4.5 🌟 rounded up
A debut author, Kerryn Mayne knocks it out of the park with this book. A story of triumph over adversity, Lenny Marks has had more than her fair share of troubles. A victim of domestic abuse as a child, she struggles as an adult to overcome her past and eventually find the happiness she deserves.
Lenny's character is one you'll want to embrace, protect, and befriend. Some reviews mention her character as neurodiverse. However, the struggles described also mirror chronic PTSD and given the background, this is a very plausible reason for that diversity.
The book deals with domestic abuse, death, grief, friends (both good and bad), happiness, and love. The author takes a serious topic and weaves just enough lightheartedness into the story to make you smile and even chuckle at times.
It did take me a while to finish this one, but only because chronic PTSD is close to my heart, and at times, I felt too near Lenny's trauma. Lenny is proof that you can come out on the other side. It just might take a while longer.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC and opportunity to provide an honest review. Side note: The narrator was excellent.

Lenny Marks will stay in your head and heart beyond finishing this book! Think Eleanor Oliphant (as many reviewers have stated), Keiko Furukura (Convenience Store Woman), and Fern from The Good Sister. (Side note and interestingly enough, the author thanked The Good Sister author Sally Hepworth for nudging her to write this great book!).

Initially, you get to know Lenny and immediately you're so into her character. Her routines, her takes on social cues, and just simply her quirkiness. Then she bloomed even more when little by little she became challenged by things from her past. This started off as lighthearted, quirky, and just wanting to root for Lenny one every way. Like when her past school bully came during a parent-teacher conference and was condescending to her, you just want to punch him for Lenny. Then as you think this would continue to be lighthearted, the story darkened and her past came to light. The story stayed brilliantly along the line of disheartening moments while there was triumph in Lenny, which was why her character became so well loved. I absolutely enjoyed this debut, and hopefully we get to read more and more of these types of characters and stories from the author.

Additionally, the narration for the audiobook was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio eARC of this wonderful read. All opinions are my own.

I tried to read this one as an ARC on here a while back. I loved the concept but just couldn't connect with the story. When I saw an audio version, I was still intrigued enough by the concept (and cover!) to give it another try, thinking maybe I'd do better listening. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case... I simply could not connect with Lenny and find myself drawn into her tale. Interesting, the word list concept - which I found distracting in print form - worked much better for me in audio, but that in and of itself was not enough to keep me engaged, unfortunately. This one remains not for me...

While appearing as a lighthearted book, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder tells a unique story with hard topics. Lenny has had a traumatic childhood that has left her feeling separated from most everyone around her. She tells lies to make herself look better to others. She is set her in ways and routines and hardly deviates from them. But when someone from her past comes back into her life, Lenny is forced to make changes.

I love how Lenny started to build relationships with people and found that she could be liked and appreciated. I especially loved seeing the bond grow between Lenny and Malcolm.

The parts with voicemail/phone calls was a neat little addition. I like when audiobooks add extra sounds to the listening! The narrator did a great job as well. I love her voice!

Definitely recommend if you are looking for something a little different that still makes you feel warm and fuzzy in the end! Thanks to NetGalley, Kerryn Mayne, Annie Maynard, Penguin Random House and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to listen! I've written this review voluntarily.

Do not judge this book by it's cover!
The marketing of this book is so misleading, I almost passed on it. I don't know why it's presented as a 'cosy mystery' from cover, title to blurb, but it's definitely not.
To me this book is more in the vein of 'Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine' than anything else.
The main character, a socially awkward woman, slowly comes to terms with her traumatic past and take action to open up to others.
This story got a lot of heart and humour, and I really found myself rooting for Lenny. It's well constructed and kept me interested until the end.
I liked the narrator for the audiobook version, who helped a lot to give a light-hearted tone to the story even when difficult subjects were discussed.
If you like that kind of personal journey, give this book a chance.

🎧🎧 Book Review 🎧🎧 Lenny Marks lives a quiet life as a fifth grade teacher. She creates such a lovely routine that I am a little envious of: biking home at the same time every day, rewatching Friends while “playing” Scrabble against Monica Gellar, and rearranging her bookshelf. Underneath this endearing propensity for order is an unthinkable history of trauma. Kerryn Mayne creates a beautiful slow building story arc of creating a life when overcoming trauma. With the help of these coping mechanisms, we meet a wonderfully developed and delightfully quirky female main character. Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is an extraordinary tale made relatable through extremely ordinary and familiar pop cultural references in a perfectly balanced juxtaposition that allows the reader a unique connection with Lenny. When a letter arrives that completely disrupts her perfect pattern, we are all in for one wild ride! The narrator brings Mayne’s novel to life in a vibrant, inviting manner, absolutely engaging to listen to from start to finish. This is such a beautiful read, a

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on instagram closer to the publication date!

