Lenny Marks keeps her life small, confined, manageable, and comfortable for herself. She recognizes that she's different - she enjoys her work with students as a teacher, but she's much less comfortable in the teachers' lounge. The woman who was a foster mother to her encourages her to try to socialize more and develop some friendships, but it isn't easy for Lenny. Then she receives a letter from the parole board asking for a "victim statement", and the mystery of Lenny's past begins to be slowly revealed. And I don't say "slowly" lightly - this is a slow burn of a book in terms of learning what happened in Lenny's past. As Lenny is trying to establish new relationships and navigate the changes those bring to her once-orderly life, she's also beginning to come to terms with her past. I enjoyed this book - I liked Lenny, and it was easy to empathize with her need to reconcile her present with her past in order to move on with her life. Kerry Mayne writes with heart and humor, and much like real life, she's surrounded Lenny with a mixed bag of characters - some are squarely in her corner and working for her best interests, some are not, and some are just confounded by her and can't be bothered to try to figure her out. I had the Kindle version and the audiobook, and while I read a bit of this on my Kindle, I mostly listened to the audiobook and was happy I had it - Annie Maynard's narration was excellent, and helped keep my head in the Australian setting where it belonged for the duration of this most enjoyable book.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

This book was just ok for me. I was really looking forward to it after hearing Emma Grey rave about it. But for me there was nothing that drew me into the story. It felt like the author had painted a caricature of a neurodivergent woman.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Lenny in this wonderful debut, Lenny is different, caring and finds it hard to make friends, but there is a really good reason for Lenny to be like this and I highly recommend that you get to know her and the other fabulous characters that are part of the story.
This is such a great story, there is a lot happening as we see Lenny’s life change as she finally remembers everything from her past, unlocking those memories is filled with emotion what she went through was terrible but her strength through it all shows, I loved seeing her react to other people add to that the characters that are there for her this story is compelling and so well told, I do highly recommend this one it is sure to keep any reader entertained.

Thank you for the advanced copy of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder.

I am still unsure how I completely feel about this story. I really enjoyed the book in the beginning and I loved getting to know Lenny. She is a quirky character that has so much trauma from events that happened to her when she was a young girl. I like that she is taking care of herself the best that she can and that she is able to be a teacher and live on her on. As the story progressed however, I had a hard time staying engaged with the plot. I am not sure if I feel like it started to drag, but it took me quite a while to finish the book. Overall, I enjoyed Lenny's character development and was satisfied with the ending.

I expected a cozy mystery with a humorous side that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is much deeper than that. I found this to be a bittersweet—at times sad—and heartwarming novel about grief, loss, abandonment, secrets, vengeance, hope, friendship, and acceptance.

Lenny has obsessively organized her life to avoid anything unexpected (such as memories she’d prefer to push down). She bikes home at the same time every day, makes the same meals every week, and plays scrabble with an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns (this doesn’t actually sound like a bad life to me, so perhaps I’m the problem). When Lenny was a child, her mother and stepfather disappeared. Now, she does everything she can not to think about it.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives at work addressed to her real name—Helena Winters. Lenny has learned to compartmentalize her life to avoid things like this, but she may not have a choice when her carefully constructed world unravels. Long-buried memories surface, her structured routines fall apart, and Lenny is forced to actually engage with others for the first time in a long time. But just as Lenny starts to get a life she enjoys, her past may catch up with her after all…

Flashbacks to Lenny’s childhood show how she became the person she is today—scared to do anything outside of her routine. Lenny’s story is one of the long-lasting impacts of trauma. Her anxiety fueled her routines, which led her to not engage in or enjoy her life. Lenny finds comfort in predictability and routine, and eventually we learn how that came from a childhood of disorder and trauma. Despite her damage and how closed off Lenny seems, I found her to be a surprisingly resilient person.

In the present, Lenny is dealing with complicated and difficult memories as her world is upended by the fallout from the letter. Her foster mother has encouraged Lenny to push boundaries in her life, and Lenny is trying to make friends and be more open. But her past is bobbing to the surface, threatening to upend everything in her life. I often wanted to give Lenny a hug or reach in and protect her. At times heartbreaking, there is still the hope that everything will work out for the loveable Lenny Marks.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Lenny Marks is a creature of habit in the strictest sense. She bikes home from the school where she teaches 5th grade at 4pm every day, eats the same meals on the same day, owns 36 copies of The Hobbit, and plays Scrabble every night with an imaginary Monica while watching Friends.

