4 stars. I first heard about Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder when someone on the publishing team emailed me letting me know that because I was a fan and early reader of the Finlay Donovan series, which they've described as "quirky mystery," that they felt I would enjoy Lenny Marks. And I am so grateful that they sent me the widget, because while this is NOTHING like the Finlay Donovan series I very much did love Lenny Marks! Do Not let the cute cover fool you. This is not a comedy or "quirky mystery." Yes, Lenny is what one might consider "quirky" but it's because she's suffered from severe trauma in her childhood, and the "quirks" are how she's learned to cope all these years. So is Lenny Marks a cute and quirky mystery? Most decidedly no. But, did I fall in love with Lenny Marks, just like the publisher said I would? You betcha.

Lenny Marks is a heartwarming read that deals with VERY heavy topics, and I think it was really smartly written. It's one of those books where the truth slowly reveals itself as you progress with the book, but that's because Lenny's just figuring things out herself. Her character reminded me a bit of Ove from A Man Called Ove or Tova from Remarkably Bright Creatures, in that she's so damn lonely that she doesn't even realize it. Instead, she's content to hide way from the world, finding solace in watching Friends reruns and collecting different editions of the Hobbit. However, the main difference between Lenny and Ove/Tova is that Lenny's in her 30s and she's not really getting a second chance at life... she's getting her first. I loved how Lenny grew in confidence and opened herself up to friendship and romance and experiences and life in general. Truly, my heart might have grown a little in size after reading this one. And I 100% recommend.

Thank you so much to Mayne, SMP, and netgalley for the eARC and physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne was a really fun and different mystery.
The character was unique. The mystery was really fun and kept me guessing.

I was surprised the outcome.

Really enjoyed this!

This is an amazing debut novel with an endearing, lovable character, Helena (Lenny), who you want to hug. I read this in one day as I couldn’t put it down, staying up very late to finish it.

Told in 2022 with flashbacks to the 1990s, the story deals with serious issues such as mental health, domestic violence, bullying, repressed trauma, family, love and friendship. Lenny is a socially awkward woman who takes things literally and has trouble deciphering social cues. She looks to structure and routine to guide her through life until events occur that force her to step outside her rigidly controlled life and confront her past. She is a wonderfully developed character and one I won’t soon forget.

The story unfolded at an even pace as we get to know Lenny and her backstory unfolds. The plot built to a very satisfying ending with some unexpected revelations and I turned the last page feeling happy that I read this wonderful story but sad that it was over.

If you love stories with neurodivergent representation, characters with heart, and a plot that pulls you in, you will definitely want to pick this one up!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder 4⭐️

Lenny Marks is rapidly heading towards forty. She has a solitary life, she is lonely, as she is neurodiverse she struggles in social situations let alone relationships. Quirky neuro diverse character driven stories seem to be flooding the releases at the moment.

A very character driven story weaving between the present and Lenny’s childhood, the past definitely pulls on your emotions. I desperately felt for Lenny’s plight. I found both Lenny and Ned very likeable characters.

The plot kind of meanders, nothing jumps out at you as a surprise, but at the same time it kept my interest throughout. However if I compare it to the quirky neurodiverse character of Strange Sally Diamond it doesn’t hold a candle to it. That was much darker more layered, with twists I didn’t see coming. Although it’s worth a read if you loved Strange Sally. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t WOW me.

This was SOO different than how I thought it was going to be. I read the synopsis as being similar to the Maid by Nita Prose. This is not that at all. I ended up reading this in almost one setting (it was a 5 hour car ride) but once I got into this I couldn't stop reading it. There are so many layers to peel back here. This book is about Lenn Marks, a woman who has experienced HORRIBLE trauma in her childhood and after receiving a piece of mail that references what happened, her whole world starts to fall apart. She has never truly grieved or acknowledged even what happened. She has been suppressing her emotions about the event her whole life. This has contributed to her being very particular about the order of things. She has a routine and she sticks to it. But now she is going outside of her comfort zone and for MOST of those experiences, she starts to realize what she has been missing. While also realizing at the same time, that she has people in her life who are not going to leave her. They truly care and want her to be happy. I would definitely check out the TW before diving into this one. There are some heavy topics.

