Match Game by Beverly Brandt

fine contemporary taleby harstan

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

August 13, 2005: In Maple Rapids, Michigan thirty-one years old CPA Savannah Taylor looks forward to marrying reliable bottom line Todd while working with walk in clients who come to Refund City, a national accounting firm that focuses on completing tax returns. On Valentine?s Day, Reverend Black begins the wedding ceremony only to be interrupted by three FBI agents. Instead of a marriage ring, Savannah receives handcuffs as the Feds arrest her for tax evasion and money laundering. Savannah proves to the Feds that she is innocent as someone obviously stole her identity. The rat Todd dumps her anyway because he feels she is not worth the time or trouble. Irate Savannah decides to change her image starting with confronting the person who caused her mess but also saved her from a death sentence with the brat rat. She heads to Naples, Florida where the purchases on her credit cards are posted from. Of course meeting US Air Marshal Mike Bryson seems worth reengineering herself. --- MATCH GAME is a fine contemporary tale in which the tiny romantic subplot takes a coach seat to Savannah?s coming of age quest to find herself and the thief. Readers will shake their heads at Todd?s chutzpah as he breaks the engagement because he went through too much with her arrest, but still expects Savannah to do his taxes. Savannah is terrific as she tries to reinvent herself by quitting her job and seeking the thief while her family worries about her. The identify theft subplot augments a solid tale by showing how easy it is to steal and how much trouble swamps the victim. Beverly Brandt provides a fine mainstream story. --- Harriet Klausner