Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Detective Liz Moorland faces a chilling mystery in "Lest We Forgive", the gripping debut novel by Phillipa Nefri Clark. Set against a backdrop of icy roads and hidden secrets, this heart-wrenching murder mystery keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Late one night, an accident leaves a car wrapped around a tree. Detective Liz Moorland stares at the lifeless faces of her ex-colleague's daughter and son-in-law. But this tragedy isn't just an accident—it's a puzzle waiting to be solved. Vince Carter, a bitter and reclusive retired cop, believes there's more to the crash than meets the eye. Estranged from his daughter before her death, Vince is haunted by guilt. As he fights for custody of his eight-year-old granddaughter, Melanie—the sole survivor of the wreck—he pieces together a compelling theory. The crash was no accident; it was deliberate. And one person knows the truth: the killer.

Liz Moorland is a likable and determined detective. Her commitment to justice drives her, even as she juggles chasing an escaped criminal with concerns about Melanie's safety. Vince Carter, once a hero, now grapples with failure and loss. His theory connects him to Liz's case, intertwining their fates in unexpected ways.

Clark masterfully creates an atmosphere of tension. The icy roads mirror the chilling secrets hidden beneath the surface. As Vince's theory gains traction, readers are drawn into a web of intrigue. Who can Melanie trust? What did she witness that fateful night? The suspense builds, leaving us hungry for answers.

Clark's prose is evocative, painting vivid scenes against the Australian backdrop. Her characters leap off the page, their emotions raw and palpable. The pacing keeps readers engaged, with twists and turns that surprise at every corner.

This novel is a journey into the depths of guilt, redemption, and the bonds that tie us together. Phillipa Nefri Clark's debut promises a thrilling series with Detective Liz Moorland at its heart. Prepare to lose sleep—this book demands to be devoured in one sitting.

🚨Excellent read!😍

My first time reading a book by this author and it definitely won't be the last! I loved the building closeness between young Melanie and her grandfather, ex-cop Vince Carter, and the simultaneous investigations of the car crash that killed Melanie's parents and the hunt for a deadly escaped convict. Victoria State Police Detective Liz Moorland is no nonsense, but with a heart and conscience; I liked her style and this story has me wanting more from her.

I will admit that the book sat on my shelf for a while because I was a bit intimidated by its length. And it took several chapters and frequent appearances by young Melanie before I really got into it. But then, the pages flew by pretty effortlessly. The writing is direct: no excess descriptions or irrelevant flights of fancy here!

Vince, a loner who finds former colleagues (except for Liz) distant and unhelpful when he insists that his daughter's death was not an accident, was my favorite adult character. His grief and regret were palpable, as was his fierce love for his orphaned granddaughter.

I was first drawn to the story by its Australian setting then stayed for the excellent plot and interesting range of characters. I'm already looking forward to the author's next release, even though it's in a different genre, and a new Liz Moorland story late in 2023.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I liked this book, but think those who like police procedurals will love it more than me. It's a great Australian crime novel.

If Phillipa Nefri Clark write it then I know I will be reading it. This is the 1st in the Detective Liz Moorland series and it was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, characters, place and emotions she brought to this book. I can't wait to read more in this series. As always I highly recommend this book and all of her other books.



Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

This is book # 1 in the Detective Liz Moorland series and my first read by this author. It was a great read and I look forward to the next book in the series. I recommend😊

Detective Liz Moorland is called to the scene of a horrific car accident and finds that the daughter of her ex-colleague has been killed, along with her husband. Miraculously, their daughter survived the crash.

Vince Carter has been living on his farm since his retirement. He suffered the loss of his beloved wife on the same day that he stopped a terrible crime. He was hailed a hero but he has never forgiven himself for not being there for his wife.

Now Vince is caring for his granddaughter, while her Godparents are seeking custody of Melanie for themselves. Vince is determined that the crash was no accident and begins to investigate himself after he discovers a strange voicemail on his daughters home machine.

Someone doesn’t want the truth to come out and will silence anyone that stands in the way of his plans. Can Vince and Liz’s team discover the truth and keep Melanie safe from her parents killer.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance

When ex-detective Vince Carter calls his old partner detective Liz Moorland to ask her to look into the single car crash on a quiet road in Melbourne that killed his daughter Susie and son in law David, she already had her hands full trying to hunt down an escaped criminal. However, she eventually looks into it and discovers signs that the crash might not have been an accident and that David was having problems with his business partner Bradley.

