“Fay had always told her there were choices, even if none of them seemed desirable.”

Lenny is a creature of habit. She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same food and eats the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). But when a letter from a parole board arrives at her door, her carefully curated world is in danger of collapse.
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Lenny is such an endearing character and she reminded me quite a bit of Eleanor Oliphant, a character that had stayed with me. She has had some trauma in her life and, thus, has shut the world out. She has created a routine for herself that is as isolating as it comforting. I enjoyed watching her branch out and let people in but I wish I got to know her just a little bit better.

Tha audiobook narration was fantastic! The Australian accent is just so soothing to listen to. An easy and enjoyable listen!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was so wonderful. Lenny was such a fun character to follow and I absolutely loved her transformation and development over the course of the book. Following Lenny come to terms with her past and also find herself as an adult was so heartwarming. I loved all the details of Lenny's life, especially her Friends obsession! I cannot recommend this book enough! My one issue (which is most likely a personal problem) is I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with all of the characters.

Set in Australia, quirky main character, heartwarming, and mysterious - I'm all in!

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

The one where Lenny Marks gets a life. I love all the friends references. Lenny is socially awkward and antisocial. But she’s trying to change things. Lenny goes on a journey that is truly a journey of self-discovery. Her past and her present will collide in a heartbreaking realization. This was such a great story of how your mind can try to protect you. And things aren’t always as they seem.

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I broke the cardinal of reading and judged this book solely based on its cover!!! I wrongly assumed that Kerryn Mayne’s debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, would be a cozy murder mystery. I came to this conclusion using only the title and cute cover art. While I got a lot more than I bargained for, it is definitely worth the read.

Lenny Marks likes routine. So much so that she has one for just about every aspect of her life. Buy when she receives a letter from the parole board, her routines and life are thrown into utter disarray. Will she be able to re-compartmentalize her life, or has this letter just unearthed the past she has desperately tried to forget?

I found Lenny Marks to be a fascinating FMC. One of the more rememberable ones I have read lately. While she is full of social anxiety and struggles to make connections with those in her everyday life, she is a productive member of society. However, as the story began to unfold I was saddened to learn that those characteristics weren’t just quirks, but came about from repressed childhood trauma (It reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine).

Overall, I was blown away by Kerryn Mayne’s character development in her debut novel. If this is any indication of the books to come, I will be a devoted reader!

Special thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Kerryn Mayne for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

* I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this book and enjoyed both formats. I will say that having the audiobook narrated by Annie Maynard proved a bit challenging. Her thick Australian accent required me to really focus as I listened. Part of what I love about audiobooks is that it allows me the freedom to do other tasks like cleaning, driving, etc. However, with this book I mainly just stayed stationary as I listened.

Filled with likable characters and even a dog. A book that will keep you turning the pages. Lenny Marks was a very shy and awkward woman. A teacher. A friend. A woman with a past that her mind rearranged so she could cope. So she could have a life. Lenny had problems with accepting that people could like her. Or that she was good enough. She tended to stay home, inside, watching tv. Friends was her tv show of choice and playing scrabble with Monica from friends. Of course that was only in her head but still.... Lenny Marks really needed a life.

When Lenny finally comes to terms with what happened all those years ago she has to face her childhood self. She was only thirteen years old when her mother went away. Though she will remember later that things didn't exactly happen the way she remembered. She was abused by her stepdad and he went to prison for murdering her mother. He was a very vile and evil creature.

I loved how Lenny made so many words. One word that contained several. She is what I would call a wordsmith....

This book was well written. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's honest. It has things in it that will make you cringe. Also give a chuckle. It will make you cry and hope that Lenny finally has a good life. I wanted Lenny Marks to get a life. I think she finally did.

Lenny is such an endearing, likable character. On the surface this is a slice of life story about a quirky woman and her ordinary life but there is a lot more under the surface as we learn of her traumatic past.

