This is seriously Kerryn Mayne’s debut? What a beautifully compassionate and raw look at Lenny, a neurodivergent girl with suppressed trauma. There has been a slew of neurodivergent MCs in current fiction, and I definitely related to Lenny more than any other I’ve read. Most of her “quirks” felt real and understandable to me. Lenny leads a very ordered and quiet life of bike riding to her teaching job and errands, after which she comes home to “hang out” with the Friends (yes, Monica, Chandler, etc.) The layers of Lenny’s past are slowly peeled away to a truly tense and scary climax. Order is no longer there, and Lenny has to dig to find who she really is and just how far she’s willing to go to acknowledge and put her past to rest. You can tell that Mayne really loves and respects Lenny. I’m glad I took a chance on this book and absolutely recommend. I stayed up until 4:30 am to finish it, so I really mean that!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for kindly providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have never cheered for the demise of a villain so much in my life. GO LENNY!!! I absolutely positively loved this book. Lenny is one of those inspirational characters that digs deep in your heart and doesn't let go. Lenny girl, I am so honored to know you.

Full of lovable characters and a great storyline this is one that you will be thinking about long after finishing it. A great debut! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

I understand the title, but there is SO much more to this book than Lenny Marks getting away with murder. I enjoyed this book about a quirky 30 something who is still dealing with trauma from her childhood. Lenny is such a great main character and I was rooting for her throughout the book. Loved the ending and felt satisfied with how the story wrapped up. Great debut! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

Lenny Marks is who Eleanor Oliphant wishes she could be (in the nicest way possible, I promise). Helena (Lenny) Marks has always been left behind by those she cares about; so why should she be social when she can protect herself in her Treehouse? Lenny is an awkward 5th grade (in American terms) teacher who has shut her childhood behind closed doors and is just trying to move forward. However, when she receives word her stepfather is being released on parole, her world quickly falls apart. Her foster mother Fay has been pushing Lenny to talk to someone about what happened to her when she was young, but Lenny feels she is fine - and will continue to be fine. As Lenny tries to put herself out there and make friends, only to appease Fay, she must face what happened two decades prior. Her past is quickly coming back to haunt her and she needs a friend now more than ever.

I say this a lot, but I truly had no idea what to expect going in to this one. Despite reading the blurb, I expected Lenny to take on a murder investigation. However, I am glad it did not take this route. Lenny is so charming and you really root for her to heal and come to terms with her past. Some of the "twists" were easy to figure out, but did not take away from the overall read. Lenny Marks deserves all the hype Eleanor Oliphant receives (and more). Readers can relate to many aspects of Lenny's life, even if they are not socially awkward or have a traumatic past. I highly recommend this book! If you're looking for a cozy, yet somewhat tense, read, this one is for you.

Lenny Marks was told you did this and she answers Yes, I did. And I'd do it again. From beginning to end was divine. I will never be able to understand how a author can write a story that I can disappear into and feel for the characters. Lenny Marks will stay with me forever.

Lenny Marks is a character of routine - she bikes home at exactly 4pm from work each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals each week, and owns 36 copies of The Hobbit. Her closest friendship is playing Scrabble against Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns. Lenny is also very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared. Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail and Lenny starts to unravel as long-buried memories resurface. For the first time, Lenny is forced to connect with the community around her and unexpected new relationships begin to blossom.

Lenny Marks is a quirky and socially awkward character. She mostly keeps to herself but she also seeks friends on her own terms, while actively trying to keep people at a distance. She's a hoot to get to know over the course of this story. I adored her coping mechanism of using words and rearranging them into other possible words to calm herself. She spends a lot of time alone watching Friends reruns and I truly loved the Friends references thrown in. She also has a strong affinity for The Hobbit and there's some references to the characters thrown in here and there as well.

The first half of this book is on the slower side as we learn about Lenny and her current routines, but it picks up as the story progresses and we learn about her past and the memories she has buried. I loved Malcom, he was the perfect addition to her life - and Rottweilers are my favourite type of dog so easy win.

