Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder seemed extremely slow paced to start for me. I had a hard time getting into the story and enjoying the characters. As the story progresses it does speed up a little and as the story provides more info it does become more interesting. It is worth the push if you are having a hard time getting into this one. While the ending seems a little unlikely as far as character reactions and decisions made, the personality and background of the FMC make it more plausible.

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Elementary school teacher, Lenny Marks finds peace in routine, finding contentment in life rather than striving for happiness, a fleeting feeling, in her experience. She’s fine with coming home every day to her favorite show, Friends, and “playing scrabble with Monica”. However, when she receives a letter from the parole board her carefully constructed life starts to unravel. Flashes of her childhood start coming back, a different version than she’s allowed herself to remember.

I completely adored Lenny and her matter-of-fact way she approached life, but I did hope for more for her! I knew things weren’t quite the way she remembered them, and I was eager to find out what exactly happened in her past! Some of these revelations were heartbreaking! I was happy as Lenny started waking up, taking charge, and making changes. I was fully on board with Lenny’s unlawful activities, such as with Malcom the dog and well, other things best left out of this review.

I absolutely loved this story! It started out sedate and quiet and ended up with some twisty revelations. I rooted for Lenny throughout her journey and there was even a bit of romance by the end!

I alternately listened to and read the story and I can recommend either version. Annie Maynard’s performance was fantastic, her Aussie accent wonderful and she brought Lenny’s quirky personality to life! I listened at my normal 1.5x normal speed.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne. A delightfully engaging, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story all in one. A well-written debut that I absolutely devoured from start to finish. A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the advanced digital copy of the book. Lenny Marks is a quirky, lovable character who will be long remembered well after you have finish reading the book. Lenny is a young woman who likes to live her life by orderly routines. But when her repressed childhood trauma resurfaces she starts to come undone. She will have to step out from behind the protective comfort of her structured life to deal with the past she buried so long ago. Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is an amazingly charming story that will evoke all the emotions. It will have you cheering out loud for its main character to win with every turn of the page.

📱 Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder 📱⁣
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⁣Length- 352 pages. ⁣
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⁣Genre- Mystery Fiction. ⁣
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⁣My thoughts- Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is the debut novel of Kerryn Mayne and completely charmed me! Lenny is a 37 year old, neurodivergent, teacher who lives alone and likes her very routine life. She watches the same meals each day, loves watching Friend’s reruns, and plays Scrabble with an imaginary friend. As we learn more about her traumatic childhood, Lenny’s reluctance to warm to other’s becomes more understandable. ⁣
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⁣This book is well-written, thought provoking and quirky. I really enjoyed Lenny’s personality; she’s such a kind, strong person who really embraces personal growth. The novel is both heartbreaking and full of humor all at once. ⁣
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⁣If you enjoyed the Molly the Maid series, I think you’ll really like this book! Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @Netgalley for an ARC of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. This book is available now!

In spite of the sobering events that happen in Lenny’s life, this was an enjoyable and heart-warming read. It reminded me of a couple of books I have read in the past, but the book still had its own unique story.

Lenny suffered a severe trauma as a child and has grown into an adult with OCD tendencies and lives her life trying to limit her contact with others as much as possible. She mistrusts others and has been working hard to get over her hangups and make friends.

Lucky for Lenny, she has her foster mother Fay, her neighbor Maureen, and a few women from her job as a teacher that really care about her. Lenny has also developed a friendship with Ned from her local market. Lenny is a kind soul with a big heart and a character that is easy to love.

My only qualm with the story was wondering how in the world Lenny managed to get through college and acquire a job teaching children when she suffered so much from anything unexpected or any situation where she was in the spotlight.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I really enjoyed the story and am happy to give my honest review and recommend this to other readers.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder was an absolute delight to read. Lenny is a character similar to Ove or Eleanor Oliphant, but with her own quirks. She is a teacher that grew up in a foster home, she enjoys Scrabble, and watching Friends. When she tries to make friends with co-workers, she finds that not all of them are as friendly as she thought they would be. Lenny has a past that begins to intrude in her current life, and she finds out that what she remembers might not be completely accurate. Kerryn Mayne did a great job letting the reader get to know Lenny. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

This is an emotional read but it is also cute in places. I love a good book which takes you through a roller coaster to get to the ending.

