Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne (2024)
While the title might promise a thriller, I'd consider this book more of a heartfelt journey out of terrible darkness for its title character. By the time neurodivergant schoolteacher Lenny Marks reaches a reckoning with the horrors of her past, readers will have already fallen for her and be cheering her on.
Lenny (who prefers that name to her given one, Helena), survived a childhood so traumatic, it's warped her memories of it. In addition to her viewing the world from a distance in a methodical, precise way, her horrific past has rendered her even more cut off from people and human contact. But yet she's willing to struggle to establish friendships with her school associates and the manager of her favorite grocery store, a painfully awkward process for her. And then her world upends with a single, piece of news related to the nightmarish childhood she'd mostly suppressed up to this point, with only three words staying with her...."you did this'. The past is coming back for her, daring her to survive it again.
The story becomes sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes harrowing and yes even humorous in the ways Lenny copes with the world at large. And I was riveted to the pages as she overcomes her fears, wrestles with her demons, and deals with stunning surprises as the reality of what she endured finally comes into sharp focus. Lenny Marks proves a force to be reckoned with and takes readers right along with her., which is why I found myself racing to reach the final chapters.
Lenny (who prefers that name to her given one, Helena), survived a childhood so traumatic, it's warped her memories of it. In addition to her viewing the world from a distance in a methodical, precise way, her horrific past has rendered her even more cut off from people and human contact. But yet she's willing to struggle to establish friendships with her school associates and the manager of her favorite grocery store, a painfully awkward process for her. And then her world upends with a single, piece of news related to the nightmarish childhood she'd mostly suppressed up to this point, with only three words staying with her...."you did this'. The past is coming back for her, daring her to survive it again.
The story becomes sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes harrowing and yes even humorous in the ways Lenny copes with the world at large. And I was riveted to the pages as she overcomes her fears, wrestles with her demons, and deals with stunning surprises as the reality of what she endured finally comes into sharp focus. Lenny Marks proves a force to be reckoned with and takes readers right along with her., which is why I found myself racing to reach the final chapters.
Not a thrill ride, by any means, but you'll want to experience the emotional impact of a main character who's determined to end up as the hero of her own story........which, by the way is a 5 star read. (*****)
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