4.5 stars rounded up
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is the captivating debut novel by Australian writer Kerryn Mayne. While the title suggests that this is a murder mystery, there is so much more to savor in this character-driven story.
Lenny is a 37 year-old primary school teacher living a carefully organized life in which routine equals contentment. She bicycles to work and the shops. At home she plays 2 handed Scrabble with Monica, the character in her favorite TV show, Friends. Is Lenny different? Oh yes! But she is thoughtful, caring, and feels deeply, while wrestling with the dark memories of events of her childhood.
As Lenny navigates life, and has a brush with murder, a lot happens as her story unfolds, told with pathos, humor, heart, and sensitivity to individuals damaged by life events. The story is well-plotted and suspenseful, keeping me fully immersed from beginning to end. While Lenny is the protagonist, there are other engaging characters who add a rich depth to the tale, elucidating its themes of family, friendship, love and personal happiness.
There is much to appreciate in this debut novel, which I enthusiastically recommend to readers who enjoy intelligent, character-driven stories, written with keen insight and warmth.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

"Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder" by Kerryn Mayne is a debut novel that defies easy categorization. Though its title may suggest a cozy mystery or a thrilling adventure, the book is more aptly described as a poignant character study with elements of suspense.

At the heart of this story is Lenny Marks, a neurodivergent woman whose life is meticulously ordered to maintain a sense of calm. Lenny's routines are both endearing and vital to her well-being: biking home at precisely 4 PM, eating the same meals each week, and owning an impressive thirty-six copies of "The Hobbit," arranged by height. Her love for "Friends" reruns and imaginary Scrabble games with Monica Gellar adds a charming layer to her personality.

However, Lenny's carefully structured world begins to unravel with the arrival of a letter from the Adult Parole Board Victoria, addressed to Helena Winters—her former name. This letter is the catalyst for a journey into Lenny's buried past, revealing traumas and secrets that she has long tried to forget.

Mayne's portrayal of Lenny is both empathetic and realistic. The use of anagrams as a coping mechanism is a clever narrative device, offering readers insight into Lenny's internal struggles and thought processes. Words like "Parole Hearing: orphanage, helping, reaping, roaring" become windows into her mind, making her a deeply relatable character.

The novel's pacing allows readers to fully immerse themselves in Lenny's world before the plot's tension ramps up in the second half. The arrival of someone from her past at a parent-teacher meeting heightens the stakes, pushing Lenny out of her comfort zone and forcing her to confront long-suppressed memories.

Despite its moments of suspense, "Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder" shines brightest in its quieter, character-driven moments. Lenny's interactions with her foster mother, Fay, and the students she teaches at Selby South Primary School, highlight her growth and the strength she derives from these relationships.

The book reminds me a little bit of "The Maid" by Nita Prose, with its engaging and unique protagonist navigating a world full of secrets and personal challenges.

In conclusion, "Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder" is a thoughtful and well-crafted novel that introduces Kerryn Mayne as a talented new voice in fiction. This book is a must-read for those who enjoy stories about personal growth, overcoming adversity, and the complexities of human connections

Lenny Marks is an elementary school teacher in Australia. She rides her bicycle to work every day. She visits the same grocery store every week, to buy the same things, to eat the same things each week. She spends her evenings with her favorite friends, the cast of Friends, as she watches the reruns on television and plays Scrabble against Monica Geller. Lenny has 36 copies of The Hobbit, which she rearranges from time to time. Sometimes by height. Sometimes by when she acquired them, from the one that had been her mother’s before hers, and on to the latest one she had bought. Her life is careful and regimented. Until she gets the letter.

The letter came to her in care of the school where she worked, and it was from the parole board. Lenny doesn’t want to read it and hides it deep in her bag. She does her best not to think about it. But then she starts getting calls from a woman who wants to talk to her about what’s going on with the parole board. Lenny starts ignoring the calls too.

Meanwhile, Lenny’s regimented life is starting to show some cracks. She gets invited to a pub with some of her coworkers, and she can’t figure out a way to say no. She ends up going to the pub, helping the team do well in the quiz, and drinking far more than she usually does. In addition, Lenny is having warm thoughts about Ned at the grocery store. They’d had conversations in the past about his favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but now Lenny starts to wonder what it might be like to spend time with him outside of the grocery store.

