Happy Publication Day! Wow, it took me a few chapters to get into this book, but liked it. As you start reading, you come to understand that Lenny has forgotten about her past and is pushing people away because of what happened. It helped me to realize how important our mental health is and how important it is to let people into our lives. There were a few points in the book that I was surprised at how awful people can be to others. I felt like Lenny just needed a trusted, good friend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book.

This was my first read by Kerryn Mayne and I have to say it took me awhile to get into it. the majority of the story dragged along and I had a hard time enjoying read. Lenny Marks, to me, acted as if she was on the spectrum. Everything had to be done a certain way, routine. Lenny has forgotten things that happened when she was young. After getting a letter from the Adult Parole Board she starts to remember after 20 years. The last third of the story moved a little faster, however some of it was just a bit unbelievable to me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

What I expected to be a lighter read quickly became more complex as I learned more and more about Lenny’s life. With her mother, stepfather and grandmother out of her life since childhood, her only family is her foster mother, Fay, whom she’s remained close to. She guards her private life and emotions fiercely but is trying to change that at the urging Fay’s urging. Adept in her classroom as a teacher, her efforts outside are awkward. We learn why, and it’s heartbreaking to learn of the physical and mental abuse she suffered and the horrible stories she believes about herself. The author does a great job of slowly unraveling the true story of Lenny’s childhood.
Watching Lenny deal with reality kept my interest as I cheered for her and those around her who were wearing down her barriers. Loved the word puzzles Lenny does in her mind to cope, very clever and imaginative, and the ending was perfect.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy, it should be on the reading list of everyone who enjoys a story of finding strength and friendship.
Thanks to NetGalley and

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a delightful, thought provoking book- one of my top five favorites so far this year. Lenny, AKA known as Helena Winters, is a 38 year old, single, fastidious fifth grade teacher. Lenny thinks happiness is overrated, and prefers to live a simple, predictable and orderly life. Lenny also has a secret: she survived a severe trauma when she was 11 years old that altered the entire course of her life. At 13 she was placed in the loving foster home of Fay and Robert Mark's, her survival is largely a credit to the love, patience and guidance provided by Fay and Robert. One ordinary day her stable and steady life is upended by the receipt of a letter from the Parole Boar. At the same time she is trying to follow Fay's loving advice: get a life Lenny. For the first time in decades, Lenny is slowly and with reservations, widening her circle to include the possibility of friends and perhaps romance. Will her past rear its ugly head and ruin her future? I'm not going to spoil the book by telling you. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a story of trauma, betrayal, strength, the power of love, healing and reconciliation- a celebration of life. A very sincere thank you to NetGalley, St.. Martin's Press and Kerryn Mayne for the opportunity to read an ARC; this review reflects my honest opinion. 5 stars.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this debut novel. The author did a wonderful job bringing Lenny to life, and I found her story intriguing. She has been living a very isolated life despite managing to hold down a job, and now she is trying to become more open to new relationships. Her traumatic childhood is slowly revealed over the course of the book, and that provides some suspense. The book is beautifully written, and the story is unique. I think this book would make an excellent choice for book discussion groups, and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more from the author.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne

This hands down five star book is exactly why I love debut authors. First try and Ms. Mayne has written a character as endearing as Olive Kitteridge and Molly the Maid. She’s a lovable, awkward misfit who suffers from anxiety and its cousin, paranoia.

Australian primary teacher Lenny Marks had a very rough childhood which is at the root of her stress. Her life, as we see it, takes many clever twists and turns which are all revealed as the story grows. Mostly, it’s her cruel stepfather Fergus who has caused her the most grief.

What you are lead to believe about Lenny’s life at one point vs the reality at another will startle you. Her extreme responses to everyday events are written the best way imaginable -with great humor. I dare to say, you will have a tough time putting this book down once you start it, so hang on for a terrific story about a new protagonist you will want to see again.

This book was so much more than I was expecting it to be. Lenny Marks is wary of getting too close to people but has decided she needs real friendships in her life. She lives alone and is a school teacher who always bicycles to work each day. Her life is filled with order and routine. She has her week planned out completely. She shops on the same day, has a weekly rotation of meals, and watches Friends every day. It is time for Lenny to get a life.