I loved the side characters in this story and the themes of found family, self worth and finding one’s passion in life.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St Martin’s Press for the ALC!

Lenny Marks is an elementary school teacher in Australia. She rides her bicycle to work every day. She visits the same grocery store every week, to buy the same things, to eat the same things each week. She spends her evenings with her favorite friends, the cast of Friends, as she watches the reruns on television and plays Scrabble against Monica Geller. Lenny has 36 copies of The Hobbit, which she rearranges from time to time. Sometimes by height. Sometimes by when she acquired them, from the one that had been her mother’s before hers, and on to the latest one she had bought. Her life is careful and regimented. Until she gets the letter.

The letter came to her in care of the school where she worked, and it was from the parole board. Lenny doesn’t want to read it and hides it deep in her bag. She does her best not to think about it. But then she starts getting calls from a woman who wants to talk to her about what’s going on with the parole board. Lenny starts ignoring the calls too.

Meanwhile, Lenny’s regimented life is starting to show some cracks. She gets invited to a pub with some of her coworkers, and she can’t figure out a way to say no. She ends up going to the pub, helping the team do well in the quiz, and drinking far more than she usually does. In addition, Lenny is having warm thoughts about Ned at the grocery store. They’d had conversations in the past about his favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but now Lenny starts to wonder what it might be like to spend time with him outside of the grocery store.

The small cracks in Lenny’s world start to grow, and she finds herself blurring some facts from the past with the present. She sees a dog being abused and does something a little crazy to protect it. She breaks into her elderly neighbor’s house to find the woman on the floor, barely breathing. All those careful edges she’s built and maintained for years start to bend and splinter. At the point where the secrets of her past and the truths of her present collide, she starts to break open completely.

As Lenny finally starts to face her traumatic past, she finds that she has the strength and support to face the things that happened to her when she was a child. The sad secrets come to light, and Lenny’s understanding of her life and her choices becomes more clear. But will she be able to face the lies she told, or will she finally break?

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a compelling story of toxic relationships and the path of healing. It’s humorous and heartbreaking, with layers of secrets and misunderstandings. Lenny was only a child when her family broke apart, and she could only understand or process so much of what was happening around her. As a child, she got only part of the story, and she made choices based on that childish understanding. But when things break open for her as an adult, she can finally get a fuller explanation of what had happened, and she can move forward with the understanding of an adult. It’s a fascinating journey, and the way author Kerryn Mayne has crafted this story is ingenious.

I listened to the audio book of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, narrated perfectly by Annie Maynard. Maynard brings Lenny’s voice to life through the entire story, making her a bit of a curiosity at the start of the story, then through her journey, she becomes a strong, actualized woman who takes action on her own behalf. Maynard never portrays Lenny as the victim, but keeps her thoughtful and caring throughout. I thought this book was so amazing, and the narration makes it even more striking.

A copy of the audio book for Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder was provided by Macmillan Audio, and egalleys were provided by St. Martin’s Press, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This is such a good book. It's both lighthearted and intense. It will make you laugh and cry. It's this author's debut novel and she should be very proud. It's so well done. The narrator did a fantastic job. This is just an all around great read/audio.

Filled with likable characters and even a dog. A book that will keep you turning the pages. Lenny Marks was a very shy and awkward woman. A teacher. A friend. A woman with a past that her mind rearranged so she could cope. So she could have a life. Lenny had problems with accepting that people could like her. Or that she was good enough. She tended to stay home, inside, watching tv. Friends was her tv show of choice and playing scrabble with Monica from friends. Of course that was only in her head but still.... Lenny Marks really needed a life.

When Lenny finally comes to terms with what happened all those years ago she has to face her childhood self. She was only thirteen years old when her mother went away. Though she will remember later that things didn't exactly happen the way she remembered. She was abused by her stepdad and he went to prison for murdering her mother. He was a very vile and evil creature.

I loved how Lenny made so many words. One word that contained several. She is what I would call a wordsmith....