The small cracks in Lenny’s world start to grow, and she finds herself blurring some facts from the past with the present. She sees a dog being abused and does something a little crazy to protect it. She breaks into her elderly neighbor’s house to find the woman on the floor, barely breathing. All those careful edges she’s built and maintained for years start to bend and splinter. At the point where the secrets of her past and the truths of her present collide, she starts to break open completely.

As Lenny finally starts to face her traumatic past, she finds that she has the strength and support to face the things that happened to her when she was a child. The sad secrets come to light, and Lenny’s understanding of her life and her choices becomes more clear. But will she be able to face the lies she told, or will she finally break?

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a compelling story of toxic relationships and the path of healing. It’s humorous and heartbreaking, with layers of secrets and misunderstandings. Lenny was only a child when her family broke apart, and she could only understand or process so much of what was happening around her. As a child, she got only part of the story, and she made choices based on that childish understanding. But when things break open for her as an adult, she can finally get a fuller explanation of what had happened, and she can move forward with the understanding of an adult. It’s a fascinating journey, and the way author Kerryn Mayne has crafted this story is ingenious.

I listened to the audio book of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, narrated perfectly by Annie Maynard. Maynard brings Lenny’s voice to life through the entire story, making her a bit of a curiosity at the start of the story, then through her journey, she becomes a strong, actualized woman who takes action on her own behalf. Maynard never portrays Lenny as the victim, but keeps her thoughtful and caring throughout. I thought this book was so amazing, and the narration makes it even more striking.

A copy of the audio book for Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder was provided by Macmillan Audio, and egalleys were provided by St. Martin’s Press, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you Netgalley, Caro Carver and St. Martin's Press for the ebook. The main character Lenny was just so quirky and you could really feel her struggles throughout her every day life. I loved how the story evolved and I slowly figured out why Lenny is the way she is. The past did come back to haunt her and when that old life mixed into her new life it really caused some problems. You need to read to see how Lenny got through or if she even did get through it all.

This is such a good book. It's both lighthearted and intense. It will make you laugh and cry. It's this author's debut novel and she should be very proud. It's so well done.

Filled with likable characters and even a dog. A book that will keep you turning the pages. Lenny Marks was a very shy and awkward woman. A teacher. A friend. A woman with a past that her mind rearranged so she could cope. So she could have a life. Lenny had problems with accepting that people could like her. Or that she was good enough. She tended to stay home, inside, watching tv. Friends was her tv show of choice and playing scrabble with Monica from friends. Of course that was only in her head but still.... Lenny Marks really needed a life.

When Lenny finally comes to terms with what happened all those years ago she has to face her childhood self. She was only thirteen years old when her mother went away. Though she will remember later that things didn't exactly happen the way she remembered. She was abused by her stepdad and he went to prison for murdering her mother. He was a very vile and evil creature.

I loved how Lenny made so many words. One word that contained several. She is what I would call a wordsmith....

This book was well written. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's honest. It has things in it that will make you cringe. Also give a chuckle. It will make you cry and hope that Lenny finally has a good life. I wanted Lenny Marks to get a life. I think she finally did.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a gripping and thought-provoking book that explores the complexities of memory and the consequences of past actions. The story follows Lenny Marks, a woman who has spent the last twenty years avoiding thoughts of her mother's abandonment and her stepfahter's mean hateful words. Lenny is now thirty-seven and prefers a life or routine and finding comfort in her job as a teacher and very quiet life. And if you like routines and schedules, Lenny has you beat with her constant need for these rituals. However, Lenny's carefully constructed world is interupted when her past comes calling in the form of a letter from the Adult Parole Board. Despite her initial attempts to ignore it. She is forced to confront her past and the memories that she has tried to block all her life. But as she begins to look back at her past to unravel her past along with the truth and the weight of her actions. This book explores the memory and its impact on your life. Lenny's struggle to remember and come to terms with her past is portrayed with sensitivity and authenticity. Karryn Mayne looks at the complexities of human emotions, showing Lenny's conflict between contentment and the desire for a more fulfilling life. Lenny is a very relatable character with her flaws and vulnerabilities making her more sympathetic. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is well-balanced, with suspenseful moments that keep you turning pages.

A teacher with a traumatic past gets a letter that causes memories of her hardships to crash into her present. As she tries to juggle her current life with what she’s endured, she’s forced to accept help from unlikely places and people. Author Kerryn Mayne offers readers a heartbreaking story in a tried-but-true premise for her debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder.