Lenny Marks is set in life. She has her routine. She has Friends. She has decided she is going to ignore the letter she received written to her old name of Helena Winters. The one from the parole board referencing her stepfather. What she is not going to ignore is her foster mom's advice to start making friend. She wants to get out there a little bit more. The problem is that she has never been the best at reading people. She says what she thinks without thinking sometimes which can be construed as rude. She isn't the best at reading a room. She doesn't feel like she can be her true self around people so she acts a little differently. The one person she does feel like herself around (other than Fay her foster mom) is Ned from her local grocery store. After a night out with some coworkers, she can't ignore the letter anymore. She realizes it is the parole board asking her as a victim if she would testify to why her stepfather Fergus should stay in prison longer. But Fergus didn't do anything wrong from what she can remember right? But now she is not so sure. She is starting to remember things differently. Like the abuse her mother endured. The shed that she was put in during Fergus's rages. The fact that Malcolm was actually her little brother, not an imaginary friend. Now her life is upside down. She doesn't know how to get back to her routine. All she can do is tell everyone that she is fine even though she doesn't even believe it. But then her people show up for her. And Fergus is out of prison and her backyard. That is when she decides that all bets are off. She will NOT let what happened before be repeated.

This was a book about a woman overcoming a lot. She is just realizing how strong she is and how much she truly has endured in her short life. She opens up her bubble and starts to let people in that she didn't before. And now she has true friends and people that care about her and her well being. She realizes everything can't be planned but it is how you respond that matters. Like I said, this book caught me completely by surprise but in a WONDERFUL way. I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Kerryn Mayne’s Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder follows Lenny Marks, who leads a highly structured life to avoid her traumatic past. When a letter from the parole board forces her to confront buried memories, Lenny’s carefully controlled world unravels. As she navigates new relationships and uncovers the truth about her family's disappearance, Lenny’s journey from isolation to connection is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Mayne's debut is a gripping tale of secrets, truth, and the transformative power of community.

Regrettably, "Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" did not meet my expectations. The synopsis piqued my interest, but the narrative felt overly lengthy and protracted. Additionally, there was a lack of action to suit my preferences.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

For fans of Eleanor Oliphant and The Maid, Lenny Marks is a character to root for. She’s struggling to figure out friendship, work, her romantic life, and a past she has completely forgotten due to trauma of an abusive stepfather. So naturally she steals a dog after a night out of trivia (a dog that needed to be removed from a dickhead owner) and creates a fake roommate named Monica after her love of Friends. What could go wrong?

Lenny Marks is my new favorite character. She is a neurodivergent that has suffered a lot of tragedy in her life. She starts spiraling down one day and hits rock bottom, then has to start clawing her way back.
This was slightly slow but in a good way, not boring but thoughtful. It’s not a fast paced book and it’s not really a murder mystery. It’s hard to put it in a genre. I really liked it and found myself rooting for Lenny. This is a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what the author does next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest opinion.
4.5⭐️

I’m not a huge fan of character driven plots. Usually, the characters cannot keep me interested. However, this is the one where I fell fast and hard for a character that is the odd girl out, the socially inept, and is as complicated as they come. Obviously I’ve been reading about the wrong type of characters in my previous books.

Lenny pulled me into her world the first time she turned her teapot three times and from that moment forward, she felt as real as any character ever could. While much of Lenny’s story was mysterious, heartbreaking and her personality at times resembling myself or someone I know, this book was layered with moments that made me smile and even more that had me cheering her on.

I cannot believe this is Ms. Mayne’s debut novel. It is pure genius and I found myself rereading it as soon as I finished it. It still plays in my mind at random times and if ever there were a story that should be used for the “big screen”, it is this one. The one where the world fell in love with Lenny Marks.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a story that will stay with me for some time. This book hit a nerve, and personally, I think that any individual who has gone through intense trauma while growing up can connect to in some form.

Lenny Marks has a routine and a schedule. She is socially awkward, but she is absolutely fine. That's what she tells herself. A letter arrives, which she tries to ignore, but there are things in life that do come back. Lenny might just have to come to terms with her past.

