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: |
Hi, I check your blogs daily. Your writing style is witty, keep it up!
mostbet kyrgyzstan http://www.mostbet2033.help
find out here now toast wallet
Читать далее водка бет
здесь водка бет казино
сюда водка бет
Hello, I read your blogs on a regular basis. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep it up!
мостбэт мостбэт
найти это Оптимизация налогооблажения
Recommended Site download jaxx wallet
пылесос дайсон беспроводной купить в краснодаре pylesos-dn-kupit-2.ru .
marbo – https://marbo-th.com
Hi, I read your blog regularly. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep it up!
aaa bet app – https://aaabet-br.com/aaa-bet-app/
Hello, I check your new stuff daily. Your humoristic style is awesome, keep doing what you’re doing!
дайсон стайлер для волос купить цена с насадками официальный сай… дайсон стайлер для волос купить цена с насадками официальный сай… .
Читать далее Ликвидация, банкротство
كرة القدم على ترول – https://troll-football-eg.com
What’s up, I check your blogs like every week. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep it up!
betking – https://betking-us.com
try this https://vapeheart.shop
This is the brutal truth: most HVAC failures take place because someone missed a step. Did not calculate the load properly. Used undersized equipment. Misjudged the insulation needs. We’ve personally fixed hundreds of these messes. And every time, we remember another lesson. Like in 2017, when we started adding smart thermostats to each installation. Why? Because Sarah, our lead tech, got frustrated of watching homeowners waste money on inefficient temperature management. Now clients save hundreds yearly.
https://www.brownbook.net/business/54577473/product-air-heating
online medication
фен купить dyson оригинал fen-dn-kupit-12.ru .
Hi there, I read your blogs regularly. Your humoristic style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing!
Hi, I log on to your blogs like every week. Your writing style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing!
Hi there, I check your blog daily. Your story-telling style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing!
Мы изготавливаем дипломы психологов, юристов, экономистов и других профессий по приятным ценам. Цена зависит от той или иной специальности, года выпуска и образовательного учреждения: thcsnghiaan.pgdnamtruc.edu.vn/textstat/zakazat-diplom-s-dostavkoj-220.html
купить фен дайсон оригинал в москве официальный сайт купить фен дайсон оригинал в москве официальный сайт .
pop over to this web-site jax wallet
Читать далее зеркало водкабет
теннис скачать букмекерскую контору mostbet2033.help
leon casino – https://leon-casino-au.com
Hi, I read your blog like every week. Your writing style is witty, keep it up!
What’s up, I log on to your blog like every week. Your writing style is awesome, keep doing what you’re doing!
https://hotbizdirectory.com/listings13497340/1xbet-promo-code-malaysia-2026
playfina casino app – https://playfina-casino-77.com/playfina-casino-app/
To create stamps at home or in the office, you can use the servicestamp online maker free, позволяющим быстро и качественно создавать необходимые печати без выхода из дома.
By using online rubber stamp makers, users can save time and money, as they can create and order their stamps from the comfort of their own homes.
This level of customization is not always possible with traditional stamp-making methods, making online stamp makers a popular choice for those looking for unique and personalized stamps.
A good online rubber stamp maker should offer a range of features that make it easy to design and create custom stamps.
By providing a convenient, affordable, and sustainable solution for creating custom stamps, online stamp makers will remain a popular choice for businesses, crafters, and individuals alike.
poplottery – https://www.poplottery-br.com/
What’s up, I log on to your blog on a regular basis. Your story-telling style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing!
этот сайт Камеральная, выездная проверка
Hello, I log on to your new stuff like every week. Your writing style is awesome, keep up the good work!
login mostbet login mostbet
Hi there, I read your blog regularly. Your story-telling style is witty, keep it up!
фен купить dyson оригинал fen-dn-kupit-12.ru .
victor96 casino app – https://victor96-casino-au.com/victor96-casino-app/
mostbet личный кабинет http://www.mostbet2033.help
Hi, I check your blogs regularly. Your writing style is witty, keep up the good work!
Hi there, I log on to your new stuff on a regular basis. Your humoristic style is witty, keep up the good work!
online pharmacy review