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: |
в этом разделе cs2 читы купить
Great web site. A lot of helpful info here. I am sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks in your sweat!
<mindfulfashioncentral – MindfulFashionCentral delivers carefully curated pieces with smooth navigation and clarity.
find out here now
customize app design
Wonderful web site. Lots of useful information here. I am sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you for your effort!
Wonderful website. Lots of helpful information here. I’m sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks to your sweat!
fashion hub online – Trendy items are well arranged, browsing feels smooth and fast.
PresentVault – Simple to navigate and items are showcased in a visually appealing way.
GiftVaultNow – Smooth interface, lovely items, and browsing feels effortless.
GiftVault – Smooth browsing experience and attractive gift items throughout.
Great website. Plenty of helpful info here. I am sending it to several buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks on your effort!
Excellent site. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks on your effort!
Shop Today Picks – The product selection looks appealing, and the interface is user-friendly.
страница
сборки нью ворлд
Shop Happy Day – Smooth experience with a clean layout and appealing selections.
Fantastic website. A lot of helpful info here. I’m sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you for your effort!
Excellent web site. A lot of useful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you in your effort!
Excellent site. Plenty of useful info here. I am sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you to your sweat!
опубликовано здесь
гайд по прокачке брони New World
Wonderful site. Plenty of helpful info here. I am sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your effort!
найти это
newworld дб, нвдб
PresentHub – Layout is clean, browsing through gift items feels effortless.
Wonderful website. Plenty of useful information here. I am sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks on your sweat!
I visit every day a few web sites and information sites to read articles or reviews, except this blog
presents quality based writing.
Excellent website. Lots of helpful information here. I am sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks for your effort!
UrbanWild Lane Hub – Creative aesthetic with well-structured sections ensures quick navigation.
fashion trend zone – Products are appealing, site layout is clear and smooth to explore.
check this site out
push notifications mobile
веб-сайт
золотая рыбка в фарфоровой чаше New World
fashion trend corner – Stylish selections are appealing, site navigation is intuitive.
Wonderful web site. A lot of helpful info here. I’m sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you in your effort!
your fashion picks – Products appear trendy, site layout is clear and user-friendly.
Смотреть здесь Аккаунты
<MountainBloom Essentials – Pleasantly organized and inviting, each item showcased nicely.
GiftExplorer – Clear layout with intuitive navigation and beautiful gift options.
Excellent site. Lots of helpful information here. I’m sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you in your effort!
перейти на сайт
золотая рыбка в фарфоровой чаше New World
Wonderful site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you in your effort!
Magnificent website. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks on your sweat!
Magnificent web site. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your effort!
узнать skeet
MoonCrest Corner – Unique selections look great, navigation is simple and pleasant.
rankboostx.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
<Mountain Bloom Finds Online – Pleasant experience, everything feels carefully curated and refreshing.
PresentCorner – Fast site performance and gift items are displayed clearly.
нажмите
калькулятор билдов New World, планировщик билдов New World
Excellent site. Plenty of helpful information here. I am sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks to your effort!
https://pauladdavis.scholar.bucknell.edu/2017/10/30/fall-dance-concert-2012/#comment-313560
Excellent site. Plenty of helpful information here. I’m sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you in your sweat!
Muy informativo, lo aprecio.