Now and then, a book sneaks up and surprises you in the very best way. LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER is precisely that kind of book. We meet Lenny Marks, a solitary school teacher nearing 40, just before she receives a letter that throws her entire adult life off kilter. No need to say more, because it all unfolds effortlessly from there. With an endearing, beautifully written protagonist and a story that somehow balances humor with tragedy, this novel is a rare find. Readers should know that the quirky title and cover won’t quite account for some of the very difficult content in this book, including child abuse, but the content is handled sensitively and is not at all gratuitous. There are parts of this book that are still making my heart ache or making me giggle even now as I’m writing this. That’s the mark of a good novel, I think. Find time for Lenny Marks. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance review copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Excellent insight into a mind that is part autistic and part traumatized by her past. Lenny has created a routine that is very defined in order to protect herself from her past and from others in the present. Lenny is portrayed sympathetically but realistically. She knows her limitations and always tries to stay in the background so that she won't get ridiculed because of the constructs that she needs. She is a wonderful character - I really enjoyed her inner monologue. I also enjoyed the way the author gave us information about the past, happening as Lenny slowly separates fiction from fact. There were several happy surprises in the story. I found most of the characters to be very black or white - not racial, just that the nice people were very nice and the mean people weren't. And that leads to an almost expected conclusion. I still very much enjoyed Lenny's world and her story!

What aims for a note to note copy of Elinor Oliphant Is Completely Fine hits the bigger chords, but misses the minor keys.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder kind of sneeks up on you with the little peaks of life as it relates to things happening around her. A well ordered tale with surprises not always expected. Thank you NetGalley for grabing me into Karyn Mayne's world!

This was a really good book about Lenny Marks and all the trauma she has experienced and how it affects her adult life. But Lenny starts making some positive changes and we get to see life improve! I enjoyed reading this!

Lenny Marks does everything at the same time every day. She has a routine. Then she gets a letter…her life changes…her name is something else. Her past taunts her. What will happen next? Friends and family…secrets…this is a quick read with red herrings. A baby? A stranger? Thanks Netgalley.

At the age of 37, Lenny does not seek a life of excitement and romance but rather one of routine and control that provides her comfort in the form of order. She is a teacher at a local school, and her nights are devoted to solitary activities such as Scrabble, TV, and arranging her The Hobbit books collection. But with the encouragement of her loving foster mother, Lenny has unwillingly made up her mind to spice up the mundane but safe life she has.

As Lenny embarks on this tentative journey, her world is transformed by a letter from the Adult Parole Board, likely concerning her stepfather. This brings back the childhood memories and pain Lenny has been suppressing for so long. As she tries to look away from the events, we feel that the very groundwork of Lenny’s carefully planned life starts to crumble.

Lenny’s psychological struggle to come to terms with her traumatic past is at the core of Mayne’s spare yet stirring prose, which creates an intriguing story. We hurt for young Lenny and cheer on 37-year-old Lenny as she faces this internal conflict. This book is sure to strike a chord with people from all walks of life, considering its revelations about dealing and recovery. “Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder” is a delightful and captivating debut novel that offers readers an immensely enjoyable and charming story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I loved Lenny Marks so very much! She owns 36 copies of Hobbit, is a teacher, loves Friends and scrabble, sticks to her routines rigidly, has such a big heart, and is misunderstood often.

She also had a very tragic childhood, which she has trouble remembering until a letter from the parole board arrives.

I so loved getting to know Lenny and to watch her navigate through life. I really enjoyed her step mum Faye and how she is always pushing Lenny to really find happiness and joy and to deal with her past.

Malcolm was another favorite. I loved how Lenny came to have him and how protective he is over her.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this delight

I enjoyed this one! Lenny is a quirky, unique character and I love the neuro-diversity representation! I did find it to be slow at times and the ending was a little too wrapped up for me, but overall this was a good read!

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Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder
Author: Kerryn Mayne
Source: St Martin’s Publishing Group
Pub Date: July 9, 2024