This book was well written. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's honest. It has things in it that will make you cringe. Also give a chuckle. It will make you cry and hope that Lenny finally has a good life. I wanted Lenny Marks to get a life. I think she finally did.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #MacmillinAudio for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars.

This was very surprising. I really wanted to hug Lenny (even though she would not have appreciated it lol).

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed Lenny’s story. There was healing, acceptance, discovering your past and understanding more about who you are. It was wonderful to watch Lenny go from her everyday life to healing and ultimately facing her demons.

Narration Review: I really enjoyed the narration, I think the narrator did a good job of bringing Lenny to life.

Thank you Macmillan for the ALC copy,

This debut novel was published previously in Australia, where it is set. It's a much deeper story than might be assumed from the publicity.

Lenny, a 37-year-old school teacher, finds happiness in organization and routine. She keeps mostly to herself, though she has a warm relationship with her foster mother, Fay, and she seems to enjoy conversations with a worker at her favorite grocery store. Lenny doesn't read social cues well, but still tries to be social, particularly with some of her coworkers. Several good relationships are developed during the story.

As the narrative progresses, the trauma Lenny has endured and carried through her life is revealed, which goes a long way in explaining Lenny's habits and behaviors. Despite the trauma, there is comic relief sprinkled throughout. I found the conclusion satisfying, with an appropriate mix of light/positivity and darkness.

The audiobook is narrated by Australian actor Annie Maynard, who managed an incredible range of emotions and characters.

Some readers are comparing Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder to Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Notably, the publisher did not, which I appreciate greatly. Had I seen that comparison, I might have skipped this. If, unlike me, you were a big fan of Honeyman's Eleanor, you might also enjoy Lenny—the characters do share some traits. Regardless, I recommend this book for anyone who likes fiction with depth and dark humor. Specific content warnings would likely serve as spoilers. If you are a sensitive reader, you might want to seek more information or consider skipping this book.

I was entertained by—and impressed with—this debut. I am anxious for Mayne's second book to be released in the States.

Have you ever read a book that just seems to have it all? Cause this was one of those books for me. Lenny Marks is quirky and different. She has forgotten her past, until a parole letter comes in the mail. Then the past that haunts her, opens up all her memories, good, bad and inbetween. The characters were incredibly well thought out. We watch them grow and change and confront skeletons. There was some mystery, some everyday drama, some heartbreak and heartwarming moments. Parts that I didn't see coming and other parts that were more expected and typical. Just a well written, adorable book about a young woman's past, present and future.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

4 stars

I love debut novels and there is nothing better than finding a good one and helping to promote it so word gets out and more people read it. This book looks to be a recipient of a lot of good buzz and I will be adding to it. What's helpful with looking at other reviews is that it urged me to keep going because this is a book I wasn't really connecting with at the start. (It took a big to get going.) I liked Lenny, but with the author presenting her as neurodivergent (at least I believe she is presenting her this way) some of her personality and coping mechanisms were very repetitive. I don't necessarily mean the acts themselves, but the author seemed to really want to drive home the point that Lenny followed a routine and liked order and explain it every single time. So I felt a little disconnected from Lenny and the plot that the author was trying to establish. Once I got to about the 30% mark, I started to get into it more and fall in love with Lenny and obviously, her dog Malcolm. It was a great story and one that leaves you feeling better than when you start. I thought the book could have ended a couple of times, but really liked how everything was presented and while certain things did wrap up rather nicely, I don't think anything should have been cut.

I found myself really getting emotional throughout parts of the book - almost crying at my desk a few times. There are a lot of trigger warnings so please be sure to do some research or ask someone who has read the book for what those may be if you have concerns. If you read Meredith, Alone a few years a go and liked (or loved it), you will probably feel the same about this one.

