This story starts out a little slow and you have to keep pushing forward, but the story and characters will pull you in. This isn't a simple mystery, and it keeps you guessing, which makes for the perfect kind of book. You never want to know the mastermind right away. Great character development and plot development. Great story. We highly recommend this 4 star read and suggest everyone one-click it because once it gets going, you can't put it down.

Lenny Marks has life on her schedule. What time she leaves work every day, when she grocery shops, each meal she cooks is set to a schedule that rarely gets changed. That is until a letter arrives at work that brings her past crashing into her perfectly scheduled life. How will uncovering what really happened in her childhood change her future? Will she learn to let others in to help her move forward?
This was an interesting book with a lot of heavy topics. Lenny has some major trauma in her past that comes to light bit by bit as she begins to remember it. At the beginning I thought her quirkiness may be due to her being on the autism spectrum, but as the story progressed I wondered if it was more due to coping mechanisms from the past trauma. It was a lot heavier than I was expecting and that lost some stars for me
Plus, I struggled with how to feel about the ending.
In between the heaviness there were heartwarming moments and funny dialogue/scenarios!
It is set to be published tomorrow, 9 July! I was provided this free advanced copy from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review!
#NetGalley #LennyMarksGetsAwayWithMurder

Lenny Marks may break your heart. This novel starts off in a familiar way. I was worried that it would just be another book about an odd duck getting friends. It was so much more. It was about the things we do to protect ourselves. Lenny Marks protects herself by never putting herself out there. She protects herself by inventing a life.

While the title and cover art might make readers think this is just another cozy mystery with a quirky main character, Kerryn Mayne’s "Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is so much more than that. Despite the misleading title and cover, this is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered, and Lenny Marks, the enigmatic protagonist, defies expectations and lodges herself firmly in readers' hearts.

Lenny, once Helena Winters, is a character you’ll want to hug, console, and befriend. Her routines and solitude mask deeper wounds, and Mayne peels back the layers with sensitivity. Lenny’s favorite TV show and book provide poignant glimpses into her soul. Supporting characters—each with their own secrets—add depth and complexity. Mayne weaves a delicate tapestry of Lenny’s life—a routine existence that belies the turmoil within. As the story delves into her past, secrets emerge and the emotional stakes rise. The twists will catch readers off guard, leaving them hungry for more. The murder mystery takes unexpected turns, and Lenny’s journey becomes a gripping exploration of identity and resilience. Mayne’s prose is both evocative and heartrending. She balances emotion with suspense, drawing us into Lenny’s world with the pacing keeping us turning pages, eager to uncover Lenny’s truth.

Lenny’s resilience, the unexpected twists, and the emotional resonance make it a standout read. Mayne’s ability to surprise and move us ensures that “Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder” will stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.

Lenny Marks would love to have friends or thinks she should love to have friends, but that is, for her, easier said than done. A teacher whose horrific childhood in an abusive home comes to us in bits and pieces, seems to be fine with her solitary life outside the classroom. But when a letter comes from the parole board she begins to self-destruct as she is forced to resurrect a long-suppressed memory of why her stepfather was in prison.
This debut author has done a bang-up job with her first novel, and I will absolutely look forward to her next.

I absolutely adored this book. The title and cover make it seem much more cozy mystery-esque than it actually is. There is a lot of substance and several dark themes in this book, but it still manages to be funny and uplifting in so many ways. Lenny grabbed my heart immediately and I found myself rooting for her so much throughout the story. I also loved the last ~20% of the book and found it unexpected despite the title making perfect sense. Highly recommend!!

This was one of the most original books I’ve ever read. Lenny does not have anything close to a warm personality, but it’s hard not to like her from the beginning. Her unfaltering routine and collection of 36 copies of The Hobbit suggest a need for order. Lenny prefers a solitary existence and limits her interactions with her colleagues.

But when she gets the letter from the parole board, everything changes.

Obviously I’m not going to tell you what happened to Lenny in her past, but I will say that I appreciated the way the backstory unfolded gradually. It’s clear that SOMETHING major happened, but the reader is kept guessing for most of the narrative, mostly because Lenny is an unreliable narrator. She is not intentionally deceptive, but the reason for the memory lapse is related to her own confusion about the past.

The letter from the parole board serves as the catalyst not only for Lenny having to confront her past, but also for major changes to Lenny’s life. These changes occur concurrently with the letter, but are not necessarily actively the result of the letter, mostly because Lenny is trying very hard to avoid even thinking about the letter.

