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: |
SunrisePeak Designs – A nice mix of style and originality, made my quick visit enjoyable today.
browse around these guys https://dexrp.wtf
UrbanRidge Online Market – Pleasant experience with a solid selection of modern items.
Going Here https://unich.icu/
купить готовый диплом в спб купить готовый диплом в спб .
browse around this site https://palladiumlabs.net
hop over to this web-site https://avalonfinance.cc/
рейтинг казино на реальные деньги В мире онлайн-гемблинга найти место, где можно играть без опасений, – задача не из легких. Рынок переполнен предложениями, и среди них, к сожалению, встречаются и те, которым не стоит доверять. Но не стоит отчаиваться! Существуют проверенные временем и игроками онлайн-казино, которые зарекомендовали себя как надежные и честные площадки.
Hub of Style Choices – Attractive products are neatly organized, making shopping comfortable.
Contemporary Design Hub – Everything looks thoughtfully placed and easy to find.
browse around these guys https://hypperswap.cloud/
Forest Lane Creations Spot – Tranquil and natural aesthetics, making browsing items simple and pleasant.
qq188 – https://qq188-th.com
Learn More Here https://beraborrow.cc
SunrisePeak Art Store – Beautiful artistic flow throughout, definitely worth exploring.
read here https://theo.sbs
Modern Design Showcase – The site feels refined and easy to navigate.
m358 – https://m358-888.com
UrbanChoice Market Hub – Attractive presentation and organized products enhance the user experience.
top88 – https://top88-vn.com
https://silverstream.forum24.ru/?1-12-0-00007296-000-0-0-1763197938
SmartValueOutlet – Pleasant shopping experience, clear product display, and easy navigation.
wind picks hub – Fast-loading pages and organized layout made shopping effortless.
go to this web-site https://d2finance.cc
ValueFinderOutlet – Fast navigation, great bargains, and an enjoyable shopping layout.
shop wind gallery – Clear interface and smooth scrolling made shopping simple.
pin up ilova promo bilan https://www.pinup5012.ru
noble boutique access – Browsing felt natural and product sections were easy to follow.
https://www.neo.edu.pl/post/organy-dzieci-i-abortowanych-p%C5%82od%C3%B3w-w-ci%C4%85g%C5%82ej-sprzeda%C5%BCy-okazja-kto-kupi-i-na-co-to-komu?commentId=5beaf862-3019-41ac-8621-51b836be0849
click here to find out more https://yieldfi.pro/
Visit This Link https://daodao.cfd
I’ve been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or blog posts
on this sort of house . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled
upon this site. Reading this info So i’m glad to express that I have an incredibly excellent
uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed.
I so much certainly will make sure to don?t omit this site
and give it a glance regularly.
Urban Choice Online – Intuitive navigation and neatly displayed products provide a pleasant experience.
canais ao vivo – https://canais-ao-vivo.com
browse around here https://beratrax.org/
http://diabetesmedseasybuy.com/# Insulin glargine
كورا لايف بلس – https://kora-live-plus.com
Forest Lane Selection – Attractive forest-themed items, with a soothing and enjoyable layout.
Forest Lane Corner – Nicely curated forest-inspired items, and browsing feels relaxed and natural.
casino sydney – https://casino-sydney.com
This perspective really made me think differently about an issue I thought I had all figured out. The way you challenged conventional wisdom was thought-provoking. I’ll be considering your points in my own approach moving forward.
takbet – https://takbet-de.com
why not check here https://cakepad.digital
this contact form https://gluex.io/
go to this site https://looksrare.cfd
Visit Website https://prjx.space
UrbanRidge Lifestyle – Sleek design and variety in products make this store worth exploring.
bingo app – https://bingo-br.com/bingo-app/
redirected here https://etherealtrade.xyz/
you can try here https://hyperliquid-wiki.cv