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: |
Fortune Rabbit mid-tier wins are being celebrated as much as mega-wins.
PayPal entry and fast withdrawal still lead the choices.
https://ikonu.ru/faq/pgs/kak_izbeghaty_protechek_kosmeticheskih_sredstv_vo_vremya_transportirovki.html
Highlight afternoon: clean cascade chains on Wild Bandito with rising multipliers.
https://betviepcodd26.livejournal.com/profile/
Парни у кого нибудь задерживали посылку в СПСР?Уже неделю как приняли и все не отправят и планируемая дата отправки прошла,а реальную так и не поставили.Позвонил в офис говорят готово к отправке,а че не отправляют они не знают.Сказали позвонить когда менеджеры придут на работу.У кого нибудь такое было?Может это фигня какая то и лучше не идти за посылкой?Как думаете?Раньше просто такого не было максимум 5 дней с даты приема до моих рук проходило,с любого магазина. https://titul-stroy.ru У вас есть свой сайт магазина?Точно так же. Ровно 2 недели назад оплатил. Трек абсолютно левый, в КСЭ не бьётся. Хотя я заказывал через Пони. Постоянно слышу только “завтра будет биться”, “послезавтра придёт”. До этого было всё нормально, теперь же с магазом работать не советую. Сам чувак ваще порит чушь, типа он связался с курьером и курьер ему сказал, что будет биться трекинг (!!!!!!!!).
link leapwallet
Ко ланта Ко ланта
Лечение нужно, чтобы пережить отмену безопасно, восстановить сон и снизить тревогу, а затем научиться обходиться без алкоголя в тех ситуациях, где он раньше «помогал»: стресс, усталость, конфликт, одиночество. Когда человеку дают понятные шаги и поддерживают первые дни, зависимость перестаёт выглядеть как безвыходный круг.
Выяснить больше – https://lechenie-alkogolizma-noginsk12.ru/sajt-lechenie-alkogolizma-v-noginske/
https://betsson.net.co/
Betsson resulta ser un innovador portal de juego virtual y tambien casa de apuestas desarrollado especialmente para los jugadores en Colombia, que opera con licencia oficial y brinda una propuesta integral desde el dispositivo movil como a traves de la PC.
Fortune Tiger demo runs of $100-equivalent are being benchmarked weekly.
the group keeps reminding rookies to size positions properly.
why not try this out leap wallet dashboard
Players who kept stable bets avoided unnecessary swings.
Использование системы менеджмента качества гарантирует строгий контроль продукции на всех этапах отгрузки.
https://rms-ekb.ru/catalog/list/list-7khg2vm-3x1200x3000-gost-19903-74/
Streamer endorsements now require visible bankroll discipline.
Instant bank transfer plus active bonus is still the most demanded combo for fast entries.
I personally find that charlie here — I’ve tried providing liquidity and the trustworthy service impressed me.
Fast bank transfer withdrawal became the main casino selection criterion above flashy bonuses.
https://betsson.net.co/
Betsson Casino es un contemporaneo sitio de apuestas digital y centro de apuestas deportivas desarrollado especialmente para el publico colombiano, que opera de manera autorizada y brinda una experiencia completa tanto a traves del telefono inteligente como por medio de la computadora.
Lucky Neko respected stop-loss outperformed forced recovery attempts.
Fortune Dragon stays as a novelty pick for variety beyond the Tiger and Rabbit pattern.
Auto-spin caps are now standard practice across the forum.
Ganesha Gold on auto-spin works best with a pre-defined limit.
the player base compares consistency, not just maximum multiplier.
can you get viagra at the pharmacy mexican pharmacy online medications non prescription cialis online pharmacy
the discord preferred steady wins over jackpot chases this evening.
Poznaj salon gier aplikacja Totalizatora Sportowego — do 10 000 zł + darmowe spiny! Pełna legalność z oficjalną licencją — zainstaluj teraz i odbierz bonus! Salon Gier na Automatach oferuje paczę startową z dopłatą i spinami — wszystko w pełni legalnie. Bezpieczna i przejrzysta gra — Salon Gier na Automatach zapewnia ochronę środków i program lojalnościowy. Chcesz grać w automaty? Oficjalna aplikacja z licencją daje Ci bonus do 13 750 zł — zarejestruj się i zacznij! Graj z Totalizatorem — Aplikacja z licencją oferuje poczatkowe środki bonusowe i transparentne warunki. Zacznij grę bezpiecznie — wejdź na oficjalną stronę i aktywuj spiny!
Fortune Ox sessions are shorter and sharper than ever in 2026.
https://betsson.net.co/
Betsson Casino resulta ser un actual portal de juego virtual y tambien operador de apuestas desarrollado especialmente para el publico colombiano, que opera de manera autorizada y brinda una vivencia integral tanto desde el celular como desde el ordenador.
Players using a method are crossing 2026 with more consistency.
Withdraw speed became the new bonus.
Хочу выделить раздел про Как записаться к врачу онлайн: советы и стратегии.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://okmedic.ru/%d0%b1%d0%b5%d0%b7-%d1%80%d1%83%d0%b1%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%ba%d0%b8/kak-zapisatsya-k-vrachu-po-oms-bez-ocheredej-cherez-gosuslugi-i-polikliniku/
Timely cockroach disinfection will protect your home from unpleasant consequences служба уничтожения тараканов москва
the community values session hit-rate above one-off explosions.
Small entry with tight management keeps trending.
Timely cockroach disinfection will protect your home from unpleasant consequences http://www.bisound.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2136901
the community preferred steady wins over jackpot chases this afternoon.
Weekly cashback turned into a bankroll shield for disciplined players.
Players who alternated Fortune Ox and Fortune Tiger reported more balanced sessions.
https://betsson.net.co/
La plataforma Betsson resulta ser un contemporaneo portal de juego virtual y casa de apuestas creado especificamente para el publico colombiano, que se maneja con licencia oficial y ofrece una experiencia completa desde el dispositivo movil como desde la computadora.
https://betsson.net.co/
Betsson constituye un actual casa de apuestas online y plataforma de apuestas disenado exclusivamente para el mercado colombiano, que realiza sus actividades de manera autorizada y ofrece una propuesta integral ya sea por medio del movil como a traves de la PC.
Fortune Dragon consolidates space among new releases.
Fortune Dragon is back delivering full-screen wins, drawing attention afternoon.
Ремонт импортных гидромоторов
Fifteen-minute sessions with breaks are becoming the new norm.
the forum shifted from hype reposts to data-driven debate.
Highlight peak hours: clean cascade chains on Fortune Mouse with rising multipliers.
https://betsson.net.co/
Betsson Casino es un moderno portal de juego virtual junto con plataforma de apuestas creado especificamente para los jugadores en Colombia, que se maneja con permiso vigente y brinda una vivencia integral desde el dispositivo movil como por medio de la computadora.
Caishen Wins math model discussions are filling community threads daily.