I really liked the ending of this story and enjoyed the realizations that Lenny has about the people in her life. It's more of a cozy, whimsical and heartwarming story than a crime/mystery story so keep that in mind if you decide to pick this up!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St Martin's Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.

Great book in the vein of Strange Sally Diamond and Eleanor Oliphant is Fine. Lenny is just trying to live a life that is fine and relatively happy after an abusive childhood. But she has repressed memories that are uncomfortably coming to the surface and intruding upon her satisfactory life. But Lenny is stronger than she thinks even if it takes her 11 year old self to prove it to her. And she has more friends than she realizes who become a support network she didn't know she had or needed.
I read this book in two days! Wonderful characters, especially Lenny, who I rooted for all the way through. But it was realistic and not just patronizing to her and what she went through.

Calling all fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and The Maid by Nita Prose this book is for you! This book had a slow start and the Australian accent of the narrator took some getting use to but this book was absoultely beautiful and amazing! This story tackles the difficult topic of coming to terms with your past and learning to open your eyes to see where you are going in the future

Lenny Marks considers herself alone with no friends while she waits for her mother to return after 25 years of being missing. Lenny is corky and doesn't want to depend on anyone but herself in case she becomes overbearing. This explores dealing with a traumatic past and owning your own quirks.

I really loved the character of Lenny and her character growth was so well done! Her story had my heart breaking and cheering on her acceptance of her past while embracing her future.

I was pleased to be approved for the advanced reader copies of the book and audio book. I believe the narrator brought this book to life and made Lenny shine. While I thought this would be a mystery about a murdered getting away with it,it is actually a book about Lenny who is a very quirky teacher and had massive trauma in her life. She lives in her head a lot while trying to fit in and failing. This is a book is not a cozy mystery, it’s Lenny coming to terms with the child abuse she endured, being abandoned by her mother and grandmother and the news of someone being released from jail. All while trying to have a life, do the right thing and hopefully make friends with the other teachers at school.this is a slow moving book but at the end as things come to light it does pickup.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Intriguing book. I was attracted to the cute cover and thought it was a cozy murder mystery. I was very wrong but enjoyed the book anyway. Lenny Marks is in her late thirties, and lives by her routines. She is a school teacher and riders her bike around her village. She is clearly neurodivergent but it is never explicitly mentioned. As mentioned in the blurb, a letter from a parole board causes memories to begin coming back. She needs to remember her past before she can move forward.

Part of this book is being in the mind of a neurodivergent person. Wanting to do things that are socially normal but knowing she doesn’t always get the cues. The mystery of her past unravels as the story goes on, this isn’t something she sets out to solve. I enjoyed the side characters but Lenny is front and center in carrying this story.

This is not a traditional mystery, but more about the mystery of Lenny's past. Thirty-seven-year-old primary teacher Lenny likes her routine and sticks to it. Two unrelated things trigger a change to Lenny's life and a start to opening her past. One is her foster mother encouraging her to be more social. The other is a notice of a parole hearing for her stepfather. Traumatic events occurred in Lenny's family, but she has blocked it out. We learn what happens as she does. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I enjoyed reading about Lenny because she is such an interesting character. She has limited social skills because of her past, but she slowly evolves and finds real friends. I like watching her grow stronger and better at handling a few stressful and suspenseful events. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder - 6.25.24

This book was completely different than I expected. I thought there would be a quirky protagonist who was slightly off but very charming, and through the care of one or a few others overcame their shyness and social awkwardness to finally bloom as an adult. Think of “Eleanor Olyphant is Completely Fine”.

However it is much deeper than that. Lenny, you see, is quite troubled. But she doesn’t agree. She keeps herself to herself. She avoids social situations, going so far as to invent a housemate named Monica (due to an obsession with “Friends”).

Lenny is also obsessed with right and wrong. Her moral code is quite strict, and not necessarily within the law. She wants things to be right and fair in a world where neither is possible. She even rescues (steals) an abused dog. She lives by denial. If something is too difficult to deal with, Lenny simply opts out. But what caused her issues? And what about the title? There’s a murder? By this girl?

