Loved this. I really enjoyed everything about this. I loved the story completely. It will stay with me for a long time. I appreciate that the author has very strong voice - one I really enjoy.

This novel is an absolute gem! This book masterfully blends suspense, charm, and humor, creating a story that’s both chilling and heartwarming. Penney herself is unforgettable! She is a character you will root for from the beginning to the end.
Such an engaging story and this one will keep you on the edge of your seat and will be hard to put down.

Highly recommended!
Thank you NetGalley and to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Marketed as a cozy Aussie murder mystery, this book was neither cozy nor a murder mystery. That being said, this book was an absolutely endearing and heartwarming look at surviving childhood trauma and navigating adulthood. Oh yes, and there is murder.

Lenny Marks is a neurodivergent adult elementary school teacher who lives alone and is obsessed with old school tv shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Friends. Her routine is very structured and she is trying hard to make friends in order to cure some of her lonliness that her former foster mother feels she is becoming too comfortable with. When a letter from a parole office arrives, Lenny's world starts to spiral out of control as she tries to keep the reality of what happened to her as a child at bay while also attempting to move on.

I absolutely fell in love with the character of Lenny Marks and the rest of the supporting cast. Her actions were always true to her character and I loved watching her evolve as she dealt with her past and coming to grips with what she truly went through when she was little. As a mom of two neurodivergent children, all I wanted to do was protect her. I would definitely marketed this one more as Womens Fiction rather than a murder mystery, however.

For fans of The Maid and other murder lite stories. This one focuses on character development far more than plot and there is zero spice, but hints of possible romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kerryn Mayne for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

**This is NOT a mystery. I picked it up thinking it would be such. However, don't let that deter you!
Lenny is content to do her own thing in life and not let anyone in. She has her routines and that's that. However, when she receives a letter from the parole board, she finds her life turned upside down. As she struggles to remember what truly happened when she was a kid, she learns that letting people in isn't so bad.

I almost put this down because the first quarter at least, maybe closer to third, was a little slow (things start turning better with Malcom, and then after page 100 really picked up). However, once we really get into Lenny starting to remember and open up, I really enjoyed it! Once you learn why Lenny is the way she is, it makes the rest of it make sense. I was also confused by the title until the last quarter or so. Don't pick this up if you are looking for a mystery. However, if you are looking for something more similar to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (now looking at it, the title structure is so similar too!). Perhaps a different cover, something that looks less mystery-esque, would help steer people in the right direction. It is also on Goodreads as a thriller?? So don't pay attention to marketing I guess!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For a debut book, this one blew me away! Maybe she has some undiagnosed behavioral disorder ( no expert I am for sure), but she is loyal, endearing, and smart to boot. Her fascination with the Friends show and her clumsy efforts at trying to make new friends at school while being totally oblivious to who her real friends felt very real to me. If you liked The Maid's Molly, you'll love Lenny as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I did not love this one as much as I thought I would. The story was a bit slow and I was expecting it to have more of a thriller vibe than what I got from it.

I struggled to engage with this book. Lenny Marks grated on my nerves a bit. Her character came across helpless & inept, which frustrated me, as I felt there was so much potential for her to be a character who shone.

The final pages of the book helped redeem me a bit, as some unexpected twists put some life into the plot. Overall, I thought the storyline was very drawn out & could have been shortened quite a bit. That being said, if this were to turn into a series, I would give a second book a chance before completely writing off Marks & her creator, Kerryn Mayne.

Five Stars!!!! All the stars!!! Lenny Marks was so delightful, endearing, and lovable. I had no idea where this book was going to take me but wow did I love it. I cannot get over how fantastic this debut was.
Lenny Marks is a woman who lives her life in a very specific routine, so as not to disturb the balance she's created for herself. She slowly finds herself breaking out of that routine, and discovering just what exactly her brain has been keeping from her to protect herself.

This book is full of emotions and much heavier than I anticipated, but it's handled with such grace and care. Everyone should give this book a shot.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks is a 37-year-old school teacher. Her students love her, but she has a hard time reading social cues and making friends with her peers. She also doesn't remember details of the day 26 years ago when her mother and stepfather went away. She can only remember the words of her stepfather, "You did this." Now that Fergus Sullivan is up for parole, though, Lenny might have to remember.
This novel includes a sweet romance. I don't usually like predictable books, but I'm glad this romance ended in a predictable way.
Several plot twists also tugged on my heart strings. One twist even made me cry!
And I like that Lenny is neurodivergent. Her behavior is endearing.
The ending gets a little strange, though. It felt too sensational. And I didn't believe that Lenny would speak up for herself in the way she did.
I do like that Lenny remembers the truth. It's heartbreaking but also an important part of her story.
I hope the author writes more books starring Lenny Sparks!

3.5 stars

This was not what I thought it was going to be but the last 30% had my full attention. The problem is/was that the other 70% seemed to drag a bit. I kept thinking I had to be almost done and but when I looked I was no where near it. The ending was very satisfying and was a great ending for everyone involved.

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley.