As the story progresses, we learn more about a childhood trauma that Lenny survived and how it affects her life now. She discovers that her memories of the event are wrong.

I was expecting this book to be a little more lighthearted. So, I would like to mention that it deals heavily in themes of abuse, loneliness, and abandonment. It was so beautifully written and made me feel these things deeply. Kerryn Mayne does a wonderful job of crafting a poignant and moving debut novel with a fantastic protagonist.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 | By Kerryn Mayne was not at all what I expected going in blind, but I LOVED it!

If you liked Eleanor Olephant and Collected Regrets of Clover, this will be right up your alley!

Lenny is awkward, anti-social, and incredibly quirky with a heart of gold (she steals a dog who is being mistreated so she she’s an absolute hero in my book). All of her oddness stems from a very traumatic childhood that will break your heart.

I love an underdog story and I love positive character growth! Lenny stole my heart .. and Ned 🥹 possibly the most adorable man ever! Not to say there wasn’t some really heartbreaking moments, but overall I closed this book feeling like my heart was much warmer

I was surprised by this book- I expected a cozy mystery, but this is a contemplative character-driven story with so much heart. Lenny is a socially awkward school teacher with trauma in her past. As weird as she seems in her actions, she’s also charming, self-aware, and easy to love. A notice from the parole board triggers her to remember painful events of her past, which are revealed in a way that keeps the reader guessing. Lenny reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant a little.

I thought this book was great, but it did drag for me a bit in the first half. Lenny’s quirkiness felt a bit oversold, and the events of the past play out very slowly until the end of the book. Overall, ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, and super on audio! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the advance copy of this book!

I started reading Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne and was immediately captivated. I quickly jumped to the audio version narrated by Annie Maynard. An unputdownable story with a quirky, heartfelt character. Mystery, romance, adorable pets and more await you in this must read/listen tale!

I fell in love with Hobbit loving, scrabble playing Lenny Marks, who rides her bike to the school where she teaches and calls her home the treehouse. She is a creature of routine without friends. It’s not that she doesn’t want friends, she’s just not very good at it. Lenny watches Friends on TV for company and pretends Monica is her roommate.

Lenny’s world turns upside down when she receives a letter from the parole board. We slowly learn Lenny’s story and the tragedy that befell her mother as she goes about her routine of teaching, shopping, and saving helpless creatures.

Lenny is very careful not to remember what happened to her mother and stepfather, but the more she tries, the more events push her to remember. The local grocer adds a romantic thread, and the elderly neighbor has secrets. I absolutely loved how memories force Lenny to connect with the world around her and how she saves an animal.

The pacing, rich characters and quirkiness of Lenny made for a memorable tale that was only enhanced by the narration of Annie Maynard. She captured Lenny and the secondary characters brilliantly. Twists and interesting characters kept me listening to this addictive story.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder delivers a curious mystery and a tale of secrets, found family, vengeance, and heart. Lenny Marks is a character you won’t soon forget. I highly recommend this unputdownable debut novel.

!This honestly may be my favorite read of the year, thus far. I pretty much read it in one go because I was so invested in the story and loved our MC, Lenny, so much. A socially inept teacher who has an obsession with her comfort show, collects a certain book, and struggles to converse, and make friends?! I perhaps saw a little of myself in Lenny. 😅!

I have seen that this book is being marketed as a cozy mystery.. it DEFINITELY IS NOT THIS! Hooboy.. please do not go in thinking that because there are some triggering topics. Family death, animal abuse, child abuse. Our MC is dealing with some past horrific trauma and it has affected the way she interacts with the world and those around her.

The writing of this book was fantastic. It was easy to read while being clever. We have multiple time lines dealing with what has happened to Lenny in the past and how it affects her in the present. Again, I adore Lenny- she is so wonderfully developed as a character throughout the book- and she is also surrounded by a great cast of characters. (We love a Buffy & board game obsessed Ned 😊 and who doesn’t need a Kirra in their life?!).