She gets a letter from the parole board of the jail that houses her stepfather and while she has no recollection of what happened when she was 11, that thread of doubt is starting to unravel her. She starts to find her life is unfulfilled and starts to change things so that little by little, she makes friends and starts to face the traumas from her youth.

I went into this book expecting more of a cozy mystery but got something more profound. The climax of the book doesn’t even happen until 2/3 into the book. I loved Lenny and how she starts to embrace living rather than letting it pass her by. I think her found family was so good for her and I loved the book as a whole.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this book. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is out now.

Lenny Marks was an excellent debut novel touching on heavy themes of childhood trauma, while maintaining a level of Eleanor Oliphant like quirkiness that kept it from becoming too morose.

Lenny Marks is a 37 year old elementary school teacher in a small Australian town, who is perfectly content to bike to and from work each day and keep people at arm's length. When a letter from the parole board arrives, her traumatic past comes rushing back to her present, and her carefully structured life starts to unravel as she slowly de-compartmentalizes and comes to terms with the truth of what her abusive stepfather had done. Along the way, she tries, and fails, to befriend the "cool girl" teachers at school, steals a dog from its abusive owner, and catches the eye of the neighborhood grocer. As the puzzle pieces slotted together in Lenny's mind and she remembered what she blocked out as a coping mechanism, her adult actions became even more heartbreaking, particularly why she chose the name Malcolm for her rescue dog. Lenny was socially awkward, a little strange, and almost certainly neuro divergent in some way, but I found her personality to be entirely relatable as a woman who has a touch of these characteristics as well. I love that Lenny was able to finish what she started 25 years ago, and get the closure she needed, even if it was getting away with murder, because sometimes the world is better without a bad man in it.

Oh, this sweet book stole my heart! Lenny Marks lives a safe and predictable life as a primary school teacher. To relieve anxiety, she makes anagrams out words and plays both sets of Scrabble letters, one as herself and one as Monica, from her favorite TV show Friends (she never cheats, even though she knows both sets of letters). One day, a letter arrives for Lenny from the Parole Board. This unleashes a series of repressed memories from a childhood incident involving her mother and stepfather, Fergus. All Lenny recalls is that it was "all her fault."

Lenny's story is a touching one of recovering from trauma. Her neurodivergent character is powerful and beautifully written. Mayne captures a damaged yet resilient woman who has been through more than one individual ever should. Encouraged by her foster mother, Lenny tries to push the boundaries of her predictable life. She steals an abused dog, who is an absolutely amazing canine character. She starts making friends, including Ned from the grocery. We meet some awful villains: "cool girl" type primary school co-workers who make Lenny's life miserable.

As Lenny tries to remember and learn more about her past, while becoming a stronger woman in the present, the urge to protect her is intense. (I listened to part of this story on audio, and it's so well-done!) But she does a great job of standing up for herself, and Mayne is wonderful at illustrating how Lenny's mind works.

This is an oft sad and traumatic story with a bit of a mystery. It is very serious in content but laced with humor and a realness to Lenny that's hard to find. The plot veers toward outlandish at times, but this is a touching and beautiful read.

Lenny Marks is an awkward woman, trying to fit it to her community. Her suppressed memories of her childhood are a major stumbling block in moving on with her life. Lenny gives herself very little credit for her personal growth; I was in awe of her ability to move out of her tight world and loved her for her attempts. Sad, funny, and always thought-provoking, Lenny Marks is a fantastic book, and I look forward to more from the debut author, Kerryn Mayne.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of my favourite books of the summer is the debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder!

Written by an Australian author who is a police officer, there is the perfect amount of suspense, drama, and mystery to unravel. The main character, Lenny Marks, is an elementary teacher who meticulously controls every aspect of her life. She has has been through the foster care system, and we wonder about the reason why. Lenny’s careful world begins to unravel when she receives a letter, from the parole board, which she vehemently ignores until it catches up with her.

