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: |
казино чемпион – https://Champion-Casino-ru.com
https://rollbol.com/blogs/2018806/1xBet-Promo-Code-2026-BONUS1X200-130-Bonus
SoftSky Collection Online – Calm design with smooth navigation, items are easy to find.
findnewperspective – Great platform for shifting mindset and exploring new ways of thinking.
funzpoints login – https://funzpoints-us.com/funzpoints-login/
Here’s the ugly truth: the majority of septic companies just service tanks. They are like quick-fix salesmen at a disaster convention. But Septic Solutions? They are special. It all began back in the early 2000s when Art and his family—just kids scarcely tall enough to shoulder a shovel—assisted install their family’s septic system alongside a experienced pro. Picture this: three youngsters knee-deep in Pennsylvania clay, discovering how soil porosity affects drainage while their peers played Xbox. “We did not just dig holes,” Art told me last winter, warm coffee cup in hand. “We understood how ground whispers mysteries. A patch of marsh plants here? That’s Mother Nature screaming ‘high water table.'”
https://padlet.com/sordusaoxp/bookmarks-7cipufprs62xofjb/wish/AL83WzGY9wpea0Pg
futebol interior ao vivo placar – https://futebol-interior-ao-vivo-placar.com
tim nasional sepak bola turki – https://tim-nasional-sepak-bola-turki.com
Everglen Deals Shop – Discovered a few gems here, and the warm design made browsing pleasant.
see it here https://jaxx-web.org/
GlenMarket Hub – Found some great picks thanks to the cozy and user-friendly setup.
Daily Studio Hub – Neatly presented items with smooth navigation and a modern interface.
Read Full Report https://toast-wallet.net/
Все о провайдерах https://providers.by Беларуси! Актуальные новости, честные отзывы пользователей и детальные обзоры тарифов. Поможем выбрать лучшего интернет-провайдера, анализируем рынок и тенденции. Будьте в курсе всех изменений!
Всё о секретах ПО https://software-expert.ru ваш гид. Откройте для себя мир скрытых возможностей, эффективных стратегий и неочевидных лайфхаков в разработке программного обеспечения. Поймите, как создавать и использовать ПО на новом уровне.
click for more info https://toast-wallet.net
try this russian traditional clothing
go to the website https://toast-wallet.net
see https://toast-wallet.net/
betr – https://betr-77.com
http://classichonda.phorum.pl/viewtopic.php?p=159723#159723
click now russian traditional clothing
Soft Sky Studio Online – Relaxing tones and tidy layout make exploring effortless.
flames – https://flames-88.com
findnewperspective – Very useful resource for expanding thinking and improving decision-making skills.
go99 – https://go99-vi.com
SoftSky Creative – Relaxing layout with gentle tones throughout, very enjoyable browsing.
he has a good point https://toast-wallet.net/
SoftSky Picks – Easy-to-browse interface with soft tones and calm design.
1xbet казино – https://1xbet-Casino-ru.com
https://www.docent724.com/blog/classic-watches
Таможенный представитель москва решил все вопросы
https://univ-stmik.com/renatochattert
Curated Home & Design – Elegant product arrangement with smooth navigation and clear sections.
I was suggested this web site by my cousin. I’m
not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my problem.
You are incredible! Thanks!
shopwiseonline – ShopWiseOnline features fresh, modern items with intuitive product details.
blog link https://toast-wallet.net
пин ап настройки профиля http://pinup5014.ru
findnewperspective – Encourages seeing challenges from multiple angles and finding practical ideas.
Daily Picks Lane – Organized daily products with fast pages and pleasant browsing experience.
It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the longer term
and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this submit and if I could I wish to
suggest you few attention-grabbing things or suggestions.
Perhaps you could write next articles regarding this
article. I wish to learn more things approximately it!
view publisher site https://toast-wallet.net
findnewperspective – Great platform for shifting mindset and exploring new ways of thinking.
http://freestyler.ws/user/609343/codde1xbet
important site https://toast-wallet.net/
http://sahpes.onlinebbs.ru/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3398
findnewperspective – Really helpful site to gain fresh perspectives and think creatively today.
Premium Design Hub – Elegant layouts with carefully curated items and smooth navigation throughout.
why not look here https://toast-wallet.net
official statement https://toast-wallet.net
https://pinxters.com/blogs/92409/What-is-1xBet-Promo-Code-BONUS1X200-130-Explained