I don’t want to imply that there’s anything wrong with Lenny’s routine, especially since it was created out of a need to protect herself and avoid unknown variables. However, as Lenny deviates from her routine, her world opens up to surprising and unexpected possibilities, and not all of them are unpleasant.

I would absolutely recommend Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. This is a stunning debut and I hope this is only the beginning of a long writing career for Mayne. I would love to see this book made into a limited series on a streaming service!






I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley

This book kept me going even though it was a bit of a slow burn, and I was too intrigued to know how it will end, Lenny was such a puzzle and I needed to get through even though the slow burn was what made it a little difficult for me to really like. We get to see why Lenny became who she was, what she went through, which was so sad. She has imaginary friends as a kid and somehow they come around when she’s an adult. The secrets revealed about her past come to light and she has to face everything from her past, I love how she changed my mind about her at the end, because she is so bad ass.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Reminiscent of Graeme Simsion’s Professor Don Tillman and Nita Prose’s Molly the Maid, both on the autism spectrum, Kerryn Mayne’s Lenny Marks will capture readers’ hearts with her difficulty reading body language, her social awkwardness, her meticulous planning, her dozens of copies of The Hobbit, and her obsessions with the TV series Friends and Scrabble. Certainly, Lenny will also evoke laughter, but at its core, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder tackles much more serious social issues, most importantly domestic violence. This may be due in part to the author’s current career as police officer in suburban Melbourne, Australia.

The story opens on Monday morning, May 16, 2022, as 37-year-old Lenny Marks prepares to begin another week teaching fifth grade at Selby South Primary School outside Melbourne. Well prepared fr class as always, she is caught off guard by the school’s snoopy office administrator delivering a mysterious letter from the Parole Board to Helena Winters--a name Lenny thought she had left behind decades ago. Although Lennie has tried to forget Fergus Sullivan, the stepfather she hasn’t seen for more than twenty years, she refuses to open the letter or to say anything to the meddling Mrs. Finlay about what Lenny knows the letter must concern.

Lenny’s life moves forward as she tries to follow her foster mother Fay’s advice to make friends, but her story occasionally moves backward as the author fills in child Helena Winters’ past, years filled with memories that haunt Lenny’s present. Dates are clearly indicated..

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder will keep readers turning the pages as they gradually come to understand what made Helena Winters into Lenny Marks, why Lenny named her stolen dog Malcolm, what that hard object is inside her one-eyed Teddy bear, which friends are imaginary and which are real, and how Lenny finally builds up the courage to accept hugs and “get a life.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader egalley of Kerryn Mayne’s captivating new novel.
4,5 out of 5

I think this might be my favorite book of 2024 so far. Like many others, I was expecting a comedic murder-mystery type read but was instead surprised by this novel full of emotion, intrigue, and neuro-spicy dialogue.
While Lenny herself is full of quirky habits, the story itself is not quirky. You quickly learn that there is more to Lenny's story than meets the eye, much of which Lenny has forgotten or blocked out from her memory. This book was so much more emotional and full of trauma than I was expecting, but was equal parts heart-breaking as it was heart-warming.

LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Kerryn Mayne is an engrossing and memorable story of buried secrets and lost and found family with a quirky main character I was rooting for from beginning to end. Thirty-seven-year-old Lenny Marks (formerly Helena Winters), is a school teacher who relies on strict routines to navigate her mostly solitary world. She bikes home from work at precisely the same time every day and eats the exact same meals every week. She passes the time playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar from Friends, while endlessly watching reruns of her favorite show. Her attempts to interact with colleagues and acquaintances meet a dismal end. Up to now, Lenny has successfully buried her past, but that changes when she receives a letter from the parole board about her step-father. Slowly, memories from the past begin to emerge and Lenny is forced out of her comfort zone and is surprised to find people who actually want to help her. Will Lenny be able to overcome the trauma and loss of the past? This story is both heart-breaking and heart-warming and deals with some difficult topics with honesty and compassion. I enjoyed this compelling book and I thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

What a fantastic debut novel!
After suffering significant childhood trauma, 37-year-old Lenny Marks has learned to cope with life by sticking to routine and keeping to herself, but when she receives a letter from the adult parole board asking if she wishes to write a victim impact statement, Lenny can't ignore her past any longer. I don't want to give too much away as I think this book is best enjoyed without knowing too much about it beforehand. It is full of wonderful, quirky characters, and it was a pleasure to watch Lenny grow and bloom despite her awkwardness and troubled history. The book is well written and the mystery components were well plotted, with clues to the truth of Lenny's past slowly revealed (with surprises along the way).

