"Lenny's existence was many things: simple, predictable, and uneventful. It had taken considerable effort and time to get to this point and she was not planning on disrupting the perfectly good order of things."

At thirty-seven, Lenny Marks is most comfortable living her life as quietly as possible. She enjoys her simple daily routine of teaching fifth graders, buying groceries twice a week, and watching her favorite television show reruns. She's been working on cultivating new relationships but socializing is stressful, so she settles for another game of Scrabble with an imaginary Monica from 'Friends'. When a letter shows up with a name on it that Lenny hasn't seen in years, it unearths a host of dark memories involving her missing mother and stepfather that threaten to pull her painstakingly crafted routines apart at the seams. It's up to Lenny to keep the rest of her life from following suit and laying waste to precious new friendships in the process.

Lenny shows signs of neurodivergence, but she also experiences a great deal of anxiety and engages in other behaviors that are the result of traumatic events from her childhood. Although stressful at times, it was also interesting to read about Lenny's thinking patterns and how she rationalizes her actions, especially when it came to socializing with people and other situations that non-neurodivergent people would find commonplace. Her interactions with family members and colleagues were awkward at times and as a result, Lenny was often labeled 'weird' or 'odd' which was always sad to read; Lenny recognizes that she has a difficult time understanding things like emotions and sarcasm but mostly chalks up the awkwardness to not thinking before she speaks.

The book does a decent job of describing the difficulties of the everyday life of a victim of trauma. The anxiety and panic that Lenny experiences when confronted with anything relating to that trauma is quite palpable.
The reader isn't made aware of what exactly the traumatic event is outright though the book does drop hints in the form of flashbacks. Lenny frequently blames herself for that event and other unfortunate things that happen to her throughout her life. These were the portions that were some of the most difficult to stomach.

Although there are some heavy topics addressed throughout the book, the cast of characters mesh well. There is subtle humor from friends and quirky banter with fellow teachers, and it was a joy to see Lenny learn and grow as time went on and apply those lessons to challenges that she faced head-on. The happy moments were truly heartwarming and this is a book I will definitely be recommending to family and friends.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne was just terrific.

Lenny does things exactly the same way every day - she buys the same food repeatedly, leaves work at the same time every day, and doesn't really have any real friends.

She's doesn't think about the past or what has happened in her past life until a letter from the parole board forces her to remember what happened to her and what she did.

It was refreshing to read Lenny coming to grips with, and breaking free of her past and finding her way to a new life. I loved reading about this worthy character grow into her own person and have hope for the future.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. All views are strictly my own.

I hope to be reading more from this author soon!

This book reminds me of several other books but is unique in it's own way. I really liked Lenny as a character and I definitely see why she manages her time/life the way she does. I love that she steps out of her comfort zone whether by choice or not and decides to do things out of her norm.
At first I could not tell if perhaps she was on the spectrum or if she was suffering from PTSD or just really regimented but as soon as that letter arrived I knew something was amiss.
I did find the end of the book a bit predictable but it was still quite an enjoyable read.

I think this book would be a great read for fans of books like "Eleanor Oliphant", "Where'd You Go Bernadette" and possibly even "Convenience Store Woman".

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Kerryn Mayne for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This. Was. Good! While you may have encountered similar elements before, this author has crafted something special. Some characters I loved and others I loved to hate. Humor, heartbreak and hope. This is an outstanding debut!

Lenny Gets Away with Murder by K. Mayne, published by St. Martin's Press is the debut from this new to me author.
I started reading and soon I was enthralled, I couldn't put the book down anymore. Literally unputdownable.
I recommend this gem of a story, 5 stars.
Blurb:
"Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

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.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail—and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life—but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable."

I was in a reading slump, I had a number of saved books, but nothing I started appealed to me. Then came a chance to read (in 48 hours) an ARC of this debut novel. Figured it was worth giving it a try, and so glad I did. I read it with 30 hours and loved every minute of it. Lenny is a complex woman who lives a very structure, closed, solitary life. She is a wonderful character and her “quirks” are result of the (slowly revealed) trauma she suffered as a child. Anagrams, her coping mechanism, add to the enjoyment of this wonderful first novel. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

A cozy murder mystery in Australia? Right up my alley. But hold on...the title is a bit deceiving. There might be a murder but this book is so much more. A tale of fitting in, grief, trauma, abuse, friendship and growth, Lenny Marks will leave a handprint on your heart (thanks, Wicked). When we meet her, Lenny is a 37 year old teacher making the best of the life that she has created for herself. While never explicitly stated, Lenny appears to be neurodivergent and her mum is encouraging her to create a larger world for herself through friendship. This book is a journey of discovery, of recovery, and of love. Sharing much more would be lead to spoilers. Read Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder yourself.

There were parts of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder that I really loved: for example, the anagrams were a clever commentary on the action. And Lenny herself was mostly believable and loveable. But to swallow the plot, you’d need to had 3 large tablespoons of “willing suspension of disbelief,” a perfectly fine solution for a fairy tale.

I enjoyed the read—fast paced, warm and humorous.

If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant, you'll enjoy this - as they have a lot in common. Lenny is clearly a traumatized character and the book unravels her past in bits and pieces. She is a teacher (that seems well liked by her students and competent) that has trouble with social cues and is nearing 40 with only a made up friend Monica for company. The story unfolds in past and present, as characters come in and out, and Lenny has to confront things she clearly hasn't prior.

very very fun :D i loved this arc, felt like 1 part eleonor oliphant and one part thriller with dark past. thanks for the arc!

