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: |
boulder-problem.com – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
getmoreforshop.shop – Great deals here, I always end up saving a lot shopping.
Guzellik ve kozmetikte her zaman gecmisten al?nacak dersler bulunur. 90’lar?n modas?ndan guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmeye haz?r olun.
По теме “Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler”, нашел много полезного.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://anadolustil.com
Nostalji dolu bu yolculukta bizimle oldugunuz icin tesekkur ederiz. 90’lar modas? ve guzelliginin ruhunu hissedin.
findyourmoments.click – Inspiring site overall, encourages living with presence and calm awareness.
shopthetrendtoday – Stylish layout, ideal for trendy products and fast-fashion finds.
A person necessarily lend a hand to make seriously articles I’d state.
That is the first time I frequented your website page and thus far?
I surprised with the analysis you made to create this particular put
up amazing. Great task!
findjoyeveryday.shop – Brings a little joy each visit, love checking their updates.
кракен актуальная ссылка
кракен онлайн
забьется, такое бывает у них. https://oaostplem.ru за самих представителей нет .
yourdailyshoppinghub.shop – Great store overall, everything I ordered arrived quickly and safely.
findyourmoments.click – Such a peaceful place online, always leaves me feeling centered.
Guzellik ve kozmetikte her zaman gecmisten al?nacak dersler bulunur. 90’lar?n modas?ndan guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmeye haz?r olun.
Особенно понравился раздел про Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://evimsicak.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
findjoyeveryday.shop – Love the positive vibe here, everything feels bright and inspiring.
findjoyeveryday.shop – Always a good mood boost browsing these joyful collections online.
findyourmoments.click – Inspiring site overall, encourages living with presence and calm awareness.
If you’re curious about routing check Anyswap routing explained
The fees article ParaSwap gas guide helped a lot
Tarz?n?z? 90’lar?n unutulmaz modas?ndan esinlenerek gunumuze tas?mak ister misiniz? Oyleyse bu yaz?m?z tam size gore!
Хочу выделить материал про Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://guzellikturk.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
findjoyeveryday.shop – The name fits perfectly, shopping here truly makes me smile.
yourdailyshoppinghub.shop – Great store overall, everything I ordered arrived quickly and safely.
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting
a little research on this. And he actually ordered me lunch due to the fact that I
found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some
time to discuss this issue here on your web page.
Tarz?n?z? 90’lar?n unutulmaz modas?ndan esinlenerek gunumuze tas?mak ister misiniz? Oyleyse bu yaz?m?z tam size gore!
Между прочим, если вас интересует Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler, посмотрите сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://anadolustil.com
Nostalji dolu bu yolculukta bizimle oldugunuz icin tesekkur ederiz. 90’lar modas? ve guzelliginin ruhunu hissedin.
findyourmoments.click – The tone feels gentle and warm, really soothing to read through.
findyourmoments.click – Love the calm vibe here, helps me appreciate little things more.
yourdailyshoppinghub.shop – Prices are awesome, totally my go-to place for online deals.
kraken vpn
кракен онлайн
If you want to swap tokens efficiently, study How to use SpiritSwap.
Guzellik ve kozmetikte her zaman gecmisten al?nacak dersler bulunur. 90’lar?n modas?ndan guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmeye haz?r olun.
Кстати, если вас интересует Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler, посмотрите сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://anadolustil.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
yourdailyshoppinghub.shop – Very happy with my experience, everything worked perfectly from start.
yourdailyshoppinghub.shop – Very happy with my experience, everything worked perfectly from start.
купить колпак для курения
classyfindsonline.shop – Beautiful store overall, feels sophisticated yet affordable at the same time.
trendinghomeideas.shop – This site gives fresh design inspiration, everything looks so modern.
buildsomethingnew.shop – Such a cool site, makes innovation feel fun and accessible.
кракен клиент
kraken ссылка
simplevalueplace.shop – Easy navigation, great deals, and a clean minimal shopping layout.
smartfashionboutique.shop – Prices are fair, and the overall vibe feels high-end.
classyfindsonline.shop – Everything looks modern yet timeless, perfect mix for online shoppers.
startanewjourney.shop – Love how peaceful the design feels, very calming and thoughtful.
trendinghomeideas.shop – Great mix of products, perfect for refreshing my living space today.
курсы seo курсы seo .
buildsomethingnew.shop – Great products for makers, really motivates me to start new projects.
trendingstyleworld.shop – This store keeps up with trends perfectly, everything feels current.
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
Is?lt?l? Guzellik: Sac ve Cilt Bak?m Onerileri hakk?ndaki yaz? ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://tenvezarafet.com
Cilt bak?m?n? hayat?n?z?n bir parcas? haline getirin ve fark? gorun.
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
“Is?lt?l? Guzellik: Sac ve Cilt Bak?m Onerileri” konusuyla ilgili olarak harika bir makale var.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://tenvezarafet.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
classyfindsonline.shop – Site feels smooth and refined, just like the items they sell.
simplevalueplace.shop – Love the simplicity here, great prices without losing product quality.
modernlivingtrend.shop – Great collection of stylish pieces, perfect for updating any home.
trendinghomeideas.shop – Found amazing lighting options here, delivery was quick and smooth too.
findyourpathnow.shop – Love the motivation here, makes me feel more grounded every day.