Secrets of the Manor
Suspense Thriller
Date Published: December 26, 2024
In a busy outdoor market, in broad daylight, an apparently ordinary woman is gunned down by a professional assassin. Twelve years later, the killer is back with a new target – and a mysteriously sinister employer…
What secrets could a father leave behind?
A gripping, high-stakes thriller that seamlessly blends espionage, mystery, and intense suspense, The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Sophie Allard, a promising jet pilot cadet at a prestigious military academy, finds her world shattered when she’s summoned to the Commander’s office with devastating news—her estranged father has died in a mysterious lab explosion at their family estate.
What begins as a routine investigation soon spirals into something far more dangerous.
As Sophie delves deeper into the secrets surrounding her father’s death, she uncovers hidden truths that threaten not only her career but her life. Unraveling a web of deception and betrayal, Sophie discovers that her father’s involvement with a powerful and shadowy organization—the Third Estate—could hold the key to both her survival and her downfall.
With an assassin hunting her every step and the enigmatic Grey Lady pulling the strings behind the scenes, Sophie must navigate a perilous landscape of secrets, lies, and danger.
This fast-paced thriller is perfect for fans of complex conspiracies, strong female protagonists, and unpredictable twists. If you love novels that combine action, suspense, and mystery, The Third Estate is your next must-read.
Will Sophie uncover the truth—before it’s too late?
Interview with D. R. Berlin
What is your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is watching how Lovac interacts with Sophie in different situations. He tolerates quite a bit of her banter. In a way, he admires her courage, when she’s not grating on his last ounce of patience.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
Have you every ventured forward, full steam ahead, armed with the “facts”, believing you were correct, only to find out you were completely wrong? If there are 10 “facts” that are the absolute truth, and you know four of them, do you see the whole picture? Would having four different “facts” lead you in a completely different direction? That is the essence of this book.
The characters believe to the core of their souls that they know the truth and act accordingly, often jeopardizing their careers and lives on those facts -- facts that can be manipulated, facts that can be half-truths, facts that can be false.
What if you were leaving your house to go to work and tripped over your cat, delaying you five minutes to refill your cup of coffee before you leave? You arrive at the intersection you pass by everyday only to witness a fatal accident? Five minutes earlier and it would be you on the stretcher heading to the morgue.
Every decision we make - what time to get up, take the short cup or the long way, Chinese or pizza for lunch, leave the house five minutes earlier – affects the outcome of our day. Little details, until they’re not. You can lead the perfect life, follow every rule, walk the straight and narrow, until one single decision derails your plans. This single decision will nudge you further and further off your path.
This book highlights how one decision, one moment in time can change everything, and that time is precious, limited, and should not be wasted.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
I received a mug from my family for Christmas: "Be Careful or you'll end up in my book." I laughed. That's not how I do it. I pay attention to current events, interesting people I observe in my travels, and past experiences to craft interesting scenes and characters that jump off the page.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
Parker Worthington is my favorite character. We all know people like him, who surprise and crush (in a pleasant way) our assumptions once we get to know them. Everyone has a story. When you spend the time to actually get to know a person and find out what motivates them, what’s going on in their not-so-perfect lives, you tend to judge less and accept more.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
Jaxon Spencer is as flat as a character can be. What you see is what you get. We would not be friends.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
I hope Lovac and Sophie would thank me for making them fierce, strong, and principled, willing to look beyond the obvious and pursue the truth, where that path may lead.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
The Third Estate is a series of infinite possibilities and directions. My goal is for each book to be a stand-alone story that interconnects to a larger world.
Unlikely alliances will form, lines crossed, friendships challenged, and destinies changed forever. You’ll just have to stay tuned and check out the next epic adventure.
About the Author
D.R. Berlin is an award-winning author, U.S. Army veteran, and General Surgeon with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Writing minor from MIT. A graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, her career in high-pressure environments fuels the pulse-pounding suspense and authentic detail in The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor. Berlin combines her scientific expertise and love of storytelling to deliver a gripping, intricate thriller that keeps readers on edge. Drafted as the unofficial photographer of her children’s sports teams, she has been affectionally dubbed the “Mamarazzi.”
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2 comments:
What's a story you're still waiting to tell?
The book sounds like a thrilling read. Great cover!
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