Browse: Home / 2010 / April / 19 / Taxed to Death (Book Review), Debra Purdy Kong

Taxed to Death (Book Review), Debra Purdy Kong

By on April 19, 2010

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
Debra Purdy Kong
Mystery/Suspense
[rating: 3/5]

Available in:
• Mobi/Kindle
• ePub/iPad
• PDF
• HTML
… from…
• Amazon
• MobiPocket
• AllRomanceEbooks
• OmniLit
Also in paperback

Posted in , , | Tagged , , , , | 147,309 Responses

147,309 responses to “Taxed to Death (Book Review), Debra Purdy Kong”

  1. ArturoHor
    ArturoHor December 4, 2025 at 4:11 pm |

    helpful resources https://palladiumlabs.net/

  2. stsgeo-943
    stsgeo-943 December 4, 2025 at 4:11 pm |

    Геосинтетические материалы https://stsgeo.ru для строительства купить можно у нас с профессиональным подбором и поддержкой. Продукция для укрепления оснований, армирования дорожных одежд, защиты гидроизоляции и дренажа. Предлагаем геотекстиль разных плотностей, георешётки, геомембраны, композитные материалы.

  3. novosti-belarus-678
    novosti-belarus-678 December 4, 2025 at 4:11 pm |

    новости беларуси 2025 новости беларуси 2025

  4. Elektrokarniz_efPi
    Elektrokarniz_efPi December 4, 2025 at 4:11 pm |

    карниз с приводом для штор elektrokarniz98.ru .

  5. narkologicheskaya klinika_zbot
    narkologicheskaya klinika_zbot December 4, 2025 at 4:11 pm |

    анонимная наркология анонимная наркология .

  6. narkologicheskaya klinika_rhmi
    narkologicheskaya klinika_rhmi December 4, 2025 at 4:12 pm |

    наркологические клиники в москве частные http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-34.ru .

  7. RandomNamevow
    RandomNamevow December 4, 2025 at 4:12 pm |

    wildleaflane – Layout is tidy, navigating products is intuitive and pleasant.

  8. ThomasItele
    ThomasItele December 4, 2025 at 4:12 pm |

    click here for info https://beratrax.org/

  9. AngelLum
    AngelLum December 4, 2025 at 4:12 pm |

    http://serrok.kabb.ru/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2724

  10. Robertpoice
    Robertpoice December 4, 2025 at 4:12 pm |

    browse this site https://hlp0.cloud

  11. Thomasseema
    Thomasseema December 4, 2025 at 4:13 pm |

    check my blog https://defi-money.cc/

  12. narkologicheskaya klinika_jhot
    narkologicheskaya klinika_jhot December 4, 2025 at 4:13 pm |

    экстренное вытрезвление http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru .

  13. novosti-belarus-755
    novosti-belarus-755 December 4, 2025 at 4:13 pm |

    самые свежие новости беларуси новости беларуси и мира

  14. narkologicheskaya klinika_zzmn
    narkologicheskaya klinika_zzmn December 4, 2025 at 4:13 pm |

    наркология в москве наркология в москве .

  15. Michealmem
    Michealmem December 4, 2025 at 4:14 pm |

    https://sciencemission.com/profile/747livec1#

  16. narkologicheskaya klinika_rcmi
    narkologicheskaya klinika_rcmi December 4, 2025 at 4:14 pm |

    наркологическая клиника город https://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-34.ru .

  17. Elektrokarniz_aqPi
    Elektrokarniz_aqPi December 4, 2025 at 4:14 pm |

    электрокарниз недорого elektrokarniz98.ru .

  18. RandomNamevow
    RandomNamevow December 4, 2025 at 4:14 pm |

    river access – Categories were clear and layout made finding items pleasant.

  19. Rogeliorem
    Rogeliorem December 4, 2025 at 4:15 pm |

    Поздравляю. Игровой автомат beetle mania play fortuna – играть бесплатно и без регистрации: https://45.76.249.136/index.php?title=User:AnnettHolliday6
    Здесь помимо слотов представлены следующие развлечения:
    Процедура посадки пошагово выглядит так:

  20. RandomNamevow
    RandomNamevow December 4, 2025 at 4:15 pm |

    Moonlit Garden Boutique – Clear product images and smooth navigation — browsing felt effortless.

  21. narkologicheskaya klinika_glmi
    narkologicheskaya klinika_glmi December 4, 2025 at 4:15 pm |

    больница наркологическая http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-34.ru .

