Kerryn Mayne’s debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, is a brilliant and poignant exploration of trauma, memory, and the long-lasting impact of secrets. The story follows Lenny Marks, a woman whose life is defined by meticulous routines and a carefully structured existence, all of which she clings to in an effort to avoid confronting the haunting memories of her childhood. Lenny’s mother and stepfather vanished when she was young, and though the event has been buried deep in her mind, a mysterious voice whispers, You did this, leaving her tormented by guilt and uncertainty.

Lenny’s life is predictable: she bikes home from work at exactly 4pm, shops for the same groceries each week, and even plays Scrabble with an imaginary friend while watching reruns of Friends. Her life is quiet, uneventful—and safe. But when a letter from the parole board arrives, threatening to open the door to her long-forgotten past, Lenny’s carefully constructed world begins to unravel. As buried memories resurface, Lenny is forced to confront the truth, leading her to engage with the world and people around her in ways she never has before.

Mayne masterfully balances moments of heartache with bursts of warmth and humor, crafting a protagonist who is both relatable and deeply complex. Lenny’s journey of self-discovery and healing is at the core of the novel, and as she begins to form new, unexpected relationships, the story becomes as much about finding connection as it is about uncovering dark truths. The tension between Lenny’s past and her present creates a compelling narrative that keeps readers hooked until the very end.

What makes this novel particularly special is Lenny herself—her quirky, lovable nature, and her determination to keep moving forward despite her inner turmoil. Mayne’s writing is sharp and empathetic, capturing the complexity of memory, guilt, and redemption with grace and authenticity.

In short, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a heartfelt, beautifully written story that blends mystery, humor, and emotional depth. Kerryn Mayne’s debut is a must-read for fans of character-driven stories about forgiveness, personal growth, and the search for truth. Lenny Marks is a heroine readers won’t soon forget.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne. Pub Date: July 9, 2024. Rating: 2 stars. I hate to say this, but this novel was not in my wheelhouse. I thought I would find it intriguing with the main character being neurodiverse, but I really struggled to connect with the story and found it to drag on and on. I love that the author wanted to highlight a character trait that most books don't, but I found this one difficult to read and get through. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An endearing novel that is as much full of mystery as it is humor, tenderness, and introspection, leading readers to think about their own lives and the human condition.

Lenny Marks has a very structured and ritualistic approach to her life. It’s how she copes with the fact that she was abandoned as a child. She keeps people out of her life and hides from the reality of her circumstances. She doesn’t want to remember. She doesn’t want to contemplate what happened. After all, the voice in her head tells her “you did this”. Her emotional pain is acute. But despite her best efforts, there are people around her that want to be in her life. They work at the fringes without her even registering their influence. At least they were on the outside until she receives a persistent request for response from the parole board. Slowly walls of her self-protection begin to crack as she engages with her neighbor, her colleagues and the kind man at her grocery store. Even the person trying to reach her from the parole board wants to ensure Lenny is shown care and compassion. An unraveling that leads to healing and self acceptance.

Such a wonderfully creative and heart warming story of how a woman’s community can patiently support and care for someone despite that person’s best attempts to be left alone.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book.

This wonderful book was much deeper and even more enjoyable than I expected it to be! It was very heart warming, and I found myself rooting for Lenny as her life changed and expanded.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a heartwarming and suspenseful tale of healing, mystery, and self-discovery. With its quirky protagonist and gripping twists, it’s impossible to put down.

Actual rating 4.5

Lenny Marks is an absolute gem of a person. The description gave the idea of a cozy mystery, but it wasn't and I'm so glad of that. Lenny is neurodivergent and as such is socially awkward and relies on her routines to keep her life in order. But as things start to unravel she finds strength in the unknown and absolutely blossoms. I loved her and her transformation which didn't go all Hollywood fairytale, but instead kept things real. Make the effort for this one, you won't be sorry.

