This book was both endearing and heartbreaking. Getting to follow along as Lenny Marks is forced out of her comfort zone, and learning the reasons she restricted her interactions, and behavior is an amazing experience. You won't want to put this book down. The back cover description simply doesn't do this book justice. It is worth the heartache, and frustration you feel while reading to get to know the quirky and amazing character that is Lenny Marks.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
Kerryn Mayne
July 09, 2024

Helena Winters was born to Tammy and her husband. Things were simple as a youngster but when her father passed, her memories of her dad faded. Her mother soon married Fergus and she found out how complicated and terrifying life could be with a very angry man.
As a thirty-four year old woman the things she remembers about that time are lost. She teaches 5th grade at a Selby Primary School. Buys the groceries from the same store and always has identical meals each week. Her free time is spent watching the Friends TV series or reading one of her thirty-six copies of The Hobbit.
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder will be published by Macmillan Publishing House on July 09, 2024. I was able to read and review the ARC via NetGalley. Ms. Mayne’s latest publication begins with Lenny’s boring, daily life given to us in detail. I was a bit put off in the beginning chapters as I was not certain where the plot was heading. Readers should know that this story continues by examining her history as a child and the sad woman she becomes. It is a tremendous story and is filled with her thoughts, memories and a few dedicated characters who become her friend. It is well worth the time to read this tale. Those who work with her have no reason to believe that she is anyone but a lonely, unmarried school teacher. It makes the reader think of others we meet and pass in our lives and what regretful days are spent single and solo without companionship of any kind. This is a book readers should explore and read. The narrative brings Lenny into our lives and she becomes our friend through the pages of this novel. Truly excellent, do enjoy.

This was a surprisingly delightful read I went in thinking this was a sort of cozy mystery due to the cover and title but what I read was a lot better storyline than expected.
Lenny Marks is a quirky delightful character the more you read about her the more you grow to adore her. It's a bit of a slow burn storyline that builds Lenny's character. Lenny is not good with people she has her routines and coping mechanisms to get her through the day.
As her past catches up to her present Lenny may not be able to keep up her routines and depend on help from others. I think fans of Elenore Oliphant is Completely Fine will adore Lenny Marks gets away with Murder.
I'd rate this debut a 3.5 just for is being a bit of a slow burn.
I think a second book would flow better as a quicker read since we now have Lenny's back story. I can also see this one turned into a bingable tv series.

🌏Quietly powerful😟

4.5🌟 stars
I am really glad that I read this novel. Lenny Marks is different, unique, and yet she has so many concerns and challenges that are universally relatable.

Through most of this moving story set in contemporary Australia, I felt indignant and sorry for Lenny Marks and the way she was treated by the people she most wanted to like and accept her. Her early life was so sad and the way she compensates by fading into a loner life of routine and obscurity made it even sadder. Nevertheless, this was a thought-provoking and well-written novel that, fortunately, ended on an upbeat note after a few twists involving a newly-empowered Lenny finally confronting her tragic childhood.

Very worthwhile, though a bit sober, and and recommended read from me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

"Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail - and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny's careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life - but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne's stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable."

It's bad I want Lenny's life right? I mean, before the letter from the parole board arrives...

Lenny Marks owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit and that was all I needed to know about her to love her.

This book is very much like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, and if you enjoyed that one, you'll like this one too.

The audiobook production was very well done! I didn't want to stop listening, not only to find out exactly about Lenny's past but to see what else she gets into in the present (and of course to have an Australian accent in my ear). And there's some standout side characters too, with nice complexity. But Lenny gets the most development, and I appreciated the journey she went on to get it.

The ending did throw me a little (I wasn't expecting the title to be so literal), and kind of clashed with how the rest of the novel feels. But I appreciated how it came full circle.

Definitely check this one out if character-driven novels are your thing!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my audiobook!

