I'd Know You Anywhere: Book Review

I have enjoyed Laura Lippman's Tess Monahan mystery novels for many years. Last year I was asked to review her stand-alone novel, Life Sentences, which was so intricate, with very complex characters, that I was in awe of her thought processes. I have been fortunate again to be on the book tour for her latest, I'd Know You Anywhere. At first, reading the book summary, one might be a little creeped out and wary of beginning this unique thriller, but as soon as I reached the second page, I knew Ms. Lippman was going to do it again: show real people in sometimes awful situations and make me sympathize in some way with all of them, and be bewildered by all of them, also. How each character makes decisions, and then lives with the consequences of those decisions is fascinating.

The story opens in the present, with 38-year-old Eliza Benedict, mother of two, having returned to Maryland after living abroad for several years. As the summer comes to an end, Eliza is peaceful and content with her husband and their new home, and is helping her children prepare for a new school year. Her serenity is shattered upon receiving a letter from a man she hasn't heard from in 23 years. There was your picture in the magazine. Of course you're older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere. Walter Bowman, the man who abducted 15 year old Elizabeth Lerner and held her for 39 days in the summer of 1984 has initiated contact with his victim. How he found Eliza, she does not know, but he would like to hear from her, sooner rather than later. You see, Walter is about to be executed. In 1985 he was convicted of raping and murdering a different teenage girl. It is believed that Walter was responsible for the disappearance of more than twenty teen age girls, but only evidence for the last one. And Elizabeth, now Eliza? She's the only one who got away.
Switching between the present, where Eliza, with support from her husband, Peter, needs to make decisions about what her children should know, and if she should respond to Walter's letter, and 1984 where teenage Elizabeth idolizes Madonna and takes an ill-fated shortcut through the woods on the way to the local Roy Rogers, readers meet Walter, the sad, sick, serial killer, Walter's friend and advocate, Trudy, and Elizabeth/Eliza's unique and interesting family.

As stated earlier, on the surface, this may appear to be a creepy story. But it's not. Eliza and Peter have built a wonderful family and life together. Eliza's life is about taking her son Albie to soccer, and dealing with daughter Iso's acting out as she adjusts to a new school as she enters her teen years. Walter's letter breaks into that, but Eliza does her best to keep her daily life on an even keel, while working through demons she hadn't thought about in years. There are many mysteries in this story. What is the hidden agenda behind Walter contacting Eliza? What happened during the 30 days Elizabeth spent with Walter? Will Walter receive a stay to his execution?
On a silly note, As a child of the 1980s myself, I loved the section titles, which were all songs from 84 and 85, giving the Billboard statistics and the artist's name. Sadly, I was a little older than Elizabeth and did not ever actually wear the Madonna lacy hair bow and gloves, although I danced at many college parties to her music.

I found I'd Know You Anywhere to be gripping, not in the way of a spy thriller, but emotionally. Scenes that might have been gratuitously violent in the hands of a different author were handled in a straightforward, yet delicate manner. And, as always, Ms. Lippman's knowledge and love of Maryland shine with her descriptive narrative.
I definitely recommend I'd Know You Anywhere to anyone who enjoys a book that is ultimately about emotions, but doesn't make you cry.
This review is linked to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party, a great place to discover a new book!
To get more buzz about I'd Know You Anywhere, visit TLC Book Tours, where many bloggers are sharing their reviews.