My thanks to St Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel has a little bit of everything mixed in. Lenny is a 5th grade teacher who bikes to school and enjoys time at home watching Friends and playing Scrabble. She struggles with reading social cues which leads to challenges with spending time with coworkers. One day a letter from the parole board will upend her structured lifestyle. As secrets are revealed, it becomes clear that Lenny has been overcoming adversity much of her life. This is not a cozy mystery but rather an exploration of trauma and recovery within the context of some mysterious happenings. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This novel sounds like a cozy read; it's anything but that. There were all kinds of twists and turns baked in and just when I thought I'd figured something out, Lenny changed it up on me again. It's not really a thriller either though. I'm not entirely sure how to describe this novel other than a must-read. I enjoyed seeing neurodivergent representation in Lenny and after learning about her past, I want to give her a hug. In a lot of ways, this novel reminds me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gayle Honeyman. My only qualm is that there was too much resolution about 85% of the way through and it was hard to pick back up on the action again. Otherwise, this is a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to hearing more from Kerryn Mayne in the future.

Lenny Marks Gets Awaywith Murder by Kerryn Mayne was a wonderul family story with good character word and a well developed character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Oh, Lenny Marks, what an incredible character you are! This is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of trauma, friendship, love, healing, family, courage, and resilience.

At first, Lenny reminded me a bit of Britt-Marie, but ultimately grew into her own version of herself, challenged by the people and situations around her. I highly recommend this underrated and not-talked-about-enough book that starts as a mystery and ends with a satisfying closure.

This book is general market fiction and contains some language and adult-ish content, but it is not pervasive.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I could not put this book down! Lenny was complex and relatable, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I slowly uncovered the story of her past

Unlikeable MCs aren’t my thing (I’m looking it you, Every-Jonathan-Frazen-Character-Ever) I need characters for which I can root. They don’t have to be perfect, but they have to be redeemable.

Lenny is DEEPLY redeemable. While my own brand of neurospicy would likely drive her mad, I’d love to be her friend. If you’re a fan of the character-driven, you’ll enjoy this one.

While the title might give you Cozy Quirky Mystery vibes, that’s not what this book is. Lenny, while indeed quirky, has a scarring past that she’s no longer able to ignore, and the book does a great job exploring the complexity of trauma.

My only real complaint was the pacing. It picked up in the latter part of the book, but started off pretty slow.

Can’t wait for more from this author.

I do enjoy a book with a neurodivergent character and Lenny Marks was one I found myself rooting for. Plenty of funny parts, while also revealing quite the traumatic background. I thought it was well done.

A wonderful debut, this could be a nice beach read but has the depth of a wonderful literary fiction, facing tough topics and childhood trauma. This is extremely descriptive and representative of a neurodivergent main character. There is a ton of character growth in this one--gives me thoughts of The Maid! Thanks for the digital copy in exchange for an honest reveiw!

What a clever, lovely book. Lenny is a sharp protagonist whose straightforward nature makes her a complicated but forthright narrator. This was a book to love.

How is this a debut novel?? This was so good! Lenny has a lot of quirks, habits, and adheres to a rigid schedule, but they're all meant to keep her life (and mind) nice and tidy. Tidiness equates to a normal life. But then her life slowly unravels and you figure out why she had the strict schedule and routine. The flashbacks and finding out bits and pieces of Lenny's life was done so well. I hope this author writes more books in the future!

What an absolutely delightful novel this was! I went into it with zero expectations and was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I will be passing on good reviews of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder to everyone I know!

This was a good and twist read! The power of the denial is a thing to behold, until it breaks down and you must confront what you've been hiding from yourself! This was my 1st book by Kerryn Mayne but will not be my last, I am adding her books to my TBR!

Thank you to Kerryn Mayne, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for pre-approving me to receive an electrical Advanced Review Copy of "Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder". All opinions mentioned in this review are my own.

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is nothing like I expected it to be when I was approved to read this novel. Kerryn Mayne's debut novel is an absolute treat. Do not let the title fool you, this is hardly a mystery thriller: which makes the twists even greater.

Lenny is a 30 year old, neurodiverse school teacher still coping from a traumatic childhood through a rigorously structured lifestyle. However, when a letter from the parole board is delivered to her (after very carefully trying to ensure no one knows her actual home address), Lenny's live begins to unravel.

So often are neurodiverse characters used in Mystery/Thrillers as a means to be "unreliable." Mayne's writing of Lenny as a neurodiverse character is incredibly lifelike, and relatable. From the use of alcohol to make Lenny more outgoing, to Lenny not realizing her friends, and the boy she kind of likes, actually like her.

Though the story tackles heavy topics, I would still classify this one as a light read. Though I understand how it could be triggering to others.