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: |
потолки натяжные в нижнем новгороде natyazhnye-potolki-nizhniy-novgorod-1.ru .
1 xbet 1 xbet .
yourstylematters – Will definitely revisit this site for more styling ideas and trends.
1xbet giri? 2025 1xbet giri? 2025 .
1x bet giri? http://1xbet-giris-6.com/ .
mostbet игры https://www.mostbet12033.ru
скачать мостбет казино https://mostbet12034.ru
1xbet yeni giri? 1xbet yeni giri? .
https://www.orkhonschool.edu.mn/profile/mitchelletnscott53490/profile
купить диплом проведенный москва http://frei-diplom2.ru/ .
findsomethingamazing – The products are so interesting, feels like a hidden treasure place.
xbet giri? https://1xbet-giris-6.com/ .
bahis sitesi 1xbet bahis sitesi 1xbet .
bahis siteler 1xbet bahis siteler 1xbet .
1 xbet 1 xbet .
потолочкин нижний новгород natyazhnye-potolki-nizhniy-novgorod-1.ru .
Hi, i feel that i saw you visited my site so i came to return the
desire?.I’m trying to find issues to enhance my website!I guess
its ok to make use of a few of your ideas!!
1xbet resmi giri? 1xbet-giris-6.com .
1 x bet giri? 1xbet-giris-6.com .
yourstylematters – The content feels well-curated and the branding looks professional throughout.
Ich habe einen Narren gefressen an Cat Spins Casino, es ist ein Ort, der begeistert. Es gibt unzahlige packende Spiele, mit Spielen, die Krypto unterstutzen. 100 % bis zu 500 € inklusive Freispiele. Der Kundensupport ist top. Auszahlungen sind einfach und schnell, dennoch mehr Bonusangebote waren ideal. In Summe, Cat Spins Casino ist ein Ort fur pure Unterhaltung. Nebenbei ist das Design stilvoll und einladend, zum Bleiben einladt. Ein weiteres Highlight ist das VIP-Programm mit exklusiven Stufen, exklusive Boni bieten.
Das ГјberprГјfen|
happyhomefinds – A nice place to browse when I’m looking for cozy home vibes.
После обработка детского сада дом стал чистым, рекомендую всем!
уничтожение клопов цена
1x giri? 1xbet-giris-6.com .
1 x bet giri? http://1xbet-giris-6.com .
1xbwt giri? 1xbet-giris-6.com .
1xbet giris 1xbet giris .
yourstylematters – Will definitely revisit this site for more styling ideas and trends.
SafePal Wallet ensures maximum protection for long-term investors. The SafePal App delivers easy-to-use tools for managing multiple cryptocurrencies.
Safepal wallet extension
safepal-extension.cc
где купить диплом медсестры колледжа http://frei-diplom9.ru/ .
J’adore le dynamisme de Ruby Slots Casino, on y trouve une vibe envoutante. Le catalogue est un paradis pour les joueurs, proposant des jeux de table sophistiques. 100% jusqu’a 500 € avec des free spins. Disponible 24/7 pour toute question. Le processus est simple et transparent, en revanche des offres plus genereuses rendraient l’experience meilleure. Pour finir, Ruby Slots Casino garantit un plaisir constant. Notons aussi la plateforme est visuellement electrisante, booste le fun du jeu. Un plus les options variees pour les paris sportifs, qui booste la participation.
Rejoindre maintenant|
findsomethingamazing – Always find something new and awesome whenever I visit this site.
топ диджитал агентств россии топ диджитал агентств россии .
мостбет вход через соцсети mostbet12034.ru
yourstylematters – Found some outfit ideas here that I hadn’t considered before, nice variety.
Ich bin absolut begeistert von Cat Spins Casino, es schafft eine elektrisierende Atmosphare. Es gibt eine Fulle an aufregenden Titeln, mit Spielautomaten in kreativen Designs. 100 % bis zu 500 € und Freispiele. Der Support ist zuverlassig und hilfsbereit. Die Zahlungen sind sicher und zuverlassig, von Zeit zu Zeit mehr Bonusvielfalt ware ein Vorteil. Zusammenfassend, Cat Spins Casino ist ein Top-Ziel fur Spieler. Zusatzlich die Navigation ist unkompliziert, jeden Augenblick spannender macht. Ein weiteres Highlight sind die sicheren Krypto-Transaktionen, die die Community enger zusammenschwei?en.
Mit dem Entdecken beginnen|
mostbet kg скачать на андроид mostbet kg скачать на андроид
mostbet.com mostbet12033.ru
bestpickscollection – Discovered some interesting products here, layout is clean and inviting.
yourstylematters – Love how stylish and fresh this site looks, very inspiring.
https://bursa89.com/melbet-dostup-2025/
happyhomefinds – Found some charming decor ideas here, perfect for freshening up my space.
findsomethingamazing – Always find something new and awesome whenever I visit this site.
https://wefunder.com/xbetpromocodes
купить диплом в черкесске купить диплом в черкесске .
мостбет приложение https://www.mostbet12034.ru
mostbet mobile https://www.mostbet12034.ru
Je suis sous le charme de Ruby Slots Casino, il cree un monde de sensations fortes. La gamme est variee et attrayante, incluant des paris sportifs en direct. Le bonus de bienvenue est genereux. Les agents sont rapides et pros. Le processus est fluide et intuitif, neanmoins des recompenses supplementaires seraient parfaites. Pour finir, Ruby Slots Casino merite une visite dynamique. En extra la plateforme est visuellement captivante, amplifie l’adrenaline du jeu. A signaler les competitions regulieres pour plus de fun, offre des bonus exclusifs.
VГ©rifier le site|
бонусы без отыгрыша за регистрацию Мечтаете испытать удачу в онлайн-казино, но не готовы рисковать собственными деньгами? Тогда бездепозитные бонусы – это именно то, что вам нужно! Эти щедрые подарки от казино позволяют начать игру совершенно бесплатно, а иногда даже дают шанс выиграть реальные деньги. Давайте разберемся, что это за бонусы, как их получить и на что обратить внимание.
findsomethingamazing – Found some unexpected gems here, definitely worth checking out often.