Lenny Marks is my favorite character of 2024! Her story is sweet, brave, and sad but somehow had me smiling throughout. Getting to know Lenny Marks is a journey well worth taking.

I loved this book! Thanks to the publisher and author for giving me an opportunity to review an advanced copy.

I was expecting something a bit sillier, but instead this was an interesting character study of the female main character Lenny. We discover her backstory in trickles and flashbacks, and it took me a little while to get into it for this reason, but once I got some hints of what might have happened, I got hooked. I related quite a bit - Lenny is written in an autistic-coded way, though it may be trauma response in the end - and her masking skills, social awkwardness, and routines made her quite sympathetic. As it progressed I loved to see a community form around her, and her increase in self realizations and remembering traumatic events, and increasing her confidence. From thinking everybody in her life has left her behind, to realizing she has a nice group of people around her.

This reminded me of Strange Sally Diamond, and I think if you liked that book, you'll like this one as well. Sweet and empowering.

This is one of those stories that fell into my pet peeve bucket, but having said that, I actually enjoyed it.

To start off, this story was too long for my tastes. Yes, unfortunately, this is one of those novels that fell into my pet peeve bag, but the more I learned about Lenny Marks the more I began to love the story. Does that sound crazy to you? Well, no worries, I’m about to show you some understanding.

Lenny Marks and I have a great deal in common. She’s a loner. You can time her by her schedule. She’s very meticulous about how her things have to be done. Her sense of humor is often mistaken for being rude. Her brutal honesty often takes people back and they find her super weird. She makes up stories about having friends and an exciting life, when in actuality, she’s a bit lonely, attractive; although she doesn’t think so, and she enjoys her job as a teacher. For me, what’s not to love about Lenny Marks. I identified with her totally and would love it if she were real because she and I would have some laughs because I'm a lot like her. That being said, where our similarities end is I’ve never had to think about murdering someone—to the point of actually carrying it out. Umm, no ma’am I’ve never had to deal with that. I have had bad thoughts, of course, but not actually the life Lenny has had to live.

She received a letter from a place she never expected to hear from again. In fact, she took said letter and stuffed it deep down in her purse so she wouldn’t have to ever think about it again. But for whatever reason, the letter kept coming to the surface. There’s something profoundly serious Lenny Marks must do, but she’s not sure she has the energy to deal with it. Her stepfather is finally being released from prison and Lenny isn’t exactly thrilled to learn of this news. Why would he be getting out of prison? I mean, all he did was kill her mother and brother. Certainly, a matter as sinister as that wouldn’t warrant anyone being released from prison, right? Hmm, yes, that’s what Lenny thought too.

As Lenny is trying to understand her feelings, she strikes up a rare friendship with the owner of a grocery store and discovers they have a great deal in common. The only problem is he’s dating her coworker. Bummer, right. She soon finds out that she’s not as alone as she once thought and her moods and idiosyncrasies aren’t as far out there as she may have once believed. Lenny Marks may not live an exciting life, but she’s living!

I absolutely loved Lenny Marks. Like I said, I wish she were real because she and I would have so much to talk about. I totally got her. She was so misunderstood by her peers, although her parents understood her enough. Her feelings and direct approach threw off so many people she encountered but that was only due to the fact they didn’t get her intellect. She was super smart and that scares people when you have that type of intelligence. Once again, I totally got Lenny.

Could this story have ended sooner than it had, of course, but I really didn’t care because I took my time reading this story and really enjoyed it. It’s not the type of story you come across every day. It was actually refreshing to read about a character that wasn’t popular and how she dealt with the everyday situations we all face in this thing called life.

Yikes… this book was really hard for me to stay invested. It’s a slow start. Couldn’t really connect with any of the characters initially. I felt like it took a while to get to the plot. But when the memories start to come back for Lenny, things moved a little better. This book was just ok for me and i feel like it’s not the popular opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and st martins press for the ARC!

This was a lovely book, heartwarming and thought-provoking throughout.

I'm not sure which genre this falls into, because it's dramatic fiction but also has a murder plot. I was almost going to call it a murder mystery, but it isn't really. There's no mystery about the murder suspect, or suspects, here. ( Not giving away spoilers!) The main part of the story is Lenny's self-development.

There's reference to severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, including to children.

It's easy to root for Lenny. She has dealt with unimaginable challenges in her lifetime, and she's trying to make it through each day putting one foot in front of the other. When an envelope arrives at her door, or rather her school, it sets into a motion a chain of events that may finally lift her out of her self-imposed retreat from life.

Pros:
Lenny is a wonderful character, and we see the story through her eyes. It's a good taste of what might be happening to those people that we think of as different, or off.
Fleshed out and nuanced characters. It puts the reader into the place of thinking which person would we be like? The "good": characters who support Lenny, or the immature characters who put her down?
Ned, who works at the grocery where Lenny shops, is a fabulous character.
Engaging writing and plotline. Many interesting events, such as Lenny's rescue of an abused dog, and unexpected twists, such as her neighbor Maureen's arc.
Satisfying ending.

