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: |
buildsomethingnew.shop – Found awesome DIY kits here, everything arrived fast and complete.
classyfindsonline.shop – Found some beautiful accessories, perfect balance between style and price.
кракен сайт
кракен ссылка
staycuriousdiscover.shop – Beautiful layout and message, everything encourages discovery and imagination.
smartfashionboutique.shop – This boutique always surprises me with fresh and creative looks.
yourmomentstarts.click – Beautiful words throughout, gives off strong new beginning energy always.
Excelente resumen sobre las tragamonedas favoritas en Pin Up
Casino México. Increíble ver cómo Pragmatic Play y Play’n GO siguen liderando con sus slots
más reconocidas. La información sobre los multiplicadores,
rondas de bonificación y pagos en cascada fue muy útil.
Recomiendo leer el artículo completo si quieres descubrir qué juegos están marcando tendencia en Pin Up Casino.
Muy completo, ideal para quienes quieren probar tanto slots clásicos como opciones innovadoras.
Te recomiendo visitar el post original para conocer
las tragamonedas más populares de 2025 en Pin-Up Casino.
startanewjourney.shop – Inspiring and hopeful space, perfect for anyone seeking new beginnings.
modernlivingstore.click – So many creative items here, really updates any home beautifully.
classyfindsonline.shop – Great taste in curation, love the simplicity of their fashion picks.
Подробная пошаговая инструкция по активации бонусов и типам предложений — от фрибетов до подарков на День Рождения; в одном из абзацев естественно вставлена ссылка на https://sushikim.ru/image/pgs/1xbet-besplatnuy-promokod-pri-registracii.html, дабы читатель мог быстро перейти к источнику. Материал также рассказывает о верификации и минимальных требованиях для вывода средств.
simplevalueplace.shop – Love browsing here, so many practical things for daily use.
trendinghomeideas.shop – Love the decor inspiration here, so many creative home styling ideas.
buildsomethingnew.shop – Love how organized the site feels, makes browsing projects enjoyable.
trendingstyleworld.shop – Love this boutique vibe, everything screams fashion-forward and effortlessly trendy.
trendinghomeideas.shop – The decor pieces are elegant, quality exceeded what I expected honestly.
Cilt bak?m?na dair dogal guzellik s?rlar?n? ogrenmeye haz?r m?s?n?z?
Bu arada, eger Kozmetik Dunyas?nda En Yeni Guzellik Trendleri ve Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://bakimsehri.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
buildsomethingnew.shop – The tutorials are super helpful, really boosted my confidence in building.
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
Moda ve Konforun Zirvesi: Trendler ve Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki bolum dikkatimi cekti.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://sadesik.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
simplevalueplace.shop – Love browsing here, so many practical things for daily use.
smartfashionboutique.shop – Found my new favorite dress here, quality exceeded my expectations.
68GB | Game Bài Đổi Thưởng – Link Tải 68 game
bài tháng 10 mới nhất 2025
If you wish for to grow your knowledge just keep visiting this web
page and be updated with the latest gossip posted here.
startanewjourney.shop – Great concept overall, inspires motivation and personal transformation beautifully.
modernlivingtrend.shop – Great collection of stylish pieces, perfect for updating any home.
simplevalueplace.shop – Prices are fair, delivery came earlier than expected which was nice.
Dogal guzelliginizin s?rlar?n? ortaya c?karmaya var m?s?n?z?
Bu arada, eger Cilt Bak?m? ve Guzellik: Trendler ve Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://bakimruhu.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
trendingstyleworld.shop – Smooth shopping experience, delivery came right on time as promised.
findyourpathnow.shop – Great site overall, helps me reflect and focus on personal growth.
smartfashionboutique.shop – Prices are fair, and the overall vibe feels high-end.
staycuriousdiscover.shop – Amazing platform, helps me explore new perspectives every single day.
startanewjourney.shop – Great site for motivation, helps me focus on self-growth daily.
yourmomentstarts.click – Inspiring concept, really helps me kickstart my mornings with purpose.
modernlivingstore.click – Found some amazing home decor ideas here, quality feels top-notch.
smartfashionboutique.shop – This boutique always surprises me with fresh and creative looks.
кракен зеркало
кракен ссылка
startanewjourney.shop – The theme feels refreshing, makes me reflect on life positively.
trendingstyleworld.shop – Great fashion picks, always something new and exciting to explore.
modernlivingtrend.shop – The decor trends here always inspire me to redecorate my space.
Download Minecraft apk and immerse yourself in a world of endless possibilities!
Minecraft, renowned for its creativity and open-world environment, has gathered a dedicated player base across the globe.
trendingstyleworld.shop – Prices are great, definitely my go-to for quick fashion finds.
findyourpathnow.shop – Great community energy here, feels supportive and genuinely positive always.
staycuriousdiscover.shop – Always find new insights here, really sparks genuine curiosity within.
How to reduce energy use at home without major renovations https://ecofriendlystore.ru/
yourmomentstarts.click – Love how encouraging the content feels, really sets a hopeful tone.
Hey there! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are
you using for this site? I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform.
I would be awesome if you could point me in the
direction of a good platform.
modernlivingtrend.shop – Great prices for contemporary decor, makes redesigning a home affordable too.
modernlivingstore.click – Love the furniture picks here, they fit perfectly in any space.
findyourpathnow.shop – Beautiful message throughout, really encourages new beginnings and personal discovery.
modernlivingtrend.shop – Great prices for contemporary decor, makes redesigning a home affordable too.