Although he was alienated from his daughter and her husband at the time of their death, Vince has taken in his granddaughter, eight year old Melanie, who survived the crash and is determined to find out the truth for her sake. He’s taken her to live on his property where her mother grew up so happily and she’s gradually recovering from her injuries and the trauma of losing her parents. However, Liz is also concerned that Melanie may have witnessed what happened that night and her life might be in danger.

First in a new series, this is a twisty, mystery as Liz’s two cases become more complex and difficult to solve. The plot is well put together with each mystery being developed well and kept interesting as the pieces gradually fall into place. Melanie is a delightful little girl and is bringing a new lease of life for Vince, who has let both himself and the property decline since his retirement. His friendly neighbour Lyndall clearly has an interesting backstory and I suspect we’ll see more of her in the future. Liz is both an excellent detective and friend to Vince, so I look forward to her next investigation.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. A gripping tale of deception, blackmail and murder. Follow the twist and turns of a retired hero policeman who tries to uncover the truth of the death of his daughter and keep custody of his granddaughter.

This was an entertaining and well-written novel. The characters were believable and make for interest about future books in the series. I liked that main characters were not pure good or evil.

This is the first book I have read by Phillipa Nefri Clark who is an Australian author, and she has written an excellent thriller.  This book is brilliant, and I really enjoyed the book from start to finish. It is a truly gripping read as you uncover the truth behind a car crash which takes the life of two people and the repercussions that unfold afterwards. 

The book is filled with suspense when David Weaver, his wife Susan, and their daughter, Melanie, are run off the road by another vehicle after they leave a restaurant after having dinner with David's business partner Bradley Pickering and his wife Carla.  

Detective Sergeant Liz Moorland was called to a crash site late one evening and Liz is shocked when she sees that it is her good friend Susan who is the daughter of her ex-partner Vince lying dead, along with her husband David. Melanie their eight-year-old daughter is alive and has suffered a broken arm but the trauma of watching her parents die will be much more traumatic. Melanie is transported to hospital and her granddad Vince is informed of the tragedy. 

After initially being told the crash was an accident Vince is devastated after seeing his granddaughter's pain and the devastation in her eyes after losing both her parents. Vinces gut instincts kick in and as a retired police officer Vince feels something does not add up and believes it was not an accident and swears that he will find the underlying cause of what happened that night.

Vince is a force to be reckoned with after losing his daughter and he will go to any lengths to uncover the truth, which then leads Vince and Liz to dig further into David and Bradley's business as it is not what it seems.  
 The bad guys in this story are not nice people at all and you will be stunned at the lengths some are willing to go to for money.

Mel has her life turned upside down as the case unfolds and Vince must deal with his past to be able to help her needs. There are many twists and turns in this story, dodgy business schemes, blackmail danger from diverse sources, unexpected connections, and murders. 
Without giving to much away this story grabbed me from the beginning, and I thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the truth behind all that was going on and it has a great ending. A gripping, emotional thriller which I Highly recommend, and I look forward to reading more Detective Liz Moorland books in the future Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was absolutely amazing! It hooked me from the beginning and took me for a wild ride til the very end!! OMG I can't wait for the next book to see what DI Liz is up too!! This was so good!
I just reviewed Lest We Forgive: Gripping and heart wrenching murder mystery by Phillipa Nefri Clark. #LestWeForgiveGrippingandheartwrenchingmurdermystery #NetGalley
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Not what I would really class as a mystery but a very interesting unraveling of a story that included a crime. Two plot lines were always going to coincide but still plenty of intrigue to keep you engaged.
Obviously this was one of a series and I do think it would have been better if I had read the prequels. The neighbour Lyndell was interesting and will undoubtedly be developed in any future books. A little too much angst over what was in the past which was perhaps more understandable if you weren’t reading about these characters for the first time.

