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: |
Добрый день!
Виртуальные номера помогают оставаться анонимным. С нами вы можете подключить любые виртуальные номера по выгодной цене. виртуальные номера подходят для работы, регистрации и других задач. Выбирайте удобство — подключайте виртуальные номера с нами.
Полная информация по ссылке – купить белорусский номер телефона
купить виртуальный номер навсегда, виртуальный номер телефона, купить виртуальный номер навсегда
постоянный виртуальный номер для смс, купить виртуальный номер для смс навсегда, постоянный виртуальный номер
Удачи и комфорта в общении!
simplybestchoice.click – Checkout process was smooth, didn’t encounter any hiccups at all.
Регистрация в 2026 году — руководство по бонусам и предложениям. Посмотрите, как корректно активировать регистрационные предложения, и в середине процесса обратите внимание на 1xBet промокод как вариант получения дополнительного вознаграждения. Часто задаваемые вопросы помогут быстро разобраться с верификацией и получением бонусов.
birxbet giri? https://1xbet-giris-9.com .
1xbet giri? g?ncel 1xbet giri? g?ncel .
1xbet resmi giri? 1xbet resmi giri? .
1x giri? http://www.1xbet-giris-8.com/ .
1xbet giri? 2025 1xbet giri? 2025 .
1xbet giri?i 1xbet giri?i .
1xbet giri? 2025 1xbet giri? 2025 .
1xbet giri? 2025 1xbet giri? 2025 .
1xbet resmi giri? 1xbet resmi giri? .
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
Kozmetik Dunyas?nda En Yeni Guzellik Trendleri ve Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki bolum dikkatimi cekti.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://bakimsehri.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
1xbet mobi 1xbet mobi .
1xbet t?rkiye giri? http://www.1xbet-giris-1.com .
1xbet giri? 2025 1xbet giri? 2025 .
1xbet resmi sitesi http://www.1xbet-giris-9.com .
1x giri? http://www.1xbet-giris-8.com/ .
1x giri? https://1xbet-giris-9.com .
1 xbet 1 xbet .
wer ist der beste wettanbieter
Take a look at my web-site … online wetten
1xbet g?ncel 1xbet g?ncel .
https://factava.com.ua/prykmety/bilyy-pavuk-prykmety-shcho-oznachaie-yoho-poiava-ta-iak-tse-vplyvaie-na-vashe-zhyttia/
Cilt bak?m?n?z? bir ust seviyeye c?karman?n zaman? geldi, siz ne dersiniz?
“Turk Mutfag?n?n Geleneksel ve Modern Lezzetleri” konusunda bilgi arayanlar icin cok faydal? bilgiler buldum.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://turklezzeti.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
wetten dass gewinner gestern
Here is my web page wettanbieter bester bonus (Protegecordeiro.Com.br)
createandgrow.click – The experience feels trustworthy and reliable, very satisfied with my visit.
Save money while going green – here’s how to make sustainability affordable https://ecofriendlystore.ru/
bestdealsforlife.click – Consistent quality and value, definitely recommend to friends who like good bargains.
1xbet giri?i 1xbet giri?i .
birxbet giri? https://1xbet-giris-9.com/ .
1xbet g?ncel adres 1xbet g?ncel adres .
1xbet g?ncel adres 1xbet g?ncel adres .
theperfectgiftshop.click – Packaging and shipping were reliable, my order arrived in excellent condition.
globaltrendmarket.click – Will definitely come back — this shop has become one of my favourites.
exploreopportunitiesnow.click – Navigation is fast, content loads well; made the overall experience pleasant.
1xbet com giri? http://1xbet-giris-1.com .
If you are looking for trusted sites in the USA, then this is something you shouldn’t miss. Discover the full details via the link at the bottom of the page:
https://alhindhealthtourism.com/online-casino-world-betting-at-your-fingertips/
http://medtronik.ru/ страница с полезной информацией для новичков
1xbet giri? yapam?yorum https://1xbet-giris-7.com/ .
1xbet g?ncel giri? 1xbet g?ncel giri? .
smartchoiceoutlet.click – Secure checkout and clear shipping info, made me purchase with ease.
1xbet turkey 1xbet turkey .
1xbet com giri? http://www.1xbet-giris-8.com .
1xbet tr giri? https://www.1xbet-giris-9.com .
handicap wetten
My web blog :: geburtstermin wette gewinn
uniquetrendstore.click – Packaging was well done, item arrived intact and well-protected.
birxbet birxbet .
birxbet giri? 1xbet-giris-9.com .
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
Kozmetik Dunyas?nda En Yeni Guzellik Trendleri ve Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki bolum ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://bakimsehri.com
Cildinizin dogall?g?n? ve sagl?g?n? korumak sizin elinizde.
dreamcreateinspire.click – The site keeps bringing new ideas and motivates me to take action.