If you can handle past trauma, how a person responds to it and how it shapes you, and you appreciate a satisfying “good for her” ending, read this book!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book for a honest review.

As I started LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Kerryn Mayne, I had no idea what to expect. At first, I wasn't even sure I wanted to continue; with the appealing and very odd Lenny using rituals and routines to keep her precarious, precious life in balance. But I did and I am so glad that I did, because not much further along, I was gripped by breaks in the safe little world and how Lenny handled one change after another, navigating disturbing and difficult passages, and somehow, always remaining her appealing self -- a very different egg, but a lovely one nonetheless. She is a remarkable character, traumatized by her past and also forging a new identity and a genuine life for herself. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Despite the NetGalley tag, this novel is neither mystery nor thriller; it’s about a woman finding herself, and learning to love and forgive both the child she was and the person she is now, while opening herself up to the people around her. For genre romance readers, I’ll note that by the end of the book, she’s in a HFN relationship with an adorably nerdy man.

The protagonist is soon-to-turn 37 years old school teacher Lenny Marks; born Helena Winters, the extremely socially awkward Lenny exists within very rigid personal and professional routines that give her the illusion of control, and allow her to compartmentalize the trauma of her childhood into non-existence.

When asked, as she often is by Fay, her foster mother, Lenny will stress that she is fine, and that her life is all she wants and needs it to be.

Which is why she deeply resents the arrival of an official-looking letter addressed to her previous name; after all, she has never committed a crime, what would a parole board want with her?

The blurb claims that this book is equally heartwarming and heartbreaking, and by all that’s good and wonderful, it is exactly that.

Beware: anxiety; dissociative amnesia; social anxiety; autistic protagonist; domestic abuse; animal abuse; child abuse; murder of a child; alcoholism; suicide.

The novel is set in Australia, and starts at the beginning of the school week, before start of classes on Monday the 16th of May, 2022, ending less than two months later, with a final chapter set a few weeks after that. Because the dates and weather matter to the narrative, it’s important for readers in the Northern Hemisphere to be aware of the inversion of seasons: mid-May in Australia means that winter is approaching.

The story is told third person, past tense, and exclusively from Lenny’s point of view. Because of the aforementioned trauma, this means that the narrative thread is not strictly chronological, and, as this is hinted at heavily from the start, it’s not a spoiler to say that she is not the most reliable of narrators.

The way Lenny is written, she’s likely on the autism spectrum, probably with some ADHD thrown in; her routines help her feel in control of her life, and also give it structure. A set time for her to eat, exercise, read, wake up; set days to stop at the market, to order meal delivery, to visit Fay.

The periods between school terms are challenging, but Lenny has devised ways to cope: she plans long projects and schedules them, just as she schedules the always-disruptive parent-teacher conferences.

This term, her personal project–mostly imposed by Fay–is to “get a life”; Lenny has simplified this to “make friends”–actual living, breathing people, rather than the fictional characters she has claimed for herself for longer than she can remember.

“Pretending there were people in her life seemed to quell the concerns of others. She’d noticed many times that being alone was akin to having a medical condition, especially once she was over thirty. Well-meaning people wanted to offer solutions or anecdotes on a regular basis.” (Lenny, chapter 14)

To fulfill her promise to Fay, Lenny has already chosen two candidates amongst her co-workers: Amy and Ashleigh, the younger, prettier, and popular new preparatory (elementary in the U.S.) teachers. To that end, she schedules brief, polite interactions throughout the work day, and tallies up every “successful” exchange; after so many of those, she assumes they’ll all be friends.

Unfortunately, between her social anxiety and the decades she has spent keeping everyone but Fay at arm’s length, Lenny feels uneasy in most people’s company, and therefore can’t read them well–including coworkers she has known for years. And so, when fellow teachers Kirra and Trudy make sincere overtures of friendship, and show concern for her, Lenny reads those as rude nosiness.

And, because of staunchly unacknowledged trauma, when Amy and Ashleigh actively ignore and exclude her, she tells herself stories to rewrite disdain and dismissiveness as a desire for privacy, or lack of time, or even extreme politeness.