As far as format goes, I think either format would work here. The narrator was fantastic and did an excellent job with making the characters come to life. I think a less experienced narrator could have made Lenny sound almost robotic (especially with all the repeating of anagrams), but she didn't at all so I'm really glad I had the opportunity to listen.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 07/09/2024
Review Date: 07/09/2024

Happy Publication Day!

When I first started reading Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, I expected a cozy mystery and although this book was darker than I expected, I was not disappointed. Lenny Marks is the definition of introvert and is set in her routines that include shopping at the same place for the same meals every week and playing scrabble every night with her "friend" Monica. When Lenny receives a letter from the parole board, her routines and Lenny start to unravel.

This description of this book was correct in that this book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I felt for Lenny as she faces her new reality while realizing that she doesn't want to be alone in this world. As she relives her past, she soon finds out that she may have had a community behind her this whole time. I do suggest for new readers to look at the trigger warnings for this book as some of the content may be difficult for some.

I was lucky enough to get the audiobook for Lenny Marks gets Away with Murder. The narrator did a great job for each of the characters and found myself engulfed in the story. I would highly recommend the audiobook if you are interested in this book.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is out today!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such an interesting story with a main character I couldn't quite track down. We follow Lenny Marks through her current day "trying to get a life" and flashbacks from times that made her who she is today. Repressed memories make for an unreliable narrator at times, but I found myself cheering for Lenny the whole way. The suspense was well-paced, and the story was very well crafted.

From the cover one might expect this to be a light hearted novel, or a cozy mystery, but book covers can be deceiving. This novel had so much depth to it, and I was stunned to discover its a debut novel. Lenny Marks is a quirky, loveable character who I'll not soon forget. She leads a very structured life with a small social circle, but she's not comfortable socializing. From the very beginning the author drops clues to darkness in Lenny's past that explains a lot about her personality traits. As all is gradually revealed, your heart aches for what Lenny has been through, and at the same time I was a bit shocked at what Lenny was capable of doing. The unraveling of Lenny's past is a slow burn of a mystery that kept me binge listening. The author has some surprise connections for the reader that made the ending just perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook for this one! The narrator, actress Annie Maynard, is a delight to listen to with her Australian accent. She has just the right inflection and expression to keep the story lively and engaging.

4.25⭐

Thirty-seven-year-old Lenny Marks lives her life in adherence to a set routine – riding her bike to school where she teaches fifth-grade, shopping from the same grocery store, and spending her free time rearranging her book collection comprising thirty-six (and counting) copies of the “The Hobbit, watching reruns of “Friends” and playing scrabble with her favorite fictional character from the show. She doesn’t have much of a social life and her interactions are limited to her colleagues and the people she meets in the course of her day. Though she would like to have more friends, she isn't too good at reading people or interpreting social cues. Whenever she feels overwhelmed, she copes by playing a game of anagrams.

When Lenny receives a letter from the Parole Board, she is forced to revisit her traumatic past and the childhood memories she has repressed – events that have contributed to Lenny’s worldview and the way she chooses to live her life. But as her past comes back to haunt her, she finds herself compelled to step out of her comfort zone. As the narrative progresses, we follow Lenny’s journey as she slowly begins to emerge from her shell and effect changes in her life.

Revolving around themes of trauma and healing, resilience, friendship and kindness and personal growth, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne is a beautiful story. Shared from Lenny’s perspective, the narrative is well-paced and engaging. Lenny is an endearing character and I appreciated the author’s respectful and sensitive depiction of neurodiversity. The supporting characters are well thought out and I appreciated how the author has depicted how Lenny’s interactions with each of them - her pleasant and unpleasant experiences- help in her journey of self-discovery.

Please note that the title of this book is a tad misleading. This is not exactly a light-hearted cozy mystery that is implied, but an emotional story about a neurodivergent individual with a traumatic past who, with the help of those who care for her, embarks on a journey of healing and self-acceptance. The author injects a fair dose of humor, a few surprises and a sweet romantic track (which is well-woven into the narrative and does not distract from the primary plotline) to prevent the story from becoming too heavy. I did have to suspend disbelief at certain points in the story, but this in no way detracted from my overall experience.

