I requested and received this book from NetGalley. I am VERY pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. Lenny was an unremarkable but extraordinary character. I loved the story and Lenny's development.

Potential spoiler ahead....

When I first started reading it I was thinking it was going to be a Shutter Island vibe. I loved that it wasn't.

What a thrill this book was! As someone who is somewhat neurodivergent (but honestly, aren’t we all a little) this book had me hooked from the start! We all have a certain way we handle and live through trauma, and I think, especially when we struggle with mental health it takes on a whole different meaning. Lenny is witty and sometimes outrageous in her thoughts, but you begin to understand that her past self is trying to get through so she can finally heal properly.

I encourage people to read this book, especially if they are into mystery and suspenseful reads. You honestly don’t know what is coming next! Trigger warnings for abusive relationships and a small chapter including animal abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this novel early!

Lenny Marks lives a safe and orderly life. She believes going unnoticed is the best way to survive. Twenty five years ago, her mom and stepmom abandoned her, and she lived with her foster parents Fay and Robert Marks. She grew up to teach elementary school. While she desires friends, she spends her evenings watching Friends and playing Scrabble against an imaginary roommate. A letter from the Parole Board declaring that her stepfather will be released from prison throws Lenny's safe life into chaos. It causes her to rethink her childhood, and she is forced to remember everything that really happened.

Lenny Marks is one of my new favorite characters. I enjoyed watching her come into herself. Her interactions with her co-workers, her desire to become friends with "mean girls" Ashleigh and Amy, and her awkwardness were so believable. Also, Ned was a wonderful love interest, supportive of Lenny without wanting to change her into someone she's not.

The ending wrapped up a little too neatly. I find it hard to believe that the characters in Lenny's life were so intertwined. I understand small town life, but it seemed too convenient.

I plan to recommend this book as a browsing title for the GSU Library. I believe fans of Liz Nugent's Strange Sally Diamond will love this book.

Lenny Marks lives a quiet life - she’s a teacher and sticks to her well-planned routines such as visiting the grocery store on certain days and meals for each day of the week.

Lenny has tried to make friends with the new young teachers at school, so when she is invited for a night out at trivia, she immediately agrees and then immediately regrets it. She decides to go anyway, which is the start of some changes in her life - starting with the fact that her crush from the grocery store, Ned, is dating her young coworker.

As Lenny starts to break her routines, she starts to realize that things aren’t at all what they seemed. Eventually she starts to remember pieces of her childhood, and what really happened on her birthday so many years before.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Lenny Marks, a sweet, yet troubled neurodivergent character is truly one I will not soon forget. Lenny is a 5th grade schoolteacher who strictly adheres to her routines and lives a mostly solitary life. When she receives a letter from the parole board announcing the upcoming parole hearing of her step-father, who she hasn't seen in 25 years, Lenny is forced to deal with her past, a past that she has successfully repressed up to this point. With a dual timeline, we slowly discover what crime her step-father committed when Lenny was 13 and what impact he will have on her life once he is out of prison. With an amazing set of side characters, as well as, a lovable dog named Malcolm, Lenny Marks Gets away with Murder is a terrific debut novel by an Australian novelist that I highly recommend. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

This is a VERY solid debut novel. It is well written and has an excellent cast of characters. I really enjoyed Lenny as a character and I think would be perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan or the Thursday Murder Club which are in the cozy mystery genre. It's a book with a mystery that is interesting, but also is pretty character driven as we learn more about Lenny and what has lead her to make certain decisions in life. I definitely enjoyed her character arc.

I'm hoping this is a successful book and becomes a series! Definitely would love to read more about Lenny!

Is everything ok over there Australia? Another Australian author has entered the scene with some fresh and twisty murder. Lenny Marks is a delight from start to finish.

I really enjoyed this one. The FMC was one of routine and structure, which I can totally relate to. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this.

I liked Lenny Mark's Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne, but I didn't love it. Lenny is certainly an interesting character and she has an interesting story. However, I felt it took too long for the plot to get going at the beginning, and I also felt that Lenny's internal monologues throughout the book were a little overdone. This is certainly a solid book and I think it is a very good debut novel. I would look forward to reading a second book by this author.

Well written and great characters. The way it was written made you feel like you were there with Lenny along the way. I love the neurodivergent aspect to this book as well!

