Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder A Novel by Kerryn Mayne

Book Excerpt:

"She bikes home from work at precisely 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 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 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 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.
 

Title:  Lenny Marks Get Away with Murder

Author:  Kerryn Mayne

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" by Kerryn Mayne

My Perception:  

'Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder' is an intriguing read with serious content about past trauma that keeps readers turning the pages until the end and giving one much thought long after the read. This story involves 'the insight into a mind that is part autistic and part traumatized by a past.'

We find Lenny, a 37-year-old primary school teacher, a loner with an imaginary roommate. She receives a letter from the parole board letting her know that her former stepfather is due to be released from jail soon. Where was her mother, who had disappeared simultaneously as the father? Now, I don't want to tell too much of the story, but I will let you know there is a murder in this story as the story unravels a lot of mystery about Lenny's past and her growth as a good human being. Be ready for a good read, as this author gives us information about what had happened in the past, as the story separates fact from fiction. In the end, anyone can accept the conclusion in Lenny's world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.