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a book that does a good job showing how abuse shapes personality traits. Lenny Marks is weird. She isolates herself and has few friends. When a letter from the parole board arrives, Lenny begins to try to make friends. About at the 60% mark of this book, the story begins to dive into why Lenny is the way she is. She begins to remember the things that her mind hid to protect her sanity. The last 40% of this book flies by compared to the awkward slow tale of Lenny’s life that the book begins with. This book is more a literary tale than any kind of mystery or suspense novel. The whole murder thing is really nothing but a passing note. This book was just okay for me and not really what I was expecting. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Very good debut book. Lenny Marks is an unforgettable character. Quirky and introverted she has suffered a traumatic past. I enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that it was a little draggy in parts.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is the debut novel from Kerryn Mayne.

"Lenny likes her routine. And she likes her 36 copies of The Hobbit. She's very good at forgetting what happened the day her stepfather and mother left her. Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail. Lenny tries so hard to ignore it. But her memories come back. She is forced to connect with people and finds some unexpected friendships. Lenny may finally get a life - but what happens if her past catches up to her first?"

This book initially gave strong Eleanor Oliphant vibes. But the more time you spend with Lenny, the more differences you see. And the more you want to know her story. There are several characters looking out for Lenny, but she doesn't realize it at first. Mayne slowly reveals the events but even Lenny doesn't remember until the end. There are some emotional scenes that are really tough. You want to go back and protect Lenny.
There's also a wild scene near the end and some interesting reveals about the people in Lenny's life. I love her ending. And her interactions with Malcolm, her rescue dog.

I think Lenny will surprise some people this year. I hope you enjoy getting to know her, too.

Nice debut from Mayne.

I very much enjoyed reading Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, the character of Lenny was equally likable and irritating which I assumed was the point and I still rooted for her.
The whole story comes together nicely with some interesting character growth and surprises along the way.
I definitely would like to shop at McKnights and the Tree House sounds like a lovely place to live!

This character driven story centers on Lenny, who works hard to keep to herself. She has her routines and they don’t usually involve interacting with others. As the story unfolds we learn about Lenny’s past trauma and we witness her struggle with social settings. I enjoyed watching her character grow over the course of this novel.

Tricky tricky title... You expect Eleanor Oliphant like Lenny Marks to get away with legit murder and you are going to be tasked to figure out how she did it. If that's what you are hoping, slowly put the book down and pick another one. But if you are into whimsical stories, this will work.

Lenny was a Scrabble master; she could come up with many many words in a second for given letters. But also she played Scrabble against Monica form Friends. Lenny loved The Hobbit, and she had 36 copies of it. Lenny loved to cook but only the same dishes. She was like our beloved Eleanor Oliphant and Nina the Maid. She was literal in everything she did. She thought she wasn't supposed to cross certain lines. She lost her mother and stepfather when she was little. One day she was at home, next day she was at her grandmother's house. Now she started to remember what happened on the day her life changed and she was afraid.

Lenny "grew up" into a different person by the end of this book. I know people fall in love with characters like her in books, but usually look away or show no patience when they meet likes of Lenny in real life. I hope this will change their perspective in real life too

Okay, I love Lenny as the main character in this story. Yes, she does have some quirks as coping mechanisms but considering what had happened to her, I definitely feel that they pretty good and not too self destructive. Besides, she is just good (despite the whole title of her getting away with murder). She does the yardwork for her elderly neighbor next door and even does a middle of the night rescue of an abused dog (yes, she was drunk at the time but it still proves that she is good!). She is a person with a set routine to keep everything working. But since that would kind of make a boring book, Lenny's routine is upset by the arrival of a letter stating that her step father is finally up for parole.

That is when Lenny finds the people she can trust and who are looking out for her, from Fay, to Ned, Kirra, and even her next door neighbor. That is good because some secrets from the past are real whoppers that even Lenny doesn't know. This is a feel good book with a satisfying ending and while the title of this book is true, it was definitely deserved. Yes, I laughed and cried and really liked this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to read and review.

