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niftyreads's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the audiobook!
With the cute book cover and fun book title, LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER, it sounds like it’s a cozy, silly mystery novel, but it’s not. There is so much more to it - depth, heart, humor, sadness, and unexpected moments of I need a hug feeling. It has an excellent neurodivergent character, Lenny Marks, as the lead, reminiscent of Molly the Maid and Eleanor Oliphant. Kerryn Mayne has written an outstanding debut novel with a character you want to root for and ultimately be friends and play chess with.
Annie Maynard is the perfect narrator for this novel. I adored her as Lenny and being the voice inside Lenny’s head. I think listening to the book made me love it more than if I read it with my eyes. I still would have adored it, but hearing Lenny come to life was a beautiful experience.
I also get so surprised when I find out books like this are authors' debut novels because if this is how they start, I’m so excited for what comes next!
Lenny is so special to me. Reading the book felt like getting to know a friend better, and I was sad to say goodbye when it was over. But it’s definitely a book I will reread!
Content warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child death, familial death, grief, gaslighting, animal cruelty, violence, injury detail, toxic friendship
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
lilibetbombshell's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
How well do you remember your childhood? Are you sure you’re remembering it correctly?
Lenny Marks is alive, but she’s not living. She’d be fine with that if it weren’t for the fact she knows it makes her mom (well, her former foster mom but the closest thing to a mom she’s had in a long time) upset if she doesn’t at least try and engage with the world around her. If Lenny had it her way she’d keep to her strict routines and schedules, never letting anyone get too close to her or know anything much about her. It’s safer that way. No one can abandon you if you don’t let them in, after all.
The themes of abuse, abandonment, fear, anger, loneliness, and loss are all at the heart of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. If you think this book is lighthearted at all, be forewarned it’s not. I cried more than once. My eyes are unhappy with me.
Debut author Kerryn Mayne has written a book with an extraordinary protagonist who will rip your heart out from your chest, break it, then repair it before placing it back inside and stitching you back up all shiny and new. Lenny Marks is written as a neurodivergent character who also has a large issue with dissociation surrounding a traumatic event from her childhood. Lenny’s type of neurodivergency isn’t explored or explicitly stated, but Mayne did a terrific job of writing a neurodivergent character without coming across as precious or exploitative. If you don’t fall in love with Lenny I don’t know what kind of person you are, because Lenny is so easy to love. I think that’s why this book has been so widely lauded for breaking people’s hearts and making them cry. You just feel so much for Lenny and what she’s been through. And after all she’s been through, she’s still out there trying her best to survive and do right when so many people who should know better choose to do wrong.
The pacing of this book is lovely, with a natural progression and no filler. Mayne’s writing style is sharp and insightful, with a dark sense of humor and a deep well of emotion. Her characters are well-drawn and her plotting is clear and well-rounded. The dialogue in this book is a delight and one of its best features.
This is definitely women’s fiction, but it’s definitely on the lit fic side of women’s fiction. It’s women’s fiction because the book deals with, in a large amount, issues that widely affect women and their children. The take on these issues is more on the darkly humorous side, which I always enjoy. If you love a tale that ultimately results in revenge, then you’ll end up loving this.
TW for child abuse
TW for mild animal abuse (one scene)
TW for violence
TW for child death
TW for domestic abuse
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Dark Comedy/Disability Rep/Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Blood
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I adored Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, a book written by Kerryn Mayne. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Annie Maynard. I loved Lenny so, so much and was rooting for her throughout the entire novel. Upon looking at the cover and description for this novel, I was torn between thinking this was a thriller, a cozy mystery, or some sort of psychological novel. And in a sense, it is all of that... and none of that. This book is charming and engaging, funny and quirky, yet also pretty serious at times.
Lenny's life is turned upside down when she starts hearing from a parole board about her stepfather's impending release from prison. Memories from her childhood start coming back in bits and pieces, as trauma does, and as a result, she has choices to make and growth to pursue as she heals. She is so endearing and lovable as we learn more about her life, her relationships, and her habits. At times, the book is a bit slow but the quirky elements of Lenny's personality add a fun dimension to this book.
Though much of this book was about memories and the past, there are some very real twists and turns that happen as a result of present circumstances and Lenny's memories. And as you could expect, there is a murder! :)
I found this book to be engaging, heartwarming, and captivating. I wanted to keep listening to it long past my commute, run, or chore session. The narration was top notch, and only enhanced the listening experience.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
Lenny's life is turned upside down when she starts hearing from a parole board about her stepfather's impending release from prison. Memories from her childhood start coming back in bits and pieces, as trauma does, and as a result, she has choices to make and growth to pursue as she heals. She is so endearing and lovable as we learn more about her life, her relationships, and her habits. At times, the book is a bit slow but the quirky elements of Lenny's personality add a fun dimension to this book.
