For those looking for a cozy mystery or a rom-com, LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Karryn Mayne does not fall into either category. It is a deeply moving story about a woman so scarred by a tragedy from her past, that she even has trouble remembering, that she has had to create a lifestyle to function. By choice, she lives alone. Her daily routine is so regimented that any interruption is problematic. She has no living friends, just an imaginary one she plays Scrabble against. She teaches fifth grade and now, at age thirty-seven, it does not appear anything will change. However, appearances can be deceiving. There comes a point when Lenny's life begins to unravel and this is when we get to know the true Lenny.
Lenny Marks is one of the best-developed characters I have ever encountered. She is complex and unique. She is rational, precise, direct and has almost no social skills. When she decides to try to make friends her attempts are clumsy. In many ways, she is an enigma. She can be frustrating, but there is something endearing about her. Lenny has secrets and she will surprise us.
In this expertly crafted novel, the past comes crashing into Lenny's present life and she has to make serious and profound decisions, no matter what the consequences might be. It would be a mistake to underestimate Lenny Marks.
For those looking for an extraordinary story about a memorable character, I highly recommend reading LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER.
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.
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