**NetGalley Review: Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is a thrilling ride from start to finish. The story hooks you in right from the beginning with its intriguing premise and keeps you guessing until the very end. Lenny Marks is a fascinating character, both complex and relatable, and watching his journey unfold is nothing short of captivating.

The pacing is excellent, with just the right amount of tension and suspense to keep you turning the pages. The plot twists are well-executed and genuinely surprising, adding to the overall excitement of the story. The author's writing style is crisp and engaging, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

There were a few moments where the story felt a bit stretched, but overall, it did not detract from the overall enjoyment. If you're a fan of suspenseful mysteries with a strong central character, "Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is a must-read. A solid 4/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a cozy mystery but this is so much more. It reads more of a character study, and we see the MC really develop throughout. I think this would be perfect if you liked Molly from The Maid (Nita Prose). It was so much deeper than I had expected it to be

Lenny Marks is a quirky character. She has established routines that she never deviates from. She struggles making friends, plays scrabble with an Imaginary Monica from Friends—which she watches repeatedly. Her parents disappeared when Lenny was younger and she was brought up by wonderful foster parents. One day she receives a letter that triggers memories that she had forgotten. As the memories re-surface Lenny’s routines start to crumble. Additionally she begins to open up to the people around her and makes some connections in the process. This is a heartbreaking story of an unlikely heroine that is forced to deal with tragedy, secrets and murder.

This was not at all what I was expecting. Lenny was such a great character, reminding me of Eleanor Oliphant, or Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry. Her social awkwardness, her focus on routines and her bluntness all added to her charm. Her story takes many paths and her childhood is full of secrets and memories that she must face in order to move on. This was a great story full of heart and family.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks is one of those awkward characters I just relate so much to. A little weird but with a real heart, Lenny slowly falls apart when her repressed childhood slowly catches up to her. This is not a cutesy story as the lovely cover suggests, but one full of grief, heartache, guilt, and anger. But it is also full of redemption and growth and hope... and even a little revenge. If it would have a theme song, it would be "He Had it Coming" from the musical Chicago. Yes, indeed, he did.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

“She was the reason you walked back into a room, thinking you’d forgotten something, only you didn’t remember what it was because it had never been all that important.”

Lenny Marks is the Eleanor Rigby of her town. A quiet school teacher, Lenny
Iives a life of predictability-finding comfort in her humdrum routine which includes a reliable meal schedule and utilizing the Friends cast as background chatter an acceptable enough substitute for the real thing.

But lately, if she’s being honest, Lenny’s curiosity has gotten the best of her. She finds herself hopefully talking to the nice guy at the grocery store a beat too long, and accepting invitations for nights outs with potential friends, leaving her televised Friends behind.

Then Lenny receives a letter in the mail from the parole board that her stepfather is being released from jail. Memories of what happened in her childhood are murky at best, but Lenny knows one thing- she wants no part of the news. Yet despite her best efforts to keep everything the same, life keeps pushing back- forcing her to face some hard truths. Can Lenny finally get a life worth living without losing herself in the process?

I absolutely loved everything about this book. In the beginning you can’t help but to be endeared by Lenny’s quirkiness while having secondhand embarrassment at the same time. However, the more the reader gets to know Lenny, the sad outweighs the silly. Suddenly, as the story takes a more serious turn, rooting for Lenny too takes on a deeper meaning.

Since reading this, I’ve been recommending this story to all my friends. A promising debut by @kerrynmayneauthor, this book just might go down as The One Everyone Needs to Read.

This is an extremely unique and affecting novel. Lenny is a quirky but loveable outsider who is extremely relatable to anyone who has ever struggled to fit in. The story is alternatingly heartbreaking and heartwarming. Ultimate, however, it is hopeful and uplifting. It is a story about finding one's people and connecting rather than one about disconnection.

This book was so promising and a delight to read and get to know Lenny and her troubled past. However, the last third of the book was very unbelievable. I would recommend it as a fun read because I did fall in love with Lenny.

This was not for me. I found Lenny’s internal monologue to be so boring. I didn’t really care what happened to her.

I don’t read the synopsis immediately prior to reading the book (I read it when I first acquired it) so I thought this would be a mystery or lighthearted tale but it’s so much more. Yes, there is a murder, but it takes awhile to set the scene and it’s all so well done you almost forget you’re waiting for it to occur. Mayne puts you squarely into Lenny’s world, and her head, and you feel as if you’re with her through every awkward interaction, the slow reveal of the past, and how it has shaped her life. A fantastic but heartbreaking read about coping with loss and finding your way after.

