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: |
kiss918 lama kiss918 lama .
продолжить https://kra46att.at/
другие https://kra46att.at
Смотреть здесь https://kra48at.at/
1xbet resmi https://1xbet-16.com .
918kiss lama apk download 918kiss lama apk download .
Evinizde hem s?kl?g? hem de kullan?sl?l?g? onemseyenler icin harika ipuclar? derledik.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Lezzet Yolculugu: Tarifler ve Ipuclar?”, нашел много полезного.
Смотрите сами:
https://ascieli.com
Gelecek yaz?lar?m?zda bulusmak uzere, dekorasyona dair en iyi fikirlerle burada olacag?z.
1xbet t?rkiye 1xbet t?rkiye .
918kiss apk rm711 918kiss apk rm711 .
Подробнее https://kra46att.at
Источник https://kra46att.at
мелбет скачать https://www.melbet5002.ru
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show
up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that
over again. Regardless, just wanted to say superb blog!
Its not my first time to pay a quick visit this site, i am visiting this website dailly and obtain nice information from here daily.
Следующая страница https://kra46att.at
мелбет официальный сайт вход melbet5003.ru
узнать больше https://kra48at.at
узнать больше Здесь https://kra48at.at
подробнее https://kra47at.at/
сайт https://kra47at.at
Смотреть здесь https://kra47at.at/
взгляните на сайте здесь https://kra46att.at
Bright Style Collection – Browsing was pleasant with everything presented clearly and neatly.
ссылка на сайт https://kra48at.at
Bright Style Picks – Found some great outfits quickly, and the browsing experience was very relaxed.
Автосервис BMW Наша философия – это не просто ремонт автомобилей, а создание долгосрочных партнерских отношений с нашими клиентами. Мы предлагаем консультации по вопросам эксплуатации и обслуживания, помогаем поддерживать ваш BMW в идеальном состоянии и обеспечиваем максимальную производительность и надежность. Наши специалисты постоянно повышают свою квалификацию, чтобы быть в курсе последних технологических новинок и эффективно решать самые сложные задачи. Мы ценим ваше время и предлагаем удобную систему записи на сервис, а также широкий спектр дополнительных услуг, таких как эвакуация автомобиля, подменный автомобиль на время ремонта и хранение шин.
страница https://kra48at.at
Bright Trends Outlet – Trendy selections were easy to view, and scrolling felt super smooth.
смотреть здесь https://kra47at.at/
birxbet giri? http://www.1xbet-16.com .
918kiss lama apk download for android 918kiss lama apk download for android .
Подробнее https://kra47at.at/
one x bet one x bet .
918kiss apk rm711 918kiss apk rm711 .
Bright Fashion Corner – Found several stylish gems quickly thanks to the simple layout.
Looking for merge game? Download apps.apple.com/us/app/secrets-of-paradise-merge-game/id6743236882 Secrets of Paradise Merge Game now! This game is full of adventure and various events! With every task you finish, the island flourishes and Ellie’s narrative unfolds further. Play for free—no purchase required! This merge-style puzzle game lets you rebuild an island teeming with mystery, love, and adventure! Kick off your journey right away!
Bright Wear Outlet – Nice variety of pieces, and the site layout made exploring refreshing.
купить аттестаты за 9 класс 2021 уфа купить аттестаты за 9 класс 2021 уфа .
Merhaba dekorasyon severler! Estetik ve islevselligi bir araya getirdigimiz mobilya cozumlerine hos geldiniz.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Goz Al?c? Guzellik Ipuclar? ve Trendler, посмотрите сюда.
Смотрите сами:
https://ciltruhu.com
Daha fazla dekorasyon onerisi icin bizi takip etmeyi unutmay?n!
Evinizde hem s?kl?g? hem de kullan?sl?l?g? onemseyenler icin harika ipuclar? derledik.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Goz Al?c? Guzellik Ipuclar? ve Trendler”, есть отличная статья.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://ciltruhu.com
Bu yaz?m?z isinize yarad?ysa, goruslerinizi bizimle paylas?n.
1xbet mobi 1xbet mobi .
мелбет зеркало казино мелбет зеркало казино
bahis sitesi 1xbet bahis sitesi 1xbet .
Хочу выделить раздел про Лучшие советы и идеи для путешествий и туризма.
Смотрите сами:
https://megatourism.ru
918kiss original apk download for android 918kiss original apk download for android .
kiss918 lama kiss918 lama .
xbet xbet .
зайти на сайт https://kra47at.at/
kiss918 apk lama kiss918 apk lama .
выберите ресурсы https://kra48at.at/