Lenny is a character you do not want to miss. She is probably on the autistic spectrum, but, it could be the trauma from her childhood. Lenny is holding in all her memories. She has completely blocked out everything that happened to her. Then one day she receives a letter from the parole board. Her step father is about to be released from prison. This triggers something in her. Her memories gradually start to come to the forefront of her mind and she slowly falls apart.

Lenny weaves herself into your heart! And she is much stronger than she looks. This is where the reader is deceived! Not everyone is who you think they are!

Need a rollercoaster ride you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Oh, how I loved this book. It was one heck of a wild ride! It was everything from a heartwarming to heartbreaking read; a story of friendship, family, grief, loss, serious trauma, fear, death, healing, and love.

It almost felt as if it was 2 or 3 books rolled into one, but in the best way. This book made me feel light and warm, it made me laugh (repeatedly), yet it also brought me to tears and had me sitting in my sadness and feeling reflective. It takes a LOT for a book to make me cry, but this one tore my heart in two.

It had unexpected and shocking twists that I never would've expected based on the story leading up to that point. This book defies being pigeonholed into one genre and instead covers multiple genres. It's unlike anything I've read and I absolutely loved it.

Lenny Marks is an unforgettable character and I'll be recommending this book to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the complex character Lenny. I was invested in her journey from the beginning. The mystery kept me guessing. The plot moves swiftly. The ending was perfect. I would absolutely read this author again.

2024 seems to be the year of some very excellent debut books and LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER is a top ten so far. Kerryn Mayne's debut gave me some of the same emotional ups and downs as Fredrik Backman's stories always do. Lenny Marks with get along very well with Eleanor Oliphant or Ove.
Lenny finds comfort in the routine of her life. She neither wants nor needs the disruption caused by an official letter. As her world is defined more each day by the "before" and "after" the letter, readers are drawn into Lenny's dilemna, watching her bewilderment become courage to face her past and her future.

So I originally picked this book up based on the title alone so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a story filled with this mystery of what had happened when Lenny was a child.

I had a sinking feeling in my gut the more I read and my heart was hurting when we finally get the full picture. Lenny is an odd person but I loved her. I wanted to yell at her a few times when she didn’t pick up on the fact the two women she desperately wanted to be her friends wanted nothing to do with her. She really grew a lot as a character during the book and I thought the ending was perfect!

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early e-arc copy!

This book very much felt like I was going to walk into a cozy mystery, however it was not quite that. It also was not really a thriller. This book felt more like a cozy coming of age story, even though Lenny is not a teenager. However, we get to watch Lenny develop and learn new things about a world that can often times be over-stimulating.

I am loved this simply for the Neurodiverse representation, which made me love Lenny so much more as a character and made me so much more invested in her story. I would recommend!

“Fay had always told her there were choices, even if none of them seemed desirable.”

Lenny is a creature of habit. She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same food and eats the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). But when a letter from a parole board arrives at her door, her carefully curated world is in danger of collapse.

3.5 stars! Lenny is such an endearing character and she reminded me quite a bit of Eleanor Oliphant, a character that had stayed with me. She has had some trauma in her life and, thus, has shut the world out. She has created a routine for herself that is as isolating as it comforting. I enjoyed watching her branch out and let people in but I wish I got to know her just a little bit better.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Kerryn Mayne is out! Thanks to @stmartinspress @netgalley for the advanced copies!

When I first saw this cover and title, it looked like a fun cozy murder mystery. That is not exactly what I found within these pages. Once I realized that this was more of a character driven story, still with a cozy murder vibe, I settled in and let Lenny's journey take me. As her past trauma unfolded and the events of now progressed, I was invested. I loved how Lenny evolved, even though it was not by her choice as such. I was also curious about the connection to "Friends" as this is the second book to feature neurodivergent characters gravitating to that show as a balm. That said, Buffy also gave a strong showing, so it may be simple coincidence!

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It wasn't quite what I expected, which was a nice surprise. Since this is out today, grab a copy and enjoy!

I broke the cardinal of reading and judged this book solely based on its cover!!! I wrongly assumed that Kerryn Mayne’s debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, would be a cozy murder mystery. I came to this conclusion using only the title and cute cover art. While I got a lot more than I bargained for, it is definitely worth the read.