  22. Thomasseema
    Thomasseema December 4, 2025 at 4:15 pm |

    web link https://d2finance.cc

  23. ZacharyVon
    ZacharyVon December 4, 2025 at 4:15 pm |

    helpful resources https://d2finance.cv/

  24. JordanBen
    JordanBen December 4, 2025 at 4:15 pm |

    you can try this out https://usdai.cloud/

  25. Michealmem
    Michealmem December 4, 2025 at 4:16 pm |

    https://portfolio.newschool.edu/jeffreyespinoza95/2015/04/05/entry-9/#comment-113986

  26. kraken
    kraken December 4, 2025 at 4:16 pm |

    Надежный кракен даркнет сайт использует систему рейтингов продавцов с отзывами покупателей для выбора надежных vendors с проверенной репутацией.

  27. ZacharyVon
    ZacharyVon December 4, 2025 at 4:16 pm |

    useful link https://terminal.credit/

  28. narkologicheskaya klinika_hmEl
    narkologicheskaya klinika_hmEl December 4, 2025 at 4:17 pm |

    клиника наркологии клиника наркологии .

  29. JerryHyday
    JerryHyday December 4, 2025 at 4:17 pm |

    Авто растаможили дешевле, чем у других, растаможка авто москва
    https://git.mklpiening.de/gloriahewlett

  30. narkologicheskaya klinika_bxmi
    narkologicheskaya klinika_bxmi December 4, 2025 at 4:17 pm |

    наркологические услуги http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-34.ru .

  31. ThomasItele
    ThomasItele December 4, 2025 at 4:17 pm |

    Check This Out https://safeglobal.club

  32. narkologicheskaya klinika_zfEl
    narkologicheskaya klinika_zfEl December 4, 2025 at 4:17 pm |

    вывод из запоя москва клиника http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-37.ru .

  33. Elektrokarniz_bwPi
    Elektrokarniz_bwPi December 4, 2025 at 4:17 pm |

    электрокарнизы для штор купить электрокарнизы для штор купить .

  34. narkologicheskaya klinika_tlEl
    narkologicheskaya klinika_tlEl December 4, 2025 at 4:18 pm |

    клиника наркологическая платная https://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-37.ru .

  35. kraken
    kraken December 4, 2025 at 4:18 pm |

    Крупный кракен маркетплейс предлагает удобную систему поиска товаров с фильтрами по цене, рейтингу продавца и способу доставки заказов.

  36. novosti-belarus-84
    novosti-belarus-84 December 4, 2025 at 4:18 pm |

    новости беларуси и мира самые свежие новости беларуси

  37. Elektrokarniz_ytPi
    Elektrokarniz_ytPi December 4, 2025 at 4:19 pm |

    карниз для штор с электроприводом карниз для штор с электроприводом .

  38. Jamesvow
    Jamesvow December 4, 2025 at 4:20 pm |

    top picks – I appreciated how clean and fast the site was, making product browsing simple.

  39. narkologicheskaya klinika_vcEl
    narkologicheskaya klinika_vcEl December 4, 2025 at 4:21 pm |

    вывод из запоя москва клиника http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-37.ru .

  40. Andrewvow
    Andrewvow December 4, 2025 at 4:21 pm |

    revival marketplace – The site ran quickly and the structured setup made browsing enjoyable.

  41. Elektrokarniz_nuPi
    Elektrokarniz_nuPi December 4, 2025 at 4:22 pm |

    автоматические гардины для штор http://elektrokarniz98.ru/ .

  42. AngelLum
    AngelLum December 4, 2025 at 4:22 pm |

    https://bence.net/read-blog/65462

  43. novosti-belarus-178
    novosti-belarus-178 December 4, 2025 at 4:22 pm |

    новости беларуси 2025 новости беларуси

  44. narkologicheskaya klinika_bcmn
    narkologicheskaya klinika_bcmn December 4, 2025 at 4:23 pm |

    платная наркологическая клиника платная наркологическая клиника .

  45. kraken
    kraken December 4, 2025 at 4:23 pm |

    Специализированные каталоги показывают kraken onion link с зеленой меткой верификации от модераторов и обязательной PGP подписью для подтверждения подлинности каждого адреса.

  46. narkologicheskaya klinika_rnmn
    narkologicheskaya klinika_rnmn December 4, 2025 at 4:23 pm |

    лечение зависимостей в москве http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-39.ru .

  47. narkologicheskaya klinika_wamn
    narkologicheskaya klinika_wamn December 4, 2025 at 4:24 pm |

    телефон наркологии https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-39.ru/ .

  48. RandomNamevow
    RandomNamevow December 4, 2025 at 4:24 pm |

    river boutique access – Browsing felt natural and products were easy to view.

  49. narkologicheskaya klinika_cami
    narkologicheskaya klinika_cami December 4, 2025 at 4:24 pm |

    наркологические клиники москвы http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-34.ru .

  50. narkologicheskaya klinika_mymi
    narkologicheskaya klinika_mymi December 4, 2025 at 4:24 pm |

    лечение зависимостей в москве https://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-34.ru .

1 … 2,941 2,942 2,943 2,944 2,945 … 2,947

Leave a Reply