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: |
trendingnewsfeed – I like how headlines are laid out, easy to scan during breaks.
prices can be had by means of online opportunities to https://productmenmedical.com/ contains all the details.
В клинике «СамарМед» доступно несколько форм лечения: стационарная программа, дневной стационар, амбулаторное наблюдение и гибридные схемы. Пациенты могут выбрать комфортный вариант в зависимости от степени зависимости, текущего состояния и занятости. Внутри стационара предусмотрены как стандартные палаты, так и индивидуальные блоки повышенной комфортности с возможностью проживания совместно с сопровождающим лицом.
Разобраться лучше – вывод наркологическая клиника в самаре
apkcontainer – Always a plus when a site is mobile-friendly and responsive for me.
https://imageevent.com/olsonkadin16/kqvak
накрутка подписчиков в телеграм живые бесплатно
Добро пожаловать в мир лучших детских товаров с TykePop, где здоровье и счастье ваших малышей — наши главные приоритеты.
Зацепил материал про Увлекательные статьи и советы на Clasifieds 360.
Ссылка ниже:
https://clasifieds.ru
Благодарим за внимание, и пусть ваши детки всегда будут здоровы и счастливы вместе с TykePop!
Добро пожаловать в мир лучших детских товаров с TykePop, где здоровье и счастье ваших малышей — наши главные приоритеты.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Рецензии и рекомендации книг на Booksis”, есть отличная статья.
Ссылка ниже:
https://booksis.ru
Благодарим за внимание, и пусть ваши детки всегда будут здоровы и счастливы вместе с TykePop!
Порадуйте себя и своего ребенка отличными товарами от TykePop — уникальными, практичными и безопасными.
По теме “Советы по уходу и воспитанию собак: Портал 13 Собак”, нашел много полезного.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://dog13.ru
Благодарим за внимание, и пусть ваши детки всегда будут здоровы и счастливы вместе с TykePop!
best Indian casinos with Chicken Road: bonus spins Chicken Road casino India – play Chicken Road casino online
adawebcreative – Really like the design, feels modern and polished without overdoing it.
raspinakala – Love the artistic flair here, visuals really pull you in and engage.
https://imageevent.com/westpostmeso/vggsf
raspinakala – The gallery is beautiful, such a rich collection of style and culture.
Fear the Dark
Fortune House Power Reels играть
Как выбрать лучшее для вашего ребенка? Познакомьтесь с нашим обзором детских товаров, которые не оставят вас равнодушными.
Зацепил раздел про Профессиональный коучинг для здорового образа жизни.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://women-inet.ru
Надеемся, наш обзор помог вам сделать правильный выбор. До новых встреч в мире детских товаров!
Roamin Romans Ultranudge
вывод из запоя краснодар
vivod-iz-zapoya-krasnodar017.ru
экстренный вывод из запоя
Elvis Frog In PlayAmo TR
Вашему малышу нужно самое лучшее? Прошлите с нами в мир заботы и радости с продуктами от TykePop.
Особенно понравился раздел про Профессиональный коучинг для здорового образа жизни.
Смотрите сами:
https://women-inet.ru
Желаем вам и вашим детям приятных покупок и незабываемых моментов с TykePop!
https://imageevent.com/narutogusev/pweni
Fire Lord играть в Кет казино
realistic self-repair methods that helped me tackle projects successfully. i believe adding such suggestions to everyday routines can make upkeep far less stressful and much more rewarding. when combined with practical examples, tips like these can truly transform the way we approach daily maintenance. It gives me a chance to analyze things differently and maybe apply it in practice. — What strikes me is that fantastic suggestions here! it’s straightforward to get intimidated by residence care, but this post breaks things down nicely. the coherent guidance encourages even beginners to try fixes. i’ve combined these tips with some
вывод из запоя
vivod-iz-zapoya-krasnodar017.ru
экстренный вывод из запоя
Как выбрать лучшее для вашего ребенка? Познакомьтесь с нашим обзором детских товаров, которые не оставят вас равнодушными.
Хочу выделить материал про Лучшие маршруты и советы для морских круизов.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://seatours.ru
Надеемся, наш обзор помог вам сделать правильный выбор. До новых встреч в мире детских товаров!
купить диплом техникума союзной республики купить диплом техникума союзной республики .
no deposit bonus casino united states, usa friendly casino gran madrid Apuestas
no deposit free spins 2021 and slot machines are called in canada,
or best australia casino app
живые подписчики в телеграм канал
Казино Champion
I’m really loving the theme/design of your blog. Do you ever
run into any web browser compatibility problems? A few of
my blog visitors have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari.
Do you have any recommendations to help fix this issue?
centensports – They cover many niches, always something new to explore each day.
centensports – Very good balance of topics, content is rich and relevant.
list of united statesn learn how to play blackjack online free (Stanton)
casinos, usa real money slots and casino online jackpot usa 5f bonus, or casino chips canada
https://yamap.com/users/4847610
musionet – I like how sections and menus are clearly labeled, no confusion.
https://badgerboats.ru/themes/middle/?pokerdom_promokod_bonus_kod.html
musionet – Definitely a solid find — has potential to become a go-to resource.
centensports – Their content feels varied, stories span many topics with engaging depth.
joszaki regisztracio joszaki.hu/
Where can I find publications that discuss http://www.deepinfomedical.com and save your cash.
Wow, awesome blog layout! How long have you been blogging
for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is wonderful,
let alone the content!
sunnyflowercases – Design variety is solid, I saw many styles I liked instantly.
вывод из запоя цена
vivod-iz-zapoya-krasnodar017.ru
лечение запоя
Minotaurus token’s multi-chain support (ETH, BSC, Polygon) is user-friendly. Presale raise at $6.44M shows demand. Eager for those virtual item acquisitions.
minotaurus coin
https://imageevent.com/narutogusev/pweni
raspinakala – Users will appreciate this brand’s aesthetics, creativity, and thoughtful interface.
raspinakala – Very pleasant experience browsing, intuitive navigation and artistic details.
gioco Plinko mobile Italia: Plinko casinò online Italia – migliori casinò italiani con Plinko
топ онлайн казино