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: |
StarWay Shop Online – Interface simple, clean layout, boutique products easy to explore.
StarWay Goods – Smooth browsing, clean layout, boutique items clearly presented.
DealFinder – User-friendly design with seamless scrolling made shopping fun.
https://land-book.com/1xbetfreebets
выберите ресурсы vodka bet
Ironline Corner – Well-arranged marketplace, products look trustworthy and accessible.
Ironline Picks Hub – Dependable items displayed clearly, browsing is simple and fast.
где можно заказать курсовую работу где можно заказать курсовую работу .
проверить сайт https://krab1l.at
Смотреть здесь krab1at
заказ курсовых работ заказ курсовых работ .
другие https://krab1at.cc/
фен дайсон купить официальный сайт фен дайсон купить официальный сайт .
MarketTreasureShop – Smooth interface, solid bargains, and enjoyable shopping.
linked here thinkorswim login
PromoFinds – Site loads quickly, and discovering discounts felt simple.
проверить сайт krab1 c
Читать далее kraken официальные ссылки
срочно курсовая работа kupit-kursovuyu-21.ru .
этот сайт https://krab1cc.at/
Читать далее водка бет
check out this site thinkorswim
Смотреть здесь https://krab1cc.at
перенаправляется сюда кракен ссылка
продолжить https://krab1l.at
советы по торговле binance
Торговые сигналы криптовалют на основе искусственного интеллекта. Технология обнаружения криптопампов, анализ стакана ордеров, мониторинг объемов торгов. VIP сигналы Binance, прогнозирование роста цен на криптовалюты. Крипто торговый бот, DeFi сигналы, автоматическая торговля.
проверить сайт https://krab1at.cc
выберите ресурсы сайт kraken darknet
заказать курсовой проект заказать курсовой проект .
посмотреть на этом сайте https://progunsupply.com
best picks online – The site showcases items well, and moving between sections feels natural.
сюда https://krab1l.at/
в этом разделе krab 1 at
Таможенное оформление импорт москва — всё прозрачно и быстро
https://www.nastavniki.com/@wilfordbustill?page=about
на этом сайте kraken онион
посмотреть в этом разделе https://krab1at.cc
https://infolenta.com.ua/khto-taki-radykaly-istoriia-ukrainy-vid-politychnoho-rukhu-do-vplyvu-na-rozvytok-derzhavy/
продолжить https://krab1l.at/
опубликовано здесь https://krab1at.cc
BargainHunter – The site loads quickly, and finding deals felt super straightforward.
TopSavings – Browsing was simple, and the discounts were clearly displayed.
SuperSaver – Very fast site performance, checking offers felt effortless.
your highlighted picks – Highlighted items stand out nicely, and navigating the site is fast and simple.
FreshTrend Hub – Trendy displays and smooth navigation create a streamlined shopping experience.
Узнать больше kraken вход tor
Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post.
Taking the time and actual effort to generate a good article… but what can I
say… I put things off a lot and never manage to get anything done.
такой vodka bet casino
OfferSpot – Layout is intuitive, and finding what I needed was quick and easy.
обзор казино Игровые автоматы, также известные как слоты, представляют собой один из самых популярных видов азартных игр в казино и онлайн-платформах. Их принцип работы основан на случайном выпадении символов на вращающихся барабанах, что определяет исход игры. Современные игровые автоматы предлагают огромное разнообразие тематик, бонусных функций и способов выигрыша, делая процесс игры увлекательным и непредсказуемым.
FreshSeason Lane Studio – Well-organized seasonal products with smooth page flow enhance usability.