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: |
Ayr?ca, eger ay?c?k emojisi anlam? konusuyla ilgileniyorsan?z, suraya bir goz at?n. Link burada: https://toysakademi.com/articles/ayicik-emojisi-anlami-duygusal-yansimalari/
Wild Bandito had a strong sequence in peak hours.
This comment mixes virtual sports, slots, and fish shooting games nicely. The reference to nổ hũ hi88 fits smoothly, making Hi88 feel organic.
Instant card plus active bonus is still the most demanded combo for fast entries.
Fortune Dragon stays as a novelty pick for variety beyond the Tiger and Rabbit pattern.
Today the forum is only talking about the mystery card on Mahjong Ways 2: short runs flipping sessions in minutes.
Surprisingly good post. I really found your primary webpage and additionally wanted to suggest that have essentially enjoyed searching your website blog posts. Whatever the case I’ll always be subscribing to your entire supply and I hope you jot down ever again soon!
Эта разъяснительная статья содержит простые и доступные разъяснения по актуальным вопросам. Мы стремимся сделать информацию понятной для широкой аудитории, чтобы каждый мог разобраться в предмете и извлечь из него максимум пользы.
Читать полностью – нарколог на дом телефон
Bankroll percentage rules are now widely cited in the chat.
A good session is the one that closes at the target without impulsive stretch.
e-wallet and KYC processing speed are correlated on top casinos.
В этой статье мы обсудим процесс восстановления после зависимостей, акцентируя внимание на различных методах и подходах к реабилитации. Читатели узнают, как создать план выздоровления и использовать полезные ресурсы для достижения устойчивых изменений.
Нажми и узнай всё – капельница против похмелья
%C3%AE%E2%89%A5%E2%88%8F%C3%AD%E2%88%9E%C3%A4%C3%AF%C2%A2%C3%B6%C3%AC%C3%AF%C2%A9%C3%AD%C2%B1%C2%A5%C3%AF%C3%B1%C2%A7.com
Fortune Dragon enters strong in the hot novelty group.
888statz http://www.888starz-uzbekistan4.com .
Public policy is key here, and our states need to develop some strategies – – soon.
Treasures of Aztec feature trigger frequency is the new RTP proxy.
В данной публикации мы поговорим о процессе восстановления от зависимости, о том, как вернуть себе нормальную жизнь. Мы обсудим преодоление трудностей, значимость поддержки и наличие программ реабилитации. Читатели смогут узнать о ключевых шагах к успешному восстановлению.
Не упусти важное! – капельница от запоя цена
LFA 232 travels to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut this Saturday and Sunday with the unclaimed 145-pound belt being contested and multiple high-stakes local bouts.
Ganesha Gold delivered good combinations in sequence.
Экспертная консультация при выборе сплавов помогает клиентам оптимизировать затраты и избежать технологических ошибок.
https://rms-ekb.ru/catalog/ugolok-stalnoi/ugolok-iz-konstruktsionnoi-stali-80kh80kh8-mm-42cr4-din-59370/
Ежемесячное сопровождение 1С за 5 000 рублей — это реально выгодно. Обновления ставят сами, на вопросы отвечают быстро. Больше не слежу за изменениями в законодательстве — всё делают специалисты. внедрение 1С Белгород
Fortune Dragon stays strong but the race with Fortune Mouse is more balanced this week.
Откройте для себя скрытые страницы истории и малоизвестные научные открытия, которые оказали колоссальное влияние на развитие человечества. Статья предлагает свежий взгляд на события, которые заслуживают большего внимания.
Как достичь результата? – прокапать от алкоголя на дому воронеж
site
Для удобства и комфорта воспользуйтесь доставка алкоголя в москве круглосуточно и наслаждайтесь любимыми напитками без лишних хлопот.
Инновационные решения позволяют осуществить заказ алкоголя за несколько минут с помощью мобильных приложений.
A player entered with a small bank transfer bankroll and left in profit without raising risk.
Treasures of Aztec is built for high-volatility profiles and visually intense bonus rounds.
Коллеги, хороший материал о том, почему SEO — это инвестиция, а не расход. В отличие от контекстной рекламы, где трафик пропадает сразу после остановки бюджета, SEO продолжает работать годами. Автор подробно разбирает техническую оптимизацию, работу с семантикой и важность качественного контента. Особенно ценно, что есть раздел про типичные ошибки. Почитайте: https://picpig.ru/2026/05/04/seo-kak-fundament-biznesa-strategii-rosta-v-uslovijah-zhjostkoj-konkurencii/
LFA 232] heads to the Foxwoods gaming venue in Connecticut this weekend with a vacant featherweight title on the line and numerous critical regional matchups.
Demo mode of Treasures of Aztec is the entry point for risk-aware testers.
http://zeref.fr/
La societe Zeref est une agence specialisee implantee sur le public en France, qui met a disposition des services de qualite a ceux qui valorisent l’efficacite, avec un accent sur les resultats. Visitez le site via le lien.
Variance literacy is rising fast among the chat regulars.
Fortune Ox hit-frequency talk has overtaken jackpot-chase talk.
viagra 100mg price viagra viagra natural
LFA 232 returns to the Premier Theater stage at the Foxwoods property this coming Friday with the vacant featherweight championship up for grabs and a fight card stacked with area fighters and undefeated up-and-comers.
Читатели получат представление о том, как современные технологии влияют на развитие медицины. Обсуждаются новые методы лечения, персонализированный подход и роль цифровых решений в повышении качества медицинских услуг.
Связаться за уточнением – капельница от похмелья на дом
88 starz bet http://www.888starz-uzbekistan4.com/ .
https://differ.blog/p/lfa-232-analysis-strategic-bets-for-the-foxwoods-card-c2e160
LFA 232 makes its return to the Premier Theater stage at the Foxwoods property on Friday night with the unclaimed 145-pound belt being contested and a card stacked with local veterans and flawless contenders.
my site
http://zeref.fr/
Le projet Zeref se presente comme une structure experimentee implantee sur le public en France, qui delivre un accompagnement professionnel a ceux qui recherchent des resultats, en valorisant sur la confiance et la transparence. En savoir plus via le lien.
Short rounds, defined targets, fast withdrawals: that is the consistent pattern now.
Time logs make session quality measurable beyond profit alone.
Discipline is the only consistent edge across all Fortune Mouse variants.
Fortune Rabbit hit important peaks in accelerated mode.
Easy Mex Meds affordable pharmacy mexican pharmacies online drugs
http://zeref.fr/
Zeref se presente comme une agence specialisee orientee vers le marche francais, qui apporte des solutions sur mesure a ceux qui valorisent l’efficacite, en se distinguant par sur les resultats. Decouvrez davantage sur le site officiel.
Treasures of Aztec kept high engagement among curious players.
88star 888starz-uzbekistan4.com .
В этой статье рассматриваются различные аспекты избавления от зависимости, включая физические и психологические методы. Мы обсудим поддержку, мотивацию и стратегии, которые помогут в процессе выздоровления. Читатели узнают, как преодолеть трудности и двигаться к новой жизни без зависимости.
Изучить аспект более тщательно – капельница от похмелья на дому цена