Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, by Kerryn Mayne

At first this novel promises to be yet another quirky tale of a neurodivergent young woman overcoming the odds. But while Primary School teacher Helena ‘Lenny’ Marks may be neurodivergent, it soon becomes apparent she is living with the effects of a traumatic childhood. Reclusive, isolated and socially awkward, at the age of 37 Lenny has been half-heartedly trying to ‘get a life’ at the urging of her foster mother. When a letter dredges up her past it triggers buried memories and forces Lenny to question everything she thinks she knows of herself. Intermittent flashbacks gradually reveal how Lenny lost her family – and her memory. Mayne treads a fine line between horrifying and amusing in revealing Lenny’s past and outlining how she operates in the present. Her denseness about people gets irritating and some aspects are a bit far-fetched, but Lenny is a strong character and her story holds clear and useful messages. The ending is both disturbing and satisfying as it successfully answers the question posed by the book’s title strapline – Or Does She?