couple years ago, gave her a chance to address some of the storytelling issues I noticed in Taxed to Death. Most importantly, I’m hoping she has gotten better at characterizing her characters, and I really want to get to know Alex Bellamy.
-TimK
|
Taxed to Death |
Available in: |
I was skeptical, but after a week of staking, the low fees convinced me. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
buchmacher deutschland
Feel free to visit my page wettbüRo baden Baden (nejlevnejsi-hosting.cz)
Краска для пола – это не просто декоративное покрытие, но и надежная защита поверхности от механических повреждений, влаги, истирания и химических воздействий.
Выбор подходящей краски – залог долговечности и привлекательного внешнего вида напольного покрытия. Современный рынок предлагает широкий ассортимент красок для пола, различающихся по составу, характеристикам и области применения.
Подойдет ли краска по рфавчине для полов из листовой стали в промышленные помещения?
https://mathrusreeayurveda.com/sinusitis-treatment/
atorvastatine prijs
sykaaa официальный сайт
If you would like to take a good deal from this piece of
writing then you have to apply such techniques to your
won webpage.
Приобрести онлайн кокаин, мефедрон, гашиш, бошки
Современная студия дизайна https://bconline.com.ua архитектура, интерьер, декор. Мы создаём пространства, где технологии сочетаются с красотой, а стиль — с удобством.
telecharger 1xbet cameroun melbet – paris sportif
football africain afrik foot pronostic
paris sportif foot pronostic foot gratuit
Создавайте дом https://it-cifra.com.ua своей мечты! Всё о строительстве, ремонте и дизайне интерьера. Идеи, проекты, фото и инструкции — вдохновляйтесь и воплощайте задуманное легко и с удовольствием.
zebeta no prescription
купить вкладыш в диплом техникума купить вкладыш в диплом техникума .
купить диплом сварщика купить диплом сварщика .
Rocephin ist ein starkes injizierbares Antibiotikum. Es wird oft in Krankenhausern bei schweren Infektionen verwendet.
Doxycycline
купить диплом в крыму купить диплом в крыму .
I’ve been active for almost a year, mostly for cross-chain transfers, and it’s always intuitive UI. Support solved my issue in minutes.
goldnexus – Friendly tone makes the content feel approachable and enjoyable.
I personally find that this platform exceeded my expectations with quick deposits and stable performance.
Закладки тут – купить гашиш, мефедрон, альфа-пвп
отличное безрамное остекление балконов
bester quotenvergleich
Here is my web-site – pferderennen hoppegarten wetten
купить диплом с занесением в реестр ростов купить диплом с занесением в реестр ростов .
These bonuses may apply to sports betting or casino games, aiming to attract new players https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/hied/2020/10/29/social-justice-saturday/comment-page-368/#comment-296659
atorvastatine 40 mg kopen
wettseite
My blog :: online wettanbieter bonus – https://Harmony1.vn –
These bonuses may apply to sports betting or casino games, aiming to attract new players https://www.4shared.com/u/8pi0BjR_/lurzotogno.html
nootropil without prescription
Современная студия дизайна https://bconline.com.ua архитектура, интерьер, декор. Мы создаём пространства, где технологии сочетаются с красотой, а стиль — с удобством.
football africain https://pari-foot2.com
fan meet
wettbüro dresden
Feel free to surf to my webpage Südamerika strategie Sportwetten
1xbet afrique apk 1xbet cameroun apk
parier foot en ligne melbet telecharger
Современная студия дизайна https://bconline.com.ua архитектура, интерьер, декор. Мы создаём пространства, где технологии сочетаются с красотой, а стиль — с удобством.
Создавайте дом https://it-cifra.com.ua своей мечты! Всё о строительстве, ремонте и дизайне интерьера. Идеи, проекты, фото и инструкции — вдохновляйтесь и воплощайте задуманное легко и с удовольствием.
africain foot melbet – paris sportif
melbet – paris sportif melbet – paris sportif
telecharger 1xbet cameroun afrik foot pronostic
I’m drawn to Wazamba Casino, it seems like a whirlwind of delight. The catalog is absolutely massive, featuring over 5,000 titles from top providers. Building your bankroll effectively. Agents respond swiftly. The system is user-friendly, sometimes generous offers could be expanded. Overall, Wazamba Casino provides guaranteed enjoyment for adrenaline seekers ! Also the design is engaging and exotic, encourages repeated visits. Another perk is crypto-friendly banking options, offering more ways to win.
wazambagr.com|
Создавайте дом https://it-cifra.com.ua своей мечты! Всё о строительстве, ремонте и дизайне интерьера. Идеи, проекты, фото и инструкции — вдохновляйтесь и воплощайте задуманное легко и с удовольствием.
Современная студия дизайна https://bconline.com.ua архитектура, интерьер, декор. Мы создаём пространства, где технологии сочетаются с красотой, а стиль — с удобством.
ascendgrid – The domain is cool, hope the content lives up to it.
https://bs2shop.lat
pariez sur le foot 1xbet africain
Современная студия дизайна https://bconline.com.ua архитектура, интерьер, декор. Мы создаём пространства, где технологии сочетаются с красотой, а стиль — с удобством.
melbet telecharger 1xbet africain
parier pour le foot foot africain