A tremendous thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne! This book publishes in the US July 9, 2024!

The Story

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?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who’s simply unforgettable.

My Thoughts

This was a five star read for me! One of my friends at book club reads way more than I do and absolutely raved over this book. We have very similar reading styles, so I knew I had to read this book.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder was just the most endearing book. Lenny herself is written similarly to Eleanor Oliphant or Molly the Maid, so she’s absolutely endearing. Lenny goes through grief and loneliness and trying to fit in…IN HER THIRTIES! You don’t read that terribly often. It’s always hot, young ladies trying to fit in, but it’s way easier the younger you are.

I was reading one night, and I just couldn’t stop. I started, and it was 90 minutes later before I even knew what happened. To be clear, the writing was not exceptionally poignant. This likely won’t win any awards for changing the world. However, it was everything I wanted in a book.

Lenny Marks was a mystery but also endearing. It was honest in feelings without being overly poetic or philosophical. Unless I’m mistaken, this is Kerryn Mayne’s first novel (she’s an active police officer or detective?!), and she absolutely crushed it. She’s an Australian native, so this book also had Benjamin Stevenson vibes too (and I was not mad about it). I think you have to appreciate Australian humor…

I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year.

As always, check out my Amazon Storefront for all of the books I’ve read this year, gift ideas for friends or family, and some of my overall favorite products.

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