This is a well-written book with strong plotlines and engaging characters. Detective Liz Moreland is a likable and determined individual who steps in to help her former partner, Vince Carter, find out if his estranged daughter and son-in-law's accident was really an accident, or if it was the result of some shady business dealings. Liz is also concurrently pursuing an escaped and dangerous criminal that is on the run. These two plotlines are woven together nicely throughout the book

Vince is not only dealing with his daughter and son-in-law’s deaths, but also gets custody of his granddaughter, Melanie, and has to make some major adjustments in his life to care for her. The reader gets an intimate look at Vince's guilt surrounding his broken relationship with his daughter and the death of his wife, and his attempt at being a better man and grandfather for Melanie. This guilt drives him to do everything he can to find out if his daughter's death was truly an accident or if it was homicide.

The ending was a bit predictable, but still surprising in some aspects. I really enjoyed this book and the characters, and I'm looking forward to reading the subsequent books in this series.

A late night. An icy road. A car wrapped around a tree.

When Detective Liz Moorland stares at the lifeless faces of her ex-colleague’s daughter and son-in-law, she knows it is enough to push Vince Carter over the edge.

Vince Carter is a bitter and reclusive retired cop, was once a hero to many. He feels that he has failed those he most loved. Estranged from his daughter before her death in a car accident, his only hope is caring for his granddaughter, Melanie,
Was the crash an accident or did somebody engineer it to look like one? Detective Liz Moorland is tasked with the case. The only person who knows what happened is the killer.
Can they save Melanie from harm?

A well written and well plotted book centred around Melbourne, Australia. A good murder mystery with believable characters - although I’d hate to meet some of them. Lots of twists and turns.

Loved it

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Rating: 1.6/5

Review: This was a not-mystery. As in, there was no mystery/whodunnit whatsoever. Zip, nada. Now don't think I was not pulling for some left field surprise all they way through this fkr. Like Carla is revealed as some criminal master-mind whom has an evil and sinister bent while calmly running a dark business with her husband unawares. Now that would have been a monster of a novel.

Too bad. The killer while being drawn as obivious is scantily hidden from view. There really was never any attempt by the author to hide and subsequently reveal a surprise. What we get are pages of moping interludes, suffused with self-recriminating behavior. Page after page of whining that contributes nothing to building a character and more importantly, fails the story line which is being sold as a MYSTERY!

I dunno, maybe burn the pages of tears and what could have beens and throw out the chapters on "what a resilient and courageous little girl Melly-Belly is". Cut down Carla's interference by at least a third, or run her over with a truck at the get go. When you uncover someones nefarious past, use it as bait to hide the real culprit.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
As a fan of Australian mysteries/police procedurals, I was happy for the chance to read this book and wasn't disappointed.
Great characters, not all necessarily likeable, but interesting people to read about, a story I was able to immerse myself into and of course the setting, gave me several enjoyable hours. And I loved Nell, her kitten and pony; can't wait to meet them again in the second of the series
Definitely recommended!

Absolutely thrilling and kept me turning the page and on the edge of my seat. I loved it and will highly recommend to others.

This is the first in a series detective story by an Australian author whom I've never read before. Actually, as an American, I haven't read all that many series set in Australia and chose this because I'm making an effort to branch out and read more from there. I've read Harper, Fox, and Hammer, but I wanted to try lesser known (to me) authors.

An accident takes place almost right away in this story, so I don't feel I'm sharing spoilers. This story sets the stage for a series of detective work featuring Liz Moorland. She is stuck with an insufferable, arrogant partner now but when she started out she was partnered with Vince Carter, who has just lost his estranged daughter and son-in-law in a fatal car crash on a straightaway road. The crash is written off as an accident but Vince hears damning evidence on his daughter, Suzie's, phone message. Was the person targeting Suzie or her husband, David, who is partners with her best friend's husband? The four of them are very tight, and Melanie, the young daughter of Suzie, is extremely close to her godparents, Carla and Bradley. Vince gets involved with the investigation and takes Melanie in to care for her, though Carla is bitter about this and wants to care for Melly.

The plot is easy to follow and there is decent character development here. Some side characters, such as Vince's neighbor Lyndal, will surely figure into the series as it continues. It is not a cozy mystery but there is no explicit situations or language to offend the cautious reader. Recommended for any readers of procedurals or mysteries that are quick reads, easy to read and understand.
Thanks to the publisher for my copy and this is just my opinion of the story.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, A great who done it, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!