3.5 Stars

Was very slow going for me in the beginning but maybe 2/3 through it, it picked up and had me not wanting to put it down. Finished in 2 days which was because I wanted to know what happened. A few twists that I didn't expect but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

A quirky main character that has been through so much from a young age which you learn about throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The title makes the novel sound like it's lighthearted and fun. It's not - but in a good way. A rich, compelling story with an unforgettable heroine, it's about forgetting and remember, what makes a family, and allowing yourself to be whole.

"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?"

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Did Lenny Marks get away with murder? She might be neurodivergent, she keeps to herself, and lives a small, quiet life. How could anyone possibly think that Lenny could murder someone? When author Kerryn Mayne throws a wrench into her character’s life, we readers might think twice about Lenny.

The wrench in the works is a letter from the parole board, and Lenny is so discombobulated and disturbed by its arrival that she begins doing very uncharacteristic things. She goes out with coworkers. She meets the grocery store manager at the dog park. She starts remembering things she long ago buried for survival, and her imaginary friend, Monica Gellar, is replaced by the apparition of a younger Lenny.

Lenny is a fantastic character. She is odd, lovable, and empathetic. Her story is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. The book is fun and sometimes humorous while still having depth and presenting readers with some very serious issues and beautiful messages of love, family and friendship. This is one of my #MustRead2024 books.

Annie Maynard’s narration of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is brilliant. She made the characters sparkle.

I really really wanted to like this book, but it was not for me. This story was soooo incredibly slow, and honestly I felt like nothing worth while happened. Did I read the same book that everyone else did? Because the ratings are soo high but I just didn’t enjoy this one.

Lenny is quirky, unique and takes everything literally…but her life was just so mundane I just didn’t care for any of the characters especially Lenny, the main character. In the beginning the letter she received did draw me in…then it took forever for her to finally open it and read it, then nothing happened…it just went back to her regular mundane boring life.

I need more action or drama or at least something going on besides the main character waking up and doing the same thing everyday and going to work at the school…

I would recommend everyone to read this because it could be more for others, it just wasn’t it for me.

I absolutely ADORED this. I found Lenny to be deeply relatable and my heart hurt for her at many times throughout the book. This story gets an indisputable 5 starts for plot, emotions, character development, and so much more.

oops I put the wrong book review here.will edit once i'm done with lenny. oops I put the wrong book review here.will edit once i'm done with lenny. oops I put the wrong book review here.will edit once i'm done with lennyLenny has a routine and way of life that fits her perfectly. She’s also very good at not remembering her past and why her mother left her. Until a letter from the parole board comes addressed to her.

Anyone who likes peculiar but endearing characters, will enjoy this story. Lenny has a bright way of looking at life, despite her traumatic past, which we learn about bit by bit. If you’re a fan of Friends, you’ll like this one, as it’s Lenny’s favorite show and plays a role. I liked how Lenny grew and found friendship as she dealt with trauma from the past.

“She was allowed to live her life. And she was ready to do just that. The One Where Lenny Gets a Life.”

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder comes out 7/9.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC copy of this book. It was such a great read! Lenny Marks is an amazing and fun character. She was written so well that I found myself rooting for her and even experiencing second-hand embarrassment with her. It was a cozy mystery that was thrilling and gave you a big dose of rom-com vibes.

Lenny Marks is a protagonist who is easy to love! She’s a school teacher who is socially awkward, but who has a strong work ethic and sense of justice. This story was quirky, fun, and humorous at times, while still having depth and a serious side. (Think Eleanor Oliphant.) I couldn’t help but laugh at some of Lenny’s thoughts, but I also felt empathy for her.
This is a mashup of drama, humor, with a bit of mystery thrown in. I think the title is deceptive, as it implies that the story is primarily a mystery.
I wish that the last third of the book had moved as quickly as the beginning! It felt somewhat drawn out. I think that anyone who loves a neurodivergent main character will enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Holy moly, Lenny Marks is my spirit animal! This book had me hooked from the start. I mean, a woman who owns 36 copies of The Hobbit and plays Scrabble with an imaginary Monica Gellar? Yes, please!

But beneath the humor, Lenny's story is heartbreakingly relatable. Her struggles with her past, her fear of connection, and her desire for a life she's never known are all so beautifully captured.

As Lenny's world begins to unravel, you can't help but root for her. Her journey is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to face our demons and start anew.

Kerryn Mayne's writing is like a warm hug for your soul. It's like she took all the feels, wrapped them in a blanket, and handed them to you with a cup of tea.

If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even heal a little, then this is the one for you. Trust me, Lenny Marks will steal your heart!💓

I hope you enjoy it!

I so enjoyed meeting Lenny Marks! She felt very real and very relevant to me, a real character--quirky, sympathetic, charming, and flawed--and I loved following her on her journey. Despite the fact that I love a good quirky crime novel, I found myself wishing that the word Murder was not in the title, because I would have gone on any quest or adventure Lenny Marks got herself involved in. Lenny tries to make friends with people who really don't deserve her? I'm there. Lenny isn't aware a Buffy-obsessed man is asking her out on a date? I want to find out what happens. Lenny tends her neighbor's overgrown garden and when she finally meets the woman, discovers a mysterious painting in the hall? I want that mystery solved! I wanted Lenny to succeed at all the new challenges her life presented to her.

