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: |
fair go casino – https://fair-go-au.com
This is really attention-grabbing, You’re an overly professional blogger.
I have joined your feed and stay up for in search
of extra of your wonderful post. Additionally, I have shared your web site in my social networks
This article helped me understand things from a new angle.
You have an amazing way of connecting with readers.
I personally find that i value the easy onboarding and wide token selection. This site is reliable. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
stands out.
Wow, that’s what I was looking for, what a data! present here at this blog, thanks admin of this website.
Hurrah, that’s what I was exploring for, what a stuff! existing here at this web site, thanks admin of this web page.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post
was good. I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to
a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
Wow, that’s what I was searching for, what a stuff! present here at this web site, thanks admin of this web page.
winzada777 app – https://winzada777-br.com/winzada777-app/
Можливість живити інтернет-обладнання стала ключовим фактором вибору. У цьому плані зарядна станція для будинку показала чудовий результат. Зв’язок зберігається навіть під час тривалих знеструмлень.
Качественные банные веники — основа полноценного оздоровительного отдыха и традиционных русских парных процедур. Магазин предлагает отборную продукцию из березы, дуба и эвкалипта по доступным ценам. Товары проходят тщательный отбор и соответствуют стандартам экологической безопасности для использования. Удобная доставка через пункты выдачи Яндекс Маркета работает по всей Москве и Подмосковью. Подробный каталог и актуальные акции доступны на странице https://www.parvenik.ru/ для всех покупателей. Оптовые заказы обрабатываются с дополнительными скидками и индивидуальными условиями сотрудничества.
betfavorita app – https://betfavorita-br.com/betfavorita-app/
Коли працюєш віддалено, важливо, щоб електроніка залишалася безперебійною. Тому зарядна станція для будинку стала незамінною під час відключень світла. Це дозволяє виконувати завдання без зайвих турбот.
casinos leon – https://casinos-leon-au.com
Hurrah, that’s what I was looking for, what a data! existing here at this website, thanks admin of this web page.
wwin – https://wwin-de.com
Morgan here — I’ve tried using the API and the robust security impressed me. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
You always manage to exceed expectations.
finish because the clarity, structure, and passion in your writing
Kavion Trustee digital site – Clean interface, strong trust indicators, and a refined overall feel.
Qorivo Holdings Hub – Fast-loading pages, content is organized, and the browsing experience is straightforward.
refreshing depth of insight. I found myself fully engaged from start to
bsb007 casino login – https://bsb007-casino-australia.com/bsb007-casino-login/
Hurrah, that’s what I was exploring for, what a stuff! present here at this web site, thanks admin of this web site.
Hurrah, that’s what I was looking for, what a stuff! present here at this blog, thanks admin of this web page.
slingo – https://slingo-br.com
QoriPortal – Interface neat, pages responsive, and navigation doesn’t feel complicated.
aspas – https://aspas-th.com
Wow, that’s what I was searching for, what a material! existing here at this webpage, thanks admin of this web site.
Hurrah, that’s what I was exploring for, what a data! present here at this blog, thanks admin of this web page.
Hurrah, that’s what I was searching for, what a stuff! present here at this webpage, thanks admin of this website.
Explore TorivoUnion – Positive outlook so far, appears credible for ongoing projects.
karamba – https://karamba-de.com
Hurrah, that’s what I was seeking for, what a data! existing here at this blog, thanks admin of this website.
5e bet – https://5ebet-br.com
Hurrah, that’s what I was exploring for, what a information! existing here at this webpage, thanks admin of this web page.
Hurrah, that’s what I was seeking for, what a material! existing here at this webpage, thanks admin of this site.
356bet – https://356bet-th.com
cуdigo promocional 1xbet uruguay
vulkanvegas – https://vulkanvegas-de88.com
Wow, that’s what I was searching for, what a material! existing here at this web site, thanks admin of this web page.
just casino – https://just-casino-77.com
Hurrah, that’s what I was searching for, what a information! present here at this blog, thanks admin of this web site.
sv388 – https://sv388-vi.com
Hurrah, that’s what I was searching for, what a information! present here at this web site, thanks admin of this website.
betway – https://betway-us.com
Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a very good article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and never manage to get anything done.
igre dece od 12 godina
Wow, that’s what I was searching for, what a information! existing here at this blog, thanks admin of this site.