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: |
Minimal Trend Shop – Simple yet appealing layout with fast loading and clear categories.
Fees are responsive team, and the execution is always smooth. The updates are frequent and clear.
passive income bitcoin
why not try here https://jaxxwallet-web.org/
advice https://lumi-wallet.io
TrendStore Online – Smooth navigation with stylish products displayed neatly throughout.
check this site out https://jaxxwallet-web.org/
HomeStyle Collection – Loved how organized everything was, making browsing simple and pleasant.
диплом о высшем образовании купить в брянске http://r-diploma9.ru/ .
my link https://lumi-wallet.io/
that site https://web-breadwallet.com/
Trend Collection Hub – Stylish products displayed clearly, moving through pages was simple.
Decor Choice Store – Smooth page transitions and a refreshing set of home décor options.
TCS Shop Picks – Excellent layout with trendy products, moving around felt effortless.
Таможенное оформление в домодедово москва — быстро и удобно
https://play.metalsunny.net/@hilariomoody08?page=about
If some one wants to be updated with most recent technologies after that
he must be pay a quick visit this web site and be up to date daily.
https://topper.md/media/art/podrobno_ob_adrenalinemii.html
I personally find that the cross-chain transfers process is simple and the reliable uptime makes it even better.
http://planbet.sbs/# PLANBET Bangladesh অফিসিয়াল লিংক
Simple Fashion Picks – Smooth navigation and well-presented items make exploring enjoyable.
Установите жалюзи оконные с электроприводом Прокарниз, и наслаждайтесь комфортом и простотой управления светом в вашем доме.
С каждым днем автоматические жалюзи с электрическим управлением завоевывают сердца покупателей. Эти инновационные устройства предлагают комфорт и удобство.
Первостепенное преимущество – это возможность управления уровнем света в помещении. Управление жалюзи осуществляется через дистанционный пульт, что делает использование более комфортным.
Также жалюзи с электроприводом способствуют повышению энергоэффективности. Эти устройства помогают поддерживать комфортный микроклимат, удерживая тепло в холодное время года.
Таким образом, жалюзи с электрическим управлением — это идеальный вариант для любого современного дизайна. Установка таких жалюзи улучшает функциональность и внешний вид вашего помещения.
I was skeptical, but after since launch of swapping tokens, the trustworthy service convinced me. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
TCS Style Store – Clean layout with stylish products, browsing was smooth and enjoyable.
Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire actually loved account your weblog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing for your augment and even I fulfillment you get admission to consistently quickly.
globalprotect download
Hi there I am so happy I found your blog, I really found you by accident, while I was searching on Yahoo for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a tremendous post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the superb work.
palo alto globalprotect download
Simple Style Spot – A tidy design and smooth browsing make exploring easy.
TCS Online Store Hub – Loved the layout and modern design, browsing items was simple.
Yarat?c? ve kisisel projelerle evinize estetik dokunuslar eklemek istemez misiniz? O halde dogru yerdesiniz!
Между прочим, если вас интересует DIY Dunyas?na Giris: Pratik ve Estetik Cozumler, посмотрите сюда.
Смотрите сами:
https://yapjust.com
Umar?m bu diy projeleri sizin icin ilham verici olmustur ve kendi projelerinize baslaman?z? tesvik eder.
Look At This https://web-breadwallet.com
The fiat on-ramp tools are stable performance and accurate charts. Definitely recommend to anyone in crypto.
TCS Trend Store – Nice modern layout, exploring the site felt smooth and pleasant.
urbanoutlet – Smooth navigation, made picking items quick.
Trend Collection Store Shop – Loved the trendy products, browsing the site was smooth and easy.
link https://lumi-wallet.io/
http://modost.ru/wp-content/pages/1_hbet_promokod_pri_registracii_2020.html
find out this here https://web-breadwallet.com
check my reference https://lumi-wallet.io
TCS Picks Hub – Nice assortment of items, exploring the site felt effortless.
over here https://jaxxwallet-web.org/
ModernHome Trends – The décor selection looked great, and navigating through pages felt effortless.
find here https://jaxxwallet-web.org
view https://jaxxwallet-web.org
GiftMarketplace – Clean design, organized categories, and smooth navigation experience.
view it now https://web-breadwallet.com/
STB Trend Deals – Loved how neatly the deals were shown, everything loaded smoothly.
official site https://lumi-wallet.io/
GiftsForEveryone – Attractive layout, simple navigation, and wide selection of items.
STB Online Picks – Nice layout with trendy finds, and moving through pages felt effortless.
VIP Escort | Escort of men Elite escort services VIP ESCORT SERVICE
wettquote erklärt
My site :: beste sportwetten plattform