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: |
useful source https://jaxx-web.org/
brango casino app – https://brango-us.com/brango-casino-app/
Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for
your site. You have some really good articles and I think I would be
a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Many thanks!
his explanation https://jaxx-web.org
find https://toast-wallet.net/
he has a good point russian traditional clothing
Design Hub Finds – Creative selections with a modern touch, very pleasant to browse.
يلا شوت جديد – https://yalla-shoot-new-eg.com
casinos leon – https://casinos-leon.com
Design Hub Collective – Sleek, modern selections make browsing through the store pleasant.
Soft Sky Treasures Online – Gentle tones and organized layout make shopping relaxing.
Сияющая кожа https://omaske.ru и роскошные локоны – легко! Откройте секреты природы для красоты. Наши домашние маски для лица и волос подарят вам натуральный уход, глубокое питание и видимый результат. Забудьте о химии, почувствуйте силу трав и фруктов!
78 bet – https://78bet-br.com
blog https://jaxx-web.org/
check this russian traditional clothing
Piece of writing writing is also a excitement, if
you know afterward you can write or else it is difficult to
write.
Fashion Picks Choices – Collections are well curated, browsing feels fast and convenient.
pin up ro‘yxatdan qanday o‘tish https://pinup5014.ru
click to read more https://jaxx-web.org
click here to investigate https://toast-wallet.net
pop over here https://jaxx-web.org
these details https://jaxx-web.org
click for info https://toast-wallet.net/
leao app – https://leao-88.com/leao-app/
Soft Sky Boutique – Calm and inviting layout, made browsing very pleasant.
ocean – https://ocean-casino-us.com
купить клепки для металла
view it now russian traditional clothing
969 bet – https://969bet-br.com
يلا شوت مباشر – https://yalla-shoot-live-eg.com
Contemporary Essentials Hub – Smooth navigation complements a stylish collection of products.
http://gzew.phorum.pl/viewtopic.php?p=549275#549275
Get More Info https://jaxx-web.org
try here russian traditional clothing
Hi there! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out
pretty quick. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to
begin. Do you have any points or suggestions? Cheers
pin up demo aviator o‘ynash pinup5014.ru
Inspired Home Picks – The collection feels fresh, with décor ideas that balance beauty and everyday use.
check out here https://toast-wallet.net/
можно ли официально купить диплом http://www.r-diploma21.ru .
More Help https://toast-wallet.net
Home Living Essentials – Items appear well-designed, aiming for both looks and convenience.
Продвижение через экспертные мнения, кейсы и отраслевые обзоры часто приносит более лояльную аудиторию, чем прямой маркетинг, и эта стратегия детально разобрана: https://dogvoyage.ru/2025/12/jeffektivnoe-prodvizhenie-sajtov-i-razvitie-biznesa-v-internete/
check my reference russian traditional clothing
tim nasional sepak bola hong kong – https://tim-nasional-sepak-bola-hong-kong.com
Everyday Home Inspiration – A pleasant mix of practical products and stylish presentation.
here are the findings https://jaxx-web.org
Modern Living Essentials – Each item feels contemporary, and browsing is smooth and easy.
sportzino casino app – https://sportzino-us.com/sportzino-casino-app/
Premium Modern Hub – Thoughtful curation with clean visuals and seamless browsing experience.
click here for more https://toast-wallet.net