Contemporary Fiction

Lenny Marks doesn't fit in. She doesn't have many friends and keeps her personal information private. She had a traumatic experience when she was younger and doesn't trust anyone. She feels safe in the world she has built until a letter arrives from the parole board making the "truths" she's told feel like lies or makes the lies fall apart.

This story is about navigating the world as an adult and the times when you feel as if you are alone. What do you do? Where do you turn? How do you manage?

This was a very sweet debut. I'll definitely look to read future offerings by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book.

This was DNF for me had a hard time getting into the story and was wasn't able to connect. Would still recommend it to anyone to give it a try just a miss for me.

I really wanted to like this book, and I was excited to read it, but it wasn't for me. I feel like the beginning drug out a little and spent a lot of time in character development. I did stick it out and finished. The story was decent, just not my favorite.

**3 Stars: A Slow Burn, But Compelling Characters**

*Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder* offers a unique and intriguing premise, but the story’s slow pace made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged. While I really liked the characters, especially Lenny, I didn’t feel particularly invested in what happened to her. Lenny’s struggle to reconcile with her past and her peculiar, almost detached way of living gave the story an interesting depth, but I found myself not really caring about how or if she moved forward.

Lenny's life is orderly, almost to a fault, as she tries to avoid the messiness of emotions and relationships. Her constant rearranging of her thirty-six copies of *The Hobbit* and the way she avoids confronting her past, especially the trauma surrounding her mother's abandonment, gave the book a sense of quiet tension. But the plot itself, especially with the mysterious letter from the Adult Parole Board, felt like it dragged on for longer than necessary.

Ultimately, while the characters were enjoyable and the writing was solid, the pacing and lack of urgency made it hard for me to get truly invested. The story has promise, but for me, it just didn’t hold my attention as much as I hoped.

This book is definitely character driven. Lenny is a character you probably won't forget. She has a quirky vibe and tries to deal with her anxieties as best as she can while also harboring some secrets. She doesn't let anyone get to close to her but as the book goes on, the reader finds out more about her history and why she is the way she is. As others have stated, you would like this book if you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphiant and Ove!

I'm sorry this one just wasn't for me. I know there's are quite a few people who enjoyed this one, but I just didn't like it. It reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant, which I absolutely loved, but this one just didn't wow me. Unfortunately, not for me.

*Thank you partner @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted e-galley and audiobook.*

Lenny Marks and Eleanor Oliphant are two characters cut from the same cloth. Lenny is definitely on the ASD spectrum, her coworkers mock her or don't give her the time of day, and she is deeply cared for by people who genuinely like her along with her quirks.

Much like Eleanor, Lenny has trauma - serious trauma - that she doesn't deal with until it truly becomes a problem. In a nutshell, if you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant, you'll find a soft spot in your heart for Lenny Marks as well.

As a debut endeavor, I found this completely delightful. As a 5th grade teacher, I empathized with Lenny's plight at work and cringed at times with the way she handled some situations. This is a totally character driven piece, so if you're looking for something that zips along with twists and turns, this may not be for you. It does drag a bit at times, but Lenny was so endearing it made up for it!

This book was really interesting. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I was offered a chance to read it and I’m so glad I did. Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley. I’d read another book by this author.

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" was not the Cozy-Mystery I thought it would be...

Still, I love Lenny Marks! I love how she is regimented, doing certain things a specific way, time after time. Making word anagrams calms her. Being surrounded by quiet soothes her. Order and routine are two of her favorite things.

Lenny loves teaching and her students, and is super good at her job. What she isn't good at is dealing with change.

When Lenny receives a letter in the mail and continuing to ignore it doesn't work, her peaceful, quiet existence begins to spin out of control...

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is a thoughtful and thought-provoking story with themes of grief and loss, abandonment and secrets, and friendship and acceptance. Horribly sad at times and incredibly heartwarming at others, it was a bittersweet read.

This was an immersion read; the audiobook is read by Annie Maynard, who recounts the story flawlessly in a lovely Australian accent and delivers the perfect voice for Lenny. Her gender voicing is distinguishable and brings life to each of the characters. The result is a pleasurable listening experience.

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is an enjoyable debut novel, and when I was finished reading and listening, I was sorry to see Lenny Marks go!

3.75⭐

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Kerryn Mayne for a DRC and an ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

🥰 Loved this! 🥰
I absolutely adored this novel and the FMC Lenny Marks. I’ve said this before, but I will fall into protective parent mode when I read about an abused child (fictional or real), and this one was no different. This reminded me of The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, but maybe just slightly less dark. I honestly had trouble categorizing this one into a genre. It falls under mystery, which is accurate, but doesn’t fully encompass what the book is. So much of this is a joy to read- Lenny’s personality and mannerisms will have you smiling and laughing out loud. (She is obsessed with the TV show 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, which I was most of my life, too. So I loved all of those references!) But when we get the dual timeline, it takes a darker turn. Then it was very bingeable as I just had to know what had happened to Lenny earlier in her life. It does get very dark, so check the CW’s if you’re nervous about that.

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
This would be great for any fans of cozy or fun mysteries, or fans of quirky characters and dark twists.

It makes me so sad that this book didn’t get more attention when it was released. It’s so much more than the cover conveys—smart, compassionate, sweet—and perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant. Love handselling it.

This felt like a book I should have loved- it had all the components. But the tone just fell a bit flat, and I struggled to finish it.

This book has been sitting in my Kindle for a long time and I just can't finish it. It is no fault of the author but I probably should have paid more attention to the comparison to other books since I didn't enjoy those either. Lenny Marks is a quirky, neurodivergent character just trying to survive in her neatly planned out world. When things don't go as planned, it all starts to fall apart. She is a likeable enough character but this type of story just isn't for me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing the chance to review- apologies it took so long.

I went into this book thinking it was more of a thriller/mystery but was surprised with a little hidden gem of a more thought provoking novel. Lenny was such a joy to get to know. It was heartwarming and had some mysterious elements but really it was about Lenny finding herself. This novel has similar vibes to Elenor Oliphant is Completely Fine. If you enjoyed that novel this would be one to consider.

While this wasn't my favorite, I couldn't help but feel for Lenny. Great characterization, heartfelt and heartbreaking.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #20/125 for 2025:
Rating: 2 🍷🍷
Book: Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
Author: Kerryn Mayne
AVAILABLE NOW!!!

Sipping thoughts: I appreciate how this book is written with the protagonist to be atypical. It had Eleanor Oliphant vibes but fell short. I don’t think there was much of a mystery or suspense. I was hoping for more, but others may love it.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of @LennyMarksGetsAwayWithMurder.

#LennyMarksGetsAwayWithMurder #KerrynMayne #Bookouture #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

I adored Lenny Marks. This is such a charming read. It starts a little slow, but grows on you. Lenny is a very unique character, full of quirks and habits that make you love her. Her situation, the things she went through, both as a child and adult, is what tethered me to the story and kept me there. Definitely one to put on those bookish radars.

I didn't realize until after I finished this, that this is a debut. I look forward to what else this author writes.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this one, but I struggled to connect with the main character. Additionally, the way this book was marketed felt misleading—it wasn’t a cozy mystery as advertised. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had approached it with the expectation of something more along the lines of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

This was a DNF for me. I tried to get through it a few times but kept putting it down for something else.
It didn’t grab my attention the way I hoped and after a few tries I put it down for good.

I really wanted to like this one but the characters felt flat to me. The premise is good but the execution needs a bit of work.