Death, Taxes, And A Skinny No-Whip Latte (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
Death, Taxes and a Skinny No-Whip Latte by Diane KellyWho knew a mystery with an IRS investigator could be so funny?Okay, I did because I'd read Diane Kelly's first Death book, but this second one is a Hoot! Here are a couple of examples. "In the preceding presidential election debates, Texan candidate Ross Perot had warned voters that, if passed, the pending bill would result in a "giant sucking sound" of jobs heading south of the border. Bill Clinton was elected and had promptly signed the controversial bill. Then again, President Clinton was known for sucking sounds." "Society at large had no clue that the Treasury department employed a team of crack agents whose job it was to pursue criminal tax evaders. And, yep, we carried guns. Pepper spray, too. I'd lobbied for nunchucks, brass knuckles, and Chinese throwing stars, but to no avail. Something about civil rights, abuse of power, yada yada yada."Tara Holloway is an agent of the Criminal Investigations Division of the IRS. She and partner Eddie are investigating suspected loan shark Marcos Mendoza but clues are thin and the stake-outs long and boring. Except for the pervert exposing himself outside the car window. And the would be robber in the laundromat. And the Carmel lattes. Will Tara ever catch her man?Or will sexy Nick Pratt double cross her?This second series book about Tara Holloway and her misadventures is entertaining and engaging. It's even laugh out loud funny in places.An absolute must read. Special Agent for the IRS, Tara Holloway, has a big fish to fry before he can escape over the border. A prior investigation cost the IRS one of their best agents, Tara doesn't want to be the next. Marcos Mendoza's associates and adversaries tend to end up in body bags... Well, more like in pieces in individual evidence bags. The case to fry Mendoza is consuming Tara's entire life, costing her a very important trip with her boyfriend Brett. When the case seems to be going nowhere, things take a turn for the worse and Tara gets thrown off the case. She can't give up, so she takes the case into her own hands and finds herself bending the rules and breaking a few laws. This was the second installment to the Tara Holloway series, and Diane Kelly definitely continues to impress. The same characters we grew to love in the first book are back, and Tara has really come into her own in this second adventure. Gone are her little quirks from the first book that didn't fit with her strong & driven IRS Special Agent persona - like needing an almost daily manicure. She's still very feminine though, but not to the point of seeming like she has multiple clashing personalities! My major complaint was how the plot resolved without any consequences for Tara's rules & law bending. She never gets in trouble for anything! It became too predictable. But, other than that the plot was awesomely done - no doubt thanks to the author's personal experiences.
What do You think about Death, Taxes, And A Skinny No-Whip Latte (2012)?
I'm so hooked on this series! Makes me want to go work for the IRS!
—velkoria
I love this series. Tara is the Stephanie Plum of the IRS world!
—rosariopetit
