Don’t let the title fool you, this is not your average murder mystery. Nor is this a lighthearted thriller. Instead, the story of Lenny Marks, born Helena Winters, is in fact fairly heavy stuff. We meet Lenny as a reclusive schoolteacher in her mid-30s trying to navigate the social dynamics of work colleagues and regular acquaintances. Her odd behavior, refusing to let anyone into her home, binge watching the television show Friends (with a tendancy to refer to the fictional character of Monica as her roommate), and having all her mail sent to the school so that no one knows where she lives, paint the picture of a social misfit with debilitating anxieties. We learn early on that she most likely suffers from trauma, when a letter is delivered to her at school letting her know that her stepfather is due to be released from prison and the parole board would like a victim statement from her.

Lenny refuses to make a statement, but the letter, nonetheless, sets her on her own adventure of sorts toward moving out of her self-imposed isolation and ultimately healing from the trauma which is revealed slowly until a shocking crisis forces Lenny to face her past and determine her future.

Mayne’s Lenny is well-developed and interesting for a person suffering from trauma. Lenny is fun and quirky, in her way. The story is engaging and the pace kept me reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

I felt like the title/cover made it seem like this was going to be a different type of book.
This was a slow start and at the end, it picked up the pace and was a page-turner.

Lenny Marks has had a lot of trauma in her life that she has suppressed. She started to remember things that happened in the past when her stepfather was up for parole.

Lenny likes structure in her life and then things start to spiral out of control.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story was much darker than I expected from the cover and the description! There was no humor outside of Lenny's quirks, and as the mystery of her past unfolds, it gets pretty disturbing. I did love Lenny's character and the few good people she had in her life though.

I think we all need to agree to protect Lenny Marks at all costs. I love a thriller, so any book with murder in the title is one I'm likely to grab, but this story was different in a bunch of really great ways. I loved Lenny and the way she interacts with the world, and while her choices and behavior were a little frustrating at times, Mayne builds her character in a way that you accept that, and welcome her small steps out of her comfort zone. This is such a smart, well-written story, that I keep needing to go back to read more of because I needed to know that Lenny would be ok. That's a sign of a fantastic book for me!

I loved everything about Lenny Marks! I worried for her, cheered for her and grieved for her. She thinks she has her life together, but as her emotions and memories begin to unravel, it’s obvious that she does not.

Well done, Kerryn Mayne—the Hobbit books, Scrabble games and TV episodes of Friends were clever, and woven into the story perfectly as Lenny’s personality and insecurities were revealed.

Great supporting cast, too—Fay, Ned, Maureen and Malcom were wonderful.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to read and review. Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a slow start but once I got engaged in the story it picked up. I really felt for the main character Lenny who faces challenges in life and with interpersonal relationships largely due to trauma from her childhood. I was routing for her to overcome obstacles and live a happy life. I especially liked Ned, Kyria and Maureen. It was interesting how she named her dog after her deceased brother Malcolm. The book weaves young Helena’s life with Lenny’s current life. The author’s police background is clearly evident in her storytelling. The story gradually unfolds and the pieces come together and it makes sense. I wanted to keep reading to fully understand everything that Lenny had experienced and why she is the way she is. No one should have suffered like her. The book is even more pertinent today with the greater focus on mental health. I strongly recommend this book.

This was a fun and interesting read although it isn’t like what the title makes you think it will be about. Did that make sense?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I think my only issue with this book is that title--which kind of sets you up for an entirely different book (one about murder), when it's more a book about a woman recovering from trauma. Other than that, it's altogether lovely.

Lenny Marks is a great, memorable character (reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant), a former foster kid and current school teacher with not great communication skills and no social life whatsoever (she mostly watches Friends and plays scrabble against herself. )

The book opens with Lenny receiving a letter from the parole board about a man from her past and the rest of the story unfolds as we learn more about this man, his role in her life, and the history that has brought her to this place where she is living as small and safe of a life as possible.

The letter forces Lenny to make some big changes and these are delightful to watch, like socializing with co-workers, "cleaning-up" the neighborhood, and dating. These choices may ultimately lead down a predictable path, but they still provide some nice surprises and make for great storytelling.

Overall, this book is an easy, empathetic read. I cared about Lenny and wanted the best for her, and found myself happy to read for as long as that resolution took to unfold. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Lenny Marks has a very strict routine:

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.

I can't begin to describe how fun this book was to read. You will laugh and cry as you follow Lenny's transformation. Fall in love with Lenny and her Friends.

Lenny Marks loves her routines, playing scrabble, watching friends and is socially awkward. She has gone through so much trauma. She is trying to make friends at work. The author did a great job of describing things from Lenny’s mind and how scrambling her words brings her comfort in stressful situations.

Ned as also a great person to bring into her life as he understood and accepted her. Together they made a great match.