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a good read. I love Lenny and her quirky self.

This isn’t a thriller and isn’t a romance so I guess it’s just fiction. I enjoyed it and it’s some what along the lines of Finlay Donovan or Oliphant but it’s it’s own also.

Hoping there is a sequel here as I need more from Lenny. This did have some heartbreaking devastating scenes also that were at times hard to get through but necessary- Lenny stole my heart for sure.

A funny and smart debut that will have you rooting hard for Ms. Lenny Marks!

Lenny is a thirty seven year old woman with a routine. She is a primary school teacher whose days run like clockwork, even down to her weekly regular rotation of meals. She is thrown out of whack when a letter arrives at her doorstep from the Parole board, which is forcing her to re-examine the events of her childhood and how she ended up on her own.

Lenny is smart but shy, and deeply impacted by events she is just starting to fully remember. This book is far from action packed but it is so wonderfully human that you will find yourself enjoying every piece of the puzzle. I loved watching Lenny open up, acknowledge her past and herself, and begin to heal. A great read for a debut author and I hope the first of more! Fans of "The Maid" will enjoy this one.

I thought this was a charming debut. The character of Lenny is well developed and done with respect to trauma victims and those who are neurodivergent. That’s not always the case, so I appreciate that.

I liked Lenny’s use of anagrams in stressful situations and the Friend’s references. While there are quite a few similar novels, this one has its own unique take on a main character who has suffered from past trauma and is doing her best to move forward. There were times the pace felt a bit slow and some suspension of disbelief is needed to enjoy the story.

Free ARC. A very well done entry in the grump-gets-a-life category of books. Well done reveal of her back story which literally made me tear up. Great character growth.

This is a well-written, fascinating debut novel. Kerryn Mayne writing style is serious, humorous and draws you right into the story from the first page.
Lenny Marks is a 37-year-old school teacher of primary students, who was an abused child and lives a very disciplined, ordered life. She bikes to the shops on the same day every week, buys the same food for each day of the week. She does not actually cook, however, is good at reheating. Lenny is quirky in many ways and very private with few interactions with others. She often plays Scrabble with her imaginary friend, Monica, watches old reruns of Friends on Netflix and often rearranges her 36-book collection of The Hobbit.
Lenny is aware that she is seen by others as being different, however, it does not necessarily bother her, although there are two other teachers at the school that she would enjoy being friends with. She is private, but at times can be outspoken.
This story is intriguing, and sad, as well as delightful, sometimes amusing, and heartwarming. There are a number of twists and turns, and secrets that are revealed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Now and then, a book sneaks up and surprises you in the very best way. LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER is precisely that kind of book. We meet Lenny Marks, a solitary school teacher nearing 40, just before she receives a letter that throws her entire adult life off kilter. No need to say more, because it all unfolds effortlessly from there. With an endearing, beautifully written protagonist and a story that somehow balances humor with tragedy, this novel is a rare find. Readers should know that the quirky title and cover won’t quite account for some of the very difficult content in this book, including child abuse, but the content is handled sensitively and is not at all gratuitous. There are parts of this book that are still making my heart ache or making me giggle even now as I’m writing this. That’s the mark of a good novel, I think. Find time for Lenny Marks. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance review copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Excellent insight into a mind that is part autistic and part traumatized by her past. Lenny has created a routine that is very defined in order to protect herself from her past and from others in the present. Lenny is portrayed sympathetically but realistically. She knows her limitations and always tries to stay in the background so that she won't get ridiculed because of the constructs that she needs. She is a wonderful character - I really enjoyed her inner monologue. I also enjoyed the way the author gave us information about the past, happening as Lenny slowly separates fiction from fact. There were several happy surprises in the story. I found most of the characters to be very black or white - not racial, just that the nice people were very nice and the mean people weren't. And that leads to an almost expected conclusion. I still very much enjoyed Lenny's world and her story!

What aims for a note to note copy of Elinor Oliphant Is Completely Fine hits the bigger chords, but misses the minor keys.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder kind of sneeks up on you with the little peaks of life as it relates to things happening around her. A well ordered tale with surprises not always expected. Thank you NetGalley for grabing me into Karyn Mayne's world!

This was a really good book about Lenny Marks and all the trauma she has experienced and how it affects her adult life. But Lenny starts making some positive changes and we get to see life improve! I enjoyed reading this!