Book Review: The Third Estate (Secrets of the Manor)

Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A family tragedy opens up a world of secrets for one daughter, while placing a target on her back.

Sophie Allard’s world is rocked after she learns that her adoptive father died in a fire. This news comes at a difficult time, as her final assessments at her military academy are coming up and her latest acts of bravery have her in hot water with the higher ups. As her future hangs in the balance, she returns home to honor a man that practically abandoned her. Little does she know, events didn’t unfold in the way she was told.

As Sophie makes arrangements to return, a mysterious woman named The Grey Lady assigns a known assassin to make a surprise appearance at the manor. With specific instructions to ensure his target’s death is legitimate, this assassin makes his second appearance in the book with the intention to kill.

When Sophie gets back, she notices some inconsistencies in the story of his murder and the events that led up to it. With military professionals sent to keep her safe from potential danger, her willpower is tested—as is her ability to listen. Her safety is on the line, but placing her trust in the wrong person could lead to her demise. 

As she grapples with who to believe and starts to make sense of her lonely past, she realizes that she hasn’t been told the truth her whole life. It’s up to her to take control of her future before it’s snatched away from her. Secrets of the Manor rocks readers with its emotional storyline while making you question the intentions of every single character. 

Sophie is just the kind of strong female lead that thriller fans are going to love. She is not someone you want to mess with. She goes after what she wants and defies orders in order to save her friend’s life. It’s clear early on just how excellent of a protagonist she’ll be; she’s always standing up for herself. Some characters see her as unable to keep quiet, but she is a smart and capable person who knows a lot and has a lot to say. She’s faced with so many men in power, and she holds her own with every single one of them. Berlin’s storytelling shines through her female protagonist, bringing on a much needed personal angle to a book filled with suspense and thrill.

The family dynamic of Secrets of the Manor is one of the most fascinating aspects of this story. Sophie was an orphan; she was adopted by a couple she later referred to as the Professor and Aunt Vi. After experiencing a couple of love-filled years with them, Aunt Vi dies unexpectedly and the Professor begins to ignore Sophie’s existence completely. Years go by, but it’s easy to tell that her longing for that feeling of love, or to just impress the Professor so that he’ll acknowledge her, is the reason behind all of Sophie’s actions. It’s a roller coaster of despair and joy and then back to despair. Even her professional aspirations mirror that of her adopted father’s. 

It is puzzling why the Professor cuts her off emotionally. It seems too simple for it to just be because he’s grieving his wife. It’s our job to piece together that mystery, which Berlin does an excellent job of weaving through the many bigger mysteries of the book.

Speaking of mysteries, there is a lot to be uncovered in Secrets of the Manor, one being who exactly The Grey Lady is and what her end goal is. Early in the book, she hires a man named Lovac to look into the Professor’s death more closely, but this isn’t the first time we’re introduced to him. The book starts 12 years earlier with an execution he made on a previous assignment. While it’s obvious that they’re likely not the good guys of the story, as assassins rarely are, I couldn’t help but feel like there is more to the arrangement than what it seems. Berlin leaves readers with breadcrumbs to follow that’ll have you questioning the little details well after closing the last page. Secrets of the Manor is a worthwhile mystery thriller.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of Secrets of the Manor by D.R. Berlin! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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