Lenny Marks is such an eccentric, wounded, hilarious, multi layered character, I loved her from the first page! Discover the truth of her past childhood trauma that she blocked from memory and witness her life change dramatically! Must read!

This book was extremely well done. It held my interest and kept me guessing. It was a lot more intense than I thought it was going to be. It was heartbreaking at times. If I knew what the backstory was, I honestly would not have read it.
This book should come with a lot of trigger warnings. Keep that in mind. However if you are someone that usually likes true crime and police stories, you will likely enjoy this piece of fiction.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lenny had a very traumatic childhood, and she has created a safe quiet life for herself. She does not like to draw attention to herself and prefers to lead a solitary life. She is very organized, precise and detail oriented. She leaves for work each day on her bike at the same time, dressed very conservatively taking the same route to her job. When she arrives at the school where she works, she has a routine that she follows before beginning work. She shops that the same grocery store, eats the same things and watches the same tv shows. Lenny has no friends and likes it that way. Lenny is happy as she is and does not like change. But change does come when she gets a letter about the parole of her stepfather. Then the world that Lenny loves begins to come apart.
This storyline of this book was not what I was expecting but it was a very good one. It was a little slow at first but then it picked up as more and more surprises occurred.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Lenny Marks is single and leads a very controlled life daily repeating her routine. She bikes to and from her beloved teaching job, buys the same groceries on the way home and has few friends except in her imagination. Thankfully she does have her foster mother Fay who prods her to be more social. The disappearance of her mother and stepfather at a young age has stunted her adult life however. When a letter arrives from the Parole Board Lenny tries to ignore it as long as possible. Eventually the letter shakes up Lenny's life.

Readers will experience a range of emotions while reading about this quirky protagonist. Kerryn Mayne's debut is great. I look forward to reading what she writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read the e-galley prior to publication.

Lenny is an unforgettable character even if she would prefer you forget her. She suffered a terrible childhood trauma and has managed this by keeping her world small and controlled. Things change when she learns that the person responsible for the trauma will soon be released from prison. The side characters are important and memorable and interesting....her unusual but loving next door neighbor, the people she teaches with who she thinks could be her friends and the neighborhood grocer who she possibly has feelings for. We see Lenny work through small things that to her are really big and when it appears it could all change, she finds ways to survive and she is brilliant! A five star debut for me!

What a knockout debut! Lenny loves order. Order is good. Routines are good; they are comforting. But when Lenny starts opening herself up to breaking her own rules, the real story begins. You will love Lenny and all of her quirks and the colorful characters in her life. This book was unexpected in the best way and if you loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, prepare to devour your new favorite read: Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Lenny Gets Away with Murder. It took me a few to get into the book as I wasn't sure really what direction the story was going. That being said that once the well orchestrated pieces started to fall into place I really did like the book a lot. Lenny's story is one of everyone leaving her. Lenny knows she is different and thinks that it is because of that she looses all the people she cares about in life. However, when she gets a letter at school from a mysterious place the story of Lenny truly begins. Its a book that is filled with trauma and resiliency. I really enjoyed this book.

Lenny is a teacher who loves her routine and her bike and her own way of doing things. We learn of Lenny’s past trauma and we learn why routine is so important to her. The book was good but a bit slow. But I did find myself pulling for this loveable character.

Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder delivers a story of neurodivergent Lenny who struggles connecting with her peers even at the encouragement of her foster-mum, spending evenings watching Friends re-runs while pretending to play Scrabble with Monica Gellar and sticking to the same weekly meal routine, and most notably, she has a hard time remembering exactly what happened when her mom and stepdad disappeared when she was just a child apart from a voice that tells her “You did this.”

As we embark on Lenny’s day-to-day journey navigating her life as a 5th grade teacher trying to fit in with her colleagues and making small talk with the local grocer, things start to unravel with letters and calls from the parole board, a kidnapped dog, and an unexpected neighbor/family friend, Lenny’s history starts falling into place as she faces the demons of her past and springs forward into getting her own life.

At first, I felt that Lenny’s story was venturing a little too close to what had been done in Eleanor Oliphant and thought it might be another knock-off of the anxious woman with a traumatic past trope. Granted it’s been a hot minute since I’ve read Eleanor Oliphant, I felt like this was where Lenny was headed but was pleasantly surprised with the dark humor and the way everything all tied up in the end, even if the “twists” felt a little predictable, I still enjoyed the heart that came through the plot.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title early! I will definitely be recommending this to my friends.