ARC: Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder
Author: Kerryn Mayne
Pub day: Jul 9th 2024
Genre: women’s fiction, General Fiction, adult
Format: Audio book
My rating: 4⭐️

My thoughts: this was a really well told story. When I first started I was expecting a bit more of mystery. There was mystery but I guess I was expecting MORE! That’s on me- not the book. Once I understood that this book is more like telling you a story and you learning about a character and her life and her past + secrets I began to love it more (because again this is not a mystery thriller lol 😂 I went in thinking it would be - why? I have no clue. Maybe the title?)

I give this book 4⭐️ because I believe there will be many people that will enjoy this book and enjoy this character- I personally really liked her! 🩷 the story was good and the ending was very satisfying to me. I also enjoyed seeing the character development. 💛

@netgalley #lennymarksgetsawaywithmurder #kerrynmayne

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Lenny Marks is a teach who lives by a very strict schedule. She's a bit different and has some memories issues. She can't remember what happened after her mom and abusive step father disappeared. After a letter from the parole board comes, her carefully constructed life starts to come undone. Well worth the read.

Excellent narration.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder follows a woman as she lives her everyday life following rules and routines. When she receives a letter from the parole board regarding a night her mother and stepdad went missing, she is forced to slowly face what really happened. Lenny finds her courage and discovers what friendship really looks like along the way. This book is both sad and heartwarming and really shines a light on what could happen if you experience trauma at a young age. If you enjoy quirky, possibly neurodiverse characters that accept themselves through hardship, you might like Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder!

Narration performed by Annie Maynard was outstanding.

I received an ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not your ordinary mystery!

Lenny Marks is just an ordinary girl. She has the same routine every day, eats the same meals, reads the same books, and watches the same Friends reruns on repeat. Did I mention she has over thirty copies of The Hobbit?
As a child, Lenny lost her mother and stepfather, but she just cannot recall what happened the day they disappeared. However, the words "you did this" play over and over in her head as her stepfathers last words.
Lenny's life suddenly changes when she receives a letter from the parole board and details of her life one by one begins to unravel and memories come rushing back.

What a great story. The narrator did a fantastic job conveying all of the necessary emotions.
Would definitely recommend!

Special Thanks to Kerryn Mayne, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was fooled by the cute cover and fun title, the inside was emotional and heartbreaking. Lenny Marks is an incredible character with the backstory to back her up as a strong woman.

The narration was very engaging and set the right tone for the Lenny and the book.

This was an engaging story about a neurodiverse woman battling trauma and doing her best to float by until she’s forced to confront her past and let people in. The audiobook narrator did a great job of portraying all the quirks and poignant journey of Lenny Marks. Definitely for fans of Elenor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Some of the plot felt a little unbelievable to me hence not five stars. Overall, I’m impressed by this author’s debut and will definitely seek out her books in the future.

Growing up, I observed as much as I could, so I could catalogue as much as I could, so I could learn to be “normal.” We now know this is called masking and after 35 years, I am finally starting to unmask. But until then, I thought I was broken. Weird, off, wrong, incompatible. Throughout my life, I’d read weird or obscure books about characters who weren’t socially accepted. They were the outcasts.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower was like my mind exploding open. There were others like me. Maybe I wasn’t so off? But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered books with neurodivergent characters. Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman and The Maid by Nita Prose being some of the firsts. It was the first experience reading first person of someone with a brain like mine.

All of the dialogue felt so similar. It felt like reading my own thoughts, and it made so much sense. I suddenly made so much sense. Now I virtually will read any book with a neurodivergent character, just to learn more about other people like me.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is on that list, and I loved it. I love a good story about character growth. Mind, not character change, but an acceptance of who you are, as you are. And the community coming together and accepting who you are, as you are.

I think that’s one of the things neurodivergent folks want the most: to be understood. We spend our lives trying to understand those around us, and yet, very rarely, does a community do that for us. It gets lonely and we isolate because it’s easier. But I love a good story about a sense of community being built around someone who is neurodivergent.

Overall, this was a complex and beautiful book. Even the acknowledgments had me chuckling. I think I will be a fan of this author for years to come.

A super quirky Friends obsessed main female character?! Sign me up! This has a super great narrator! The title I feel is a little deceiving perhaps? I don’t know…. The whole murder aspect takes up so little of the story. I absolutely adored Lenny’s character though. Very similar to Sally Diamond and Molly from The Maid. Most of the book is just her day to day life and some flash backs to her younger years. She’s always thinking in terms of worst case scenarios and SAME! I did really enjoy this but I think I expected more of a mystery vibe than we were handed. Great debut album!