Once Lenny Marks and her world of habits grabbed a hold of me it was hard to put this book down. We all have our own unique personality and our past can definitely create who we become, whether we are able to recall all the bits and pieces that helped to form us. As Lenny’s childhood memories were gradually triggered, the comfort zone that she had built for her protection began to spin out of control. This story was heartbreaking and hopeful, and Lenny; a character to be remembered.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of the debut novel Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne releasing 7/9 is a propulsive mystery told from the unique neurodivergent voice of Lenny who has repressed trauma that slowly threatens to rattle her perfectly ordered life. Told in flashbacks, the story blends heart and humor while carefully exploring truth, secrets, found family, and vengeance. Lenny is a heroine you won’t soon forget! Readers who like The Maid, Finlay Donovan, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine should pick this one up!

This was quite an interesting debut for author Kerryn Mayne. A story about a woman named Lenny, who sticks to strict daily routines, who watches Friends all the time (me too!), and plays scrabble with an imaginary friend. Things start taking an emotional turn when a letter comes to her work and starts opening “doors” to her past. Quite interesting indeed

Give me a quirky character any day. I adored Lenny Marks. It's a bit of a slow burn, but enough happens in the here and now, and the glimpses into Lenny's past to keep you intrigued and entertained. Lenny is very repressed due to the trauma she endured as a child, and she doesn't always understand social cues and so forth, so my heart ached for her many times when she misread situations. Both Kirra and Ned were lovely side characters whom I would love to have read more of. All in all, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder isn't your hard-core thriller, but neither is it a cozy mystery. It lies somewhere in the middle, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lenny Marks gets away with Murder was such an enjoyable book. Lenny is a bit awkward and quirky but that is what makes her so likeable. As she navigates her traumatic past and as she tried to build a "normal" life, she finds unexpected friends along the way.

This book was so unexpected! I didn’t know what to expect, but definitely not what was delivered!

Lenny is such a quirky, endearing, & likable character. On the surface this is a point in time life story about a woman and her ordinary life but… it is much more than the ordinary you would believe from the surface. Especially when we are introduced to bits and pieces of Lenny’s dramatic and traumatic past.

I loved the side characters in this story and the themes of found family, self worth and finding one’s passion in life.

Thank you to m MacMillan Audio for my ALC and St Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my review!

Don't be fooled by the title of this book. Kerryn Mayne has written an extremely entertaining novel that on first glance might tempt you to put it into the "cozy mystery" category. It does have components of that genre, but quite soon you will realize that the title character, Helena "Lenny" Marks, has many interesting and complicated layers and an unexpected depth to her somewhat lonely life.

Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that Lenny's quirks, social awkwardness, and lack of confidence might signal a lean toward the neurodivergent. However, Miss Lenny learned far too early in her childhood to hide behind those attributes. For there was much for the young Helena to contend with within her early family life. Those life challenges required her to hone every and any self-preservation skills within her youthful abilities.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder" and hold high hopes that Kerryn Mayne will delve into her creative imagination sooner than later and create more adventures for Lenny and the cast of friends and family that populated this first book!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read a galley proof of this entertaining book. It was recently published (July 9, 2024).

#LennyMarksGetsAwayWithMurder
#KerrynMayne
#AustralianAuthors
#NetGalley

The writing was good, but the pacing felt off for me.
At times there was nothing happening and then the next everything happening at once.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I guess this is what happens when you don't read the synopsis, and find this book NOT what you thought based on its cover.

Lenny Marks gets Away with Murder follows Lenny who has experienced life-changing trauma, and lives a simple life. She maintain order in her home, work and life. The reader learns of Lenny's horrible upbringing as she navigates the every changing landscape of her present life. Lenny is NOT good with people or making friends but she good with words. The wardrobe provides her the outlet to absorb words from books.

This debut novel is emotional, leaving you with nothing else but to root for Lenny.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press

I had to DNF. I felt like the story was very slow. I couldn't connect with Lenny and I didn't like her very much. I tried to push through but I just couldn't get through this.

The first half of this book took me over a week to get through, but the second half took me two hours! It was a great book, I just wanted more earlier on in the book. There were few “surprises” that I figured out early on, but a few that caught me off guard. Overall, I enjoyed this one!