This book is such a unique blend of love, loss, finding your way, revenge, and friendship. A little mean girl vibes from Amy at work.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a captivating work that delves into the complex interplay of secrets, and the intricacies of family. At the heart of this mesmerizing narrative is an unforgettable heroine who drives the story forward. Lenny is one of a kind and true to who she is. Mayne masterfully weaves a tale of resilience and redemption as Lenny Marks grapples with the complexities of her past and the consequences of her actions. Mayne's prose is both lyrical and evocative, immersing readers in the raw emotions of her characters. This formula makes for a great book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

A very well written and thought provoking book, Lenny is someone you just want to get close to and say it'll be alright and give her a hug. Lenny (she used to be known as Helena) works at a primary school and has a very strict routine, she gets up at the same time, gets ready, rides her bike to school, makes tea (turning the teapot 3 times) and is a loner. Lenny is trying to make friends with Amy and Ashleigh, though they are a bit younger than her and aren't interested. Lenny makes up a imaginary friend so she can tell her coworkers that friend is her roommate and they watch TV (Friends) and play Scrabble (Lenny plays for both of them). A letter from the parole board arrives and sends Lenny into a bit of a tailspin, her stepfather is being released from prison and the letter is to notify her. Lenny wants nothing to do with it or him. We learn a bit about Lenny's upbringing, something happened to her mom and stepdad when she was young and she was sent to live with a relative. While walking one night, Lenny witnesses a man abusing his dog and decides to take the dog to save it, although she's never had a pet before and this is a Rottweiler. A man at her grocery store tries to be friendly to her and she gets nervous, deciding she has to shop someplace else. Lenny's life begins to fall apart, she gets so stressed she misses school, unheard of for her, and her stepdad makes an appearance where we learn why he and her mom went away. Both a sad and uplifting story, I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

In the mundane rhythm of Lenny Marks' life lies buried secrets and a haunting past she's desperate to forget. But when a letter from the past disrupts her carefully constructed world, Lenny is forced to confront the memories she's long suppressed. As she navigates through newfound connections and unexpected relationships, Lenny begins to unravel the mystery surrounding her mother and stepfather's disappearance. Kerryn Mayne's debut novel is a poignant exploration of truth, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit, with a protagonist who will linger in readers' hearts long after the final page.

Lenny Marks has carefully crafted her life, a life with no surprises. She bikes to work where she teaches elementary school. She plans her meals, shops at the local grocery store, and has the same meals each week. She sees her adopted mother regularly, the one person in her life who knows the truth about her past.

When a clue to Lenny's past arrives in the mail her carefully constructed life starts to fray. As her life begins to spiral out of her control, Lenny suddenly finds herself vulnerable. As Lenny begins to remember a past she has kept hidden from herself, she also opens herself up to new experiences - friends, kindness, and a new furry friend.

This mystery unfolds as Lenny is herself an unreliable narrator, refusing for a time to come to terms with trauma in her childhood. Quirky, delightful, and sad, this story is a most for those who love found-family and justice.

I tried reading this while I was sick and unfortunately I couldn’t get into it enough to keep going. I hate not finishing books but I just didn’t find it interesting enough.

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
Overall Grade: B-
Plot: B
Characters: B+
Writing: B
Ending: B
Pacing: C
Setting: B
Best Aspect: Overall this was an interesting read.
Worst Aspect: Way too often I felt the story was going nowhere.
Recommend: Yes.

Lenny Marks lives a regimented life with her career as a teacher, her FRIENDS reruns, and her simple life at home. Her world is turned upside down with her stepfather’s release from prison and dark secrets from her past emerge.


With a rich cast of characters, past and present mysteries, and a found family trope that will fill your heart LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER is not to be missed.

Debut Australian author Kerryn Mayne highlights the people that buoy us when life becomes completely disorienting. I loved the thoughtful neurodiversity representation and how the importance of living in community is for our human hearts.

Thank you to Emma Grey, author of THE LAST LOVE NOTE for introducing me to Lenny Marks.

Read this if you:
•Have used books to escape reality
•find comfort in watching FRIENDS reruns
•adore the found family trope

RATING: 4.5/5 stars rounded up
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This has to be the most intriguing book I’ve read in a long time and it’s very hard to put labels on. Lenny Marks lives a very structured, ordinary life largely because of a dreadful childhood trauma she suffered - much of which she’s buried deep in her mind as the only way to get through each day. As she starts to break out from her rigid, lonely existence – often unwillingly – Lenny starts to see new possibilities. The changes often terrify her and your heart will break for her over and over again, but you’ll be cheering for her on even more occasions. It’s hard to believe this is a debut book and I’ll definitely look out for the author’s next book!

Love Lenny! A must read debut that resonates long after the first page!!! Highly recommend this 5 star masterpiece.

Lenny Marks is an unconventional young woman. She lives an isolated life and doesn’t let anyone in. She likes her privacy, and she likes her organized life and schedule just as it is. So when a letter arrives from a parole board letting her know her step-father is being released, this throws a wrench into the pleasing life she’s built for herself and slowly begins to unravel forgotten childhood trauma.

To say Lenny Marks is a bit unconventional is putting it lightly, but that is what made her character more endearing. While reading this, I saw myself in Lenny’s mannerisms and characteristics frequently. The writing was so enjoyable and I really found myself entranced by all the inner-monologues that Lenny would have. Did Kerryn Mayne peek inside my brain? LOL. I appreciated the levity that was juxtaposed with the serious subject of childhood trauma, as I too use humor to deal with serious subject matters.The story was well executed and this is a book I recommend to anyone who is looking for a quirky, lovable, and messy main character.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for review!