Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder presents an intriguing premise that blends dark humor with a coming-of-age narrative. Lenny, an unconventional protagonist, navigates his morally ambiguous world with a mix of charm and chaos, which keeps the reader entertained. The book explores themes of guilt and redemption, offering moments of insight amidst the absurdity. The dialogue sparkles at times, and the quirky supporting characters add depth to Lenny’s journey, providing both comedic relief and emotional resonance.

However, the novel occasionally struggles with pacing and coherence, leading to some plot points feeling rushed or underdeveloped. While the humor is sharp, it sometimes overshadows the more serious themes the author aims to address, leaving readers wanting a deeper exploration of Lenny’s psyche. Overall, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is an enjoyable read with a unique voice, but it falls short of delivering a fully satisfying narrative experience.

Initially Lenny Marks comes across as a neurodiverse adult, someone that is perhaps somewhere on the spectrum, as she is incredibly literal and has some OCD tendencies. But, as the reader slowly learns about Lenny’s background, it becomes apparent that this poor woman obviously has serious trauma that has shaped her personality.

Lenny’s carefully crafted routine begins to unravel when a letter from a parole board shows up and a hallucination from her past asks her to remember the day her mother and stepfather disappeared. Painful memories that were blocked in order to survive begin to surface, and Lenny is forced accept help from the community that has always been there, but she has kept at arm’s length.

Despite the serious content related to Lenny’s childhood, this debut is remarkably heartwarming. Lenny is a heroine readers won’t soon forget. As a character study, she is fascinating living in a bit of a dissociative state for years, but as a person with a disturbing past, she is awe inspiring in her ability to adapt and survive.

Filled with short chapters, the book reads very quickly. Though the cover implies a more lighthearted mystery, do not be fooled as the content is actually quite heavy. Readers will find themselves debating the ethics of revenge before they finish the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and author Kerryn Mayne for the advanced copy of the book. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is out now! All opinions are my own.

Lenny Marks is a 37 year old single elementary school teacher, which suits her fine. She likes her life orderly and predictable. She rides her bike to and from school, has the same meal accordingly to the day of the week, and relies on no one. She’s easily stressed, and to calm her nerves, she spells in her head all the words from the word that’s stressing her (i.e. stress -tea, set, etc.). Lenny had a tumultuous childhood that has led to this solitary life, and even though her foster mom Fay has tried to encourage the adult Lenny to make friends, she’s hesitant.

Awkward at best in social situations, in an effort to fit in, she tries to hang out with the new prep teachers (insert mean girls emoji here), and that doesn’t end well. When her stepfather is released from prison, Lenny must finally face her past. But will she face this alone, or will she let her new found friends (a teacher at school, the son of the owner of the grocer, her elderly next-door neighbor) help? I really enjoyed this one - Lenny reminded me a lot of Molly the maid in Nita Prose’s books. Out now, and available to purchase wherever you get your books. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martins press for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.

Lenny has an eccentric personality and deep-rooted trauma that she avoids by leading a highly regimented life. I struggled to get into this story, as it has a slow pace with heavy focus on Lenny’s inner journey. I wouldn't consider it a suspenseful, mystery-driven plot. Lenny is a likeable character with charm and she experiences a lot of growth throughout the story.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks lives a very unremarkable and lonely life, but she knows that it's a sure way to stay safe. It starts to unravel when a desperate attempt to ignore a reminder of her past sets her on a path of new relationships and activities that will force her to examine her past and present.

It's a read that grows on you. Lenny is an unusual character that's hard to relate to in the beginning but becomes fascinating as more details about her life and inner thoughts are revealed. I greatly appreciate the way Mayne shows how trauma has shaped Lenny's life without ever getting too deeply into the trauma itself, which makes it an easier read to digest while still hitting the emotional points enough that you're rooting for Lenny to get away with murder.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the interesting read!

I didn’t get to finish this book, I got a new Amazon prime account and my kindle deleted everything associated with my previous account including all of my downloads and I only just figured out why it wasn’t appearing whenI tried re-sending to my kindle multiple times. Now I’ve finally found the source of my problem and changed/updated the kindle email and can now download books again. It really messed up my reviews for all of the books I’d requested over the past few months, I apologize. I liked what I was able to read so that’s what I’m rating. This was one of my most anticipated books and I will be reading and properly reviewing it in the future and will thank NetGalley for the ARC.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is great for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - very similar vibe except Lenny is in Australia. They book starts a little light, you think it's a workplace/romantic comedy. But Lenny has repressed a lot of memories of her childhood, and it comes out more throughout the book. It seems to happen as she opens up to others around her for friendship. I enjoyed the book, it has some tough storylines, but was well written.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Kerry Mayne

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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?

My Thoughts: For a debut novel, this was outstanding. This is a twist on cozy mystery that meets neurodivergent protagonist with some thriller elements. I thought it was brilliantly written for a debut novel and cannot wait to see how Mayne develops in future novels. Lenny Marks cannot read people well and has a fantastic play on scrambling words. Lenny has buried the past when her stepfather and mother disappeared. When the parole board attempts to get in touch with Lenny through various methods, she begins to unravel when long-buried memories begin to surface. Just as she finally starts to begin “getting a life,” her past may catch up with her.