Though much of this book was about memories and the past, there are some very real twists and turns that happen as a result of present circumstances and Lenny's memories. And as you could expect, there is a murder! :)
I found this book to be engaging, heartwarming, and captivating. I wanted to keep listening to it long past my commute, run, or chore session. The narration was top notch, and only enhanced the listening experience.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
pagesofallie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I am so happy I won it! This was such a good book.
This is a thriller/mystery. It features Lenny Marks, a 37-year-old school teacher with a mysterious past. She has some memories that she has repressed. Surrounding her mom, step father, grandmother, and the day her parents left her.
Lenny continues to try to adapt in society.
Lenny is definitely an interesting character. She is a little odd, but in a completely loveable way.
Personally, this isn't the kind of book I normally read. However, after about halfway through I was hooked! The story picks up and I got increasingly invested in Lenny. About her past, what it meant and what her future holds.
I would recommend this book to anyone!
This is a thriller/mystery. It features Lenny Marks, a 37-year-old school teacher with a mysterious past. She has some memories that she has repressed. Surrounding her mom, step father, grandmother, and the day her parents left her.
Lenny continues to try to adapt in society.
Lenny is definitely an interesting character. She is a little odd, but in a completely loveable way.
Personally, this isn't the kind of book I normally read. However, after about halfway through I was hooked! The story picks up and I got increasingly invested in Lenny. About her past, what it meant and what her future holds.
I would recommend this book to anyone!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder
heidirgorecki's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Highly enjoyable and captivating. I had actually picked it up because the title made me think it was a comedy but it definitely wasn’t. And for a character driven book with just a touch of mystery, this one still did so well at keeping my attention and I had a hard time putting it down, rooting for Lenny the whole way.
Lenny is well portrayed as someone with both a lot of trauma because of an abusive stepfather and also is somewhere on the spectrum, so it adds to the character development and interactions she has with others, trying to sort thru daily interactions and idiosyncrasies, filtered thru her devastating childhood.
I loved the themes of friendship vs self-protection, and how some things get translated in our heads negatively then how easy it is to snowball it when we isolate ourselves or stay silent. I thought the writing style was also really good and enjoyed it quite a lot.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
Lenny is well portrayed as someone with both a lot of trauma because of an abusive stepfather and also is somewhere on the spectrum, so it adds to the character development and interactions she has with others, trying to sort thru daily interactions and idiosyncrasies, filtered thru her devastating childhood.
I loved the themes of friendship vs self-protection, and how some things get translated in our heads negatively then how easy it is to snowball it when we isolate ourselves or stay silent. I thought the writing style was also really good and enjoyed it quite a lot.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence
pisceankel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a brilliant story! At first it was giving me Eleanor Oliphant vibes but as the story developed and we experience alongside Lenny the memory triggers, she was more than Eleanor! A story of love, pain, memories, triggers, violence, crime, hurt, confusion, reality, fantasy and justice it was beautifully crafted and fabulously executed via the narrative! An absolutely wonder!
So beautiful. I just want to give Lenny a hug but I know she'd look at me strangely and wonder why!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence
tabstitch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent
msjacquip's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
TW: animal abuse; DV including death
Lenny Marks has done all she can to forget the day her Mum left her. The main thing she remembers is her step-father saying “you did this.” That is, until she receives a letter from the adult parole board and, despite her best efforts to stop it, she starts to remember.
I met Kerryn at a @sistersincrimeau event and she was such a crack up. I knew instantly that I would fall in love with Lenny Marks because there was no way that someone with as much spunk as Kerryn could possibly write a character that lacks personality. Lenny gave me the feeling that she was neurodivergent, but that could also simply be attributed to her desire to forget the past.
I loved how the story evolved and the twists were perfect - even the ones I predicted weren’t quite as they seemed.
And, of course, I’m a sucker for a good doggo sidekick, and Malcolm is the bees knees.
Amazing debut from Kerryn - I just hope she stops fighting crime long enough to give us another story.
Lenny Marks has done all she can to forget the day her Mum left her. The main thing she remembers is her step-father saying “you did this.” That is, until she receives a letter from the adult parole board and, despite her best efforts to stop it, she starts to remember.
I met Kerryn at a @sistersincrimeau event and she was such a crack up. I knew instantly that I would fall in love with Lenny Marks because there was no way that someone with as much spunk as Kerryn could possibly write a character that lacks personality. Lenny gave me the feeling that she was neurodivergent, but that could also simply be attributed to her desire to forget the past.
I loved how the story evolved and the twists were perfect - even the ones I predicted weren’t quite as they seemed.
And, of course, I’m a sucker for a good doggo sidekick, and Malcolm is the bees knees.
Amazing debut from Kerryn - I just hope she stops fighting crime long enough to give us another story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
cassienolan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Couldn’t put this down! I fell in love with the characters and needed to know what happened in the end so read it in two days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity
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