DNF

This one draggeddddd. I wanted to like Lenny, but she felt mostly robotic. Kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but this one took too long to get there.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder tells the story of Lenny, who likes things in her own particular order with no disruptions in life. She loves her home she affectionally refers to as the tree house, her primary school teaching position, her isolation with the exception of her Friends marathon she plays every day on her television, her imaginary friendship with Monica from Friends, and her Saturday night delivery of Thai from the same driver. With things being predictable, she does not have to think of her childhood trauma and what she has blocked out regarding stepfather until she receives a letter of his upcoming parole. This knocks her off of her routine and things begin to unravel.
What did Lenny block from her memory? Will she let those in her life help her navigate what is happening and let them in?
This story gave me all of the emotions and I could not wait to get back to reading it. Readers will instantly fall in love with Lenny and will root for her while yelling at some of her decisions throughout the story. The biggest lesson is learning to let others love you, especially when you have trouble loving yourself. This was a 5*read. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the E-Arc and the chance to review it!

I enjoyed this story. It was surprisingly emotional, a little suspenseful, and heartwarming. I liked that it is set in Australia and that Lenny's backstory is told in succinct snippets. I would read more from this author.

This book had a bit of everything in just the right amount. What a great debut!

Went in thinking this might be purely a murder mystery but it is so much more than that. There is love, loss, humor, kindness - you name it!

The characters are relatable and consistent, throughout. The writing had a smooth flow.

P. S. if I thought I would relate with the pop culture references, I was not prepared to have the biggest moment of going “exactly, right!!?!” on reading the line about how many times can someone use the word ‘Vestibule’ in a book. 😂

A wonderful read overall !

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I found this piece to be exceptionally well-crafted, and I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into more works by this author. Given its potential popularity among our library patrons, we're certainly looking forward to adding it to our collection

If you liked "The Maid" or "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" Kerryn Mayne's debut "Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" is for you! Lenny is a primary school teacher who up until recently enjoyed her private life and routine. When Lenny receives an unexpected letter from the Adult Parole Board Victoria, her life begins to spin out of her control and Lenny learns it's okay to go out of your comfort zone.

I was rooting for Lenny from the get with this one. The book does start out a little slow, but the pace matches how Lenny likes to live her life when we meet her. All of the characters and plot lines were fully developed and the end was satisfying and even happy. I would highly recommend this read to anyone, especially if you like complex characters and a hint of murder.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kerryn Mayne for this ARC. I hope we see more from Kerryne and maybe even Lenny in the future!

Lenny Marks likes an ordered life built on routine and schedules. When the unexpected happens, Lenny does all she can to keep the chaos at bay - but sometimes life is simply out of your control. While Lenny's history unfolds, not only do we accompany her om her daily routine we meet a wide cast of side characters who will both support and challenge her. Readers will really enjoy getting to know Lenny, an unforgettable protagonist, in this heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking novel.

Wow! What a twist near the end - I did not see that coming. Although I probably should have. Lenny was delightful, even as she desperately needed counseling and therapy. She controlled her world down to every minute and action as a way to survive trauma, which is completely understandable. But news from her past started to shake up her life and she found support and friends in unlikely places. If you liked Eleanor Oliphant, give Lenny a try. Also, it’s set in Australia!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Such a fun book- if you enjoyed Nita Prose’s “the maid”, or Gail honeyman’s “Elinor oliphant is completely fine” and the prose of fredrik backman - you’re sure to enjoy following the story of lenny marks!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was, unexpectedly, the complete opposite of what I thought it was going to be. The list of trigger warnings alone would have deterred me, as they may some of you. HOWEVER, this book was incredibly well written. Lenny Marks was a very well thought out character and the author did an excellent job of keeping her integrity, and spunk, alive through some very hard to read scenes. I am quite fond of Lenny - as much as one can be about a literary character anyways.

If you judge this book on the title, cover, and/or trigger warnings alone you won’t be doing the book a service. There are some extremely sad and truly heartbreaking scenes in this book. I wouldn’t recommend it to every reader but I do think this book will find its niche.

Overall I really enjoyed the writing itself! The ending wrapped up a little fast for my personal taste but that’s one of those preference things!

TW’s include but aren’t limited to:
Domestic violence
Death of a child
Child abuse
Animal cruelty/abuse
Attempted suicide
Mental illness

*If you’re looking to read this and have any questions on the trigger warnings, feel free to reach out!