Cons:
The only thing that I would put here is that the ending doesn't quite fit with how we see Lenny throughout the book. I don't mind seeing things tie up neatly at the end, that's why I put it as a pro. But this seemed a bit too optimistic for the tone of the book.

This was an excellent read that most readers will enjoy. I really had a hard time putting it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kerrin Mayne for an advanced copy for review.

This book started off slowly. I felt annoyance with the characters, both Lenny and her co-workers. This annoyance came from the happiness and excitement that Lenny felt when she was "invited" to trivia night and the impatience/negativity of the co-workers that didn't want her there because she was different (personality). After the letter from the parole board starts jogging Lenny's memory I became interested in piecing together the events of the murder. By the end, I felt more kindly towards everyone but I never really felt that the book was more than OK. Three stars. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

While it was a tad slow to start, by the end I adored this book. I think the title is a bit of a misdirect since I'd say this book is largely about the affects of childhood trauma.

There is a bit of a mystery for both the reader and Lenny as buried secrets are revealed to both of us over time. Details matter in this story and many tie together in a surprising way. I admit to small gasps as some things were revealed and in the last quarter of the book I had to stop reading with my glasses since they'd become too smudged with tears.

Lenny was a character I was absolutely rooting for and I wanted her to be happy and safe. I'm probably making this sound rather dark but there was lightness to the story as well.

In the end, I was completely bowled over by this one.

United States Publication: July 9, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Lenny Marks lives a very solitary and regimented life. It keeps her safe and she's very invested in being safe. A scar on her leg reminds her of just how unsafe and unwanted she is. When she was young, she drove away her mom and abusive stepfather, and then her Grandma died. Nobody wants to be around for very long. Lenny's solitary life is working out well for her until the day a letter is delivered. She knows the contents and has no interest in acknowledging them. But life has other plans. In an effort to avoid the outcome of the letter, Lenny Marks breaks her self-imposed solitary life and starts to interact with her colleagues, her next-door neighbor, and the local grocer. But she can only push off her past for so long, and her routines will only prop her up for so long. The past is here, and it's time to face it once and for all.

Lenny Marks is a really endearing character because she is a wounded bird, and the routines she has created to protect herself bring out the Mama Bear in me. (I'm pretty sure the metaphor of birds and bears doesn't exactly work, but whatever.) She won the foster parent lottery with her foster parents. She has a few people in her life who are willing to put the work in to get beyond the walls she's erected, and we all need a few people who are persistent in our lives. Her quirky routines are right up this reader's alley - wordplay and Friends TV? Yes, please! Mayne created great characters, and the story was really creative. I love that I've been introduced to this author!

I would not classify this book as a thriller or even a cozy mystery for that matter. Instead, this book is a great debut that presents a wonderful representation of a character who is neurodivergent.

The main character Lenny (Helena) is interesting and unique. She functions by sticking to her routines. When she gets anxious, which is often, she rearranges words into as many anagrams as possible. Events from her past surface and this time she decides to face the trauma head on. This book is thought provoking and heartwarming. Lenny talking to her younger self who faced trauma really resonated with me. There was also a satisfying amount of character growth that left me feeling uplifted.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I don't typically like books that feature weak main characters. And at the outset, Lenny Marks is just that. She is not very socially adept and seems to be the "butt of jokes" without realizing it. She even made up a fake roommate. But there is something very intriguing about her that made me keep reading.

Lenny clearly has a secret about her past. The new name she goes by is clue one.
It takes some time to understand what that secret may be, we only know that it ties to a man in prison.
Did she lie to get someone convicted? Maybe.
Did she harm someone and blame it on someone else? Maybe.

As we waited to find out the questions above, we got to know more about Lenny and in the process, I grew to like her more than I expected.
1) I love how she rescued/stole a dog to protect them.
2) I love how she stumbles socially but opens up to people who make an effort with her (the grocery worker, Ned; her neighbor, Maureen; and a coworker). Through her interactions with them, you begin to see the real Lenny, instead of the guarded one.

Ultimately, we learn about her past, and it made me like her even more. She is not weak; she is a protector. Does she stretch the limits of right and wrong, yes, but in my mind, she does it for good reasons.

Overall, this was an endearing story, and I relished seeing Lenny come out of her shell and finally embrace life instead of hiding from it.

I enjoyed this book at times. The imaginary friends made it hard to figure out what was going on at times. Lenny has her quirks which makes her a bit more likeable

I was fooled by the cute cover and fun title, the inside was emotional and heartbreaking. Lenny Marks is an incredible character with the backstory to back her up as a strong woman.

Lenny, what can I say? I love this neurodivergent character. So quirky. Reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant. Traumatic childhood, new beginnings, this book will make you laugh and cry. I need to arrange my books by height! I see myself in this character.

This book was about Lenny Marks. I found the story started a little slow in building.around the main point. Lenny was a creature of habit that had a hard back story. She tried to lead a normal life but her past came creeping up to invade her future. It is an interesting turn in the end.