The story is narrated solely by Lenny Marks. Lenny is eccentric, neurodivergent, routine oriented fifth grade teacher. Upon learning of Lenny’s past trauma, it is understanding why she is routine-oriented. Her favorite TV show is “Friends” and her favorite book is “The Hobbit,” so much so that she has over 30 copies, each being unique from another. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, creative, and intriguing. The supporting characters did an outstanding job of uplifting our protagonist. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, twisty, unpredictable, and just brilliant. The way the author portrays this character will really stick with me for some time.

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio versions of the ARC. This story was a perfect balance of heart-wrenching and heartwarming. The author approaches the mental health aspect with such grace, really a well-done job. We will see great things from this author. I highly recommend picking up this story!

There is more to this book than you would think by just reading the blurb. Lenny Marks (formerly Helena Winters) is living a peaceful, contented life. She rides her bike to her teaching job. She shops for the same groceries on the same day each week and eats the same meals. She is "friends" with Ned, the grocery clerk. She loves The Hobbit and watches reruns of Friends. She plays Scrabble with her imaginary roommate.
An unexpected and unwanted phone call catapults Lenny back to her childhood and the reader slowly begins to discover what makes Lenny Marks tick.

This read felt a bit slow for me, I just couldn't really get into it all that much. There's nothing in specific that deterred me or made me feel this way, just must have been my reading mood!

This was not at all what I was expecting when I started reading this I thought I was getting a cozy mystery instead I got ro met Lenny who has a trama filled childhood not at all social and loves to keep to herself. This is a introverts dream.


This was a very slow read for me but I did enjoy it.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a story that was not at all what I had expected, but everything that I love in a great book. In the end I had run through a range of emotions, my heart was ripped from my chest, and I enjoyed every moment.

Lenny Marks is a woman bound by her daily rituals, and right from the start we get a taste of her quirkiness and uber-preparedness. All of her daily activities are on a tight schedule, and when she feels stress she calms herself by creating anagrams out of words that describe what is going on around her. One of her stresses is a confusing fragment of a memory that haunts her as she tries to piece together what truly happened.

Socially awkward Lenny is just not good at reading people and has difficulty understanding other’s true intentions. She doesn’t know how to interpret social situations and often misunderstands if an individual is being a good friend or not. She herself has a caring heart and good intentions, but when she’s honest with herself she’ll admit she’s just plain lonely. To her co-workers, Lenny talks about an imaginary friend who she plays board games with and goes out bar hopping with, but the reality isn't that bleak - she does have actual likeable people on her side, too. She befriends her elderly next-door neighbor Maureen Simcock and slowly they start to spend time together. Twice a week she visits with and chats up Ned, the local supermarket manager. And then there is her foster mother Fay, who cares for her deeply and tries to help Lenny be more social.

Did I mention that she is the proud owner of 36 copies of The Hobbit and a beat-up, one-eyed teddy bear named Errol?

When a letter arrives it stirs up emotions and throws a wrench in to her day. The letter is addressed to a different name but most certainly is meant for Lenny, and so you know there is a bigger story to unfold. Uncharacteristically Lenny ignores the letter for as long as she can and even avoids voicemails left by the sender.

So we’ve got this letter tucked deeply into Lenny’s purse that she’s avoiding at all costs and a memory that won’t surface completely. This is about all I want to tell you because you’ve just got to experience Lenny’s story for yourself. I will say that the book discusses childhood trauma and the coping mechanisms our brains can create to deal with it.

Lenny Marks is a deep and meaningful must-read. It takes you on a journey you did not expect and will not easily forget.

Thanks St Martin’s Publishing Group & NetGalley for the free ARC, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

This was a bit of a slow read for me, but still an enjoyable story. I would defiantly pick up more by this author. It was bit quirky and fun. Some of the problems are realistic. Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC.
3/5 Stars

Lenny Marks is the hero you didn't know you needed in your life. A thought provoking book that had me on an emotional rollercoaster. Lenny is a different character that you cannot help but root for and one I won't forget anytime soon! She was written so well that I felt like she was a new friend and I was sad to say goodbye when the book ended.
There are many heavier themes in this book, such as trauma and PTSD, but they are equalled out by the happier themes, such as friendship and healing. The story unfolds at just the right speed to get to know Lenny as things about her are revealed at just the right times to keep the reader interested. The supporting characters help in Lenny's self-discovery and add so much to the story.
I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading more books from Kerryn Mayne!
All of the reviews of this triumphant book are my own. I am extremely grateful to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this book through Netgalley.

What a fun book by Kerryn Mayne! Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is indeed a book about murder (really self defense) but written in a fun, quirky way that kept me hooked til the end. If you love a bit of suspense with all the feels, this is the book for you.

This was like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine meets Strange Sally Diamond and I'm not sure more needs to be said on it. I definitely liked it more than Strange Sally Diamond (less traumatizing), but the entire structure felt so similar to it. It was a bit tough to get into because of that, but I did end up enjoying it and a lot of that is because of the supporting characters.

I feel really conflicted about this one because some parts were really great, but a lot of it fell pretty flat for me. I don't think the way Lenny's past was obscured worked particularly well. I think this one may suffer from comparison because I feel like I've read really similar characters that I was more drawn to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

I loved this book! Actually my least favourite part was the actual getting away with murder, but I loved Lenny so much! More Lenny Marks please!

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder tells the story of a woman who is determined to get a life.

I very much enjoyed this book. I've never met a character quite like Lenny before. I love all books set in Australia so that had me from the start. I enjoyed peeling away Lenny's layers and learning her whole story (and seeing her blossom). The end got a little wordy, but overall great book.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.