This story just about broke me in some ways. I really liked the way the author with humor has written the effects of trauma. It stuck a chord because I am in some ways like Lenny. I loved this book, but I felt that it dragged a bit. Nevertheless, this book will be one of my top books of this year.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for this book.

CW: Trauma, domestic abuse

Lenny Marks is one of those sweet characters like Eleanor Oliphant, Molly the Maid, or Ove whose existence is “many things: simple, predictable and uneventful.” She might initially be described as neuro-divergent, but as the narrative continues, she’s mainly been shaped by past trauma that she’s mostly forgotten and buried. She’s 37 years old, a primary school teacher who bicycles to work, has a schedule of meals for every night (except for Thai takeout on Saturdays), streams “Friends” all the time, plays Scrabble with an imaginary Monica, and owns her own adorable, secluded house. But she’s mostly friendless and is still being encouraged by her foster mom to step out of her self-imposed boundaries. Lenny has been this way since childhood, but even more so since the day her mother and her stepfather suddenly disappeared from her life when she was eleven. She’s managed to keep control with rearranging words mentally. Is she…

Unperturbable: ultrapure, reputable, upbeat, rebel
or
Disintegrating: danger, rigid, straining, stagger, insane, rant

However, at this particular moment in time something arrives that starts a chain of changes in Lenny: a letter from the Parole Board. First, she steals a Rottweiler named “Beast…”

Lenny is such a wonderful, complicated character who you can’t help rooting for as her regulated life undergoes a metamorphosis. Author Mayne has created a truly memorable personality and plot that keeps you engrossed until the last chapter. 5 stars!

You will fall in love with Kerryn Mayne's smashing debut, LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER! Lenny is quirky, funny, intelligent, and has repressed trauma.

Follow her journey with this heartwarming story and her loveable and memorable character who will steal your heart from a talented new voice in fiction! A moving story of memories, trauma, truth, secrets, love, and loss.

About...

Meet Lenny Marks (formerly Helena Winters). Lenny is an intelligent, 37-year-old neurodiverse woman who loves routines. She is a devoted school teacher. Her favorite TV show is Friends, and her favorite book is The Hobbit.

Every weekday at 4 pm and never before, Lenny ensured her blackboard was clean and her classroom straightened before heading home. She rides her mint green Polygon Zenith bike and rides the twenty-one minutes to her Tree House—which was not actually in a tree as the name may suggest.

She purchased her groceries two afternoons a week (Mondays and Thursdays). She was a regular at McKnight's General Store. Ned was one of the few people outside of work she considered an acquaintance. Often in the company of Ned, Lenny would become discombobulated.

She plays Scrabble with her imaginary flatmate, watches Friends, and follows the same meal routine every day of the week. She also likes self-soothing word games to calm down and relieve stress.

Lenny's existence was many things: simple, predictable, and uneventful. She likes order.

When Lenny receives a letter from Adult Parole Board Victoria, she pushes it back into her bag. It wants to be read, but she ignores it. She knows that if she reads it, her life will get messy and change, and she does not like change. She wants to open the envelope, she realizes. She has to.

Was she a victim? She was Helena Winters, and the letter had reached its intended destination.

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

The author takes us back to June 1991, where we learn about Lenny's past, alternating from past to present (May 2022).

Lenny's past begins to unravel; raised by foster parents after she suffered a loss in her childhood and painful trauma. What memories has she repressed? Is it too difficult to remember? Long buried memories rise to the surface, and her carefully planned routines fall apart. Will she have to connect with the community and friends and rely on others for the first time?

My thoughts...

I loved LENNY MARKS! The author grabs you from page one to the end with this creative, fun-loving, quirky, loveable character. Thought-provoking and compelling, the author tackles high-charged emotional topics mixed with humor with a heroine that will linger long after the book ends.

Mayne's writing is impressive, as is her well-developed cast of characters. She handles topics of mental illness, domestic abuse, trauma, and loss with sensitivity. The book is full of heart, deliciously entertaining and clever, packed with wit, mystery, and suspense. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming, an endearing and charming story. I can't wait to see what comes next from this newfound author.

Audiobook...

I had the privilege of reading this exceptional book and listening to the engaging and entertaining audiobook, narrated by Annie Maynard making the characters come alive for a superb performance!

