Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder

In this powerful debut, an endearing but deeply introverted woman's carefully constructed routine starts to crumble when a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail, bringing the past she's long buried back to life.

Lenny Marks is never unprepared.

She spends her days teaching at the local elementary school and her nights watching reruns of Friends and playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Geller. She owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit, arranged by height. Her wardrobe is limited to four colors (previously counted as three, but the distinction between charcoal and grey was impossible to ignore).

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother left her when she was still a child, and her stepfather went to prison. Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail--and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel.

Worse, she starts to remember...

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.

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.