This was a heartwarming book, gave Eleanor Oliphant vibes, which I enjoyed. I liked the characters, the flashbacks, and the overall message in this book. I was wanting a little more from this book, but I couldn't put my finger on what that was.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
by Kerryn Mayne, narrated by Annie Maynard

I thought this story might be more lighthearted but instead it hides deep heartache and feelings of guilt. Lenny Marx is 37 when the story starts and she lives alone in her little house. She likes being alone although she's not really alone. She has Monica, from the TV series, with her when she wants to play Scrabble or needs to say she already has plans with her "roommate". Yes, yes, Monica is just a character on a TV show but Lenny knows her so well by rewatching the shows all the time and she doesn't have real friends. Well, soon she does have a dog named Malcolm and he really is a woman's best friend!

But Lenny's mom, the woman who had fostered her after her granny went away, has been urging Lenny to make friends, to get out more, to do things with others. So Lenny is trying, not very successfully, to become friends with the "cool girls" at work. Still, Lenny has trouble reading people and often misinterprets what they are thinking or meaning.

Now something very big is happening. Lenny's stepfather is getting out of prison. He's the reason people left her, why everyone leaves her. Or maybe it's Lenny's fault everyone leaves her. Lenny's stepfather's voice runs through her thoughts, "this is your fault" and Lenny applies it to all her life.

Now, just as Lenny is making friends with her elderly neighbor and enjoying it, walking dogs with her grocer friend and liking it, doing things with others and mostly liking it, Lenny's world is about to blow up in the worst way. Memories are coming back and what she doesn't remember, people are filling in. Things were worse than Lenny thought and the truth just may destroy Lenny.

I was fortunate enough to have the ebook and the audiobook and I enjoyed both. With the ebook I was able to see the anagrams Lenny makes from words when she's feeling distressed. Seeing what Lenny was doing with the words helped me understand a bit better exactly what she was doing. With the audiobook, I could "hear" Lenny and the narrator does a great job allowing me to feel what Lenny was feeling, speeding up as Lenny's anxiety became too much for her. Reading or listening, this story is heartbreaking, touching, and hopeful. There is so much more to Lenny Marx than meets the eye and she's amazing in her very special ways.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was not quite what I expected but I enjoyed Lenny so much. She likes her current of life and routines. But her past was very different of chaos and trauma. When a letter arrives things start changing and Lenny starts branching out more. I could relate to Lenny a little bit and just wanted to cheer her on in some ways. I felt for her in so many others. This was a nice break from the thriller books I have been reading. I look forward to more books from the author.

I liked how the story was written- use of literary devices: clever use of satire, humour, turns of phrases. There’s more to the story than the initial impression would lead you to believe.
I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The narration by Annie Maynard is very well done. Her voice is clear, animated and very easy to listen to. Character voice portrayals are consistent and fitting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to enjoy the audiobook version of this ARC.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook!

Listen, I know some people get annoyed with book titles like LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER and FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT and ELANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETEY FINE, but I, for one, love them. This is the perfect title for this book.

Lenny Marks is what you'd get if you combined Sally Diamond (from STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND) and ELANOR OLIPHANT.

Based on the title and cover alone, I was expecting a cozy mystery with an armature sleuth but I was SO WRONG. This is not really cozy (okay, maybe a little) and it's not really a mystery (also MAYBE a little). I'd describe it as a character study in which readers learn about the character as she simultaneously learns about herself. It almost felt like a coming-of-age story, but in reverse, as she tries to go back in time to her childhood to understand who she is today.

This is darker than I expected but it is dressed up to seem cutesy with a socially awkward character who has 36 copies of THE HOBBIT, plays scrabble, and talks to her imaginary friend. Only once the many layers of past trauma are slowly revealed through flashbacks do we begin to understand the awkward and quirky Lenny Marks is really a scarred and broken human who doesn't even fully understand how dark her past was until she gets a call from the parole board and things begin to unravel.

Even with her broken past, Lenny is still an overall delightful character and one I was rooting for the whole time. I was very pleased by how the story ended for her and I'll remember her for a long time.

The narration was done by Annie Maynard and she did a great job!

I loved that the author thanked Sally Hepworth in the author's note for encouraging her to write this book because I really think Sally fans will love this book!

4.5 stars rounded up for GR

This will be available for purchase on July 9th!

Lenny, aka Helenna, Marks is a lovable heroine. She cherishes fine literature by J.R.R Tolkein and C.S. Lewis, she is an avid Scrabble player, and her imaginary friends are characters from the television show Friends. She is a grade five teacher who enjoys spending her days instructing children, but in many ways, she has never evolved from her younger self.

She has a hard time making friends, until she realizes that she has had many people surrounding her that have been there for her throughout her life and she was not as alone as she may have seemed.

The audiobook was impeccably narrated with charming Australian pronunciation and slang that made me smile. There was a good balance of humor mixed in with serious subject matter to give this novel substance and credibility.

I appreciated that the publishers included the Acknowledgements portion in the audiobook because it is nice to hear about the people who inspired and assisted a new author.