There is only one person in Lenny’s routine, aside from Fay, with whom she feels comfortable and relatively at ease: Ned McKnight, the assistant manager at her local supermarket. She still manages to blurt out things that she immediately regrets, but most of the time Ned seems to understand the intentions behind her words; he even seems to enjoy their interactions almost as much as she does.

Of course, Lenny reasons, good customer service requires him to make an effort; he’s too good looking (and too ‘normal’) to actually like Lenny–odd, quiet, abrupt Lenny.

This is how things stand when that thrice-damned parole board letter arrives, bringing with it brief and disturbing flashes of memories Lenny has done her best to bury for over two decades. But it’s okay, so long as ignores the letter, and the voicemails, and doesn’t answer her phone, she doesn’t have to remember.

Until she does, and the memories and flashbacks bring fear and pain and horror back.

Worse of all, the past is soon disrupting her present, and Lenny’s carefully constructed and isolated existence crumbles around her. First, she gets drunk during the one social event she attends with her coworkers; then, she steals a dog after witnessing its owner being physically abusive. Soon she’s losing control of herself and her life.

And the memories won’t stop surfacing, ever more vivid, more detailed, and more brutal, forcing Lenny to examine them as an adult, and to confront the facts with the lies she has believed for twenty five years.

As she does, she learns to confront the lies she has told herself in the present. Because Lenny Marks is not, in fact, fine.

“No one would notice Lenny Marks’s absence in their life. She likened herself to the word on the tip of your tongue that you can’t quite recall. It’s there, only it won’t come to mind and it is of no consequence if it doesn’t.” (Chapter 27)

Lenny, however, is strong, and resourceful, and brave.

It is really clever how well some of the secondary characters are fleshed out despite having relatively little page space, and despite all being seen through Lenny’s slightly skewed perspective. Kirra and Trudy are kind and generous women; Lora Pham is fair and open-minded; Amy is shallow and desperately unhappy; Ned is adorable, and genuinely interested in Lenny; her elderly neighbor is more than someone she shares a garden with.

This was not a comfortable book to read; even as the slightly off-kilter writing voice lends humor to the narrative, the heartbreak is never far below the surface–and boy, are there horrors in Lenny’s memories. (Heed thee the reader warnings above!)

I can see the ending being controversial; some readers will approve, some readers will hate it. I am firmly in the former camp, and wish Lenny a long and happy life with Ned and Malcolm the rottweiler.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder gets a 9.00 out of 10.

What a delightful surprise! Lenny is such a quirky character, a total "Routine Queen." She gives off Eleanor Oliphant vibes.

As she gets over past trauma, we get to read a touching story. I loved this one!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder lives up to the hype and then some. Detailed, complex, and well-plotted, with a main character who becomes more complicated by the minute as events from the past are revealed and memories are revisited, memories Lenny Marks has tried very, very hard to keep deeply hidden.

When we first meet Lenny she is boring, surly, unfriendly, deeply enmeshed in her routine. A quirky routine with no room or time for friends or relationships or really anything outside her home. When Lenny is unable to ignore a letter from the parole board – lots going on there to unpack – her control starts to crumble and her walls start to come down. Having to actually engage with people seems like a good thing, except for the horrible secrets of her past. Will she survive if they come out?

This story had me hooked from beginning to end and took me through a range of emotions from happiness to heartbreak to hope. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARCn of this book.

Lenny Marks lives alone, bicycles to work as a school teacher and does not want to get too close to people, but is lonely for friendship. Her week is planned out with what she eats for dinner every night and what days she shops at the market.

We learn that she has been abandoned by all that she loves due to many different reasons, the worst one being something that she discovers during the course of the story, that she remembers different than what actually happened.

The title is a nod to “Friends” and how they title the episodes. I enjoyed the book, but it was hard reading about certain events

Lenny Marks does everything on automatic. Everything, everyday and every week is the same. Schedules and organization are her best friends. She has no friends or social life. She has blanked out the day her mother and stepfather disappeared. That is until a letter arrives that has thrown her entire life into chaos.

The organization and sameness make her happy. You soon realize that her structured way of life is a defense mechanism. She has repressed something horrible from her past. Now her comfort zone has been destroyed.

