Spies, Betrayal, and Impossible Choices
Author S. Lee Manning’s debut novel has it all
Americans enjoy a good spy yarn now and then — think of our enduring fascination with James Bond, Tom Clancy novels, and real life headlines from Russia. If you are among those who like the world of fictional espionage, you will enjoy reading Trojan Horse, the debut novel by S. Lee Manning. In the story Kolya Petrov, a Russian Jewish immigrant working for American intelligence, has been betrayed by his own agency in a devious plot to thwart a terrorist attack by an anti-Semitic descendant of Vlad the Impaler. Kolya must choose between sacrificing himself and the woman he loves or saving the lives of thousands of innocent people.
“I have always been fascinated by spies and intelligence, both because I find intriguing the idea of an agent having to always conceal who he really is – but also because the lines between good and evil are sometimes a little blurred,” said Manning. “After finishing the book, I hope readers come away asking themselves what is acceptable to do in order to fight a greater evil,” she continued.
Manning;s’ road to book publication has had nearly as many twists and turns as her book. She spent two years as managing editor of Law Enforcement Communications before realizing that lawyers make a lot more money. A subsequent career as an attorney spanned from a first tier New York law firm, to working for the State of New Jersey, to solo practice. In 2001, Manning agreed to chair New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP), writing articles on the risk of wrongful execution and arguing against the death penalty on radio and television in the years leading up to its abolition. She also published literary short stories, winning the Cincinnati Mercantile Library short story contest. She is now a full-time writer.
In 2006, Manning submitted the first 50 pages of an earlier draft of Trojan Horse to the Mystery Writers of America New York chapter’s mentor contest, and it was the top choice that year. “After that, Trojan Horse spent almost fifteen years on the shelf before I decided to dust it off, edit it, and try again,” she said. Trojan Horse is the beginning of a Kolya Petrov thriller series. The second book, Nerve Attack will debut this fall on September 22, 2021. Manning is currently working on the third book in the series.
Manning likes to do her writing in the morning, “when I’m still fresh, although sometimes when I get into the “zone” – I just write non-stop,” she said. It is in those times that she relies on her supportive family. “I have a wonderful husband, Jim, who has been so very patient with my requests for him to read and re-read whatever I’m working on,” she said. Her daughter Jenny Manning and her husband Joseph Yuan, are both accomplished screenwriters. Manning’s son, Dean Manning, is finishing his MSW at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “All of them have been amazing in putting up with me and supporting me over the years it took to finally become a published author.”
When she is not writing, Manning performs stand-up comedy from time to time. In 2019, she was a finalist in Vermont’s Funniest Comic contest. She has many other pursuits in her non-writing time including playing chess on the computer and playing guitar. Manning is a member of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project (NHWP).
