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: |
Pharma Confiance tapis absorbant chat Pharma Confiance
¡Hola, cazadores de riquezas ocultas !
Casinos sin licencia en EspaГ±a con bonos sin depГіsito – п»їcasinosonlinesinlicencia.es casino sin licencia en espaГ±a
¡Que vivas increíbles recompensas extraordinarias !
Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web.
Disgrace on the seek engines for not positioning this post
higher! Come on over and visit my site . Thank you =)
Animal Feed https://pvslabs.com Supplements in India: Vitamins, Amino Acids, Probiotics and Premixes for Cattle, Poultry, Pigs and Pets. Increased Productivity and Health.
1вин приложение http://1win1111.ru
can you get generic maxalt without rx
Бездепозитные бонусы в казино Бездепозитные бонусы – это магнит для новых игроков в онлайн-казино, словно обещанный клад на необитаемом острове азарта. Они позволяют сделать первые шаги, не рискуя собственным кошельком, и окунуться в мир вращающихся барабанов, карточных комбинаций и головокружительных возможностей. Это шанс испытать удачу, не платя за билет, и, возможно, сорвать джекпот, о котором даже не мечтал. Бездепозитные бонусы в казино
הוציא את הטלפון שלו וצילם כמה תמונות בזמן שהיא ליקקה בחריצות את הזין, מנקה אותו מזרע. – הכוס הרטוב שלה ונכנס בתנועה אחת. היא התנשפה, התכופפה מתחתי. התחלתי לזיין אותה-קשה, מהיר, כך נערות ליווי צעירות
Hi there i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anyplace, when i read this
paragraph i thought i could also create comment due to this brilliant article.
https://2-bs2best.art/index.html
New AI generator ai nsfw generator of the new generation: artificial intelligence turns text into stylish and realistic image and videos.
Animal Feed https://pvslabs.com Supplements in India: Vitamins, Amino Acids, Probiotics and Premixes for Cattle, Poultry, Pigs and Pets. Increased Productivity and Health.
зеркало 1win http://1win1110.ru/
https://1-bs2best.lat/darknetmarket.html
Психотерапевт Киров. chat-s-psikhologom-v-telegramme.ru 342 оценок
Medication information for patients. What side effects?
promethazine codeine euphoria
Everything trends of medication. Get information here.
Excellent blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or
go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally overwhelmed ..
Any suggestions? Many thanks!
Психотерапевт Челны. chat-s-psikhologom-v-telegramme.ru 498 оценок
New AI generator nsfw ai art of the new generation: artificial intelligence turns text into stylish and realistic image and videos.
1win casino bonus 1win casino bonus
Мы можем предложить документы институтов, которые расположены на территории всей РФ. Купить диплом ВУЗа:
kome.maxbb.ru/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3603
освобождение от хлопот
тут
Pills prescribing information. Cautions.
cost clomid without rx
Actual information about drug. Get information now.
легальная медицинская справка
blacksprut com зеркало
https://b2tsite3.cc/bs2_best_at.html
букмекер 1 вин 1win1109.ru
справка для детского сада
The holiday season is the perfect time to explore old traditions and try something new. I found a detailed guide on how to perform Christmas fortune telling rituals, which are not only fun but also deeply rooted in history. If you want to experience the magic of Svyatki and learn about unique divination methods that have been practiced for centuries, don’t miss this article: Christmas divination. It’s packed with tips and step-by-step instructions for anyone interested in mystical practices.
подробнее
porno pics milf
If you’re passionate about Slavic culture and want to uncover the mysteries of Svyatki, I highly recommend reading about the traditions, riddles, and wonders that make this time of year so special. This resource dives into the folklore and magical customs that have been passed down through generations, offering a glimpse into the enchanting world of winter magic: Svyatki mysteries. Perfect for anyone who loves learning about cultural heritage and spiritual rituals.
https://www.fisb.it/media/pages/?top_8479.html
Бездепозитный бонус в казино Прежде чем принять щедрое предложение от казино, стоит внимательно изучить условия предоставления бездепозитного бонуса. Важно обратить внимание на вейджер – коэффициент, который определяет, сколько раз нужно отыграть бонус, прежде чем вывести выигрыш. Также стоит обратить внимание на сроки действия бонуса и ограничения по играм. Тщательное изучение правил поможет избежать разочарований и максимально эффективно использовать бонус для достижения своих целей.
как зайти на blacksprut
тут
Откройте для себя невероятные пейзажи Урала с нашими советами по подготовке к пешему походу.
По теме “Оздоровление и отдых на Кавказских источниках”, нашел много полезного.
Ссылка ниже:
https://rustrail.ru/%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%b2%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%b7%d1%81%d0%ba%d0%b8%d0%b5-%d0%bc%d0%b8%d0%bd%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%bb%d1%8c%d0%bd%d1%8b%d0%b5-%d0%b8%d1%81%d1%82%d0%be%d1%87%d0%bd%d0%b8%d0%ba%d0%b8/
Собравшись в путь, не забывайте наслаждаться каждым моментом похода по этому удивительному региону.
blacksprut onion
Good way of explaining, and fastidious piece of writing to get facts concerning my presentation topic, which
i am going to present in institution of higher education.
1win sports betting https://1win11005.com
ракета 1 вин 1win1111.ru
Ресурс рекомендует ознакомиться с любопытными, полезными новостями из сферы велотехники. Ознакомьтесь с любопытными, актуальными новостями – они вызовут интерес у всех, кто касается этой области. На портале находятся материалы о тюнинге, а также о том, как провести ремонт автотехники. https://motovelobike.com.ua/ – на портале вы отыщете увлекательные материалы на такую тему. Есть содержательные тест-драйвы, которые дадут возможность понять, нужен ли вам приглянувшийся мотоцикл. Материал представлен в простом, понятном формате.
блэкспрут
blacksprut вход
открыть
New AI generator nsfw ai generator of the new generation: artificial intelligence turns text into stylish and realistic image and videos.
IndiMeds Direct: IndiMeds Direct – pharmacy website india
blacksprut сайт
блэкспрут сайт