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: |
fanduel login – https://fanduel-us.com/fanduel-login/
EverGlow Finds – Visually striking pages with orderly layouts make shopping enjoyable.
пин ап получить бонус пин ап получить бонус
Wonderful site. Lots of helpful information here. I am sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks on your effort!
Новостной портал https://infosmi.com.ua Украины: главные события дня, оперативная лента, аналитика и мнения экспертов. Политика, экономика, общество, война и международные новости. Чёткая подача, удобная структура разделов и регулярные обновления в режиме 24/7.
modern shopping hub – Items are displayed nicely, navigating the site feels smooth and simple.
Fantastic website. Plenty of useful info here. I am sending it to several buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks on your effort!
Excellent web site. Lots of useful info here. I am sending it to several friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks to your effort!
Wonderful site. A lot of helpful information here. I am sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you in your effort!
GlowMarket Hub – Stylish design with clear product organization offers effortless navigation.
пин ап пополнение счёта https://pinup5011.ru/
Magnificent site. Plenty of helpful information here. I’m sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks in your effort!
mohegan sun – https://mohegan-sun-us.com
Magnificent site. Plenty of useful info here. I am sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you on your effort!
Онлайн новостной https://expressnews.com.ua портал для тех, кто хочет быть в курсе: свежие новости, обзоры, спецпроекты и авторские материалы. Политика, бизнес, общество, наука, культура и спорт — всё в одном месте, с понятной подачей и регулярными обновлениями 24/7.
Украинский новостной https://medicalanswers.com.ua портал: главные новости, расширенные обзоры, разбор решений власти, ситуации на фронте и жизни граждан. Фото, видео, инфографика и мнения экспертов помогают глубже понять происходящее в Украине и вокруг неё.
ссылка на сайт https://cryptocloud.club/threads/kak-zarabatyvat-na-memkoinax.142/
Портал смачних ідей https://mallinaproject.com.ua прості рецепти на щодень, святкові страви, десерти, випічка та корисні перекуси. Покрокові інструкції, поради, підбірки меню й лайфхаки для кухні. Готуйте швидко, смачно та з натхненням разом із нами.
Портал о технологиях https://technocom.dp.ua новости IT и гаджетов, обзоры смартфонов и ноутбуков, сравнения, тесты, инструкции и лайфхаки. Искусственный интеллект, кибербезопасность, софт, цифровые сервисы и тренды — простым языком и с пользой для читателя.
modern shopping center – Products are attractive, browsing feels simple and fast.
Great web site. A lot of helpful info here. I’m sending it to some pals ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks to your sweat!
casino australia app – https://casino-australia-au.com/casino-australia-app/
Excellent web site. Lots of useful info here. I am sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you on your sweat!
bola168 – https://bola168-id.com
This platform exceeded my expectations with wide token selection and scalable features.
Fantastic website. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you on your sweat!
Great website. A lot of helpful info here. I’m sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you in your effort!
Magnificent website. Lots of helpful information here. I am sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you for your effort!
alpha fm ao vivo – https://alpha-fm-ao-vivo.com
Magnificent site. Lots of helpful info here. I am sending it to several buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you for your sweat!
пин ап обход блокировки http://pinup5012.ru/
Fantastic web site. Lots of useful information here. I am sending it to several buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks on your effort!
Forest Collective Finds – Well-structured pages and naturally styled products make browsing enjoyable.
Wonderful web site. Lots of helpful info here. I’m sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you for your effort!
UniqueGift Studio Hub – Clean design with easy-to-browse items makes exploration enjoyable.
Wonderful web site. Plenty of helpful information here. I am sending it to a few buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you for your sweat!
Fantastic site. Lots of useful info here. I am sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks on your sweat!
UniqueGift Lane Online – Smooth interface and well-arranged products create a seamless browsing experience.
пин ап как получить выигрыш https://pinup5011.ru/
продолжить https://cryptocloud.club/
Fantastic website. Lots of useful info here. I’m sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you on your effort!
Magnificent website. A lot of helpful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks for your sweat!
you could look here https://belonnanotservice.ga/page-9fc9148d262bd4146e2b22540909953b.html
пин ап скачать приложение pinup5011.ru
Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed!
Extremely useful info specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such info
much. I was seeking this certain information for a very long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
Web Site https://ssqi.in/internal-auditor-training-on-iso29001-4/
have a peek at this site http://portableairconditioningunitsoku.blogspot.com/2015/
Hi, Neat post. There is a problem along with your website in internet explorer,
might test this? IE still is the marketplace chief
and a large element of folks will leave out your great
writing because of this problem.
Forest Harmony Collective – Loved the natural aesthetic and the easy flow between sections.
news https://www.politraining.upiita.ipn.mx/temas/tipos-de-datos-numeros-y-strings/comment-page-234/