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: |
gclub – https://gclub-th.com
Sergii creative hub – Visitors can view projects clearly and enjoy a polished, professional layout.
888 bet app – https://888-bet-au.com/888-bet-app/
В этой статье собраны факты, которые освещают целый ряд важных вопросов. Мы стремимся предложить читателям четкую, достоверную информацию, которая поможет сформировать собственное мнение и лучше понять сложные аспекты рассматриваемой темы.
Изучить эмпирические данные – https://www.priyatew.com/frugal-meals
проект перепланировки и переустройства квартиры проект перепланировки и переустройства квартиры .
rede vida ao vivo – https://rede-vida-ao-vivo.com
Wild Hollow curated picks – Each design is distinct, and the browsing experience is smooth and inspiring.
bwin – https://bwin-us.com
i thought about this https://msccextranet.microsemi.com/promotion/slots.html
Modern Décor Hub – Products showcased in a contemporary layout with quick load times.
Home Style Picks – Products displayed in a visually appealing and organized way.
Contemporary Home Picks – Contemporary design elements with responsive and fast pages.
Elegant Living Picks – Elegant product display with smooth and intuitive navigation.
try this out http://housekeepinglrogoeshi.blogspot.com/2015/07/housekeeping-jobs-in-philadelphia-pa.html
go to this web-site https://www.dieselenginetrader.biz/diesel-engine-failure-analysis/
Creative portfolio hub – The platform highlights artistic work in an organized and professional manner.
you could try here http://boilerrepairsrimaise.blogspot.com/2017/07/oil-boiler-repairs-cheshire.html
click over here now https://global-websites.pages.dev/48/rOaBVmIKIU
Inspired decor hub – Browsing is intuitive, with products displayed clearly in an artistic format.
Sergii work portal – Creative projects are displayed in a professional, easy-to-view format.
Your posts always give me something valuable to think about.
Get More Information http://handwiki.org/wiki/Documentation
check these guys out http://clampmeterzenmei.blogspot.com/2016/02/clamp-meter-buying-guide.html
see here https://testwebsite.bpfi.ie/register.html
try this website http://aircoolingpatariko.blogspot.com/2017/07/air-cooling-lathe.html
go to website https://rakily.com/website-list-1907/
натяж потолки натяж потолки .
over here https://wikiterminal.com/en/Documentation
look at here https://hrcareerstest.mundipharma.com/crash-game/spribe.html
Modern Home & Style – Contemporary layout with well-placed products and fast pages.
A F-16 сразу в мягком виде приходит, да? Купить кокаин, бошки, гашиш Закупались у данного магазина 100г реги, в подарок получили 15г скорос!1 клад надежныйстараемся для вас
Đọc bài này làm mình nhớ mấy lần chơi slot bị cuốn theo nhịp quay nhanh. Kiểu phân tích như vậy khá giống cách anh em trên hi88 hay bàn về việc chọn slot ít biến động để chơi lâu mà không bị cháy vốn.
We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your web site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve
done an impressive job and our entire community will
be thankful to you.
https://rhslilygroup.org/wp-includes_new/inc/?888starz_casino_promo_code_upon_registration.html
бездепозитные бонусы за регистрацию в казино с выводом без пополнения и без вейджера 1000
internet pharmacies
ウェブサイト https://kaimanga.info/ では、マンガやアニメに関する情報、考察、概要など、様々な情報を提供しています。ゲームやアニメの興味深いレビュー、そして私たちの身の回りの生活に関する一般的な情報も提供しています。この包括的な情報源は、誰もが新しい何かを学べる場所です！
новые бездепозитные бонусы в казино
ao vivo placar – https://ao-vivo-placar.com
Stylish Living Hub – Clean visuals and organized products make browsing effortless.
потолочкин http://natyazhnye-potolki-nizhniy-novgorod-4.ru .
Thank you for sharing something so thoughtful and well crafted.
canadian prescription drugs
новые бездепозитные бонусы в казино за регистрацию с выводом без пополнения
Stylish Living Market – A refined aesthetic with fast pages and a user-friendly interface.
Creative showcase site – The portfolio presents artistic work with clarity and professional appeal.
anonymous https://what-happens-next.xyz/list-f01aed3208013ad24f4e83a198b187ec
have a peek at this website https://www.british1.co.uk/directory/Surrey/Farnham/Business_and_Economy/
grenal hoje placar ao vivo – https://grenal-hoje-placar-ao-vivo.com
canadian pharmaceuticals online safe