Maximalist Cadet Sopbhe Allard is on the brink of earning her stripes as a military pilot, but encounters a storm on a test flight. When her fellow cadet Parker has his plane downed by the same storm Allard goes out to find the wreckage near a dangerous precipive, pulls him out and rescues him..

That surely should have earned her a medal, only this is the military, and it doesn't work that way. Sophie disobeyed an order not to look for her fellow cadet. And now, her fitness and character are being called into question. At the same time, Sophie discovers that her adoptive father, abscientist inventor, has been killed in an explosion in his laboratory. Her employer expects her to return home to attend the funeral, only now, Cadet Allard is told that her only remmsini g family may be a traitor.

With her character being further besmirched, the former star student is being told from all quarters to pull herself together.

Sophie's adoptive family are rich, lab and manor maintained by the mysterious caretaker couple. The Komeas. She is chaperoned by her employer for the duration of the funeral, having not yet graduated. But in the mean time, Sophie is beginning to suspect the fire might not be all it seems....

Indeed, her adoptive father is still alive, but as they attempt to escape, an assassin starts sniping at them. Sophie then ends up sight up in a deadly cat-and-mouse chase with the hit man, one who, it seems, has struck at her family before. But why?

Answers are not that forthcoming, but Sophie's adoptive father does tell about a mysterious organisation that seeks to create a more egalitarian world, called The Third Estate.

This then, is a tautly-written espionage thriller with a hugely feisty heroine, desperate to prove herself. She is equipped with skills ranging from flying and martial art proficiency to cooking, but will these be enough to save her? Is her father really a traitor, or does the military itself have something to hide? Sophie is to find that nothing about her background is quite what it seems.

The story ends rather abruptly, and one of the biggest twists comes practically in the last paragraph of the book. Possibly this book is just the first in what is planned to be a whole series? For those who like a strong heroine, action and plenty of nail-biting tension, this novel should be a treat.

It's been a few hours since I finished the book, and I still have conflicting emotions about it.

I can't say the book is bad, because it isn't. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. Can I say I liked it? Maybe.

The pacing felt a bit off to me at the beginning. At times, I felt the narrative was like Sophie, spitting out facts just to prove she knew them. In those moments, I inevitably skipped the descriptions of flying, piloting, fighting, and the military interactions constantly belittling Sophie.

By the end of the book, it still feels like the beginning, and some questions remain unanswered. We don’t really know who is who anymore, if there is a hero, what Lovac’s mission was really about, why Sophie needed to be saved (and why was she raised in such a way. Was it really the Professor's choice or was it forced upon by the third state), or why the Grey Lady speaks both to Lovac, the professor, and the military officer. Did they all merge into one? What are they really trying to accomplish?

Maybe there will be a second book? Maybe.

DNF was not a thrill book I was not a fan. it didn’t grab my attention as much as I like and started off rather slow. All in all not my cup of tea but there are some redeeming qualities hence the 2/5

Cadet Sophie Allard expects to graduate at the top of her class at the prestigious Stockton Military Institute. Days before graduation, she learns of the death of her adopted father in a lab explosion. She has no clue what he was working on, but some dangerous people think that she knows more than she really does, and will stop at nothing, even murder, to find the missing research on the secret project.

This book is hard to categorize -- part mystery, part espionage, part thriller -- but all of it enjoyable. It had the flavor of a James Bond movie where it's sometimes hard to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys. Even at the end of the book, I wasn't sure, and kept trying to turn non-existent pages at the end to have all the loose ends tied up. Nevertheless, a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

**Thank you to Outskirts Press for giving me a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts!**

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were really fun to read about (though I sometimes found the main character to be annoying). It's pretty clean in terms of curse words and very clean in terms of romance. I loved that the romance wasn't a super main part of the plot, but the author just let it complement what was going on in the story.

I think the writing style wasn't quite for me, and I found myself confused by the plot (and I think there were some small plot holes). I can't tell if me getting confused is a me problem or that the book is just slightly too short to cover what it was trying to cover. I'm glad it wasn't drawn out, and it was really engaging and fast-paced, I just needed a little more explanation than was given. The plot is also slightly boring in the beginning, but it does pick up (and the characters are interesting enough to make up for it).

★★★

A contract killing in a busy market at midday. Twelve years later, the assassin has a new assignment—and his target looks far too familiar.

Sophie Allard is attending a prestigious military academy, training to become a fighter pilot. Top of her class, with numerous accomplishments and recognitions under her belt, all she ever wanted was her father’s approval, his praise, and his affection. When he dies in a tragic explosion, Sophie is forced to return to The Manor, her childhood home, and confront her past. Caught between past and present, she begins to question whether her childhood recollections are accurate. As she unravels a web of lies and deception, she is forced to consider whether her father was a traitor—or if he was set up.

The story starts with a bang before slowing down as we explore Sophie’s upbringing and childhood. I enjoyed the combination of suspense, mystery, military espionage, and even a touch of romance. Unfortunately, the Grey Lady wasn’t much of a mystery to me, which made the suspense less impactful as the story progressed.