Helena “Lenny” Marks has her routine down pat. She goes home from her job as a teacher at a primary school every day at the same time, has the same meals every week, and relies on her 36 copies of The Hobbit to comfort her if she needs it. Not that she does. Lenny controls everything in her life, and she’s living it exactly as she pleases.

Even the societal construct of friends is easy to fill—literally. Lenny is a champion at Scrabble, and her favorite opponent is Monica Gellar. At least, Lenny imagines Monica sitting across from her while reruns of Friends run in the background. She really doesn’t need anyone or anything else, even if her foster mother, Fay, thinks otherwise.

Fay and her late husband, Robert, were everything to Lenny, offering stability at a time when Lenny’s life was upended in the worst way possible. But Lenny doesn’t think about those days, about when she was 12 and what happened with her stepfather and her mother. No, Lenny chooses to focus on the present day.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives at Lenny’s school.

Lenny wishes she could ignore it, but even after reading its contents she can’t work up the nerve to throw it out. Worse, memories have begun creeping back into her mind and heart. The one that hurts the most is of her stepfather’s vicious whisper, “You did this.” Lenny knows she’s responsible for all the bad things, and she’s done what she could to atone for them. She just wishes the memories hadn’t returned.

In a bid to show Fay that she’s perfectly stable, Lenny has, in fact, tried to become (real) friends with two of the young teachers at her school. Those efforts don’t seem to go as smoothly as Lenny imagined, and it’s puzzling to her that another teacher who she never talked to much has decided to become friendly with her instead. Add to that the manager at Lenny’s favorite grocery store who always takes an extra minute to talk to Lenny when she goes in, and all of a sudden everything—and everyone—is getting a little too close. The people she wouldn’t normally pick as friends. The next-door neighbor who invites her to parties in the moonlight. The memories that refuse to let her go.

As Lenny puts all of her effort into ignoring the thoughts and feelings that the letter has stirred up, she finds herself in situations that veer far from her regular routine. Going to trivia night in a bar? Facing a high school bully? Dognapping? It’s all highly unusual indeed and makes Lenny wonder if she’ll get away with drifting from her usual schedule after all.

Author Kerryn Mayne gives readers a likable protagonist in Lenny. Although the book takes a little while to get into its pace, once it does readers will find themselves defending Lenny at every turn. Her hardships and challenges are relatable and realistic.

The novel treads territory that readers of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Maid will find incredibly familiar. Just as in those books, the protagonist here has wedged herself into a space so tight that moving even an inch from it yields what might seem, in the short term, as disastrous results. The long term, of course, brings the revelation of the main character’s past even as she tries to keep everything from changing in the present. For Lenny Marks, as for Eleanor Oliphant and Molly the Maid, that past is gut-wrenching and a reminder of the extreme measures the human mind will undertake to preserve one’s self from the worst kinds of trauma.

At times the book slows down, and minor threads of Lenny’s story get lost so that when they get picked up again readers might need a few paragraphs to re-orient themselves to the reference. For the most part, however, the novel is a solid read and evidence that Kerryn Mayne is an author worth waiting for.

Lenny Marks captivated me from the start. This is not a thriller or a cozy mystery, but a story of a complicated, but endearing woman with a very complicated and sad past. It shapes much of who she is today, of course, but she is also quite resilient and quirky as well. I enjoyed learning more about her as each chapter unfolded, and there were plenty of surprises and delights and gasps along the way. I do see similarities to Eleanor Oliphant, whom I dearly love, but Lenny is definitely in her own category. I enjoyed this diversion from the typical beach reads of the summer.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Lenny liked her routines, staying in, and keeping to herself. It was a quiet life, but she was content with it and the way everything went according to her plan. That was until she received a letter from the parole board, and her past Lenny intruded on the life she had built for herself.

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. I was surprised by how dark some of the it was, but I really enjoyed getting to know Lenny Marks.

I found myself immediately drawn to Lenny. Her love of words, scrabble, The Hobbit, and routines was something I could fully embrace. In the first part of the book, Lenny was attempting to follow her foster mother's orders to make some friends. My heart went out with her as she wasted energy on the wrong people and was slow to recognize the right people. But don't worry, a fine community of supporters was assembled and just in the nick of time, too, as that letter from the parole board triggered some awful memories.