I loved this book! I thought I was getting a cozy mystery or maybe a zany Finlay Donovan type book but I wasn't (and that's why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover or title). It was a lot more serious than I was expecting. As the synopsis says it is "equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming".

It did take me a bit to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down.

This book was published in Australia in 2023 and will be published in the US this year. I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, St. Martin's Press!

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, Killer Crime Club and St. Martin’s Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Lenny Marks seems like a quiet recluse who does not remember what happened on that fatal night when her mom and step-dad disappeared one night when she was young. She will suddenly start to remember what occurred on that fatal night and the circumstances

Why did she do it or did she? It is a compelling read.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

The arrival of a letter from the Adult Parole Board Victoria brings chaos of a sort into the well-ordered life of thirty-seven-year-old Selby South Primary teacher Lenny Marks. Until now, her unwavering routine has allowed Lenny [once Helena Winters] to forget certain events from her childhood. She’s kept herself distanced from neighbors and co-workers, interacting with others as little as possible. Contentment comes from teaching her twenty-three grade five students and then returning to her home.

Now, as long-forgotten memories return, Lenny abandons her self-isolation and finds herself associating with others, experiencing connections with those around her. But there’s still that nagging voice in her head, reminding her “You did this.”

Exactly what did Lenny do? And why is the parole board contacting her?

Will Lenny’s past catch up with her before she can embrace the new life she so desperately desires?

=========

Set in Australia, this tale of long-held [and deeply buried] secrets, fears, and guilt is populated with strong, nuanced, believable characters. Early on, readers realize Lenny is dealing . . . or, through her structured routines, not dealing . . . with a devastating trauma from her past. Her foster mother gently pushes and prods, wanting Lenny to find a way to abandon those stringent survival techniques that keep her from having friends and relationships, from having a sense of belonging, from having a life.

As the unfolding story slowly reveals the abuse of her past, readers see Lenny growing as she deals with the re-emergence of the memories she worked so hard to repress. The telling of this tale is, at times, filled with hilarity; other moments promise to flood the reader’s eyes with tears.

Although the ways in which Lenny deals with the trauma of her past seem unreasonably severe, readers will applaud her efforts to reach out for life, for belonging. And, as her memories return, she comes to realize that she needs no forgiveness, either from herself or from anyone else, leaving her finally free to seek relationships, to become a part of that life she has eschewed for so long.

Readers who enjoy stories of triumph over adversity, perhaps with a bit of mystery, will find much to appreciate here in this unputdownable tale of a woman who finally finds the life she so richly deserves.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#LennyMarksGetsAwaywithMurder #NetGalley

Lenny Marks knows that she is different from her co-workers and from everyone she meets. She doesn’t make friends easily, she follows the same routines every week. Many years after the fact, she is still trying to figure out how her mother could choose her nasty stepfather over her. As Lenny makes an effort to expand her life, she starts to remember her past differently. Maybe there can be a normal life for Lenny after all.

The cover grabbed me in, so I wanted to love Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. However, I didn’t care for the protagonist and in the end it just didn’t hold my interest.

What can I say about Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder?
I can say I absolutely loved this book and Lenny Marks.
Lenny is predictable, she's organized, and she's happy with that, but as we find out, happiness is what we make of it.
Lenny struggles to fit in and to make friends. She's content to be alone, but deep inside, she wants to belong.
As a school teacher, she's fond of her routine, visits to her mum, and her local grocery store, and watching Friends over and over.
Until the day a letter arrives for her, Helena Winters, and the secrets, fears and guilt start to overwhelm her. Eventually those feelings free her, from the horrible things she endured as a child, to releasing the pain she struggles with, to being able to forgive herself, because none of it was ever her fault.
I found myself intrigued by Lenny, and getting to know her is an honor and privilege I will never forget.
I'm hoping to meet up with Lenny again, because now, she's free to really live her life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book, but most of all, thank you to the author, for introducing me to the fabulous Lenny Marks.
This book deserves all the stars, it is truly a wonderful piece of art.

I never saw the twists coming and was completely blindsided in the best possible way. And then, when it happened, I had no idea how it could possibly turn out, and then it did. I never wanted it to end. I seriously couldn’t get enough of it and the story was utter genius.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne from St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

A little bit into this book I got my jaw out all sideways because not only had I gotten myself involved with something awfully chick-litty again, the protagonist was one that seems more like a fashionable trope than real person these days—emotionally wounded adult female who may or may not be on the autism spectrum, lives a mostly isolated life, if only she would respond to the people around her who truly care….

I mean, it’s unreal how many of these characters I’m seeing in books and on screen. Guess it’s just what’s in the zeitgeist for the time being.

Anywhoodles, I’m glad I got a little bit over myself and stuck with it, because there were various plot twists that I didn’t see coming, which made for a very solid story overall.

Still not a fan of Rottweilers, though.

DESCRIPTION
Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

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.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail--and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life–but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.

Lenny Marks is fine. She’s happy with her isolated, predicatable life and with her memories from the past buried so deep that she can’t quite remember them. This is a story about abuse, dealing with trauma, and learning to open yourself up and take back your life.

While this wasn’t a particularly fast paced thriller or a super twisty whodunnit, I still finished the book in one day, anxious to see all the secrets unravel. While Lenny is reminiscant of Eleanor Oliphant and Molly Gray, I think the book stands on its own, dealing with difficult topics and providing a satisfying arc of character growth. The book takes place in Australia, and there were a few Australian words and phrases that were new to me, but it didn’t take away from the story at all.

By the end of the book I had laughed, I had cried, and I’m reluctant to bid farewell to these characters. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this ebook!