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: |
электрокарниз купить в москве электрокарниз купить в москве .
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Tips for beginner investors and saving money”, there is an excellent article.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
гидроизоляция цена за рулон гидроизоляция цена за рулон .
Pinco giriş bu gün aktivdir. Əyləncəni kəşf et — pinko oyun. Pinco oyun saytında çoxlu məsləhətlər var.
Pinco betdə yeni kampaniyalar olur.
Pinco-da canlı yayımlar var. Qazanmaq istəyirsənsə, indi bu linkdən başla — https://pinkoaz.website.yandexcloud.net/. Pinco oyunları mobil cihazlarda əladır.
Pinco kazino bonusları daim artırılır.
сырость в подвале многоквартирного дома http://www.gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru .
платная наркологическая клиника платная наркологическая клиника .
электрические карнизы для штор в москве elektrokarniz499.ru .
карниз моторизованный http://www.elektrokarniz797.ru .
В обзорной статье вы найдете собрание важных фактов и аналитики по самым разнообразным темам. Мы рассматриваем как современные исследования, так и исторические контексты, чтобы вы могли получить полное представление о предмете. Погрузитесь в мир знаний и сделайте шаг к пониманию!
Полная информация здесь – http://www.magic-management.nl/_mg_6670a1000x1500
карниз для штор с электроприводом карниз для штор с электроприводом .
электронный карниз для штор электронный карниз для штор .
Cilt bak?m?na dair dogal guzellik s?rlar?n? ogrenmeye haz?r m?s?n?z?
Faydal? Dekorasyon ve Mobilya Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki yaz? dikkate degerdi.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://cilginmobilya.com
Dogal guzelliginizi koruyun ve her zaman en iyi versiyonunuz olun.
кожаные жалюзи с электроприводом https://www.avtomaticheskie-zhalyuzi.ru .
клиника вывод из запоя москва клиника вывод из запоя москва .
карниз с электроприводом карниз с электроприводом .
электрокарниз купить в москве электрокарниз купить в москве .
да не сцы, бывает у него такое )) магаз работает ровно, но вот с розницей у них напряг, изначально то ориентированы на опт, и просто рук не всех теперь на хватает. позже ответит. https://polmeg.ru Надеюсь этот вопрос решится …….
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
Modern Tesettur Moda Trendleri ve Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki yaz? dikkate degerdi.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://giyimkeyfi.com
Cildinizin dogall?g?n? ve sagl?g?n? korumak sizin elinizde.
автоматические карнизы автоматические карнизы .
mostbet kg https://mostbet12036.ru
голосовое управление жалюзи http://avtomaticheskie-zhalyuzi.ru .
карнизы для штор с электроприводом карнизы для штор с электроприводом .
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
I want to highlight the material about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://codefortots.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
автоматические гардины для штор http://www.elektrokarniz499.ru/ .
вход мостбет mostbet12037.ru
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
On the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
marketsonic.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
электрокарниз двухрядный https://www.elektrokarniz797.ru .
hướng dẫn cách đăng nhập QQ88
promoverse.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
мост бет бетгеймс http://www.mostbet12036.ru
mejores farmacias en línea: comprar medicamentos online sin receta – farmacias sin receta en España
KRAKEN вход всегда доступен через кракен тор. Актуальное зеркало помогает авторизоваться и продолжить пользоваться сервисом.
marketsonic.click – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Master financial management with TaleStrucker, take a look here.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://talestrucker.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
marketcraft.click – Overall, professional vibe here; trustworthy, polished, and pleasantly minimal throughout.
clickexpand.click – Loved the layout today; clean, simple, and genuinely user-friendly overall.
С помощью кракен вход легко обойти блокировки. Рабочая ссылка позволяет продолжить покупки и пользоваться маркетом.
сайт mostbet https://mostbet12037.ru/
электрические гардины электрические гардины .
mostbet app login https://mostbet12037.ru
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
Кстати, если вас интересует Guzellik ve Kozmetik: 90’lar Modas?ndan Ipuclar?, посмотрите сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://aynakirildi.com
Tarz?n?zda 90’lar?n esintilerini hissetmeye baslad?g?n?za eminim. Gecmisin izlerini tas?maktan korkmay?n!
Cilt bak?m?n?z? bir ust seviyeye c?karman?n zaman? geldi, siz ne dersiniz?
Estetik ve Fonksiyonellik: Ideal Mekan Tasar?m? hakk?ndaki bolum dikkate degerdi.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://evsahnesi.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
The link is below:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
J’ai une passion debordante pour Vbet Casino, ca offre un plaisir vibrant. La bibliotheque de jeux est captivante, comprenant des jeux crypto-friendly. Il booste votre aventure des le depart. Le suivi est d’une fiabilite exemplaire. Les retraits sont fluides et rapides, mais des bonus diversifies seraient un atout. En bref, Vbet Casino assure un divertissement non-stop. Pour couronner le tout le design est moderne et attrayant, booste l’excitation du jeu. A souligner les evenements communautaires pleins d’energie, cree une communaute soudee.
Visiter le site|
http://sceglifarmacia.com/# miglior farmacia online con sconti
электрокарниз двухрядный цена http://elektrokarniz499.ru/ .
Je suis enthousiasme par Posido Casino, il procure une sensation de frisson. La gamme est variee et attrayante, incluant des paris sur des evenements sportifs. Avec des depots fluides. Disponible 24/7 par chat ou email. Les transactions sont toujours securisees, neanmoins des recompenses supplementaires dynamiseraient le tout. En conclusion, Posido Casino offre une aventure inoubliable. En bonus la plateforme est visuellement vibrante, ce qui rend chaque session plus excitante. A noter le programme VIP avec des recompenses exclusives, garantit des paiements securises.
En savoir davantage|
marketcraft.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.