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: |
посмотреть в этом разделе https://krab1cc.at
GlobalFinds Lane – Organized structure and appealing design provide a seamless shopping experience.
PickAndSave – The site design is clean, and discovering products feels natural.
GlobalCrest Finds – Clean, modern layout with clear sections ensures effortless navigation.
пин ап авиатор уз пин ап авиатор уз
https://www.pinterest.com/xbetbonuscode/_profile/
find thinkorswim
Modern Fashion Select – Enjoyed the clean layout and fast, intuitive browsing experience.
Magnificent website. A lot of helpful info here. I am sending it to a few buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you on your effort!
Fantastic site. Plenty of helpful info here. I’m sending it to a few pals ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your sweat!
Excellent web site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your effort!
ThreeForest Boutique Shop – Easy to navigate, products arranged nicely, overall experience comfortable.
official source thinkorswim
Вывод средств занимает всего пару минут — супер!
драгон мани рабочее зеркало
inspire journey picks – Items look appealing, navigation feels natural and simple.
https://iob.uog.edu.et/events/eduma-autumn-2015/
inspire your journey – Items are motivating, navigating the site is smooth and easy.
inspire your adventure – Products appear inspiring, navigating the site is smooth today.
пин ап приложение скачать пин ап приложение скачать
GrabSmartDeals – Products are clearly visible, and browsing feels natural.
Fantastic website. A lot of useful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you on your effort!
Shop ThreeForest – Easy to explore, layout clean, natural products clearly presented.
DealTreasure – User-friendly layout makes finding items quick and enjoyable.
пин ап легально https://pinup5010.ru
BargainHunterSpot – Smooth browsing and items displayed neatly for convenience.
https://rukamimaster.ru/forums/topic/%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d0%bc%d0%be%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b4-1%d1%85%d0%b1%d0%b5%d1%82-2026-%e2%86%92-%d0%b1%d0%be%d0%bd%d1%83%d1%81-%d0%b4%d0%be-e130-%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d1%81%d0%bf%d0%be%d1%80%d1%82/
Удобная навигация — легко найти нужную игру
драгон мани скачать
Majestic Grover Collection Hub – Unique Grover items arranged nicely, navigation feels effortless and fast.
Majestic Grover Choices – Grover-themed items displayed neatly, browsing feels smooth and convenient.
fashion trend hub – Products look modern, site experience is smooth and effortless.
выберите ресурсы https://krab1at.cc/
Wonderful website. A lot of helpful information here. I’m sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you in your sweat!
Magnificent site. Lots of useful information here. I am sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks to your effort!
pin up yuklash android pin up yuklash android
пин ап приложение уз https://pinup5009.ru/
best fashion hub – Trendy items are showcased well, browsing feels smooth and enjoyable.
Wild Rose Collection Online – Lovely atmosphere with a few delightful discoveries along the way.
WildRose Finds – Warm and inviting atmosphere, browsing revealed a few delightful items.
pin up qonuniymi pin up qonuniymi
Приятно, что есть демо-режим для всех игр
драгон мани зеркало
ChoiceFinder – Fast pages with neatly organized items for effortless browsing.
https://eceaa.hkust.edu.hk/unleashing-ai-transformation/
ThreeForest Shop Online – Layout clear, navigation smooth, natural products presented nicely.
Читать далее [url=https://motifri.com]kraken ссылка на сайт[/url]
ThreeForest Finds Hub – Navigation effortless, natural items displayed nicely, browsing feels pleasant.
Wonderful site. Lots of helpful info here. I am sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you to your effort!
Excellent site. Lots of helpful information here. I am sending it to some buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your sweat!
ThreeForest Finds Online – Comfortable browsing, products arranged well, site feels clean and natural.
стоимость написания курсовой работы на заказ http://kupit-kursovuyu-24.ru .
ThreeForest Selection Hub – Navigation simple, natural items easy to locate, layout tidy and organized.