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: |
forexplatform.website – Excellent blog, feels like a friendly mentor guiding through forex trading.
manchunyuan1.xyz – Nice design and smooth navigation, kept me exploring different pages.
lovemoda.store – Fast loading time is impressive, promising for an e-commerce site.
lovemoda.store – The homepage looks responsive, adapts well on mobile view.
22ee.top – It’s responsive on mobile, which I appreciate for convenience.
Stay updated with today’s active Melbet codes and start betting smarter https://www.upload.ee/files/18654765/1xbet_registration_promo_code.pdf.html
52ch.cc – Friendly tone, easy to read, makes me want to return.
Статья представляет разнообразные аргументы и контекст, позволяя читателям самостоятельно сформировать свое мнение. Это сообщение отправлено с сайта https://ru.gototop.ee/
lovemoda.store – The homepage looks responsive, adapts well on mobile view.
v1av8 – The interface tries to be futuristic, but clarity is missing.
forexplatform.website – Reading this site every morning keeps me focused on smart investing.
Hi, i believe that i saw you visited my weblog thus i came to return the favor?.I am trying to find issues to enhance my web site!I guess its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
Откройте для себя новые возможности с перетяжкой мебели в Минске, позволяющей обновить ваш интерьер и продлить жизнь любимым предметам!
В конце работ мебель вернется к вам в обновленном виде.
forexplatform.website – This website actually made forex sound simple, I’m learning so much.
manchunyuan1.xyz – Clean layout and useful topics, I’ll definitely return regularly.
https://ds35zvezdochka.ru
Ищете купить ноутбук Apple MacBook Air 13 M2 (2022) 16/256GB Starlight MC7W4? В каталоге v-electronic.ru/noutbuki/ собраны модели от бюджетных N100 и i3 до мощных Ryzen 9 и Core i7, включая тонкие ультрабуки и игровые решения с RTX. Фильтры по брендам, экранам, памяти и SSD ускоряют подбор, а детальные карточки с характеристиками и отзывами снимают вопросы. Проверяйте раздел с акциями и возможностью рассрочки — это лучший способ взять подходящую модель выгодно.
manchunyuan1.xyz – Nice design and smooth navigation, kept me exploring different pages.
forexplatform.website – I appreciate how the author explains market trends without confusing jargon.
manchunyuan1.xyz – Clean layout and useful topics, I’ll definitely return regularly.
52ch.cc – The posts here keep me coming back daily for updates.
52ch.cc – Just stumbled onto this, the design is clean and readable.
52ch.cc – The posts here keep me coming back daily for updates.
Откройте секреты счастливого детства с качественными товарами от TykePop.
По теме “Bring Your Business Online with Stunning Websites”, там просто кладезь информации.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://worknets.ru
Благодарим за внимание, и пусть ваши детки всегда будут здоровы и счастливы вместе с TykePop!
Лечение алкоголизма анонимно становится актуальным, так как многие люди стремятся вернуться к нормальной жизни в условиях конфиденциальности. На сайте narkolog-tula027.ru доступны разные программы реабилитации, включая detox-программы, которые способствуют комфортному прохождению лечения. Медицинское вмешательство при алкогольной зависимости включает методы кодирования и психотерапию при зависимостях. Анонимные сообщества поддержки помогают справиться с психологическими проблемами, а опора близких играет неоценимое значение в процессе восстановления после алкоголя. Онлайн-консультации по алкоголизму и консультации без раскрытия данных обеспечивают доступ к профессиональной помощи при запойном состоянии. Анонимное лечение дает возможность людям ощущать безопасность. Важно помнить, что путь к выздоровлению начинается с первого шага.
greenenvelope.org – The name suggests green, sustainable or “envelope” services.
zonaflix – Really impressed by the variety here, looks well organized and clean.
I’ve been using it for almost a year for fiat on-ramp, and the easy onboarding stands out.
greenenvelope.org – Hope they add images and info soon, it feels incomplete.
zkjcnm.top – Curious to see what topics or services they’ll add later.
zkjcnm.top – Site loads quickly, which is a good sign for usability.
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 “Лучшие курорты и советы по отдыху в Черногории”, там просто кладезь информации.
Смотрите сами:
https://travelmontenegro.ru
Желаем вам и вашим детям приятных покупок и незабываемых моментов с TykePop!
greenenvelope.org – Bookmarking this to see how it evolves over time.
keledh.pw – Navigation is minimal, but that’s okay for a new project.
keledh.pw – Clean minimal layout, makes me curious what’s coming next.
zkjcnm.top – The homepage looks minimal, gives a mysterious vibe overall.
It’s amazing in favor of me to have a website, which is helpful in support of my know-how. thanks admin
ipali.info – Clean domain, promising but needs actual pages soon.
keledh.pw – The blank space gives a sense of anticipation and mystery.
https://kcsodoverie.ru
camomh.site – The blank areas could be placeholders for cool visuals later.
I’ve been active for recently, mostly for staking, and it’s always low fees. The updates are frequent and clear.
Откройте для себя удивительный ассортимент детских товаров, которые подарят радость и комфорт вашему малышу!
Кстати, если вас интересует Элитные автомобили: стиль жизни и советы, загляните сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://cadillac-forum.ru
Благодарим за внимание, и пусть ваши детки всегда будут здоровы и счастливы вместе с TykePop!
lapotranca.store – Hoping their e-commerce catalog loads with quality items later.
i2gkj.xyz – Looking forward to seeing content, updates, or product rollouts.
I’ve been active for several months, mostly for cross-chain transfers, and it’s always reliable uptime. The dashboard gives a complete view of my holdings.
купить медицинский диплом медсестры купить медицинский диплом медсестры .
22ee.top – Navigation looks intuitive, even without many menu items.
можно купить диплом медсестры можно купить диплом медсестры .
Stay updated with today’s active Melbet codes and start betting smarter http://missmcgregor.blog.macc.nsw.edu.au/2017/05/award-winners-week-3.html?sc=1759308521111#c2854803985607946280