Lenny Marks is a character that will be living in my head for a while. I loved her personality. She's kind, straightforward, and, best of all, she's an animal lover. The minute she became a dog owner (no spoilers how) she won my heart. Some readers might think this is a bit of a slow burn, but I liked the fact that we really got to really know Lenny and her inner thoughts before more is revealed. She's snarky without even intending to be, she's incredibly practical, and I can see myself being friends with her. I think that's why parts of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder really tugged at my heartstrings, but the ending was absolutely perfect. This is one I will be recommending to all my bookish friends.

Lenny Marks was a dash quirky and a smidge eccentric but all in a very good way. Funny and engaging from front to finish. Loved it.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

It’s a good bet you know someone who is like Lenny Marks. Lenny likes her routines; she has the same dinner on the same day of the week, she rides her bike to work (as a teacher in a primary school) taking the same route, and shops at the same grocery store on the same day every week. She keeps to herself in that she doesn’t like to let her coworkers know where she lives, but she also doesn’t have many friends. She also doesn’t like to talk about herself, preferring to keep her past a secret, but also worries about how others perceive her. Her life is pretty normal by her standards, until a letter arrives threatening to tear apart the world she has carefully crafted for herself.

Although the book was unexceptional, it did keep my interest because I wanted to know Lenny’s childhood and how she became so guarded. The writing was also amusing at parts, and the writer was able to give the reader glimpses into the inner workings of Lenny’s mind. It also can remind us that what we show to others on the outside is not necessarily who we are in private, and that given the right circumstances, anyone, even the person you least suspect, can commit murder.

What a lovely book! For fans of Eleanor Oliphant is not Okay and The Rosie Project. I loved Lenny as a character and felt for her social anxieties. Great characters and interesting plot with a touch of mystery.

This is such a well written book. The cover and title are very misleading. This book isn’t a thriller. It’s about the childhood trauma of a young, neurodivergent woman. Lenny’s thoughts, mannerisms, and overall personality are so refreshing. It’s wonderful to see a book written in such a relatable way. We all have someone like Lenny in our lives. Great debut book from Mayne! I cannot wait to read more from her in the future.

Thank you to St. Marten's Press for my copy of LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER.

I literally read this book in three sittings, it would have been two if sleeping weren't a thing. I adored these characters and really loved spending time with them. I can't wait to read more from Kerryn Mayne.

Lenny Marks is a bit of a loner, who loves her routine, loves the predictability of her life, and doesn't do well in crowds. She has some friends, but she knows she has to work on that. With that premise, and with that somewhat-of-a-giveaway-title, the story proceeds to surprise, confound, amaze and leave you dumbstruck.

I liked Lenny as a character, who knows that she is not like others around her, and yet she refuses to be cast into a social stereotype dictated by norms that don't give her any credit for individuality, and any space for thinking and behaving by herself. She faces incessant demands from others - some real and some perceived - that she finds really hard to give into and agree with, and as a result ends up disagreeing and just walking from any difficult situation.

The surrounding cast of characters are well defined, realistic and refreshingly sincere - for the most part. If anything, I found the cast of characters too good to be true - but never long enough to make me stop wanting to continue reading! This was a feel-good story, and it delivers that - in spades.

The only gripe I have with the book is that title, that sets up an expectation that you keep looking out for, and sometimes takes away a part of the genuine joy that seeing Lenny should otherwise leave you with! There are some truly harrowing portions in the story, and there should be some trigger warnings - brief, but intrinsic to the story.

Many thanks for NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for providing a complimentary eARC in exchange for a honest and original review.

I had such high hopes for this one! I could just never really connect with Lenny, and it felt like a book I’ve already read before. Regardless, I’m glad to have had a chance to give it a read!

Unique and inventive story. The heroine was invested in what was good. This was in the middle for me about 3.5 start.

I was so excited about this book but it turned out to be such a disappointment for me. I found Lenny more annoying than diverse and quirky. The writing just wasn’t for me at all. I just couldn’t get into the storyline, which obviously affected my reading experience. I can see how it could be great for some people, just not for me.

On the surface this is a book I should have loved, yet I did not.

There were aspects of Lenny’s character that I loved, especially her word games. Yet I still failed to connect with her. I hate to bring up Elinor Oliphant, as each book should stand in its off, but it’s inevitable. I was completely charmed by Elinor…..Lenny, not so much.

It’s not as whimsical as the cover suggests, which is fine, but some humor would have been welcomed. The story is a slow burn with a lot of telling, with little showing.

Lastly, I’m tired of the survivor of abuse trope.

This didn’t hit the mark with me, but I’m obviously an outlier so do read all the stellar reviews.

Thia book goes into the category of "I wish I had liked it better". Unfortunately for me it dragged and I will admit I really had to force myself to push through.

The writing of this new author shows promise though and I hope to see more books coming from her.

The cover and title of this book give off the impression that it will be a lighthearted, entertaining book. While it had some of that, it definitely handled serious and hard subjects as well.

Friends re-run watching abounds as we delve into Lenny's life and what's happening around her. Lenny's past slowly becomes revealed to her as she begins to remember things otherwise forgotten. She's not sure what is or isn't real and as the reader you follow her on that path as well.

I enjoyed the book and I'm curious to read the next book that Mayne puts out for her readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary e-copy of this book.

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.