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: |
Buenas noches, contenido de verdad, sin rodeos. slots online 1xBet
Got drawn into your page for almost the last few minutes. Thanks for writing this. This information is magnificent. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something.
โพสต์นี้ มีประโยชน์มาก ครับ
ดิฉัน ได้อ่านบทความที่เกี่ยวข้องกับ หัวข้อที่คล้ายกัน
สามารถอ่านได้ที่ mm88bet
ลองแวะไปดู
เพราะให้ข้อมูลเชิงลึก
ขอบคุณที่แชร์ ข้อมูลที่มีประโยชน์ นี้
จะรอติดตามเนื้อหาใหม่ๆ ต่อไป
Эти ребята лучшие в своем деле, качество плюс вес, никогда не подводили, КРАСАВЧИКИ !!!Лучшие! купить кокаин
Villa for Sale in Ajman 1 bedroom apartment for short term rentWhat is a snagging report, and why do buyers need it?dubai distress sale property
csgorun кейсы
сервис – хуже некуда. Ну да об этом писал несколькими сообщениями ранее. 2/5 купить кокаин
Удачи и развития в дальнейшем! купить кокаин
Emaar Properties for Sale panorama real estate dubaial wasl building r413liberty house dubai properties
3 Bedroom Apartments For Sale In Dubai Silicon Oasis buy villa with indoor pool in dubairoyal properties dubai1 bhk for rent in al warqa
Bom dia. Já joguei muito isso na jogo responsável e já recuperei o investimento. cripto
Full Building for Sale in Dubai pet friendly apartments in dubai marinaThe Collection guidesecondary market dubai
Hi there, trying to understand about online slots? anyone tried? Betway
Hi there, quick question about trusted casino? is this accurate?
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Обсудите последние новости Пензенской области”, там просто кладезь информации.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://58media.ru
sign in 1win 1win47293.help
Been through enough garbage to last a lifetime. Then you actually go to pick up the car. Plus they lock up $3500 on your card for who knows how long. Fool me ten times? That’s just the 305 experience. miami car rental luxury — run away from the airport counters. anyone who’s taken public transport here knows the struggle is real. South Beach night out, Bal Harbour shopping spree, or a spontaneous Keys adventure — AC must be ice cold and unlimited miles non-negotiable. I’ve run through maybe 55 rental companies across Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. no games, no bait-and-switch, no hidden fees in the fine print. Here’s the only straight shooter for premium rides across South Florida
rent urus miami https://luxury-car-rental-miami-10.com also bring quality shades unless you enjoy driving into the sun like a vampire. Anyway glad there’s at least one honest rental joint left in this town.
online Basketball Wetten Anbieter Aus Bewertungskriterien? ohne lugas
Bu arada, eger buyuk boy lego cesitleri konusuyla ilgileniyorsan?z, suraya bak?n. Kendiniz gorun: https://toyshediye.com/articles/buyuk-parcali-lego-oyuncaklari-cocuk-gelisimi/
Эта медицинская заметка содержит сжатую информацию о новых находках и методах в области здравоохранения. Мы предлагаем читателям свежие данные о заболеваниях, профилактике и лечении. Наша цель — быстро и доступно донести важную информацию, которая поможет в повседневной жизни и понимании здоровья.
Осуществить глубокий анализ – kaluga clinica plus
Trust me, I’ve learned everything the hard way so you don’t have to. You see this gorgeous deal online — clean spec, fair price, looks like a dream. Completely different car sitting there — dents everywhere, smells like cheap air freshener covering something worse, and that “dream price”? Doesn’t include the mandatory $50 daily insurance or the $300 “administrative fee” they invent at checkout. Fool me eleven times? That’s just called living in Miami. When you’re searching for a legit luxury car rental miami. anyone who’s tried the bus here knows exactly what I mean. Key Biscayne sunset, Design District shopping, or a spontaneous drive down to the Everglades — AC must be arctic and unlimited miles non-negotiable. most are shiny garbage with fake Google reviews bought in bulk. no games, no switch, no hidden BS in paragraph 12 of the contract. prices change hourly so check before the weekend crowd wipes them out:
porsche 911 carrera rental near me https://luxury-car-rental-miami-11.com also bring polarized shades unless you enjoy driving into the sun like a blind bat. drive safe and definitely skip that “tire and wheel” upsell — pure profit for them, zero value for you.
sportwetten anbieter bonus ohne einzahlung
Feel free to visit my site :: basketball live wetten strategie
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Страница не найдена: что делать дальше?”, нашел много полезного.