This book should be so much bigger than it is. Lent is so lovable and quirky and fun and you would forget at parts that you were reading a mystery type of book. It kept me captivated and the base of the story is learning to cope with trauma. It is so believable that someone would handle it this way and it wrapped up wonderfully.

Lenny Marks is truly one of a kind. Haunted by a tough childhood that she’s mostly blocked out, Lenny has built a measured, controlled and routine life that makes her feel safe. In doing so, she’s also built walls to protect herself and keep everyone out, leaving her shockingly alone at 37.

As Lenny is forced to come to terms with the events of her past, she finds herself relying on her community and building relationships that slowly start to chip away at the walls she’s so carefully constructed.

Full of quirks and charm, this book is really unique and kept me guessing. It took me a while to get into, but once I did, I didn’t want to put it down. It was refreshing to read something outside of my usual genre, and especially from a debut author.

Lenny Marks has a well organized life. She's a teacher and she rides her bike home every day at 4 pm. Two days a week, she shops at the same store for the same groceries for the same meals. She's trying to make friends with 2 other women at her school and feels she's making good progress. She almost never thinks about where her mother and stepfather after they disappeared when she was a child. Until Lenny receives a letter in the mail that threatens to upend her carefully regulated life.

This wasn't what I expected. If you think this is a light-hearted fun novel, think again. It's in fact very deep and heart-wrenching. I struggled with reviewing this because I liked the premise of the story, but the presentation of Lenny was complicated. It at first felt like the author was trying to portray Lenny as being on the ASD spectrum, but I think it was more that she was traumatized. Because of this, I had a hard to figuring Lenny out, as well as those people closest to her.

I would give this a solid 3-1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available July 9, 2024.

If you liked Molly the Maid and Eleanor Oliphant, then you will like Lenny Marks.

Lenny is a late 37 year old primary school teacher that loves the show Friends, playing Scrabble, and riding her bike everywhere. She had a very traumatic childhood where she does not remember anything and now, after she receives a letter from the Parole Board, her memories are starting to resurface. What did Lenny do in her past, why did her mom and stepfather leave, and why can't she remember anything?

Lenny is predictable, lacks solid friendships, and is unbelievably kind. I loved Lenny and wanted only the best for her. There were some characters that I felt strongly about, which is how you know the character development was great! The one thing that I felt was a little overdone is that Lenny has a pretty specific trait, where when she is overwhelmed or anxious, she solves anagrams from words that describe the situation she is in in that moment. It was endearing at first, but then seemed more like a distraction. But, I truly enjoyed this book and liked that it was more a mystery than it was contemporary fiction. Please do yourself a favor and read this book!

the premise of this one was SO fun and I loved our main character, Lenny. She’s almost 40 years old and she’s a teacher who loves her routines (as do i, Lenny🤣). there were some twists I didn’t necessarily expect - which I deeply admire - and i enjoyed how things were revealed and trauma was explored, thus giving us a better understanding of why Lenny is comfortable with her life the way it is and her daily routines.

Lenny is one of the most relatable characters I’ve come across in a while, with being a ‘Friends’ and ‘Hobbit’ fan, and again with her schedules. 🤪 I love a story with a highly likable character!

4-4.5 stars
Mystery set in Australia, whose protagonist is a neurodivergent woman. I enjoy settings and characters that are different and I quite enjoyed this one. Heartwarming, character-driven. Hard to believe this is a debut novel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Can a book be whimsical, as well as emotional and thought provoking? Of course it can! And this book pulls off the combination with ease.

I loved Lenny’s character. She’s quirky, socially awkward, and kind-hearted. As the story unfolds, we gradually learn why Lenny is such a loner, and that maybe she isn’t as alone as she thought.

This story tackles some unexpectedly complex topics, while keeping the overall tone light and witty. We’re left with a lot to think about, but not a lot of weight to carry.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Annie Maynard. I thought she did a fantastic job bringing Lenny’s character to life.