Slowly, Lenny started to recall the trauma from her past. It broke my heart reading about what happened to her, but it shed so much light on why Lenny did the things she did. She suffered so much pain and loss at such a young age, and her only means of survival was to bury it. The tone of the story appropriately changed as Lenny worked through those painful memories, and my heart ached for her.

I have to say, Mayne slowly doled out the pieces of this story. You know early on that something major happened in Lenny's past, but I was only given bits and pieces along the way. It was very effective way to keep my interest high as I waited for the full story to be revealed, and wow! It crushed me.

For a story built on the premise of murder it had a lot of humorous and tender moments. The beginning of the book was rather light and breezy, and I was glad I got to know Lenny under those circumstances. The emotion ratcheted up slowly until Lenny was able to free herself from the grief, pain, and guilt of her past.

This was a little darker than what I usually read, but I loved Lenny and was fully invested in her healing journey. Overall, I enjoyed getting to find out how Lenny Marks got away with murder and was left with so much hope for her future.

An interesting book but I could only read half. The story was fraught with repetition and the repetition was tedious. The quirks of Lenny Marks were true to someone with autism or OCD, Her early life was horrible, and her adult life is lonely and marred exceedingly by the abuse she received as a child. The story would grow interesting and my hope was that it would continue as such but it would fade again.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever read a book that just seems to have it all? Cause this was one of those books for me. Lenny Marks is quirky and different. She has forgotten her past, until a parole letter comes in the mail. Then the past that haunts her, opens up all her memories, good, bad and inbetween. The characters were incredibly well thought out. We watch them grow and change and confront skeletons. There was some mystery, some everyday drama, some heartbreak and heartwarming moments. Parts that I didn't see coming and other parts that were more expected and typical. Just a well written, adorable book about a young woman's past, present and future.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This is a heartwarming and touching story that's full of emotion. Lenny Marks is a quirky, lovable character that anyone can relate with. You just can't help rooting for her every step of the way! Highly recommend.

Happy pub day to Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder! This was a very well-balanced book. Lenny is presented as neurodivergent, but Mayne pulls it off without infantilizing her the way so many other books do (looking at you, The Maid). It deals with some extremely heavy topics (childhood trauma, loss of a loved one, abuse) while still keeping the tone light and fun so much of the time. And, while it starts off a bit slow, it is never boring - and the second half packs a ton of action and surprising moments.

I will say - I expected this to be more of a cozy mystery from the marketing, which this decidedly is not. It’s a heartwarming, character-driven novel filled with a lot of delightful moments while never trivializing the underlying story. It’s an absolute gem of a debut.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is out today!

4.5/5

Title: Lenny Marks Get Away with Murder

Author: Kerryn Mayne

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Reviewed By: Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" by Kerryn Mayne

My Perception:

'Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder' is an intriguing read with serious content about past trauma that keeps readers turning the pages until the end and giving one much thought long after the read. This story involves 'the insight into a mind that is part autistic and part traumatized by a past.'

We find Lenny, a 37-year-old primary school teacher, a loner with an imaginary roommate. She receives a letter from the parole board letting her know that her former stepfather is due to be released from jail soon. Where was her mother, who had disappeared simultaneously as the father? Now, I don't want to tell too much of the story, but I will let you know there is a murder in this story as the story unravels a lot of mystery about Lenny's past and her growth as a good human being. Be ready for a good read, as this author gives us information about what had happened in the past, as the story separates fact from fiction. In the end, anyone can accept the conclusion in Lenny's world.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Going into this one, I thought it would be a quirky mystery, but I was definitely surprised by how emotional this book ended up being. It was quite slow and hard to get into at first, but it started to get more interesting as twists were revealed. I loved Lenny’s character and how quirky she was, and I just wanted to give her a big hug. I did find it dragged a bit, but otherwise I really enjoyed this one.

"She owned thirty-six copies, of varying editions, and considered each and every one of them necessary." THIS is when I knew I loved Lenny.

Despite what the description or cover might suggest, this is not a cozy mystery (not saying this in a bad way, just making sure you know what you’re getting into). It reads more like slower paced fiction until about 2/3 of the way through, when the stakes get higher and the story unfolds much more quickly. It deals with heavier topics and is more emotional than cozy.

Lenny is an endearingly awkward, rule-following, Scrabble-playing, 37 year old school teacher — and she has a secret. Bits and pieces of her troubled history are revealed to us until the last quarter, where it all falls into place.