Lenny Marks likes routine. So much so that she has one for just about every aspect of her life. Buy when she receives a letter from the parole board, her routines and life are thrown into utter disarray. Will she be able to re-compartmentalize her life, or has this letter just unearthed the past she has desperately tried to forget?

I found Lenny Marks to be a fascinating FMC. One of the more rememberable ones I have read lately. While she is full of social anxiety and struggles to make connections with those in her everyday life, she is a productive member of society. However, as the story began to unfold I was saddened to learn that those characteristics weren’t just quirks, but came about from repressed childhood trauma (It reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine).

Overall, I was blown away by Kerryn Mayne’s character development in her debut novel. If this is any indication of the books to come, I will be a devoted reader!

Special thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Kerryn Mayne for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

* I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this book and enjoyed both formats. I will say that having the audiobook narrated by Annie Maynard proved a bit challenging. Her thick Australian accent required me to really focus as I listened. Part of what I love about audiobooks is that it allows me the freedom to do other tasks like cleaning, driving, etc. However, with this book I mainly just stayed stationary as I listened.

Lenny Marks is a socially awkward, thirty m-something teacher. She lives a quiet life of routine. One day she receives a letter from the parole board. It has someone else's name in it so she's not sure why it came to her. The more she tries to forget about it the more she remembers things long forgotten. Like what happened to her Mom and stepfather.

This is a character driven novel. The reader spends the early part of the book getting to know Lenny and how she lives her daily life. I found this part to be quite slow and I didn't find Lenny charming enough or unique enough of a character to get past it.

The nature of the plot isn't revealed until near the end. There isn't anything surprising although it's presented somewhat as a mystery to the reader and even Lenny herself.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is the story of a woman coming into her own. Readers who connect with Lenny are likely to enjoy this more than I did.

Surprising, captivating, and sweet!

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a heartfelt, absorbing tale that takes you into the life of Lenny Marks, a socially awkward, Hobbit-loving teacher who, after receiving a letter from a parole board, struggles to come to grips with a past she thought she knew with the darker one that seems to be slowly seeping into her consciousness from memories she has suppressed for a very long time.

The writing is tender and light. The characters are quirky, endearing, and well-developed. And the plot is a compelling, hopeful tale of life, loss, secrets, resilience, abuse, friendship, revelations, childhood trauma, violence, self-identification, and moving on.

Overall, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a twisty, charming, moving tale by Mayne that is a wonderful reminder that even after suffering the most unimaginable cruelty and tragedy, humanity still has the innate ability to hope, heal, and live healthy lives.

Thank you #Netgalley

Lenny Marks is a creature of habit, she has her strict routine of how she lives her life with her guard up and trusting no one. But she has realized it is time to start being a little more social, she gives herself goals such as sitting in the breakroom, etc. We are quick to learn that Lenny had a traumatic childhood, but the severity of that would not come to light until later in the read as her past comes back to haunt her.

Lenny is such a fascinating character! This is a fantastic first novel from Kerry’s Mayne. It drew me in from the first paragraph.
Thank you to NetGalley and St, Martin’s for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why I Chose It: I was drawn in by the description with emphasis on “a heroine who’s simply unforgettable.” I love quirky, unforgettable characters.

This was such a fantastic read filled with heart and ups and downs. I loved this character-driven novel so much; it reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant, which is one of my favorite characters of all time.

Lenny Marks was an incredible heroine. Unapologetically herself, I didn’t want my time with her to end. The supporting cast was well done and distinct. I loved the found family in this one.

I was expecting a bit more suspense based on my reading of the description, but I didn’t feel like this book was suspenseful in the traditional sense. While readers learned about Lenny’s past seemingly alongside her, which was somewhat suspenseful, I felt this novel was more character-driven contemporary fiction. If you go into it thinking you’re getting a thriller/suspense novel, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a story that explores good and bad, truth and secrets, and other life experiences with heart and humor, this is your book.

Fans of characters like Eleanor Oliphant and Molly Gray (The Maid), heartwarming stories that show the kindness in people, and stories that explore dichotomies in life will adore this one.