Thank you to Kerryn Mayne and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.

Growing up, I observed as much as I could, so I could catalogue as much as I could, so I could learn to be “normal.” We now know this is called masking and after 35 years, I am finally starting to unmask. But until then, I thought I was broken. Weird, off, wrong, incompatible. Throughout my life, I’d read weird or obscure books about characters who weren’t socially accepted. They were the outcasts.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower was like my mind exploding open. There were others like me. Maybe I wasn’t so off? But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered books with neurodivergent characters. Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman and The Maid by Nita Prose being some of the firsts. It was the first experience reading first person of someone with a brain like mine.

All of the dialogue felt so similar. It felt like reading my own thoughts, and it made so much sense. I suddenly made so much sense. Now I virtually will read any book with a neurodivergent character, just to learn more about other people like me.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is on that list, and I loved it. I love a good story about character growth. Mind, not character change, but an acceptance of who you are, as you are. And the community coming together and accepting who you are, as you are.

I think that’s one of the things neurodivergent folks want the most: to be understood. We spend our lives trying to understand those around us, and yet, very rarely, does a community do that for us. It gets lonely and we isolate because it’s easier. But I love a good story about a sense of community being built around someone who is neurodivergent.

Overall, this was a complex and beautiful book. Even the acknowledgments had me chuckling. I think I will be a fan of this author for years to come.

This book is remarkable. Not only does it feature a curmudgeonly female character, it is also chock full of drama and comedy. Most importantly, though, it deals with abuse and its impact on its survivors. There is such an array of wonderful and important features of this book, it is truly remarkable. I love Lenny Marks; she has secured a cozy little nook in my heart. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A slow burn cozy mystery with an endearing & quirky protagonist. Although I found the main character entertaining, this book moved a little too slowly for my liking, and the mystery was pretty tame after such a big build up. This book was introduced to me as a comparable to Fern in The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (which I loved), but I’d say this book is more a cross between Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman meets The Maid by Nita Prose.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
by Kerryn Mayne, narrated by Annie Maynard

I thought this story might be more lighthearted but instead it hides deep heartache and feelings of guilt. Lenny Marx is 37 when the story starts and she lives alone in her little house. She likes being alone although she's not really alone. She has Monica, from the TV series, with her when she wants to play Scrabble or needs to say she already has plans with her "roommate". Yes, yes, Monica is just a character on a TV show but Lenny knows her so well by rewatching the shows all the time and she doesn't have real friends. Well, soon she does have a dog named Malcolm and he really is a woman's best friend!

But Lenny's mom, the woman who had fostered her after her granny went away, has been urging Lenny to make friends, to get out more, to do things with others. So Lenny is trying, not very successfully, to become friends with the "cool girls" at work. Still, Lenny has trouble reading people and often misinterprets what they are thinking or meaning.

Now something very big is happening. Lenny's stepfather is getting out of prison. He's the reason people left her, why everyone leaves her. Or maybe it's Lenny's fault everyone leaves her. Lenny's stepfather's voice runs through her thoughts, "this is your fault" and Lenny applies it to all her life.

Now, just as Lenny is making friends with her elderly neighbor and enjoying it, walking dogs with her grocer friend and liking it, doing things with others and mostly liking it, Lenny's world is about to blow up in the worst way. Memories are coming back and what she doesn't remember, people are filling in. Things were worse than Lenny thought and the truth just may destroy Lenny.

I was fortunate enough to have the ebook and the audiobook and I enjoyed both. With the ebook I was able to see the anagrams Lenny makes from words when she's feeling distressed. Seeing what Lenny was doing with the words helped me understand a bit better exactly what she was doing. With the audiobook, I could "hear" Lenny and the narrator does a great job allowing me to feel what Lenny was feeling, speeding up as Lenny's anxiety became too much for her. Reading or listening, this story is heartbreaking, touching, and hopeful. There is so much more to Lenny Marx than meets the eye and she's amazing in her very special ways.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder may be the textbook example of don’t judge a book by its cover. The title and artwork give a cozy mystery vibe, but it is anything but, and that is a good thing.

Lenny Marks is such a great character. I wanted to give her a hug throughout the entire book. I don’t normally include the blurb in my reviews, but “Eual parts heartbreak and heartwarming” is the absolute truth.

4.5⭐️

Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley for my ALC & ARC

Lenny Marks is in her mid thirties. She is a school teacher who does not have much of a social life, and has had to deal with a lot of trauma in her short life.

I went into this story blind (as I usually do) and I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved and adored Lenny! I thought this was going to be a *cheesy* mystery, and it wasn’t that at all. Lenny is complex. She is loveable and has been broken down by people who should have loved her unconditionally. Lenny is a character I wanted to hug through the phone. Despite all of this, she is so strong, brave and wants to fit in with society. This wasn’t a strictly sad story by any means, but rather sad events took place and we see as readers how Lenny overcomes each and every obstacle. The audio was done perfectly and I binged it in one day!