I was disappointed by this book as it seemed to be neither one thing nor the other. Described as a 'gripping psychological thriller', it covered that ground but also romance, sexual violence and tedious workplace matters. I didn't like any of the characters, with the exception of Peter, and this made it difficult to care what happened. Estelle in particular was a very strange and unbelievable character, whilst Luke's transformation from IT nerd to corporate manager unlikely. Many of the characters were very one-dimensional. There were a few plot holes and some of the events just seemed too implausible. I felt that some events were just put in for shock value and didn't advance the plot or characterisation.

At its core, A Tangled Web is about loner IT specialist Luke and mercurial Chief Operating Officer Estelle. The unlikely pair enter a fast-paced, whirlwind relationship which marks the beginning of this narrative.

Relayed by Luke’s personal voice, the book carries a quippy, casual narrational style. It is touted as a gripping psychological thriller, but I found it hard to match that description with the pacing of the story. Up to 50% of the novel reads like a workplace drama, the next 20% a travelogue, and the last 10% slow burn mystery. I enjoyed the mystery aspects: the nebulous presence of some of the characters, the leery townspeople, the horrifying discoveries.

The rest of the narrative is muddled by corporate jargon and beset by office politics, spliced occasionally with vignettes featuring an enigmatic her, a grim figure from Luke’s past. In contrast, Estelle seems like a dazzling new presence. However, I found her characterization troubling—she seemed dissected into constituent facets: the severe COO, the giggling innocent, the seductive dominatrix—a stereotype more than a robust personality that stands on its own. Nonetheless, Luke falls hard and fast for her. Their headlong relationship is perhaps the only fast-moving element in the book, happening almost overly swift.

Beyond that, there are crucial events that unfold that are largely disregarded, quickly overlooked and seemingly added for shock value than anything else. A couple of plot holes also bothered me. Depictions of graphic violence and traumatic accidents unfold too, which I did not mind, but readers should be wary of.

Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a blend of genres who doesn’t mind its leisurely pace and enjoys a shocking twist here and there.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A Tangled Web follows Luke, a tech-savvy loner more comfortable with code than people - until Estelle arrives. She's everything he's not! I definitely enjoyed reading this book! It had light suspense, mystery, romance, murder, intriguing, and a few wild twists! The story was interesting! But that ended!!! Ugh I don’t know how I feel about that! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book was really a tangled mess lol that’s should have been the name it’s very light very fun fast pace but it had my head all over because this live triangle was crazy till the very last page