Recs...

Lenny Marks is for fans of Sally Hepworth's The Good Sister, Elizabeth Berg's The Story of Arthur Truluv, Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Fredrik Backman's Britt-Marie Was Here

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, #MacAudio2024 and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
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Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne

Lenny Marks lives a simplistic life. She goes to work via her bike. Buys her groceries at McKnights on her way home. She lives in a house that looks like it belongs in Hobbiton. Lenny makes the same food each week and lives alone quietly

Until everything changes by the receipt of a letter from the parole board. Now she has stolen a dog, gone to trivia night at a bar, and participated in a celebration of the winter solstice. Slowly, Lenny is beginning to take chances with life. Slowly, she is trying to make friends. Slowly, she is doing new things.

The book was an unexpected read for me. I chose it on a whim and am ever so glad. I have enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed how Lenny began to open up and began to work through life and all the past torment. I enjoyed how the story unfolded with various pieces of information dropping in. Lenny’s differences made her ability to see life in black and white only added to the drama of the story.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a good read.

So this book looks like a cute mystery based on the cover and title, but it is far from it.

Lenny Marks remembers bits and pieces about her childhood; but remembers that her mother left her and never came back. This is until she receives a letter from the parole board, and memories about her childhood begin to come back. Lenny has always kept to herself, but this letter forces her to connect with others around her; and she begins to form relationships with those people. Lenny finally begins to break out of her shell and may finally get a life, but her past may negate everything.

So I gave this book a 3.5 but rounded up.
There times Lenny got on my nerves, but she may have be neurodivergent? It isn't explicitly said, but she did have some childhood trauma. I did appreciate the ending of this book and everything that went into it. It doesn't get boring or monotonous at times; and there were a few twists that I didn't even see coming (and I am good at spotting a twist).
Overall, it is a good book. A bit dark and if you are a sensitive reader, definitely check the author's website for any trigger warnings.

3.5 Stars

Was very slow going for me in the beginning but maybe 2/3 through it, it picked up and had me not wanting to put it down. Finished in 2 days which was because I wanted to know what happened. A few twists that I didn't expect but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

A quirky main character that has been through so much from a young age which you learn about throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The title makes the novel sound like it's lighthearted and fun. It's not - but in a good way. A rich, compelling story with an unforgettable heroine, it's about forgetting and remember, what makes a family, and allowing yourself to be whole.

"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?"

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Did Lenny Marks get away with murder? She might be neurodivergent, she keeps to herself, and lives a small, quiet life. How could anyone possibly think that Lenny could murder someone? When author Kerryn Mayne throws a wrench into her character’s life, we readers might think twice about Lenny.

The wrench in the works is a letter from the parole board, and Lenny is so discombobulated and disturbed by its arrival that she begins doing very uncharacteristic things. She goes out with coworkers. She meets the grocery store manager at the dog park. She starts remembering things she long ago buried for survival, and her imaginary friend, Monica Gellar, is replaced by the apparition of a younger Lenny.

Lenny is a fantastic character. She is odd, lovable, and empathetic. Her story is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. The book is fun and sometimes humorous while still having depth and presenting readers with some very serious issues and beautiful messages of love, family and friendship. This is one of my #MustRead2024 books.

Annie Maynard’s narration of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is brilliant. She made the characters sparkle.

I really really wanted to like this book, but it was not for me. This story was soooo incredibly slow, and honestly I felt like nothing worth while happened. Did I read the same book that everyone else did? Because the ratings are soo high but I just didn’t enjoy this one.

Lenny is quirky, unique and takes everything literally…but her life was just so mundane I just didn’t care for any of the characters especially Lenny, the main character. In the beginning the letter she received did draw me in…then it took forever for her to finally open it and read it, then nothing happened…it just went back to her regular mundane boring life.

I need more action or drama or at least something going on besides the main character waking up and doing the same thing everyday and going to work at the school…

I would recommend everyone to read this because it could be more for others, it just wasn’t it for me.

I absolutely ADORED this. I found Lenny to be deeply relatable and my heart hurt for her at many times throughout the book. This story gets an indisputable 5 starts for plot, emotions, character development, and so much more.