Not a horrible book but I'm afraid everyone is going to over do the whole Eleanor Oliphant thing.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is a compelling and entertaining read that blends dark humor, suspenseful intrigue, and insightful character portrayal. Kerryn Mayne's adept storytelling and memorable characters make this book a standout in the mystery genre, appealing to readers who enjoy a mix of wit, suspense, and moral complexity.

The title and cover mislead the reader into thinking this is going to be a quirky cozy type of campy story. It isn't. It is much more serious than that. Still really good and a great read, but go into it knowing that while you have a main character that is outside of what we consider "the norm" this isn't one of those books. Lenny is adorable, self-protecting, and needs a good friend. She struggles with relationships and misses her mom. Her instincts are off kilter. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about Lenny's past and what has brought her to her present circumstances. While I truly enjoyed this read, it wasn't what I thought I was getting when I started out. But that doesn't keep the reader from cheering for Lenny!

What a fantastic surprise getting to know Lenny Marks was! This is an incredibly well written debut novel from Kerryn Mayne with a character reminiscent of two of my favorites (Eleanor Oliphant and Molly the maid). The cover and "vibe" of this book is deceptive from the reality but in the best way, for my senses. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and encourage others not to be misled into thinking this is a "cozy" mystery or a thriller. It's a great read with a great lead character!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication!

This book came recommended by another Aussie author and I was so excited to read this highly anticipated book. Sadly, I didnt love it. There was a lot of lingo that is exclusive to Australians, which made it a little confusing at times. I also found it to be repetitive. Overall, I think other people will like this book, but it's just not my cup of tea.

Lenny Marks has mastered the art of forgetting. For the past twenty years, she has successfully avoided thinking about the day her mother abandoned her, though her stepfather's haunting words, "You did this," still linger. Now 37, Lenny clings to comfort and routine and order, steering clear of the messiness and chaos of happiness and relationships. A teacher at a local primary school, Lenny spends her evenings playing Scrabble with an imaginary roommate, comfort-watching Friends reruns, and rearranging her 36 copies of The Hobbit. Lenny’s recent goal to 'get a life' aims more at establishing a good enough façade to please her foster mom rather than actually extending herself beyond what is familiar. But when an unexpected letter from the Adult Parole Board arrives, her carefully constructed world begins to crumble, forcing her to confront long-buried memories.

Lenny is a delightful character — one of those quirky oddballs who easily charms the reader. Mayne has written a heartwarming story that is a balance of endearing moments in Lenny’s everyday life and stark flashbacks as she begins recalling her repressed past. Mayne delivers her main character with depth and heart, as well as rounding out the book with a solid set of secondary and tertiary characters who add that level of playful realism without ever pushing the believability too far. I’d love to see what’s next for this Australian author.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is quite unlike anything I’ve read recently other than maybe The Maid. A late-thirties woman with a traumatic past is living her life as small and quietly as possible, not realizing that everything she worked to keep in the past and contained is about to come to life. As a child, her mother disappeared, and her stepfather ended up in prison. But she has little memory of this. She was bounced around between her grandmother’s home and later a foster family who adopted her. She’s since changed her name and taken much care to leave herself unfindable. When a letter from her stepfather arrives at the school she teaches at, she begins to panic and all her carefully constructed barriers to the real world and her past begin to crumble. As she begins to lose her firm grip on her tightly controlled life, she slowly realizes that she can allow people in and open herself up, and show them the real her. But first she needs to come to terms with her past and what really happened, and deal with the consequences of it all these years later. Part coming-of-age (even later in life) and part mystery (what did happen all those years ago), this unique novel started out slowly and continues to build the tension until the end.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 343 / Genre: Fiction
Release Date: Tomorrow! July 9, 2024

Lenny Marks lives a quiet, repetitive, lonely life. But she’s determined to break out of her shell and finally get a life, as her foster mother has been encouraging her to do for ages. She’s on a mission to make friends with the girls at work and do things outside of the solitary bubble she’s created around herself. But there’s a lot more to Lenny than just a shy woman on the spectrum. She has some real trauma in her life and memories she’s buried so deep down that she doesn’t even remember them any more. But when a letter arrives announcing the impending release from jail of her stepfather unless she comes forth and speaks against the decision, the floodgates start leaking and her past and present finally collide.

I really enjoyed this book. Lenny’s lack of social skills coupled with her good intentions add humor to her personality quirks and the real trauma of her childhood adds drama and intrigue to the story.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @Macmillan.Audio, @StMartinsPress, and KerrynMayneAuthor for my gifted copies of this book. I loved it.