Twelve thousand dollars overdue. And the tax man always collects.

San Francisco, 1996. David’s life is coming undone: blackouts he can’t explain, rage he can’t remember—and Sarah, his wife who never came home.

Then, a knock at the door: Agent Carter, the tax man.

He says it’s just about the debt. But it isn’t.

With unsettling charm and icy precision, he tears open David’s past; exposing childhood scars, a failing marriage, and a mind frayed by guilt and fear.

Carter knows things he shouldn’t. He hints at secrets buried in David’s missing hours. And always, always, circles back to Sarah: Where is she?

And what did David do during the blackouts he can’t remember?

Trapped in a waking nightmare, David fights to cling to reality. But Carter has allies in the shadows, a labyrinth of lies, and a plan more sinister than David can imagine. With every answer, new questions emerge, and the boundary between victim and monster begins to blur.

In the end, David is forced to confront the question that terrifies him most: Could he have hurt the woman he loves?

Perfect for fans of Alex Michaelides, Lisa Jewell and Gillian Flynn, The Tax Man offers a hypnotic descent into obsession, paranoia, and conspiracy. An unforgettable debut by James Fischer, this haunting psychological thriller will have you questioning what’s real, what’s imagined, and what secrets we keep, even from ourselves