I adored Lenny and wanted to spend more time with her! Exceptionally well-written, at times heartbreaking yet hopeful, full of heart and humor, this is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this talented new author in the future.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Annie Maynard, who has done a brilliant job of capturing Lenny’s sweetness and resilience, her moods and emotions, and breathing life into this story. I couldn’t recommend the audiobook enough!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lenny Marks likes routine. The 37-year-old school teacher has a very orderly rhythm to her life: she follows the same dinner menu every week, she enjoys reorganizing her 36 copies of The Hobbit, she watches Friends on repeat, and she plays Scrabble every night with her imaginary roommate Monica. She mentally does anagrams to cope with anxiety. She doesn’t let people get too close to her and counts the Thai restaurant delivery person and Ned at the grocery store among the people she sees most. When she receives a letter from the parole board, her carefully ordered life starts to get messy as memories from her traumatic childhood resurface.

I was not prepared for how much I loved Lenny and this book! Don’t let the breezy cover and title fool you, this is an emotional character-driven story with an unforgettable heroine. The plot is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, but ultimately healing and hopeful. (whew, that’s a lot of “H” adjectives!) Lenny is quirky, awkward, and utterly endearing, and the supporting cast of characters are appealing and well-developed too. I loved the way Lenny grew over the course of the story as she learned to overcome her past trauma and broaden her horizons.

I both read and listened to this one, and the audiobook version is really great too. Narrator Annie Maynard does a great job at bringing Lenny and her story to life!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me advance copies of this book.

This book was so much more than I was expecting it to be. Lenny Marks is wary of getting too close to people but has decided she needs real friendships in her life. She lives alone and is a school teacher who always bicycles to work each day. Her life is filled with order and routine. She has her week planned out completely. She shops on the same day, has a weekly rotation of meals, and watches Friends every day. It is time for Lenny to get a life.

As the story progresses, we learn more about a childhood trauma that Lenny survived and how it affects her life now. She discovers that her memories of the event are wrong.

I was expecting this book to be a little more lighthearted. So, I would like to mention that it deals heavily in themes of abuse, loneliness, and abandonment. It was so beautifully written and made me feel these things deeply. Kerryn Mayne does a wonderful job of crafting a poignant and moving debut novel with a fantastic protagonist.

The audiobook was narrated by Annie Maynard, and she is brilliant. Her narration really brings to life Lenny's story and adds emotion to the telling.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for this ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I started reading Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne and was immediately captivated. I quickly jumped to the audio version narrated by Annie Maynard. An unputdownable story with a quirky, heartfelt character. Mystery, romance, adorable pets and more await you in this must read/listen tale!

I fell in love with Hobbit loving, scrabble playing Lenny Marks, who rides her bike to the school where she teaches and calls her home the treehouse. She is a creature of routine without friends. It’s not that she doesn’t want friends, she’s just not very good at it. Lenny watches Friends on TV for company and pretends Monica is her roommate.

Lenny’s world turns upside down when she receives a letter from the parole board. We slowly learn Lenny’s story and the tragedy that befell her mother as she goes about her routine of teaching, shopping, and saving helpless creatures.

Lenny is very careful not to remember what happened to her mother and stepfather, but the more she tries, the more events push her to remember. The local grocer adds a romantic thread, and the elderly neighbor has secrets. I absolutely loved how memories force Lenny to connect with the world around her and how she saves an animal.

The pacing, rich characters and quirkiness of Lenny made for a memorable tale that was only enhanced by the narration of Annie Maynard. She captured Lenny and the secondary characters brilliantly. Twists and interesting characters kept me listening to this addictive story.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder delivers a curious mystery and a tale of secrets, found family, vengeance, and heart. Lenny Marks is a character you won’t soon forget. I highly recommend this unputdownable debut novel.