I *hate* bringing work home, so I get to my classroom early most mornings. Usually I spend the time doing odds and ends like grading, making copies, and organizing for the day. Luckily, my classroom is a cozy spot to be in the morning, with sun coming in the windows - and I usually have an audiobook going in my earbuds, which is where I finished this book earlier this week.
Finishing it in my classroom was perfect for this book, because Lenny Marks works as a teacher, too. Lenny has a very precise schedule, leaving work by bicycle every day at 4pm and buying the same groceries to cook the same meals. She spends her evenings watching Friends and playing Scrabble (the physical set, of course) “against” Monica. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll especially enjoy some of the episodes/titles referenced. My favorite episode is mentioned - The One with the Apothecary Table 🤣 The reader gets to know Lenny, as Lenny also starts remembering some of her memories that have been repressed due to trauma.
The book blurb describes Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder as “equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming” and I can not begin to come up with a better way to succinctly describe how this book made me feel. I am so glad that I read this book. I mostly listened to the audiobook, which is beautifully narrated by Australian actress Annie Maynard and I would listen to her read pretty much anything! Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Wow I wasn't sure o was going to like this book at first but I'm glad I stuck with it. It wasn't too long before Lenny grew on me and by the time she started remembering the tears were rolling down my cheeks. Even though I could tell things had happened to her and everything I didn't expect it to hit so hard. I loved how everything came together and I'm happy with the ending. It was well written and I would definitely read more books by this author.

This book is tagged as a mystery/thriller, which is not where I’d shelve it at all. While there are definitely some mystery elements, this read to me as more of a contemporary fiction. I loved Lenny as a character - she is perfectly flawed and it was interesting seeing the world through her neurodivergent lens. There are definitely some similarities between Lenny Marks and Eleanor Oliphant but in a gives-the-same-character-personality-vibe way, not in a carbon copy way. The plots of the two books themselves are completely different. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know Lenny and her history, watching her develop friendships and other relationships, and see her grow right on the page.

I thought this was going to be more of a lighthearted read but this dealt with some really tough topics. I loved Lenny’s character and could totally identify with her in many ways (hello Friends addiction!) Her character had some excellent growth and I loved seeing the world through Lenny’s lens. I was stunned to see this was a debut because it was so well done!

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
By: Kerryn Mayne

What a wonderful debut novel! I adored Lenny Marks and all the characters surrounding her. I am the mother of 2 neurodivergent children and I relish reading books where I can see a glimmer of them in a main character. Lenny is not a caricature of a neurodivergent person, she is a full-fleshed character with quirks and charms that make her a pure delight. I loved that those around her were not trying to change her. I found the plot engaging and I hope we see Lenny again!

I loved Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, but I especially loved Lenny Marks. I’m not sure if I could have enjoyed this novel any more than I did. It surprised me somewhat. Not because I didn’t think it was going to be good, because the synopsis certainly piqued my interest, but because it exceeded my expectations and gave me so much more.

I know there are still a few months until the end of the year, but I already know that this book will be making my list of favorite books of 2024. There, I said it. Lenny Marks was a wonderful character. Kerryn Mayne did an incredible job of creating Lenny, with all of her neurodivergent qualities. She was intelligent, regimented, straightforward, and she had lived a difficult life. I wanted nothing more than for Lenny to be happy and secure in life. In my opinion, she deserved only good things.

This story has a mix of heartbreak, humor, mystery, and romance. There were times when it was difficult to read because I could feel Lenny’s pain in the pit of my stomach, but then it had lighter moments where I found myself laughing out loud. However, at the core of the story was a mystery of what had actually happened the day that Lenny’s mother and stepfather disappeared from her life.

We get to witness Lenny in her work life as a teacher. We see her interactions with coworkers, some of whom aren’t the nicest. We see her following her daily schedule, and we even get to see her smitten with a man. We know that she needs routine in order to be comfortable, that she loves Friends, and she has an aptitude for Scrabble. Throughout all of my literary interactions with Lenny, I knew that she was a lovable character whose resilience shone through.

If you are looking for a well-rounded reading experience, please do yourself a favor and pick up this novel. I promise that you will not be disappointed. I am already looking forward to reading Kerryn Mayne’s next novel.

*5 Stars

Lenny Marks is a primary grade school teacher. She loves to play scrabble, talks occasionally to Ned, who works at the corner store in her neighbourhood, she does not socialize with anyone except with her foster mum, tells no one where she lives, rides her bike everywhere, creates anagrams constantly in her head when she’s stressed, and has over thirty copies of “The Hobbit”.

Lenny Marks has also been running away from traumatic memories of her childhood.

A letter from the probation board and her foster mum urging her to make a friend sets Lenny on a slow course of change that opens up her heart to an abused dog, her lonely neighbour, to a colleague at work, to romance, and eventually, to confronting her past. Along the way, there is some messiness, revelations and a consequential decision, and good dialogue, but the journey is interesting and heartwarming, and I wanted to cheer for Lenny with each step forward she makes.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was good but not great for me - the character and story were unexpected, which was fun, but I wasn’t overly thrilled with it

Childhood trauma wrapped up in the mundane life of Lenny Marks makes for a compelling story, delving deep into the need for community even when we are really good at, and quite enjoy, isolation and routine.

This book was not quite what I expected, in the best way. As a teacher I loved the neurodivergent character who was also a teacher. A lot of people liken this book to Eleanor Oliphant (which I didn't love), and I certainly see the similarities. This debut had my heart and I loved Lenny from the start. It was a little slow moving, especially in the beginning, it it picked up and had some surprises that I did not expect. I felt the title/cover were a little misleading, but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book. I want to meet Lenny in real life! And I look forward to reading more from this debut author.