I rooted for Lenny all the way through. She is a fabulous, memorable character. What a great story about relationships, trust, trauma, and redemption.

I look forward to Kerryn Mayne’s next novel.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Despite the title, this is not a real mystery. This is a book about secrets, vengeance and family. It's the story of a woman learning to live with childhood trauma and finding a way forward in her life. Lenny uses routines, including word games and love of The Hobbit keep herself grounded. She was an interesting character with plenty of baggage. I was at times frustrated by her character and other times felt sorry for her. Overall. I enjoyed the story but the ending felt a bit implausible.
Thank you to the publisher for my e copy of this book.

Lenny Marks is an Australian school teacher who has lived a hard life that none of her coworkers know about. So, when a letter shows up at school addressed to Helena Winters, her coworkers become more curious about her. Lenny has done a lot to try and hide her past, and protect herself from it. She is somewhat of a recluse and only talks to people at work, never outside of it. When her past begins to creep up on her again, Lenny's memories become jumbled. Pretty soon she's not sure what really happened all those years ago. She begins to realize that she can't go through this by herself, but will she be brave enough to let others help her?

Lenny is an endearing character that reminds me of Elinor Oliphant. She is quirky and socially awkward, but also kind and has an incredibly hard backstory. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is a well written story of childhood trauma, coping skills, friendship and growth. Kerry Maynes captures Lenny's coping mechanisms, loneliness and social awkwardness in a beautiful manner. I found my self captivated by the character and rooting for her throughout the book. Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

This is labeled a mystery/thriller and I didn’t find this to be the case. It takes a while to learn what Lenny is hiding from and what exactly happened when she was a child. I found it interesting that given her issues she was a teacher. Not sure how she was able to get a degree as she struggles with reality and dealing with people, 2.5 stars

This book was a pleasant surprise! I’ve seen some great reviews, so I went in with my expectations super high, and the beginning was just not living up to all that. It was giving Eleanor Oliphant vibes (enjoyed, but didn’t love) mixed with Molly the Maid vibes (didn’t get crazy excited about that either), so I was kinda like, oh…okay.

Anyway, it got a lot better as I continued reading, and it became a situation where I didn’t want to put it down. I thought it was brilliantly thought out, and there were even some twists in there that I did not see coming at all.

It is very much a lighter kind of mystery. I wouldn’t consider this a thriller, so don’t pick it up if that’s what you’re in the mood for. But even though it may not have been quite as riveting as I would’ve liked, it was well written and had an endearing MC that kept things interesting. It also covers the topic of trauma quite well, and could be very healing for a lot of readers.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" by Kerryn Mayne was a compelling and complex novel. A sweet woman, doing her best despite social awkwardness and a hard childhood, navigating her life while making new connections as her past catches up to her. Great characters and build up. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

I did not have time to read this book before the publish date but now that I have I gave it 3.5 stars.

Lenny Marks’s life is predictable. She leaves work at the same time. Shops at the same grocery store on the same days and makes the same meals. She is absolutely okay living her normal life and not shaking anything up. That is until a letter from the parole board shows up for her. She doesn’t remember that night and never understood why her mom just left her suddenly when she was a little girl. As Lenny tries to ignore the parole board letter, she life begins to equal parts unravel as well as bloom with new personal connections. As the truth begins to surface, everything Lenny knew about that night and her life begins to unravel.

This one was a bit of a slow burn, but it was a solid build. When it finally got going though, it was on. Honestly, while Lenny had her quirks, I absolutely resonated with her anxiety and how it can just take over. I would certainly say this is a bit more mystery thriller than cozy mystery. This was a debut book for this author and I would certainly pick up her next one.

Oh this one started off so great then it just didn’t grab me. I found it hard to read at times. Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my advanced e copy.

While I enjoyed this story, I’m not sure why it’s being marketed as a “cozy mystery” or for fans of “Finlay Donovan”. This IS a good story, it was well written and Lenny is an interesting character who you genuinely feel for, but it is not a cozy mystery. I felt like it was a much darker story with some funny moments sprinkled throughout. So overall, the story is good and I enjoyed it but the marketing should change.