Overall, this is a solid debut—and based on the ending, perhaps the start of a great series!

Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and D.R. Berlin for a copy. All opinions are my own.

Everything you want in a thriller! Cannot wait to read more by this author. Great character development and kept me wanting to come back for more! After a bit of a reading slump this was a pleasant surprise.

Thank you NetGalley for this book and opportunity to review!

Buckle up for these plot twists and prepare for some whiplash.
This debut thriller really keeps you on your toes.
Cadet Sophie Allard, a talented fighter pilot, is preparing for her final flight at a prestigious military academy that will determine her future in the military. However when her adoptive father dies in an explosion she returns home briefly to lay her last family member to rest, and learn what happened.

Berlin does a wonderful job immersing the reader into the settings from the Military Institute to the Grand Lake Manor, but they also make sure to keep the story moving so you’re never overwhelmed with too much world building.

The side characters support the plot wonderfully giving you relief, increasing the suspense, and building your rage in some instances.

I was holding my breath multiple times throughout the book wondering what would happen next, then screaming the next because what the heck!!

This was a great read and I look forward to reading more by Berlin.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7253292279

Creating a sophisticated thriller that is still suitable for a younger audience is not an easy task. But the author makes a commendable attempt at it. I really liked the characterization of our heroine - Sophie Allard. A strong, cool-headed and skilled pilot, she is a character that will appeal to teens of both sexes. There's non-stop action and layers and layers of secrets, and everyone's motivations are suspect. Definitely a great start to the series.

The book wasn't bad at all, but could have been better.
The cover art was amazing, the name intriguing, but the story itself didn't meet up to the expectations its genre demand (i.e the mystery, thriller, action, and adventure genre.)
The story lacked the necessary depths needed to have given its build up a more satisfactory “suspense” effect. The build up to twisters weren't very strong or impactful so my reaction upon the revelation that Grey Lady was Madam Komea wasn't an “oh my gosh” but a very dramatic eye roll like “seriously”!

The plot was interesting though. I would have given this book a 3.5 out of 5 but changed my mind a few pages to the end. The drama was too much and a bit on the unrealistic side because tell me why Professor Anderson died in a fire only to not have been dead but faked his death only to then fall of a cliff and be termed dead again ONLY (the last one) to survive the fall and still be alive? That's very dramatic and wasn't suspense-y or thrilling in any way.
It sure was more dramatic than gripping if you ask me!

One thing I didn't like, besides the font used, was how frequently the author tried to provide some backstory through the use of flashbacks. A couple would have been okay but the frequent times Sophie kept having flashbacks became annoying. I believe there are other ways to have provided backstory other than the use of flashbacks considering the story wasn't even written in the first person perspective.

The characters were diverse and okay, but it wasn't clear what each character was bringing to the story and not just the roles they played in Sophie's life… that is except Lovac. He was a well developed character unlike most of the others. Another thing was the lack of individualism and diversity in the tone of each character. They all sounded similar with no clear distinction between any of the characters tone of voice except the different words used in each dialogue.

Overall it wasn't a bad book at all. It had a pretty good writing style, a plot with potentials, but it wasn't the best I've read.

I saw this book a few days ago, and it sounded interesting. Luckily for me, I was able to start reading right away, and it sure did mot disappoint! It came out last December and I received a copy from BooksGoSocial via Netgalley.

The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor by D.R. Berlin is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that expertly combines espionage, mystery, and suspense. The story kicks off with an intense moment—a seemingly ordinary woman is killed in broad daylight by a professional assassin—and then propels the reader twelve years forward, where the killer is back with a new target.

Sophie Allard, a talented military cadet, is thrust into a dangerous web of deception when she learns of her estranged father’s death in a mysterious lab explosion. As she investigates, Sophie uncovers unsettling truths about her father’s connection to a secretive organization, the Third Estate, and soon finds herself hunted by an assassin. With high stakes, a mysterious employer, and constant threats looming over her, Sophie’s journey is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing.

Berlin crafts a fast-paced, high-stakes narrative that doesn’t disappoint, with complex characters, unexpected betrayals, and a sinister plot that unfolds with gripping intensity. The Third Estate is an edge-of-your-seat read that will leave you eager for more. And, hopefully, there will be more in the future!

5/5 ⭐️

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! Good book! This book had suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, action, espionage, dark secrets, and some wild twists and turns! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was a interesting story. The action starts immediately and doesn't really stop. Thete are several layers of secrets yo be exposed. By the end of this book, we gain some answers, it leaves us wanting more. I am looking forward to the next book, to get more answers. It is well written with relatively good character development. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me ghe opportunity to read this.

This was a great book she was like a pilot who few planes I had to learn a lot about aviation reading this from the beginning, and there was a lot of twists in this book. I love the title it makes it mysterious. Her father dies and she has to find out what happened there is a assassin that is hunting her. There was a lot of adventure and action in this book. it seems to me might be a sequel.

Good book with lots of twists. Who are friends and who foes is not made clear. I was discussing that story came to an abrupt end. Guess it will continue in the next book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for my review.
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…

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.