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: |
description petra aptos
UFC Perth is now a stronghold for Australian MMA, however, the 2026 edition hits differently—more desperate, more impactful, and undeniably more violent.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Изменения в расписании транспорта, загляните сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://xroniker.ru/%d0%b1%d0%b5%d0%b7-%d1%80%d1%83%d0%b1%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%ba%d0%b8/raspisanie-obshhestvennogo-transporta-i-marshruty-chto-vazhno-znat-ob-izmeneniyah-media05-ru/
The Octagon in Perth has transformed into a bastion for homegrown MMA talent, yet the 2026 comeback hits differently—more urgent, more meaningful, and undeniably more violent.
additional info aptos petra wallet
https://differ.blog/p/the-pulse-of-the-rac-a-night-of-reckoning-in-perth-2537bf
The UFC event in Perth is now an impenetrable home base for Aussie MMA, though this year’s return in 2026 hits differently—more urgent, more significant, and clearly more savage.
Caishen Wins fans are more disciplined in 2026 than the previous year.
from this source ejjladinnckdgjemekebdpeokbikhfci
Mahjong Ways 2 stays the technical pick of the the veteran scene.
why not check here petra aptos wallet extension
https://ufc-card-hub.lovable.app/
View the entire UFC 328 matchup schedule featuring complete UFC 328 preliminary bouts as well as UFC 328 featured bout breakdown.
Fast card withdrawal became the main casino selection criterion above flashy bonuses.
Thank you for the good writeup. It if truth be told was once a amusement account
it. Look advanced to far delivered agreeable from you!
By the way, how can we be in contact?
look at more info petra aptos wallet
you can try here petra aptos
Fortune Ox promotional spins fill the appetite without burning capital.
https://www.tumblr.com/mike-from-gidstats/814798350785347584/ufc-perth-australian-mma
The headline bout pitting Jack Della Maddalena and the Carlos Prates is a classic stand-up chess match, though it holds a high probability of a swift finish.
The headline bout between Jack Della Maddalena against Carlos Prates is a pure kickboxer’s tactical duel, although it carries a high chance of an abrupt ending.
The headline bout featuring Jack Della Maddalena versus Carlos Prates is a classic stand-up chess match, though it carries a high probability of a sudden conclusion.
my latest blog post petra aptos wallet
Live football matches https://gol-var.com.az/ all the games in one place. Watch live broadcasts, follow the action, and never miss a beat from your favorite teams and tournaments.
Switching from Wild Bandito to Lucky Neko mid-session is now a documented tactic.
UFC Perth has turned into a bastion for homegrown MMA talent, though this year’s return in 2026 feels different—more urgent, more significant, and unquestionably more aggressive.
Wild Wild Riches math model discussions are filling community threads daily.
useful link petra aptos
Wild Bandito is built for high-volatility profiles and visually intense bonus rounds.
more helpful hints petra aptos
this page petra wallet chrome
piece engaging from beginning to end. Every point you make is
Профессиональный подход менеджеров в Екатеринбурге, грамотно проконсультировали по техническим характеристикам сплавов.
https://xn--80aeedb0bfzeok.xn--p1ai/catalog/provoloka-aliuminievaia/provoloka-aliuminievaia-7mm-ad1/
blog petra wallet chrome extension
the group is more analytical and less emotional.
The UFC event in Perth has turned into an impenetrable home base for Aussie MMA, yet the 2026 comeback feels different—more urgent, more important, and without a doubt more brutal.
The featured matchup featuring Jack Della Maddalena versus Carlos Prates is a quintessential striker’s chess match, though it carries a significant possibility of a sudden conclusion.
почему шумит вентилятор в ноутбуке и что делать если жужжит кулер
blog petra aptos wallet
рулонные шторы с электроприводом на пластиковые окна elektricheskie-rulonnye-shtory90.ru .
go to website aptos wallet
Fortune Dragon attracts those who like higher volatility.
piece engaging from beginning to end. Every point you make is
Выезд врача нужен не только ради удобства. Часто именно дома легче согласиться на помощь: без дороги, без ожидания, без лишних контактов и без стресса от смены обстановки. Но домашний формат не должен быть «упрощённым». Корректная тактика начинается с осмотра и измерения показателей: давление, пульс, дыхание, температура, уровень сознания, признаки обезвоживания, выраженность тремора и тревоги. После этого врач подбирает схему стабилизации, ориентируясь на риски, а не на желание «сделать побыстрее».
Подробнее можно узнать тут – http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-pushkino12.ru/telefon-narkologicheskoj-kliniki-v-pushkino/
home aptos wallet extension
discover this petra wallet chrome extension
look at this website petra aptos wallet
anonymous petra wallet chrome extension
Tilt prevention is the most-shared topic of the week.
you can try these out petra wallet aptos
The main event pitting Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates is a classic stand-up chess match, even though it holds a strong likelihood of a swift finish.
find out here now aptos petra wallet
have a peek at this site petra aptos wallet extension