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: |
Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely
off topic but I had to tell someone!
торкретирование бетона цена м2 https://torkretirovanie-1.ru/ .
code promo 1xbet senegal 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.
Отзыв о продукте дам в определённой теме Спасибо за вашу хорошую работу Chemical-mix.com? купить онлайн мефедрон, экстази, бошки Привет всем Тсу движек
shopwithsmile – The name fits perfectly, I honestly smiled while browsing these products.
трубка для курения
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
Turk Mutfag?n?n Geleneksel ve Modern Lezzetleri hakk?ndaki bolum ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://turklezzeti.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
radio alarm clock phone combo http://www.alarm-radio-clocks.com .
radio alarm clock https://alarm-radio-clocks.com/ .
shopwithsmile – Found a few unique products I haven’t seen anywhere else, great discovery.
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
Yeri gelmisken, eger Kozmetik Dunyas?nda En Yeni Guzellik Trendleri ve Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://bakimsehri.com
Guzelliginizin ve sagl?g?n?z?n anahtar? dogru cilt bak?m?nda sakl?.
shopwithsmile – Love the cheerful vibe here, makes online shopping feel light and fun.
shopwithsmile – Prices are fair and the checkout process was super smooth and simple.
shopwithsmile – Overall such a pleasant shopping experience, definitely living up to its name.
Je suis emerveille par Olympe Casino, on ressent une energie divine. La variete des titres est divine, offrant des sessions live immortelles. Le bonus de bienvenue est divin. Le service est disponible 24/7, toujours pret a guider. Les gains arrivent sans delai, bien que plus de promos regulieres ajouteraient de la gloire. En resume, Olympe Casino garantit un plaisir divin pour les fans de casino en ligne ! Ajoutons que le design est moderne et divin, ajoute une touche de mythologie. Un plus divin les paiements securises en crypto, assure des transactions fiables.
olympefr.com|
seo partner program http://www.optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva.ru/ .
букмекерская контора melbet букмекерская контора melbet .
seo аудит веб сайта seo аудит веб сайта .
melbet официальный сайт melbet официальный сайт .
Online betting is an exhilarating way to enjoy your favorite sports and casino games https://www.40billion.com/profile/619370233
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
“Guzellik ve Bak?mda Yenilikci Yaklas?mlar” konusuyla ilgili olarak oras? tam bir bilgi hazinesi.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://zariften.com
Cildinizin dogall?g?n? ve sagl?g?n? korumak sizin elinizde.
kraken vk4
kraken vk3
https://bestballs.ru/
Howdy outstanding blog! Does running a blog similar to this require a massive amount work? I have virtually no understanding of programming however I had been hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyhow, if you have any recommendations or techniques for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off topic but I simply had to ask. Appreciate it!
https://dipo88.com/melbet-obzor-2025-bk-stavki-bonusy/
продвижение в google https://www.optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva.ru .
интернет раскрутка https://www.optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva-1.ru .
internetagentur seo optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva-1.ru .
internet seo https://optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva.ru/ .
мелбет бк мелбет бк .
сайт бк мелбет сайт бк мелбет .
Online betting is an exhilarating way to enjoy your favorite sports and casino games https://www.diigo.com/item/note/8u7y1/1iwy?k=fe4a8e82c18903d74192cf7698dc0da3
статьи про seo статьи про seo .
маркетинговые стратегии статьи маркетинговые стратегии статьи .
worldcityexpo.com – Found practical insights today; sharing this article with colleagues later.
интернет раскрутка https://optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva-1.ru/ .
Ich bin begeistert von der Welt bei Cat Spins Casino, es entfuhrt in eine Welt voller Nervenkitzel. Es gibt unzahlige packende Spiele, mit Spielautomaten in beeindruckenden Designs. Er macht den Einstieg unvergesslich. Der Service ist einwandfrei. Transaktionen sind zuverlassig und effizient, trotzdem waren mehr Bonusvarianten ein Plus. Insgesamt, Cat Spins Casino garantiert dauerhaften Spielspa?. Nebenbei die Benutzeroberflache ist klar und flussig, das Spielerlebnis steigert. Ein hervorragendes Plus die vielfaltigen Sportwetten-Optionen, regelma?ige Boni bieten.
Startseite ansehen|
интернет агентство продвижение сайтов сео https://optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva-1.ru .
utti-dolci – Really helpful tips here, saved me hours of unnecessary work.
цифровой маркетинг статьи цифровой маркетинг статьи .
jonathanfinngamino – Helpful ideas posted here, I’ll definitely share with all friends.
статьи про продвижение сайтов статьи про продвижение сайтов .
аудит продвижения сайта аудит продвижения сайта .
Ich freue mich riesig uber Cat Spins Casino, es ladt zu unvergesslichen Momenten ein. Das Spieleportfolio ist unglaublich breit, mit immersiven Live-Dealer-Spielen. Er macht den Einstieg unvergesslich. Der Kundensupport ist top. Auszahlungen sind zugig und unkompliziert, dennoch zusatzliche Freispiele waren willkommen. Zum Schluss, Cat Spins Casino ist ein Top-Ziel fur Spieler. Hinzu kommt die Plattform ist optisch ein Highlight, einen Hauch von Eleganz hinzufugt. Ein wichtiger Vorteil ist das VIP-Programm mit tollen Privilegien, regelma?ige Boni bieten.
Weiterlesen|
net seo http://optimizaciya-i-seo-prodvizhenie-sajtov-moskva.ru/ .
goestotown – Enjoyed reading these posts, ideas are simple yet very useful.
кракен Москва
кракен vk3
Online betting is an exhilarating way to enjoy your favorite sports and casino games https://www.diigo.com/item/note/8uopt/1p6b?k=f2dcf8ba9e2f1b7f2c58a76f26190b8c
Thanks for sharing such a good thinking, paragraph is good,
thats why i have read it completely
+905072014298 fetoden dolayi ulkeyi terk etti
официальный сайт бк мелбет официальный сайт бк мелбет .