Смотрите сами:
https://17media.ru
ufc: ufc fight night – Islam Makhachev
Эта медицинская заметка содержит сжатую информацию о новых находках и методах в области здравоохранения. Мы предлагаем читателям свежие данные о заболеваниях, профилактике и лечении. Наша цель — быстро и доступно донести важную информацию, которая поможет в повседневной жизни и понимании здоровья.
Осуществить глубокий анализ – психолог калуга клинический хороший
2 bedroom for sale in palm jumeirah dubai palm jumeirah apartments for saleresidential apartments in bur dubaivilla for sale in damac oxygen dubai
подарок! Мне очень понравился купить кокаин
1 bedroom apartment for sale in downtown dubai Apartments for sale in Marina PromenadeJumeirah Golf Estates guideApartment for Sale in 48 Parkside, Dubai
Okay folks gather round — Miami rental horror story time. Then you roll up to the address. Plus a $3000 hold on your credit card for two weeks. Fool me nine times? That’s just the Miami welcome committee. luxury car rental miami fl. anyone who’s tried the trolley system knows what I’m talking about. leather seats that don’t glue to your skin in August. most are polished turds with fake five-star reviews. Finally found one company that doesn’t play stupid games. rates change daily so check before the holiday crowd hits:
car rentals miami https://luxury-car-rental-miami-9.com also bring polarized shades unless you enjoy driving blind into the sunset every night. drive safe and definitely skip that “emergency roadside” upsell — complete waste of money.
Эта публикация посвящена актуальным вопросам современной медицины и здравоохранения. Мы обсудим новейшие технологии диагностики и лечения, а также их влияние на продолжительность и качество жизни. Читатель найдет здесь информацию о научных исследованиях и перспективных разработках, доступно изложенную для широкой аудитории.
Где почитать поподробнее? – платная наркологическая помощь
Bu arada, eger popo nas?l buyur konusuyla ilgileniyorsan?z, suraya bak?n. Iste link: https://dinamizsport.com/articles/popo-buyutme-hareketleri-etkili-yontemler/
Успехов и процветания новому селлеру!!! Желаю денег пресс и в обществе вес)) купить кокаин
В этой статье рассматриваются способы преодоления зависимости и успешные истории людей, которые справились с этой проблемой. Мы обсудим важность поддержки со стороны близких и профессионалов, а также стратегии, которые могут помочь в процессе выздоровления. Научитесь первоочередным шагам к новой жизни.
Изучить эмпирические данные – скорая анонимная наркологическая помощь
“airfryer’da yumurtal? ekmek” konusu icin mukemmel bir kaynak var. Iste link: https://hobiprojesi.com/articles/airfryerde-yumurtali-ekmek-tarifleri/
Came away with some new perspectives I had not considered before, and after fescueimpala those ideas felt more complete, the kind of content that stays with you a little while after reading rather than slipping out the moment you switch tabs and move on with your day to whatever comes next.
A slim post with substantial content per word, and a look at gondolacivet maintained the same density, the content per word ratio is something I track informally and this site scores high on that ratio compared to most sources I read regularly which is a quiet indicator of careful editorial work behind the scenes.
Now recognising that the post handled the topic with appropriate technical precision without becoming dry, and a stop at echoharbortradehall continued that balance, technical precision and readability are often in tension and this site has clearly figured out how to maintain both at once which is one of the harder editorial achievements in the form.
apartments for sale in downtown dubai property rates in dubaiproperty on the palm dubai4 bedroom Villas for sale in Bluewaters
Этот текст посвящён сложным аспектам зависимости и её влиянию на жизнь человека. Мы обсудим психологические, физические и социальные последствия зависимого поведения, а также важность своевременного обращения за помощью.
Ознакомиться с отчётом – лечение алкоголизма воронеж