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a must-read that will be published in July of this year. I don’t know why I moved this book to the front of my TBR, but I am delighted that I did. Lenny (short for Helena) lives in a lonely world of Hobbits, OCD, autism, the television show Friends, imaginary friends, and routines…lots of routines. Lenny is a creature of habit and has rituals that help her get through her days after her job teaching elementary school. This debut novel gives us a chance to get to the core of Lenny and how her mind works. She doesn’t make friends easily, but Lenny gets by taking small steps to normalcy. Nearing 40 years old, she bought a home, develops a few friendships and has a loving foster Mom who keeps watch over her because both of her parents “left” her. She struggles to figure out how to decide who is a friend and foe, which sets her up for disappointment. I truly LOVED this story. I think it might be the best ARC I have received in a long time. Reviews call it a dark comedy, and maybe it is, but not to me. It is the story of a sweet girl who came from a very dysfunctional and abusive home life and still fought her way to a future. Who can’t get behind a story like that? You will cheer Lenny on and want her to reach for a better tomorrow. I do not consider this a sad book but an inspirational story about overcoming life’s obstacles. This book is a beautiful debut novel by Kerryn Mayne, and I think it will be a roaring success when released in July. #dsyfunctional #OCD #abusiveHome #childabuse #murder #salvation #persistence #triumph #kindness #love #future #fiction @stmartinspress @kerrynmayneauthor #debutnovel #LennyMarksGetsAwayWithMurder
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: July 9, 2024
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I really wanted to like this book, but had to DNF about 1/4 of the way out of pure boredom. I want to stick it out to see if things got better, but I’ve made a pact with myself that ready should never be a chore. Perhaps this just wasn’t the right type of book for me, but I was drawn to Lenny’s love of Friends and found her habits a bit charming. As a thriller reader, this was just too slow for me.

Thank you to the lovely human that emailed me a copy of this book & to NetGalley for making it happen. Lenny is an all around feel good character. She makes you feel her story and that’s one of the best things about reading. I loved “watching” her navigate her life and finding herself. Great story! Will definitely recommend when it comes out.

Wow! This was a stunning debut. The story was heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. Well done.

I, a noted hater of the tv show Friends, not only put up with the NUMEROUS Friends references in this book…. but really didn’t mind them at all. What a lovely, endearing, journey of a book! (I posted this review on my Goodreads as well)

i liked this way more than i expected, also kinda made me.. a little emotional. i loved seeing lenny’s growth and healing throughout the book. the title is really true, and good for her honestly. i also liked that she finally got together with nick.

thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this arc.

As a lover of mysteries and crime novels, the title. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, captivated me. As soon as I started reading, I could not put the book down.

Immensely readable, getting inside Lenny Marks’ head as she lives her routine-oriented life as a 37 year old teacher, was fascinating. The reader knows that she is a bit different, but she is a likeable character and we root for her.

We eventually learn about the early trauma in her life and see her grow into having meaningful relationships and coming to terms with the past. I love how justice was served at the end.

A very enjoyable read!

I loved the premise of this book but unfortunately the book itself was a huge disappointment. It is poorly written and failed to hold my attention.

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

"Lenny's existence was many things: simple, predictable, and uneventful. It had taken considerable effort and time to get to this point and she was not planning on disrupting the perfectly good order of things."

At thirty-seven, Lenny Marks is most comfortable living her life as quietly as possible. She enjoys her simple daily routine of teaching fifth graders, buying groceries twice a week, and watching her favorite television show reruns. She's been working on cultivating new relationships but socializing is stressful, so she settles for another game of Scrabble with an imaginary Monica from 'Friends'. When a letter shows up with a name on it that Lenny hasn't seen in years, it unearths a host of dark memories involving her missing mother and stepfather that threaten to pull her painstakingly crafted routines apart at the seams. It's up to Lenny to keep the rest of her life from following suit and laying waste to precious new friendships in the process.

Lenny shows signs of neurodivergence, but she also experiences a great deal of anxiety and engages in other behaviors that are the result of traumatic events from her childhood. Although stressful at times, it was also interesting to read about Lenny's thinking patterns and how she rationalizes her actions, especially when it came to socializing with people and other situations that non-neurodivergent people would find commonplace. Her interactions with family members and colleagues were awkward at times and as a result, Lenny was often labeled 'weird' or 'odd' which was always sad to read; Lenny recognizes that she has a difficult time understanding things like emotions and sarcasm but mostly chalks up the awkwardness to not thinking before she speaks.

The book does a decent job of describing the difficulties of the everyday life of a victim of trauma. The anxiety and panic that Lenny experiences when confronted with anything relating to that trauma is quite palpable.
The reader isn't made aware of what exactly the traumatic event is outright though the book does drop hints in the form of flashbacks. Lenny frequently blames herself for that event and other unfortunate things that happen to her throughout her life. These were the portions that were some of the most difficult to stomach.

Although there are some heavy topics addressed throughout the book, the cast of characters mesh well. There is subtle humor from friends and quirky banter with fellow teachers, and it was a joy to see Lenny learn and grow as time went on and apply those lessons to challenges that she faced head-on. The happy moments were truly heartwarming and this is a book I will definitely be recommending to family and friends.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne was just terrific.

Lenny does things exactly the same way every day - she buys the same food repeatedly, leaves work at the same time every day, and doesn't really have any real friends.

She's doesn't think about the past or what has happened in her past life until a letter from the parole board forces her to remember what happened to her and what she did.

It was refreshing to read Lenny coming to grips with, and breaking free of her past and finding her way to a new life. I loved reading about this worthy character grow into her own person and have hope for the future.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. All views are strictly my own.

I hope to be reading more from this author soon!