A review by mackenzierm
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne

  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Lenny Marks is a character of routine - she bikes home at exactly 4pm from work each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals each week, and owns 36 copies of The Hobbit. Her closest friendship is playing Scrabble against Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns. Lenny is also very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared. Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail and Lenny starts to unravel as long-buried memories resurface. For the first time, Lenny is forced to connect with the community around her and unexpected new relationships begin to blossom.

Lenny Marks is a quirky and socially awkward character. She mostly keeps to herself but she also seeks friends on her own terms, while actively trying to keep people at a distance. She's a hoot to get to know over the course of this story. I adored her coping mechanism of using words and rearranging them into other possible words to calm herself. She spends a lot of time alone watching Friends reruns and I truly loved the Friends references thrown in. She also has a strong affinity for The Hobbit and there's some references to the characters thrown in here and there as well.

The first half of this book is on the slower side as we learn about Lenny and her current routines, but it picks up as the story progresses and we learn about her past and the memories she has buried. I loved Malcom, he was the perfect addition to her life - and Rottweilers are my favourite type of dog so easy win.

I really liked the ending of this story and enjoyed the realizations that Lenny has about the people in her life. It's more of a cozy, whimsical and heartwarming story than a crime/mystery story so keep that in mind if you decide to pick this up!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St Martin's Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.