Books published by publisher Manor and State, LLC

It is the late 1930s in Europe and the darkness is gathering. The Nazis are marching, both inside Austria and outside. What can one man do to make a difference?Alex Kovacs can see what’s coming – he can, all of his friends can, all of Vienna can. When an opportunity presents itself, a chance to thwart the Nazi invasion of Austria, he agrees to join an espionage network that will take advantage of his regular business trips to Germany to gather secret information. But a personal tragedy soon complicates Alex’s mission and entangles him with a suspicious Gestapo captain in ways that he never anticipated.Vienna at Nightfall is the first book in the Alex Kovacs historical espionage thriller series. If you like to explore the world inhabited by Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther or the characters created by Alan Furst, a place and time where looming terror and moral ambiguity live side-by-side, then you’ll love Richard Wake’s new pre-World War II thriller.Pick up Vienna at Nightfall to discover this exciting new series today!

France has been overrun and the Gestapo now controls the country with a sinister terror. The Resistance does what it can, at enormous personal risk to its members. But is it worth it?After the fall of France, Alex Kovacs and his wife, Manon, travel to her home in Lyon to continue the fight they began as espionage agents in Switzerland. Disillusioned by the leaders who ignored so many warnings and allowed France to be steamrollered by the Germans, they form a Resistance cell and sabotage the Nazis wherever they can. But the effects are fleeting even as the danger for them grows exponentially. And when that danger surrounds them, smothering them, Alex is forced to make the ultimate decision — to risk everything for his family and his cause.The Lyon Resistance is the third book in the Alex Kovacs historical espionage thriller series. If you like the world inhabited by Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther or the characters created by Alan Furst, a place and time of unfathomable evil where the biggest questions sometimes are forced upon the most ordinary of people, then you’ll love Richard Wake’s new World War II thriller.Pick up The Lyon Resistance to travel along on Alex’s latest adventure!

The war stops for nothing. If you are in the French Resistance, there is no time for grieving or second-guessing or regret — that is what they say. But how do you listen to what your head is telling you when you are living with such a damaged soul?Alex Kovacs has been smuggled into Limoges after a botched attempt to rescue him and his wife from the Gestapo by flying them out of France. She is gone and he is bereft. In Limoges and the surrounding area, he finds himself confronted not only by the German occupiers of the country but by different Resistance groups with different loyalties and perspectives — some followers of de Gaulle, some Communists, all with an agenda. Struggling with his emotions, and with these competing Resistance groups — all of which have one eye on who will take charge once the war is over — Alex becomes involved in sabotage missions, assassinations and revenge, all of which test his own moral foundation.The Limoges Dilemma is the fourth book in the Alex Kovacs historical espionage thriller series. If you like to explore the world inhabited by Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther or the characters created by Alan Furst, a place and time where looming terror and moral ambiguity live side-by-side, then you’ll love Richard Wake’s World War II thriller series.Pick up The Limoges Dilemma to discover this exciting series today!

The first three books in the Alex Kovacs thriller series, collected in a single volume: Vienna at Nightfall, The Spies of Zurich, and The Lyon Resistance.So who is Alex Kovacs?Born in Czechoslovakia, raised in Vienna, a salesman traveling throughout Austria and Germany, Alex is a cosmopolitan nomad drawn into the building European crisis. He is a reluctant spy at first, but as the crisis builds on the continent and as the Nazi steamroller gains momentum, we watch him forced to move from country to country and experience with him as his life evolves and his commitment grows, from courier to espionage agent to Resistance fighter.Three-quarters of the reviews have been 5-stars. Here is a sampling:“Richard Wake tells a really good story! His storytelling reminds me a bit of the Bernie Gunther novels by Philip Kerr. The characters are likable, the story is paced well and there's the right amount of suspense.”“He really knows his stuff.”“I love this author! Compelling story line with great writing. His writing is clever but not pretentious. Characters are interesting and yet realistic. Not over done.”“Richard Wake's Alex Kovacs thrillers are among the most intelligent and entertaining in this genre. I've been a fan of Alan Furst and Phillip Kerr for years, and am happy to have discovered Wake's brilliant new books.”“Having read Wake's first three books nearly non stop I say without reservation he is without doubt one of the top three finest new writers to be published in the last decade. He has a unique writing ability to make one feel they are living the characters own experiences and feeling their emotions, beliefs and ambitions.”Buy this collection and get started on a great new thriller series!