I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

Sometimes "Stand Alone" books by writers with a series do not captivate  a reader. This is not one of them. Ms. Lippman has shown that even without Tess Monaghan she can engage the reader and write a tight suspenseful novel. This "stand alone" novel proves that the author is more than capable of writing a book that does not rely on a particular character or protagonist. Some may find a correlation between recent events in the news but the book was written well before any of these crimes were brought to light. The author did not piggy back on the travails of recently discovered victims; it is merely a coincidence that this book was published at the time of present day court cases. That being said, there are some similarities to recent  news stories  which makes the book even more engrossing and relevant. I found her characters, each and every one of them, to have depth and a multi-layered personality. She writes with an empathy and an understanding of human nature that is not always the case with other authors. Other writers could have made the characters one dimensional and without foible. Ms. Lippman  gives all of the actors in this tale a  realism and none are painted as purely good or evil. I would highly recommend this "stand alone" novel for anyone who prefers depth in their characters and an excellent plot line.