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!

I really enjoyed this book! Kerryn Mayne took risks with the characters and I loved all of them. She did such a great job making each one multidimensional so they leapt off the pages-as if they were real people you'd know. The plot was fast-paced, equally heart warming and a bit heartbreaking. There's a twist at the end that ties the story up like a bow on a gift. I highly recommend this one♡

I've unintentionally been reading multiple books about neurodivergent characters, but it appears I saved the best one for last. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is charming and touching, with a protagonist in Lenny that you may not necessarily relate to but that you can't help but root for as she navigates a world where there are people who like her just the way she is, some that make her feel less than herself, and one in her stepfather that not only wants to make her miserable but everyone else around him too. It was heartbreaking to see early in the story a young Helena (Lenny as a child) get beaten down by Fergus, her stepfather. As an adult she has her foster mother Fay to rely on, but she's very insular because of being neurodivergent and because of the trauma she went through as a child. Part of the book is about Lenny forming and understanding new relationships with people in her life - Ned, the man she knows at the grocery store she goes to; Kirra, her coworker and Maureen, her next door neighbor. But it's also about her finally being able to peel back the layers she's shrouded herself in over the years to finally cope with the trauma she went through as a child and learn how to gain acceptance of herself and grow her confidence in how she deals with people and the world around. I loved Lenny. I loved her fascination with the Hobbit, and her willingness to learn about things Ned cares about because she care about him. I love how she goes from wanting to be friends with fellow teachers Amy and Ashleigh, to realizing she doesn't need to and she may not want to. And I also love that there are characters in the book that happen to love Lenny just the way she is. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this book about Lenny Marks. Lenny is a 37 year old woman who sticks to her routines. Her life is disrupted when she receives a letter from the parole board that brings up memories from her past. Lenny is a like able, quirky character. The mystery element kept me reading to find out what had happened to her years ago. I am looking forward to the next book by this author.
Thank you Net Galley and St.Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book early.

This book was so fun to read! I loved following Lenny through this story. She's so great and I loved watching her grow throughout this story. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Finishing this book was bittersweet as I’m sad to no longer have Lenny Marks in my life. This was a fabulous book, with a great plot and endearing characters (well, all but the one…).

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion..

This is a contender for my favorite book of the year!

Lenny is a young, single, smart, neuro-diverse woman who can be painfully socially awkward at times but you always cheer for her.

My gosh, this book had a lot going on, in the very best way. Great character study about how unresolved childhood trauma can impact you in so many ways as an adult. Written from Lenny's POV with much-needed flashbacks to fill in the gaps in this unfolding character-driven mystery. What exactly happened when Lenny was eleven years old? As the story goes on she discovers painful, long-suppressed memories resurfacing that she must decide how to live with. You will want to give Lenny Marks a hug long before this book is through. She broke my heart, she's so earnest and so clueless and socially awkward. She's walled herself off due to trauma issues, but she dearly wants to belong in someone's life. Thankfully she has multiple people around her who want to be in hers. There was something so endearing about her. I loved seeing her blooming relationships with others, and her increasing willingness to let others in even as she's afraid they'll reject her or she's done the wrong thing. It was definitely my romance book brain yelling at me, but I desperately wanted this woman to have an HEA in whatever way worked for her. Thankfully there's a very satisfying conclusion for Lenny, on many levels. Highly recommend. I gave it 4 stars but it's really 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this story in exchange for writing an honest review.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Lenny Marks enjoys routine. She bikes home from work at the same time each day, goes to the grocery store to get the same items on certain days and has the same meals for dinner each week. But when she receives a letter from the parole board at work, she starts to unravel. The letter is the start of Lenny's past all coming back to her in a whirlwind.

I LOVED reading about Lenny Marks! She was a well rounded and well written character. The author did an amazing job with this book! If you enjoy Eleanor Oliphant, you will probably enjoy this one!

Well, spoiler alert, the title does give away the ending, however, Lenny Marks’ journey and personal growth getting there makes it worth sticking around for. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder doles out info in the form of breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout; slowly revealing answers and introducing Lenny to the benefits of actually living life.

I feel the ending seemed a bit too unrealistic considering it takes place in 2022 and there is no mention of cameras (maybe the suburbs of Melbourne are different than those here in the U.S.) or fingerprints or DNA. I’m surprised these plot holes aren’t addressed, in some way, considering Mayne is a police officer.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a worthwhile and satisfying read. The book blurb describes LMGAWM perfectly as, “equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming.” You can’t help but fall a little in love with Lenny Marks and root for her to finally find love and acceptance ... mostly from herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder.

What an absolute treasure of a book. I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of it at first and was quite dismissive of it for the first few chapters. It felt so similar to other books I had read. I am so glad I stuck with it. I finished it a few days ago and Lenny Marks has stuck with me.

It was a joy to follow Lenny on her journey. Lenny starts the book quote alone and lonely. Bit by bit, chapter by chapter, she figures out her place in the world and surrounds herself with people she loves that love her, too.

I look forward to Kerryn Mayne’s next book.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder delights! Lenny is such an adorably quirky character, much like Molly Maid in The Mystery Guest, you can't help fall in love with her and root for her through all the crazy antics to be had. I hope there's more to come from this author! Much thanks to NetGalley and St Martin Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.