I grew to love Lenny, and I was, of course, rooting for her always. It was sweet to see her come to grips with her past and grow in confidence. The family-secrets aspect of the story was really gripping, especially in the latter half. It’s worth the wait!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc!

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder was not what I expected based on the title and cover. It's giving cozy and funny mystery a la Finlay Donovan, but it's actually much heavier and definitely not cozy.

That being said, Lenny Marks is possibly one of my favorite characters I've ever read. She's a neurodivergent elementary school teacher with a kind heart. She's a homebody, she plays Scrabble against herself, loves the TV show Friends, and rides her bike everywhere. She reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant, She is intelligent and brave, and just trying to figure out her solitary adult life. I loved watching her story unfold, and it was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I laughed with her and my heart broke for her.

There were some mystery elements to this book, and some things I predicted and some I did not. The writing was phenomenal and I will definitely read more of Kerryn Mayne's work in the future.

I received an ARC of this book. It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did I was captivated! This was a powerful and intriguing story. I highly recommend it!

4.25⭐

Thirty-seven-year-old Lenny Marks lives her life in adherence to a set routine – riding her bike to school where she teaches fifth-grade, shopping from the same grocery store, and spending her free time rearranging her book collection comprising thirty-six (and counting) copies of the “The Hobbit, watching reruns of “Friends” and playing scrabble with her favorite fictional character from the show. She doesn’t have much of a social life and her interactions are limited to her colleagues and the people she meets in the course of her day. Though she would like to have more friends, she isn't too good at reading people or interpreting social cues. Whenever she feels overwhelmed, she copes by playing a game of anagrams.

When Lenny receives a letter from the Parole Board, she is forced to revisit her traumatic past and the childhood memories she has repressed – events that have contributed to Lenny’s worldview and the way she chooses to live her life. But as her past comes back to haunt her, she finds herself compelled to step out of her comfort zone. As the narrative progresses, we follow Lenny’s journey as she slowly begins to emerge from her shell and effect changes in her life.

Revolving around themes of trauma and healing, resilience, friendship and kindness and personal growth, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a beautiful story. Shared from Lenny’s perspective, the narrative is well-paced and engaging. Lenny is an endearing character and I appreciated the author’s respectful and sensitive depiction of neurodiversity. The supporting characters are well thought out and I appreciated how the author has depicted how Lenny’s interactions with each of them - her pleasant and unpleasant experiences- help in her journey of self-discovery.

Please note that the title of this book is a tad misleading. This is not exactly a light-hearted cozy mystery that is implied, but an emotional story about a neurodivergent individual with a traumatic past who, with the help of those who care for her, embarks on a journey of healing and self-acceptance. The author injects a fair dose of humor, a few surprises and a sweet romantic track (which is well-woven into the narrative and does not distract from the primary plotline) to prevent the story from becoming too heavy. I did have to suspend disbelief at certain points in the story, but this in no way detracted from my overall experience.

I adored Lenny and wanted to spend more time with her! Exceptionally well-written, at times heartbreaking yet hopeful, full of heart and humor, this is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this talented new author in the future.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Annie Maynard, who has done a brilliant job of capturing Lenny’s sweetness and resilience, her moods and emotions, and breathing life into this story. I couldn’t recommend the audiobook enough!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lenny Marks likes routine. The 37-year-old school teacher has a very orderly rhythm to her life: she follows the same dinner menu every week, she enjoys reorganizing her 36 copies of The Hobbit, she watches Friends on repeat, and she plays Scrabble every night with her imaginary roommate Monica. She mentally does anagrams to cope with anxiety. She doesn’t let people get too close to her and counts the Thai restaurant delivery person and Ned at the grocery store among the people she sees most. When she receives a letter from the parole board, her carefully ordered life starts to get messy as memories from her traumatic childhood resurface.

I was not prepared for how much I loved Lenny and this book! Don’t let the breezy cover and title fool you, this is an emotional character-driven story with an unforgettable heroine. The plot is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, but ultimately healing and hopeful. (whew, that’s a lot of “H” adjectives!) Lenny is quirky, awkward, and utterly endearing, and the supporting cast of characters are appealing and well-developed too. I loved the way Lenny grew over the course of the story as she learned to overcome her past trauma and broaden her horizons.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.