And I would have stayed up with you all night: LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER.

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Oh, this sweet book stole my heart! Lenny Marks lives a safe and predictable life as a primary school teacher. To relieve anxiety, she makes anagrams out words and plays both sets of Scrabble letters, one as herself and one as Monica, from her favorite TV show Friends (she never cheats, even though she knows both sets of letters). One day, a letter arrives for Lenny from the Parole Board. This unleashes a series of repressed memories from a childhood incident involving her mother and stepfather, Fergus. All Lenny recalls is that it was "all her fault."

Lenny's story is a touching one of recovering from trauma. Her neurodivergent character is powerful and beautifully written. Mayne captures a damaged yet resilient woman who has been through more than one individual ever should. Encouraged by her foster mother, Lenny tries to push the boundaries of her predictable life. She steals an abused dog, who is an absolutely amazing canine character. She starts making friends, including Ned from the grocery. We meet some absolute villains: "cool girl" type primary school co-workers who make Lenny's life miserable.

As Lenny tries to remember and learn more about her past, while becoming a stronger woman in the present, the urge to protect her is intense. (I listened to part of this story on audio, and it's so well-done!) But she does a great job of standing up for herself, and Mayne is wonderful at illustrating how Lenny's mind works.

This is an oft sad and traumatic story with a bit of a mystery. It is very serious in content but laced with humor and a realness to Lenny that's hard to find. The plot veers toward outlandish at times, but this is a touching and beautiful read. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews