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: |
win crash game win crash game .
goal planner – Useful insights for setting realistic and achievable objectives daily.
игровые автоматы которые дают бонус
aviator bonus game http://www.aviator-game-winner.com .
синхронный перевод dzen.ru/a/aRDuRn3LkCngCegS .
achievement tracker – Encourages me to stay organized and follow through on plans.
battery aviator game apk battery aviator game apk .
it переводчик в москве telegra.ph/Oshibka-lokalizacii-pochemu-vash-IT-produkt-ne-ponimayut-za-granicej-11-09 .
aviator money https://aviator-game-cash.com .
By the way, if you are interested in Mastering DeFi: Guided Journeys from Beginner to Pro, take a look here.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://treklygo.com
next goal guide – Great advice for staying focused and achieving targets on time.
тенты Компания “ПОЛИСИНТЕЗ” уже много лет занимает уверенные позиции на рынке полимерных материалов, специализируясь на производстве и поставке высококачественных полиэтиленовых пленок и сопутствующих материалов.
I personally find that i trust this platform — withdrawals are reliable uptime and reliable. Charts are accurate and load instantly.
I was skeptical, but after recently of cross-chain transfers, the reliable uptime convinced me.
aviator money http://www.aviator-game-winner.com/ .
Modern dekorasyonla estetik ve fonksiyonelligi nas?l birlestirirsiniz? Bu yaz?da kesfedin.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Modern Dekorasyonla Estetik ve Fonksiyonellik, загляните сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://dogalyasammobilya.com
Evinizi guzellestirmek icin farkl? yaklas?m ve fikirlerle geri donecegiz.
aviator money http://aviator-game-cash.com/ .
Ищете лендинги wordpress?
aviation game aviation game .
aviator x aviator-game-winner.com .
Мир становится всё более цифровым кракен ссылка onion kraken зеркало рабочее актуальные зеркала kraken kraken сайт зеркала
армированная пленка Геотекстиль дорнит — это нетканый материал, широко применяемый в дорожном строительстве, ландшафтном дизайне и гидротехнических сооружениях.
success planner – Content is motivating, gives clear steps toward completing goals.
отражающая изоляция Материал обладает высокой устойчивостью к химическим веществам, гниению, воздействию микроорганизмов и ультрафиолетовому излучению, что обеспечивает ему долговечность и надежность в самых сложных условиях эксплуатации. Применение геотекстиля Дорнит позволяет значительно повысить качество и долговечность строительных конструкций и сооружений. тенты
бюро переводов в мск teletype.in/@alexd78/iF-xjHhC3iA .
focus planner – Great tips for organizing tasks and staying consistent daily.
For those looking for information on the topic “Practical Financial Management Tips for Secure Future”, it’s a treasure trove of information.
Смотрите сами:
https://cacticarely.com
battery aviator game apk battery aviator game apk .
Modern dekorasyonla estetik ve fonksiyonelligi nas?l birlestirirsiniz? Bu yaz?da kesfedin.
Кстати, если вас интересует Moda Rehberi: Yeni Sezonun One C?kan Trendleri, посмотрите сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://modakasifi.com
Daha fazla dekorasyon onerisi icin bizi takip etmeyi unutmay?n!
синхронный переводчик в москве dzen.ru/a/aRDuRn3LkCngCegS .
Fresh Fashion Finds – Came across a variety of stylish pieces worth exploring.
aviator game aviator game .
синхронный переводчик dzen.ru/a/aRDuRn3LkCngCegS .
Особенно понравился материал про Эффективное управление финансами для фрилансеров.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://kredit-it.ru
Trend Discovery Hub – Spotted several items that seemed trendy and fashionable.
aviator bonus game https://www.aviator-game-best.com .
https://git.disroot.org/1xbetcode
Quality content is the secret to be a focus for the viewers to
pay a quick visit the site, that’s what this web
page is providing.
Fresh Trend Finds – Noticed a few stylish pieces that were worth checking out.
battery aviator game apk battery aviator game apk .
aviator bonus game http://aviator-game-best.com .
win crash game win crash game .
google shit
полиэтиленовая пленка “ПОЛИСИНТЕЗ” предлагает тенты различных размеров, цветов и плотности, изготовленные из высококачественной полиэтиленовой пленки, устойчивой к воздействию ультрафиолетового излучения и влаги. Мы также предлагаем тенты с армированием для повышения прочности и долговечности.
Капельницы для избавления от запоя — данная результативных методик, используемых специалистами в области наркологии для очищения организма. Нарколог на дом анонимно в вашем регионе предлагает такие услуги, как лечение алкоголизма и восстановление пациентов после запоев. При помощи капельницы возможно оперативно повысить состояние пациента, облегчить проявления абстиненции и стимулировать выведение токсинов из организма. Лечение запоя состоит не только из не только капельниц, но также психологическими методами, что способствует способствует лучшему пониманию проблемы алкогольной зависимости. Предотвращение запоев тоже является важным аспектом, поэтому наркологи рекомендуют регулярные консультации и обращаться за анонимной помощью. Реабилитация алкоголиков требует целостного подхода, включающего как медицинские, так и психологические методы. Рекомендуем обратиться к специалисту, чтобы получить советы нарколога и начать путь к выздоровлению.
Creative Choice Portal – Loved the variety of ideas, sparked some new inspiration right away.
aviator money http://www.aviator-game-cash.com/ .
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for
синхронный переводчик заказать dzen.ru/a/aRDuRn3LkCngCegS .
синхронный переводчик услуги dzen.ru/a/aRDuRn3LkCngCegS .