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: |
Fresh Gift Picks – Plenty of interesting options, with shipping that appears prompt and reliable.
redirected here https://etherealtrade.lat/
Gift Hub Online – Found a few standout items, and the delivery process seems hassle-free.
find more information https://berapaw.org
next https://hlp0.online/
Fresh Gift Shop – Loved the gift variety, and shipping looks smooth and reliable.
find more info https://prjx.space/
Web Site https://looksrare.cfd
melbet joburi http://melbet5013.ru/
Merhaba dekorasyon severler! Estetik ve islevselligi bir araya getirdigimiz mobilya cozumlerine hos geldiniz.
Хочу выделить раздел про Moda Dunyas?nda One C?kan Trendler ve Stil Ipuclar?.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://turktekstil.com
Evinizi guzellestirmek icin farkl? yaklas?m ve fikirlerle geri donecegiz.
learn this here now https://arch.credit/
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.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://ciltruhu.com
Gelecek yaz?lar?m?zda bulusmak uzere, dekorasyona dair en iyi fikirlerle burada olacag?z.
chicfinder – Loved exploring the items, shopping process was fast and easy.
trendpick – Found trendy outfits effortlessly, site navigation felt smooth.
investigate this site https://alchemix.center/
find out this here https://kittenswap.buzz/
chiczone – Trendy products available today, browsing and purchasing felt quick and effortless.
melbet protecția datelor https://melbet5014.ru/
stylecorner – Great selection of fashionable pieces, the shopping experience was smooth.
Этот материал посвящен обзору возможностей платформы Vavada. Мы рассматриваем актуальные преимущества и способы безопасного входа. Рабочие зеркала позволяют сохранять доступ даже при ограничениях. Пользователи отмечают высокую стабильность и широкий выбор игр. Подробности и актуальная ссылка доступны здесь: vavada casino. Следите за обновлениями и играйте ответственно.
pharmacy canadian superstore https://mhfapharm.xyz/# MHFA Pharm
important site https://plasma.credit
Look At This https://cakepad.digital
wettportal quotenvergleich
My web page … Wette gegen Euro
1xBet промокод при регистрации Использование промокода при регистрации на https://topper.md/media/art/1xbet_promokod_pri_registracii_na_segodnya_besplatno.html позволяет получить бонус 100% на первый депозит, чтобы начать игру с максимальной суммой.
stylefinder – Great variety of outfits today, checkout process was effortless.
Кстати, если вас интересует Лучшие советы и идеи для путешествий и туризма, посмотрите сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://megatourism.ru
On the topic “Mastering Personal Finance with Tabletopia Hub”, it’s a treasure trove of information.
Ссылка ниже:
https://tabletopiahub.com
Discover More Here https://yieldfi.pro
The time and effort you’ve invested in this post is evident and much appreciated. Thanks!
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Советы для управления семейными финансами на Финансовый Гид 24”, там просто кладезь информации.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://24guide.ru
more info here https://etherealtrade.xyz/
It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time
to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I
desire to suggest you some interesting things or advice.
Perhaps you could write next articles referring to
this article. I desire to read even more things about it!
Continue https://beraborrow.cc
helpful hints https://beratrax.org/
top wettanbieter deutschland
my site sportwetten österreich steuern
http://missmcgregor.blog.macc.nsw.edu.au/2017/10/award-winners-week-9.html?sc=1764058604085#c1628807183504759486
look at more info https://liquity.cfd
купить вкладыш к диплому купить вкладыш к диплому .
Greate post. Keep writing such kind of information on your page. Im really impressed by your site.
Hi there, You have done a great job. I will certainly digg it and for my part suggest to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this website.
Find Female Escorts in Brasilia
directory https://plasma.credit
кухни на заказ в спб https://www.kuhni-spb-9.ru .
fashionvault – Found trendy pieces quickly, shopping experience was smooth.
Continue https://kittenswap.cc
кухни на заказ в санкт-петербурге kuhni-spb-9.ru .
Знакомства со свободными, одинокими дамами в Шымкенте Знакомства Шымкент
Evinizde hem s?kl?g? hem de kullan?sl?l?g? onemseyenler icin harika ipuclar? derledik.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Ev Dekorasyonu: Fonksiyon ve Estetik Ipuclar?”, есть отличная статья.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://cilginmobilya.com
Umar?z bu ipuclar?yla evinizde harikalar yaratabilirsiniz! Sevgiyle kal?n.
cum folosesc bonusul melbet cum folosesc bonusul melbet
trendhuntermodern – Convenient to browse and shop, found multiple items I liked.
see this website https://prjx.space