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: |
I’ve been struggling with this concept, and your explanation finally made it click.
Estetik ipuclar? ve fonksiyonel mobilyalarla evinize yepyeni bir soluk getirmeye haz?r m?s?n?z?
Кстати, если вас интересует Lezzet Yolculugu: Tarifler ve Ipuclar?, посмотрите сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://ascieli.com
Gelecek yaz?lar?m?zda bulusmak uzere, dekorasyona dair en iyi fikirlerle burada olacag?z.
Разработка и изготовление нестандартных типов электронагревателей тэнов купить тэн
Great insights, thanks for sharing! https://at2t5l.com/
Very well written, thanks! https://o1m3d.icu/rangers-antonio-colak-handball-farcical/
battery aviator game apk battery aviator game apk .
savebigstore – Great deals and smooth checkout, very satisfied today.
aviator x https://www.aviator-game-winner.com .
aviator bonus game aviator-game-winner.com .
This clarified so much for me. https://favbet-de.com/favbet-login/
Устройство сломано. С такой поломкой вам необходимо обратиться в специализированный сервисный центр, прочитайте этот гайд если в списке проблем ничего не помогло, смело сдавайте в сервис на диагностику
Bu yaz?da, evinizi guzellestirirken islevselligi de art?rman?n yollar?n? kesfedecegiz.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Atasehir’in En Iyi Bal?k Restoranlar? ve Lezzetli Tarifler, загляните сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://tarifkasif.com
Umar?z bu ipuclar?yla evinizde harikalar yaratabilirsiniz! Sevgiyle kal?n.
click now https://g8keep.org
bigshopcorner – Smooth ordering and great discounts, shopping was easy today.
Hi my loved one! I want to say that this article is
awesome, nice written and come with almost all significant infos.
I would like to look extra posts like this .
This article has become an essential resource in my professional development. Thank you!
additional info https://kittenswap.cc/
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish.
nonetheless, you command get bought an nervousness over that you wish be delivering the following.
unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this increase.
Thank you for making this complex topic so approachable and easy to understand.
This is gold, thank you! https://casino-partouche-fr.com/contato/
Evinizde hem s?kl?g? hem de kullan?sl?l?g? onemseyenler icin harika ipuclar? derledik.
Зацепил материал про Turk Mutfag?nda Ask ve Tutku: Yenilikci Tarifler.
Смотрите сами:
https://yemekruhu.com
Evinizi guzellestirmek icin farkl? yaklas?m ve fikirlerle geri donecegiz.
buying propecia: BSW Finasteride – BswFinasteride
SunCrestFashionDepot – Loved the variety, easy to browse, and shipping was fast.
Soft Crest Corner – Very happy with my order, easy-to-use website, and the shopping experience was smooth.
SunCrestTrends – Stylish items with fast shipping and intuitive website navigation.
Your blog always inspires me. https://41b2b28c29c8033a.com/becky-crocker/
SoftCrest General Store – Easy browsing, lovely selection, and very prompt delivery.
homeandfashion – Pleasant shopping experience, pages loaded quickly and items were easy to find.
Great insights, thanks for sharing! https://tlgcgf.com/page/2/
SunCrestTrendsHub – Very intuitive website and modern items arrived on time.
sportwetten quoten vergleich
my web blog unentschieden wetten erfahrungen
Кабель и провод со склада в Минске и под заказ кабель сварочный
familystylecorner – Quick and easy to shop, the variety was impressive.
UclaMetformin metformin 3000 mg Ucla Metformin
I appreciate how you’ve structured this information in a logical, easy-to-follow manner.
Great post! I think you might also want to consider an alternative viewpoint in future posts. https://westcasino-de88.com/
Dekorasyona yeni bir gozle bakmaya ne dersiniz? Hem estetik hem de islevsellik on planda!
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Renkli ve Lezzetli Tariflerle Hayat?n?z? Renklendirin”, там просто кладезь информации.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://evtarifim.com
Gelecek yaz?lar?m?zda bulusmak uzere, dekorasyona dair en iyi fikirlerle burada olacag?z.
SoftCrest Hub – Fast website, nice selection, and everything arrived on time.
промокод на 1хбет Получите промокод на https://wintergift.ru/sxd/pgs/promokod_1xbet_bonus_pri_registracii.html и получите бонус до 32 500 рублей при регистрации для максимального старта.
SoftCrest Trend Store – Easy navigation, great products, and the entire shopping process felt seamless.
SunCrestStyleOnline – Clean site layout, quick checkout, and fashionable pieces.
SunCrestFashionStore – Great fashion collection, smooth checkout, and items arrived on time.
Soft Crest Boutique – Items arrived as expected, intuitive website, and overall a simple shopping experience.
SunCrestStyleDepot – Great shopping experience, easy to browse, and quick delivery.
Great article.
bargaincentralstore – Loved the offers, the website made shopping straightforward.
aviator game aviator game .
Кабель и провод со склада в Минске и под заказ кабель и провод
Estetik ipuclar? ve fonksiyonel mobilyalarla evinize yepyeni bir soluk getirmeye haz?r m?s?n?z?
Хочу выделить раздел про Lezzet Dolu Tariflerle Ask Dolu Mutfak Maceralar?.
Смотрите сами:
https://sevgiylepisir.com
Umar?z bu ipuclar?yla evinizde harikalar yaratabilirsiniz! Sevgiyle kal?n.
This article is a goldmine of information. Thank you for your generosity in sharing!