This was a wonderful read. The story was filled with characters you feel you know and love (for the most part) and the plot has a nice little twist at the end. Lenny is pretty peculiar, but throughout the book she reminded me of my daughter, so it was fun imagining this story. It made for a pretty easy read because of how well it flowed.
The only critique I would note is how I’m not a fan of the cover art. I feel like it does t draw me in to the book and is a poor choice to represent such a great read.

Very slow to warm up to, I nearly put this book down a few times. I grew to enjoy the quirkiness though. Good read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in an advanced readers copy prior to the US release date. I was immediately drawn to Lenny Marks. Lenny holds everything in tight spaces in her mind and physically, she hides in the bottom of a wardrobe in the dark and reads with a torch while hidden away. She is an excellent teacher, but never quite feels like she fits in.
One day a letter arrives, a parole hearing and an imminent release for a man from her past, a past locked away and hard to remember, until now. I love Lenny and her quirks; her memories brought me to tears. The skillful writing, time jumps and character insights are unusual in a debut novel.

Lenny Marks is an interesting charactrer who is comfortable with routines and staying in her lane. As more
is learned about Lenny's past, one understands why she is the way she is. Attending a trivia night at a local
bar with fellow teachers will be the start of changes in her life. It will also reveal the trauma of her childhood
and how she dealt with it. Remembering the past will allow her to move forward.
#LennyMarksGetsAwayWithMurder #StMartins #NetGalley

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a really strong debut from Kerryn Mayne, and one that I'm glad to have read! The comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will likely be made, and although there are some ways in which the two novels are similar, I would say without a doubt this one is the stronger of the two.

One caveat is that the story takes a minute to warm up to - it's setting the stage of Lenny, her character, her quirks, and her day to day life, but in places it does drag. It could use from some editing at the start to tighten it up. But once you're settled into the world and the story, it takes off at a clip. The last third is especially remarkable, and it's stunning how Lenny's singular voice really shines through in the storytelling.

Much more and I'll give it away, so I'll just finish with: this one is worth the read! There are heavier topics, so check the trigger warnings, but it's all in service of a really powerful story. 4 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Spoilers in this review. I came around to Lenny but it took until after halfway through the book. The last 40% of the book is where all the action is and honestly, it was kind of a slow trip there. The pace of the first half of the book could have been a tad quicker. I would check trigger warnings before reading this book because of child abuse. I was not quite prepared for the revelation of who Malcolm was and how he died. Of course, it's Lenny's journey from timid teacher to advocate for herself and children and animals.

This book gives me vibes of Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and I loved it.
I loved the quirky awkward personality of Lenny. The traumatic past was spot on, and brought tears to my eyes.
I found myself cheering Lenny on, laughing at her antics, and crying for her too.
Highly reccomend this book.
Overall I give it 4.5 stars, but will round up on Goodreads and Amazon.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC

Lenny Marks is a fifth-grade teacher who likes to stick to a schedule. She goes to school, she goes home, she watches Friends, and she pretends everything is fine. That is, until she gets a letter from a Parole Board, and she must start facing the truths of her past. This story is heartwarming at times and heartbreaking at other times. The book was reminiscent of the book Elenore Oliphant is Completely Fine, but it does take it to another level. The pacing of the book was well done, with the flashback to Lenny’s past revealing just enough each time. I really enjoyed Lenny and her thought process as she interacted with the people around her on her personal growth journey.
Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny started out annoying me but I grew to empathize and root for her. Very interesting to see the thought process behind her action and her inability to read social cues. Lenny has been through a lot! I’m hopeful for a sequel.

For a stretch of time, we had an influx of quirky main characters in top-selling, highly-buzzed-about books. And honestly, I was getting a little burned out. I gave myself a break from them, and just as I was starting to feel the tug of interest to find a new quirky heroine... Lenny Marks appeared, like a gift.

Lenny's life seems so cozy and lovely, which she (unknowingly, perhaps) designed that way to protect herself from childhood trauma and instability. But it's also quite lonely and she tries so hard to build connections with people. Your heart aches for her.

Kerryn did a fantastic job of bringing the reader into Lenny's life and helping us understand her. It created so much empathy for Lenny and built an understanding of neurodivergence in such a helpful and authentic way. I can't believe this is a debut novel!

Not to compare, because Lenny shines all on her own, but to help you decide whether you want to pick this one up: If you're a fan of The Maid, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Where'd You Go Bernadette--I've no doubt you'll fall in love with Lenny Marks!