WOW! I was not expecting to absolutely adore this book as much as I did! When I first started, the humor was a little off-putting (we all know I'm not a huge fan of books that try too hard to be funny), but I ended up completely falling in love with the characters, especially Lenny, and not wanting the story to end!

Lenny Marks lives a fairly simple life - she rides her bike to work as a fifth grade teacher, shops in the same grocery store, comes home to her empty house, and plays Scrabble with her imaginary friend. She keeps very little company, but she prefers it that way, no matter how much her foster mother tries to convince her to put herself out there. Lenny's traumatic childhood taught her it's better to keep people at arms length, and she can't imagine anyone out there truly wanting a relationship with her. But as she starts to find her own voice, and some potential friends along the way, Lenny realizes she might have more power than she thought she did.

I thought this was going to be more of a thriller, it's definitely not that. I'm not even sure I'd label it as a cozy mystery. It's somewhat genre ambiguous, but its an endearing story nonetheless. I flew through reading it once I started to get further into the story. The first 50ish pages took me a minute, but after that I could not get enough of Lenny and this coming-of-age type story.

As a debut work, I am highly impressed. If every character Kerryn Mayne writes is as charming, witty, and brave as Lenny Marks, she is going to have a long, beautiful career ahead of her!

Lenny Marks is a quirky, socially awkward teacher in Australia who has decided it's time to try to make some friends and change her routine. The book got off to a slow start but I am glad I kept reading. If you like books about quirky, single women, then this should be a good choice. This book actually takes a turn that makes it a bit darker than most of those types of books but in the end, you will be rooting for Lenny.

Lenny Marks is not a character I will be forgetting any time soon. Even through repressed childhood trauma she finds a way to be the most delightful human being. The scene in the staff room where Lenny finally tells her co-workers what she’s really thinking was highly entertaining. I enjoyed the discovery of who her neighbour really was and was so sad and horrified to read what really happened with Lenny’s family.Thank goodness for the Marks family being the best possible foster family. The ending of this book was beautiful and is a good reflection of life after trauma.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this lovely story.

Lenny Marks teaches students in fifth grade and has had a fairly content life since going to college. After the upheaval of her childhood, that is how she prefers it. Get up, ride her bicycle to work, and then ride back to her quiet house. After she receives an envelope from the parole board that she stuffs in her bag to ignore, Lenny tries to go on with her life, but things keep happening to disrupt her normal routine. The story started out slow, got more interesting, and then took a turn that I was not expecting.

I struggled to stay interested in this book while reading the digital ARC. I also received an audio copy so I switched, hoping it would hold my attention. I stopped at 44% and have no desire to return to the story in either format. Sadly, this is a DNF for me.

A difficult journey for a damaged young woman but such a meaningful statement on the power of the mind. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think you’ll love Lenny’s inner monologue, the incredible sense of family, and growth of her character. Quirky, challenging, and beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

This was an interesting one. Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early copy to read and review.

I found the premise intriguing, and I always enjoy a quirky character who is learning and realizing things at the same time as the reader. It felt a little slow to me at times, like we were going in circles rather than building suspense.

Overall, it was enjoyable! And different from a lot of books I have read, which is always something fun.

I just loved “Lenny Marks gets away with murder”.

Lenny is 37 and single, and she loves and needs order and routines in her life. She works as a school teacher, comes home at the same time every night, eats the same meals every week, doesn’t have many friends, plays scrabble with the imaginary Monica from her favorite TV show “Friends”.

She moved from place to place growing up, as the people that cared for her, left her life for various reasons. She cannot remember what happened the day that her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was young, but she has a sense that she had done something wrong.

Her routine life changes when a letter comes from the parole board – her stepfather is up for release from prison. As Lenny is forced out of her comfort zone, she learns what really happened in the past, and who the people around her truly are. As her life spirals out of control, she learns what really matters and who to trust.

This was such a heartwarming story, with some unexpected twists. I loved Lenny’s character, and was rooting for her through the whole book.

There were shades of “The Maid” and “The Rosie Project” in this book – both of which I had really enjoyed too. Lenny will stick with me for a while.
This is the author’s debut book, but didn’t feel like a first book. It was very well written.

I am so impressed that this is a debut book! Lenny Marks is a character that is impossible to not love. This whole story was engaging and the inclusion of anxiety really spoke to me. The writing is so strong and I would love to read more about Lenny.

Lenny is a 37 year old teacher with a very routine and controlled life. She's considered odd by others. As the story unfolds, the reader learns about her terrible childhood and the disappearance of her mother and brother at the hands of her evil stepfather. After she receives a letter from the patrol board about his imminent release, things start to unravel. This is when Lenny loosens up and opens her life to other people. Quirky characters are having a moment, aren't they? Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a wonderful read about a damaged woman who finds her way. I absolutely loved this story.