If I had to describe it, this is a case of bait and switch. What you think you see is not what you get. Because there is a change - I wouldn’t say twist, but a decisive shift in tone. The book gets darker quickly as we find out the truth about Lenny’s past. And we discover that nothing is as it seemed.

This change in tone makes the book much more emotional. That emotional attachment drove me to keep reading. I simply had to know. I felt so sorry for Lenny. Lenny being a foster child shines a light on that system’s deficiencies without being preachy. I rooted for her as I disagreed with her actions. And the world is then shown to be shades of gray.

I rooted for Lenny, I wanted to help her, and I was smiling at the end. I was happy for her, but I want to know more. This is a debut novel and I hope there is a sequel. Lenny Marks left a mark on me.

Okay so I thought this was going to be a cozy mystery, and this is not that! So if you came here for that, know it isn’t at all cozy and only by the barest of definitions a mystery.

That said I did really enjoy the book! Lenny is surprisingly a likable character even with all her trauma quirks. The cast of characters surrounding her are amazing. Now when it comes to the ‘mystery’ part I felt it dragged in places and the murder part was like oh yeah wait I should include that. Almost like you build up to the climax the entire book… and then are dropped off a cliff hit the bottom and the story is over. The getting away with murder part was not believable for the time period. Now all that said I don’t necessarily need believability on all my books, but this had some serious themes it was dealing with and it’s not fantasy.

Anyways all that aside I did actually enjoy it even though maybe it seems I didn’t. The author has quite a way with words and a story and I was shocked this was a debut.

Please check trigger warnings for child abuse, parental death, murder obviously, suicide, animal abuse. That’s all I can think of at the moment.

Lenny Marks lives a life of routine. She's a 5th grade teacher who travels by bicycle and plays Scrabble by herself at home. She receives a letter from the parole board which starts to unravel her life.

I really enjoyed and loved this book. It is very well written and kept me entertained. I was enthralled to know what happened in Lenny's childhood. The book reminded me of a mix of Meredith Alone and Sally Hepworth. I had a hard time putting the book down. I had to know how it ended.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder surprised me. The cover made me think this was going to be more of a cozy mystery, but this was definitely not the case. Overall I really enjoyed this debut novel from Kerryn Mayne, coming to love the characters, especially Lenny.

Reading this made me immediately think of Eleanor Oliphont is Completely Fine, so I would recommend this if you enjoyed the style of Eleanor.

I knew going into the book that Lenny would be a quirky character and I am not wrong, but she is so much more than that. Since the story is told in her perspective, you come to grow really fond of Lenny but also intrigued as to why she is the way she is and her history with her family. I felt the plot was written in a good pace as it wasn't "dragging on" on the mystery part - which is what I feel to be the case for most books that have a similar setup. I was cheering Lenny on as she tries to get out of her comfortable zone little by little. In parallel of that, the reader starts to understand what really happened to Lenny as a child and the past is tied to the present very nicely. The ending did shock me as I did not anticipate Lenny to go through with killing Fergus, I could only wonder if she will be able to keep her "new" life with this committed crime.

Lenny Marks is quirky and socially awkward. She struggles to make friends and has found contentment in the quiet, predictable world she’s created for herself. But when she’s forced to confront her childhood trauma can Lenny open herself up to the world around her? What does her life look like on the other side?
Lenny is an endearing heroine and Kerryn Mayne creates an engrossing world around her. Step in to Lenny’s life and you’ll be rooting for her to find her way, stand up for herself and reach for happiness she never imagined possible.

This book was not quite what I was expecting, but I ended up loving it. It was much heavier and deeper than I expected from the title. I enjoyed Lenny's POV as she tries to navigate her life while repressing some pretty serious trauma. I appreciated the ambiguous ending as well.

I thought this was going to be a cozy mystery but it ended up being so much more. The main character Lenny, had me laughing at some of the things she would say, I almost passed out when she said her roommate Monica and her did so many things, the references to FRIENDS was honestly the best. Over time, we come to realize that Lenny has a past she much rather keep buried and honestly girl for the amount of trauma you went thru, I get it. In the end, I really enjoyed this read and would pick up another book by this author.