> Skip to content
Play sample
  • Published: 28 November 2023
  • ISBN: 9781761345784
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $25.00
Categories:

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder





Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel that’s both chilling and charming, suspenseful and uplifting. And, of course, simply unforgettable…

'With Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, Kerryn Mayne makes a very grand entrance into the Australian literary scene. With humour, heart and characters you come to love, this is a book you will devour now, and keep thinking about later!' Sally Hepworth, author of The Good Sister

‘Such a brilliant combination of light and dark, charm and suspense. A debut you won’t forget!’ Candice Fox, author of The Chase
'Devilishly fun: top marks for Lenny Marks!' Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

Lenny Marks is good at not remembering.

She has spent the last twenty years not thinking about the day her mother left her when she was still a child. Her stepfather’s parting words, however, remain annoyingly unforgettable: 'You did this.'
Now thirty-seven, Lenny prefers contentment and order over the unreliability of happiness and the messiness of relationships. She fills her days teaching at the local primary school, and her nights playing Scrabble with her pretend housemate, watching reruns of Friends and rearranging her thirty-six copies of The Hobbit.
Recently though, if only to appease her beloved foster-mum, Lenny has set herself the goal of ‘getting a life’.
Then, out of the blue, a letter arrives from the Adult Parole Board. And when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel.

Worse, she starts to remember . . .


'An incredible debut which will have you both laughing and crying . . . This is a blackly funny, tender-hearted story of the dark and light of human nature, and ultimately, love, friendship, family and happiness.' Petronella McGovern, author of The Liars
'Kerryn Mayne takes readers on a suspenseful, deeply emotional, and sometimes humorous journey. Lenny is a unique and remarkable character, who will have readers cheering for her from the very first page... This stunning debut marks Mayne as a powerful new voice in Australian fiction.' Lisa Ireland, author of The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan
'Compelling. Mayne breaks your heart and shows how sometimes life’s greatest mystery is the truth of our past.' RWR McDonald

  • Published: 28 November 2023
  • ISBN: 9781761345784
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $25.00
Categories:

About the author

Kerryn Mayne

Kerryn Mayne is an author, former wedding photographer and current police officer. When not at work attempting to solve crime, she is writing about it or preparing an endless stream of snacks for her four children. Kerryn lives in the bayside suburbs of Melbourne with her husband, children and a highly suspect lovebird. She is the author of two novels: Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder and Joy Moody Is Out Of Time.

Also by Kerryn Mayne

See all

Praise for Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder

With Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, Kerryn Mayne makes a very grand entrance into the Australian literary scene. With humour, heart and characters you come to love, this is a book you will devour now, and keep thinking about later. Hard to believe it’s a debut! I can’t wait to see what this new Aussie talent comes up with next.

Sally Hepworth

Such a brilliant combination of light and dark, charm and suspense. A debut you won’t forget!

Candice Fox

Devilishly fun: top marks for Lenny Marks!

Benjamin Stevenson

An incredible debut which will have you both laughing and crying. I loved Lenny – a delightful, naive woman, determined to have a stable, predictable life. But life doesn’t work that way. This is a blackly funny, tender-hearted story of the dark and light of human nature, and ultimately, love, friendship, family and happiness.

Petronella McGovern, author of The Liars

In Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, Kerryn Mayne takes readers on a suspenseful, deeply emotional, and sometimes humorous journey. Lenny is a unique and remarkable character, who will have readers cheering for her from the very first page and thinking about her long after the book is finished. This stunning debut marks Mayne as a powerful new voice in Australian fiction.

Lisa Ireland, author of The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan

Compelling. Mayne breaks your heart and shows how sometimes life’s greatest mystery is the truth of our past.

R.W.R. McDonald

Awards & recognition

Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction

Shortlisted  •  2023  •  Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction

Danger Prize (BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival)

Winner  •  2024  •  Best Debut Fiction

International Thriller Awards

Finalist  •  2024  •  2024 ITW Thriller Awards

Discover more

Article
The books everyone is talking about in 2023

See the books that readers are obsessing over lately.

Video
Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne | OUT NOW

Kerryn Mayne's irresistible debut, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, is chilling yet charming, and suspenseful yet uplifting. Whether you're a crime and mystery lover, or looking for a darkly humorous summer read, this is not one to miss! Lenny Marks is good at not remembering. She has spent the last twenty years not thinking about the day her mother left her when she was still a child. Her stepfather’s parting words, however, remain annoyingly unforgettable: 'You did this.' Now thirty-seven, Lenny prefers contentment and order over the unreliability of happiness and the messiness of relationships. She fills her days teaching at the local primary school, and her nights playing Scrabble with her pretend housemate, watching reruns of Friends and rearranging her thirty-six copies of The Hobbit. Recently though, if only to appease her beloved foster-mum, Lenny has set herself the goal of ‘getting a life’. Then, out of the blue, a letter arrives from the Adult Parole Board. And when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. Worse, she starts to remember . . . Order your copy here: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/lenny-marks-gets-away-with-murder-9781761048043

Video
Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne | COMING SOON

Kerryn Mayne's irresistible debut, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, is chilling yet charming, and suspenseful yet uplifting.  Whether you're a crime and mystery lover, or looking for a darkly humorous summer read, this is not one to miss!  Pre-order from our website now: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/lenny-marks-gets-away-with-murder-9781761048043