Meet Lenny Marks, a character who's bound to capture your heart and linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page. With her humor and tears, Lenny's big-hearted yet widely misunderstood nature is something truly special. At 37, she's a primary school teacher with a love for "The Hobbit" and "Friends," and a past shadowed by an unhappy childhood she's largely repressed. It was only in foster care that she found happiness. Now, urged by her foster mother to "get a life" and forge connections, Lenny makes earnest, albeit awkward, attempts to socialize. But just as she's navigating these choppy waters, a letter from the parole board sends her life into a tailspin.

Following Lenny's journey is a deeply moving experience. Her blunt honesty and contentment in solitude, set against the backdrop of her struggles and resilience, paint a portrait of a uniquely endearing character. This book invites you into Lenny's world—one of sorrow, survival, and the subtle joys of life. Dive in to fully grasp the essence of her story.

What a great mystery! It sort of reminds me of the Molly Maid series on the characters are completely different and she's not a maid! It did however make me smile! I highly recommend it!

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is not what I was expecting based on the title. The first half seemed to just drag on as Lenny struggles with her personal demons. The last half gets more interesting and kept me engaged in reading it. Overall book seemed too long. Lenny is an interesting character but is she real or faking her way through life? I really wanted to cheer for her and see her succeed but she made so many poor decisions that it was difficult for me to relate.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Much like Eleanor Oliphant, Lenny Marks is much more damaged and tragic and much less “quirky” than the cover would lead you to believe. Mayne sets the stage slowly, as befitting her protagonist, but the story really opens up as Lenny’s mind does. While I was committed enough at that point to finish, I do wish there had more warning than “equal parts heartbreaking” in the description when it came to the past trauma in Lenny’s life.

Altogether, this was a fairly satistlfying read, if hard to describe. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions my own.

I loved this book and gave it 5 stars! This story just grabs you and you just become very invested in discovering what are the driving forces for Lenny. I wanted to know what happened to her when she was a child and how those events impact as an adult. This is just a truly gripping story I will never forget.

Thank you NetGalley for opportunity to read and review this book. All options are my own.

Wow. Just wow. This book was one that I just could not put down after about 20-30 pages in. The odd thing is that I almost put this book into ,my DNF category. I am so glad that I hung in. The main character, Lenny, has suffered a tragedy early in her life and we find her in her late 30s working as an elementary school teacher, extremely awkward and wishing to socially isolate as much as possible. Throughout the book, we root for Lenny while trying to figure out what exactly happened to her all those years before. I do not want to give away a bit of the ending. It is a marvelous novel and I think many will enjoy it. The reason I almost did not finish it was because in her socially discomfort, Lenny does a word exercise whenever she is uncomfortable. I found that extremely annoying and did not think that I would be able to get through the book. Thankfully it lessened significantly and I was able to dive in.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review. I highly recommend this book. It is an excellent book club book because it makes you want to run out and discuss it with others.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a wildly charming book. Lenny is a teacher whose traumatic history has left her with quirky ways of dealing with the world. Readers will find themselves rooting for Lenny. I loved her character and the people around her who love and support her, even when she struggles to recognize them. While the title implies that Lenny must be a devious person, instead readers will empathize and understand the choices she makes. This book was a feel-good read, leaving me with the sense that justice will be served and kindness is rewarded.

This is a tough one. I want to like it and know I’m the person this book is intended for. My problem is that it is far too similar to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I stopped reading because it wasn’t new enough for me. Haven’t read Eleanor Oliphant? I bet you love this book.

This was an interesting book. Very different characters, yet good character development. A bit of a mystery that kept you unsure till the end. Would recommend as an easy, fun read. This was an interesting book. Very different characters, yet good character development. A bit of a mystery that kept you unsure till the end. Would recommend as an easy, fun read. That you NetGalley for letting me read this prerelease book for an honest review.

I really liked this book. The main character was a delight. I liked the way the story was built. Some things were predictable but not everything and it was really great to watch Lenny grow in confidence as she recalled her past and dealt with it. So great to see someone who may not be like everyone else still be able to have such a great support network around them.

I loved this book! This is a perfectly paced book that made us understand and sympathize with Lenny.