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: |
theperfectgiftshop – I would check whether shipping terms, returns policy and customer reviews are clear before buying.
code promo pour l’inscription Regional variations underscore the platform’s global reach and tailored marketing approaches. Searches range from “Code promo 1xbet Afrique du Sud” to “code promo 1xbet canada”, emphasizing the focus on specific geographic areas to further maximize the return. This also means that regulations and restrictions can vary. There are a myriad of promo codes of various values and for various use-cases, from sports betting to casino and beyond. Ultimately, the search is driven by the aspiration to enhance the 1xBet experience with a strategic code, whether it provides welcome bonus or other promotions.
madmadedesigns – Less ideal if you need high volume or standardized output—seems more boutique-style.
анонимный наркологический центр анонимный наркологический центр .
зашиваться от алкоголя narkologicheskaya-klinika-25.ru .
madmadedesigns – The visuals are appealing, and the aesthetic suggests a boutique or artisan service rather than mass-production.
наркологическая услуга москва http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-27.ru/ .
Cilt bak?m?na dair dogal guzellik s?rlar?n? ogrenmeye haz?r m?s?n?z?
Yeri gelmisken, eger Cilt Bak?m? ve Guzellik: Trendler ve Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://bakimruhu.com
Cilt bak?m?n? hayat?n?z?n bir parcas? haline getirin ve fark? gorun.
казино мостбет казино мостбет
клиники наркологические москва http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-27.ru/ .
madmadedesigns – I like the branding: the name is memorable and hints at original, handcrafted work.
madmadedesigns – Would recommend verifying timeline, pricing, and deliverables up front—custom design can vary widely.
madmadedesigns – I like the branding: the name is memorable and hints at original, handcrafted work.
Hi, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, fantastic blog!
kra42 cc
как зайти на сайт мостбет http://www.mostbet12031.ru
I’m not sure exactly why but this blog is loading very slow for me.
Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end?
I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still
exists.
Why visitors still make use of to read news papers when in this technological globe all is accessible on net?
kra42 cc
мостбет кг мостбет кг
клиника наркологическая платная https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-25.ru .
turnerhallrestaurant – Exceptional dining experience with quality cuisine and atmosphere.
клиника наркологическая москва https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-25.ru/ .
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
Bu arada, eger Estetik ve Fonksiyonellik: Ideal Mekan Tasar?m? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://evsahnesi.com
Guzelliginizin ve sagl?g?n?z?n anahtar? dogru cilt bak?m?nda sakl?.
mostbet сайт регистрация mostbet12031.ru
скачать приложение мостбет http://www.mostbet12031.ru
kraken android
кракен маркет
гидроизоляция цена работы гидроизоляция цена работы .
гидроизоляция подвала гаража гидроизоляция подвала гаража .
simplybestchoice – Overall: a decent concept, but I’d proceed cautiously until more verification is available.
mostbet kg https://www.mostbet12031.ru
номер наркологии http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-25.ru/ .
uniquetrendstore – Would be helpful if the site had clearer “About” info, team details, and real customer testimonials to build credibility.
реабилитация зависимых https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-25.ru/ .
Нужна обработка от клопов для автомобиля, посоветуйте.
уничтожение тараканов цена
подвал дома ремонт http://www.gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru/ .
гидроизоляция цена за м2 за работу http://www.gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru/ .
changetheworld – I couldn’t find much information about the site’s content or purpose.
бк мост бет бк мост бет
Экспертная служба дезинсекции и дезинфекции
Здесь вы получите качественную услугу по обработке помещения!
## Мы — профессионалы своего дела:
Работаем быстро и эффективно в области дезинсекции, дезинфекции и дератизации.
## Что мы предлагаем?
* Современная система обработки жилых и коммерческих помещений
* Индивидуальные программы профилактики
### Наши услуги:
* Дезинфекция: устранение любых видов вредителей.
* Избавление от постельных клопов
* Предоставление полного комплекса санитарно-гигиенических мероприятий
## Почему выбирают нас?
* Высококачественные экологичные средства
* Аккуратность и чистота выполняемых работ
https://sanepidemstanciya1.ru/
мостбет скачат mostbet12032.ru
simplybestchoice – Overall: a decent concept, but I’d proceed cautiously until more verification is available.
Dogal guzelliginizin s?rlar?n? ortaya c?karmaya var m?s?n?z?
Guzellik ve Bak?m: Trendler ve Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki yaz? ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://ciltruhu.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
все ровно мира вам ! и процветания купить скорость, кокаин, мефедрон, гашиш продаван обещал разобраться по поводу 307. Надеюсь на скорейшее разрешение ситуации.
joinourcreativeworld – So far, a promising domain—especially if you’re thinking of creative collaborations or project-sharing—but proceed with standard due diligence.
mostbet skachat 2024 mostbet skachat 2024
buildyourdreamtoday – I couldn’t find much information about the site’s content or purpose.
dreamcreateinspire – The layout looks clean and modern, but it lacks depth of content, which raises caution.
скачать бесплатно мостбет https://www.mostbet12031.ru
отделка подвала отделка подвала .
This extension will make ChatGPT your default search engine in Chrome https://www.reddit.com/r/WordpressPlugins/comments/1o1rrho/free_chatgpt_can_now_directly_manage_your/
мостбэт http://www.mostbet12032.ru