This is another book that I read because of the title.  I admit that at first I assumed Lenny was a male character.  I’m not sure why, but it sounded to me like a crime novel.  It wasn’t.

I suppose if I had looked at the cover, I might have figured out that Lenny was female. Anyway, with that being said, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder was actually a good read.

Before I give my thoughts, here is the Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

For a debut novel, it was really good.  I won’t give away too much, but with a title like “Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder,” I assumed the “murder” would happen towards the beginning of the book.  It didn’t. 

Because I was waiting for it, at times I wondered when it was going to happen.  This distracted me a bit, but once I was able to put the expectation of a murder out of my mind, things fell into place nicely.

If I had to describe the book, I would say that it is like The Maid Meets Desperate Housewives.  Let me clarify:

I say The Maid because Molly, the main character is a bit odd. She has autism and is very particular about her schedule and routines.  Lenny isn’t autistic per say, but she has those tendencies.  She is innocent and quiet and likes her routine.

I say Desperate Housewives not because of the drama on the show, but in the way that the story will bring up something or someone that you forgot about.  There were times where I was like, “Oh yeah, that guy…”

The book focuses mainly on present day Lenny, but at times there are flashbacks that shed light on what is going on in the story. I would agree with the synopsis in that there are some scenarios that are heartbreaking and as a whole, heartwarming.

Does the title of the book give away the ending?  You should read it and find out.

3 out of 5 stars.