You will go along this personal journey for Lenny that will at times leave you in tears.

Thank you to St. Martins' Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a debut novel about learning how to heal, cope, process, trust, find strength and contentment to be able to move on. Well this book totally fooled me! I was thinking I was going to be reading a cozy, lighthearted mystery, but boy was I wrong, and I’m okay with being wrong.

Lenny Marks, the MC, is one of those quirky characters that you can’t help but love, especially as her story unfolds. She is a teacher that is all about her routine, humorous, a little quirky, tends to take things literally and is looking for acceptance. Through dual timelines, we learn more about her past, including a very traumatic childhood. After receiving a letter from the parole board sends a rush of memories and emotions back. She’s always been good at disassociating from her past, so much so that she gets confused between what happened and what she imagined happened.

Lenny is a very well developed character and I appreciated seeing the character growth from beginning to end. While working through the trauma she discovers her strengths and makes some new connections and relationships. The only people who were really there for her were her foster family, the only ones who were able to give her a safe and loving home as a child and were still there for her as an adult, they had a special connection which I appreciated being included in the story. I also loved that FRIENDS was her comfort TV show and played a role throughout the story.

Wow, this one was a shocker, in a good way, and had some twists I didn’t see coming. It had the perfect balance of heartbreak and heartwarming. I think the author did an amazing job, especially as a debut. It is clear that the heavy topics were well planned out and were presented in a sensitive and thoughtful way. I would definitely recommend this book!

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Annie Maynard delivered a remarkable performance from start to finish. Her narration enhanced the experience, bringing the characters to life with impeccable tones and inflections while creating a believable narration.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne was a spectacular debut!
A clever and captivating story that hooked me and held me captive til the end.
With its engaging plot, well-developed characters I could not stop once I started.
I enjoyed Kerryn’s writing tremendously. I was captivated from the very beginning and the characters really drew me in.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

How well do you remember your childhood? Are you sure you’re remembering it correctly?

Lenny Marks is alive, but she’s not living. She’d be fine with that if it weren’t for the fact she knows it makes her mom (well, her former foster mom but the closest thing to a mom she’s had in a long time) upset if she doesn’t at least try and engage with the world around her. If Lenny had it her way she’d keep to her strict routines and schedules, never letting anyone get too close to her or know anything much about her. It’s safer that way. No one can abandon you if you don’t let them in, after all.

The themes of abuse, abandonment, fear, anger, loneliness, and loss are all at the heart of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. If you think this book is lighthearted at all, be forewarned it’s not. I cried more than once. My eyes are unhappy with me.

Debut author Kerryn Mayne has written a book with an extraordinary protagonist who will rip your heart out from your chest, break it, then repair it before placing it back inside and stitching you back up all shiny and new. Lenny Marks is written as a neurodivergent character who also has a large issue with dissociation surrounding a traumatic event from her childhood. Lenny’s type of neurodivergency isn’t explored or explicitly stated, but Mayne did a terrific job of writing a neurodivergent character without coming across as precious or exploitative. If you don’t fall in love with Lenny I don’t know what kind of person you are, because Lenny is so easy to love. I think that’s why this book has been so widely lauded for breaking people’s hearts and making them cry. You just feel so much for Lenny and what she’s been through. And after all she’s been through, she’s still out there trying her best to survive and do right when so many people who should know better choose to do wrong.

The pacing of this book is lovely, with a natural progression and no filler. Mayne’s writing style is sharp and insightful, with a dark sense of humor and a deep well of emotion. Her characters are well-drawn and her plotting is clear and well-rounded. The dialogue in this book is a delight and one of its best features.

This is definitely women’s fiction, but it’s definitely on the lit fic side of women’s fiction. It’s women’s fiction because the book deals with, in a large amount, issues that widely affect women and their children. The take on these issues is more on the darkly humorous side, which I always enjoy. If you love a tale that ultimately results in revenge, then you’ll end up loving this.

TW for child abuse
TW for mild animal abuse (one scene)
TW for violence
TW for child death
TW for domestic abuse

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Dark Comedy/Disability Rep/Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction