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A Tangled Web

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Luke Shenstone is a tech-savvy loner who prefers monitoring his colleagues' digital conversations to having real ones. His carefully constructed isolation shatters when Estelle arrives at his London firm as the charismatic new Chief Operating Officer.

Against all odds, they begin a passionate secret affair that threatens to consume them both. As Estelle pulls Luke from his digital cocoon, he becomes her inside source for navigating the firm's cutthroat, male-dominated environment.

But their passionate alliance is built on secrets and lies. A trip to Estelle's home village in France uncovers explosive secrets about her past, throwing everything he thought he knew about the woman he's fallen for into question. And when their affair is exposed on their return, the fallout is catastrophic. As workplace tensions escalate and buried truths claw their way to the surface, the lines between love and obsession blur beyond recognition.

In this twisted tale of passion and betrayal, who's manipulating whom? And how far will Luke go to protect the woman he loves—or to destroy her?

Perfect for fans of Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient and Caroline Kepnes’ You (adapted for Netflix), A Tangled Web is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing who's the predator and who's the prey until the very last page.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2025

9 people are currently reading
9 people want to read

About the author

Brendon Hart-Lancaster

2 books7 followers
This author is also published under Brendon Lancaster.

Brendon is a London-based writer whose work explores the psychological territory where dreams collide with harsh realities. His debut novel, Hoodie, is a work of contemporary literary fiction that follows a London teenager's devastating summer after stealing from his school's most notorious drug dealer: a powerful and heart-breaking story of friendship, misplaced loyalty, and wasted potential. Like 'Hoodie', Brendon grew up on a council estate, attended an inner city comprehensive and left school at 16. In his youth, he was a hoodie. Today, he writes. His second novel, A Tangled Web, ventures into psychological thriller territory and explores the dangerous boundary between obsession and love, passion and manipulation.

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
65 reviews
November 14, 2025
A Tangled Web is one of those psychological thrillers that gets under your skin from the very first chapter and never loosens its grip. Brendon Hart-Lancaster crafts a story that is dark, intimate, and relentlessly suspenseful, pulling you deep into Luke’s mind—a man whose controlled, solitary world is shattered the moment Estelle steps into it.

What struck me most was how visceral the tension felt. I was right there with Luke, feeling every shift in his mood—one moment uneasy, the next strangely comforted—mirroring the push and pull of his connection with Estelle. Their relationship is magnetic, unsettling, and charged with everything that’s left unsaid. Beneath their chemistry lies a constant sense of danger that had me on edge in the best way.

The author does an incredible job balancing character depth with paranoia, unraveling secrets layer by layer. As the story moves between the corporate world and the atmospheric French setting, the stakes rise and the emotional complexity sharpens. The writing is vivid, the suspense expertly paced, and the twists hit hard without ever feeling forced.

I also have to mention the chapter lengths—they’re perfect. Short enough to keep you saying “just one more,” but long enough to deliver real impact. I flew through them without realizing how quickly I was reading.

Fans of psychological thrillers that blur the line between desire, fear, and obsession will absolutely devour this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC.
Profile Image for Jackie.
1,340 reviews
November 2, 2025
I went into A Tangled Web hoping for a tense, character-driven psychological thriller, but it just didn’t deliver the way I’d hoped. The heavy focus on business insight in the opening chapters felt more like reading a proposal or a “how-to” on business development than the start of a suspense novel. The characters never quite came to life for me, and the storyline struggled to hold my attention.

I’d recommend A Tangled Web to those readers who enjoy slow-burn psychological dramas set in corporate-professional environments and don’t mind a more measured pace with heavy business-world details woven into the plot.

Although this one wasn’t for me, I’m grateful to NetGalley and Brendon Hart-Lancaster for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Vanshika.
39 reviews
October 27, 2025
I couldn’t put this book down. A Tangled Web is tense, dark and utterly gripping. Luke and Estelle’s relationship is a fascinating and twisted, full of secrets, obsession and raw vulnerability. The story is layered with paranoia and suspense and the French setting added a cinematic, almost haunting atmosphere.

What hit me most was how real the characters felt, even in their flaws and darkness. Every twist kept me on edge, but it was the emotional depth the fear, longing and moral complexity,that stayed with me long after the last page. Fans of psychological thrillers that explore human obsession and connection will devour this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an eARC.
115 reviews8 followers
November 11, 2025
A twisty psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. Somewhere along the way, hints of darkness begin and you know its leading up to something unexpected. A quick and suspenseful read.
Profile Image for Valentina Repetto.
Author 1 book151 followers
December 9, 2025
I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of the novel. I must say, it was a gripping read right from the start. The author manages to create a strong sense of tension, even when things seem to be going all right for Luke. You sense there’s a blow coming. And boy, the twists do not disappoint!

One of the reasons why the novel is so effective is that the author doesn’t rely merely on the twists to keep you reading, however. The characters themselves are layered and not always likeable, which keeps you turning the pages just to see what mess they’ll get into next.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, add this one to your list!
Profile Image for Brittany P.
30 reviews
October 26, 2025
I didn’t really find Estelle likable as much as I would have in the beginning but that’s ok. It was still a good read. I also loved that the chapters weren’t super long like some books. Bite sizes
Profile Image for Terrie Jordan.
103 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2025
A Tangled Web by @brendonlancaster is a must-read psychological thriller. I had the privilege of reading an advance copy, courtesy of the author, and it exceeded my expectations. The character development is exceptional, drawing you into the world of Luke and Estelle, whose passionate love affair sparks a web of lies, deception, and chaos in London's corporate scene.
This book is a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Luke, a shy techie, and Estelle, the charismatic new Corporate Operations Officer, embark on a secret affair that takes a dark turn when Luke uncovers secrets about Estelle's past. As their private affair is exploited, the lies and deception within the company come to the surface, leaving you questioning the true nature of their love. Will Luke risk everything to save Estelle or take her down to protect himself? This psychological thriller will keep your heart racing as you try to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception. The book will be released on December 9 th. Get ready for an awesome adventure.
Profile Image for Claire Flanagan.
151 reviews4 followers
January 3, 2026
This is a cycle of love, fear, abuse, power, vulnerability and loss. Romantically involved but intrinsically a power struggle ensues, it gets dark and gritty and is ultimately addictive. Excellent story and characters and is very visual.
Profile Image for GK Daffu.
128 reviews1 follower
October 11, 2025
A deftly woven psychological thriller

A Tangled Web is one of those rare psychological thrillers that sneaks up on you. What begins as a slow, careful character study of Luke, a solitary tech consultant who keeps his world meticulously ordered, unfurls into a riveting exploration of desire, trust, and self-deception.

When Estelle arrives as the company’s new COO, she brings a jolt of energy Luke can’t ignore. Their chemistry is immediate but uneasy, charged with everything that’s unsaid. The author captures that tension beautifully: the careful boundary between professional admiration and emotional entanglement, and how easily it can dissolve when both people are quietly running from something.

I’ll admit, the opening took me a little time to settle into as the office ensemble came into focus, but once the dynamics clicked, I was completely hooked. The prose is sharp, immersive, and often startling in its intimacy—the author has a knack for making small gestures feel seismic. By the time the story pivots to France, I found myself reading faster, aware that something big was coming but not prepared for how it landed. The ending floored me.

What impressed me most was the psychological depth beneath the suspense. This isn’t just a story about love gone wrong; it’s about perception, how we construct meaning around another person and what happens when that illusion cracks. Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
1 review
December 10, 2025
It’s been a while since I’ve read a psychological thriller and I’m so glad I dived into this book. The twists were genuinely unpredictable and the scene setting kept me hooked throughout! An enjoyable read!
Profile Image for Gabbie Kathleen.
364 reviews15 followers
September 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Brendon Hart-Lancaster for the eARC of A Tangled Web.

We follow Luke Shenstone, a self isolated, office technology expert who prefers to lay low and have little to no attention on him, until he meets Estelle, who becomes the new COO of his company. We’re then swept up in their personal lives as they try to keep boundaries professional between work and home.
I did struggle to get into this in the beginning, I think I had a hard time following all of the characters in the office, however, each role becomes more apparent as the plot progresses. Hart-Lancaster uses such a descriptive, detailed unique writing style that I haven’t seen before, and I think it really worked here. The ending was so unexpected, I had my jaw on the floor. A wonderful read!

I will say that there are some trigger warnings that if you’re not prepared for, you could be shocked, spoilers: suicide, mentions of DV, and injury inflicted during intimacy.
Profile Image for Tammy.
692 reviews7 followers
November 21, 2025
📚 A Tangled Web
✍🏻Brendon Hart-Lancaster
Blurb:
Luke Shenstone is a tech-savvy loner who prefers monitoring his colleagues' digital conversations to having real ones. His carefully constructed isolation shatters when Estelle arrives at his London firm as the charismatic new Chief Operating Officer.

Against all odds, they begin a passionate secret affair that threatens to consume them both. As Estelle pulls Luke from his digital cocoon, he becomes her inside source for navigating the firm's cutthroat, male-dominated environment.

But their passionate alliance is built on secrets and lies. A trip to Estelle's home village in France uncovers explosive secrets about her past, throwing everything he thought he knew about the woman he's fallen for into question. And when their affair is exposed on their return, the fallout is catastrophic. As workplace tensions escalate and buried truths claw their way to the surface, the lines between love and obsession blur beyond recognition.

In this twisted tale of passion and betrayal, who's manipulating whom? And how far will Luke go to protect the woman he loves—or to destroy her?

Perfect for fans of Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient and Caroline Kepnes’ You (adapted for Netflix), A Tangled Web is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing who's the predator and who's the prey until the very last page.
My Thoughts:
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.. A Tangled Web is one of those psychological thrillers that gets under your skin from the very first chapter and never loosens its grip. Brendon Hart-Lancaster crafts a story that is dark, intimate, and relentlessly suspenseful, pulling you deep into Luke’s mind, man whose controlled, solitary world is shattered the moment Estelle steps into it... The story is layered with paranoia and suspense and the French setting added a cinematic, almost haunting atmosphere.What hit me most was how real the characters felt, even in their flaws and darkness. Every twist kept me on edge, but it was the emotional depth the fear, longing and moral complexity,that stayed with me long after the last page. Fans of psychological thrillers that explore human obsession and connection will devour this one.
Thanks NetGalley, Brendon Hart-Lancaster Author and Publisher for the advanced copy of "A Tangled Web" I am leaving my voluntary review In appreciation.
#NetGalley
#BrendonHartLancaster
#ATangledWeb
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Leanne.
646 reviews64 followers
September 24, 2025
Brendon Hart-Lancaster’s A Tangled Web is a taut, psychological thriller that deftly explores the perilous terrain between intimacy and obsession. With a narrative as intricate as its title suggests, the novel draws readers into the mind of Luke—a solitary, tech-savvy figure whose world is upended by the arrival of Estelle, a woman as enigmatic as she is magnetic.

From their first encounter, the chemistry between Luke and Estelle crackles with intensity. She is everything he isn’t: socially adept, ambitious, and effortlessly captivating. Yet beneath the surface of their whirlwind connection lies a darker undercurrent. As the story unfolds, Hart-Lancaster masterfully blurs the lines between affection and manipulation, trust and delusion.

A trip to France becomes the novel’s fulcrum, where buried secrets and explosive revelations unravel the fragile threads of their relationship. The pacing is deliberate, the prose sharp, and the suspense relentless. Readers are kept in a state of uncertainty—never quite sure who holds the reins, or whether anyone truly does.

What elevates A Tangled Web is its psychological depth. Hart-Lancaster doesn’t merely craft a mystery; he constructs a mirror to the vulnerabilities that lie within us all—the desire to be seen, the fear of being deceived, and the haunting question of whether love can ever be disentangled from control.

A compelling and elegantly wrought debut, A Tangled Web leaves readers questioning not only the characters’ motives, but their own perceptions of truth and trust.

Thank you to Brendon Hart-Lancaster, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Profile Image for Oana-Maria Uliu.
771 reviews7 followers
November 28, 2025
2.7
I have to thank NetGalley for this book.
I love its cover, which isn't really in the vein of the story, even though I can tell what it's supposed to suggest.
I'm not sure what genre this novel is supposed to be. It has some thriller-horror elements to it, but the build-up is so slow that certain parts bored me and I almost DNFed it. It had some cringe moments, too. And it felt awkward in places. The Paris episode sounded naïve and full of clichés. Has the author ever been to Paris? It didn't feel like it.
However, I gave the book three stars because I liked the subtle hints that (at least) one of the characters is a psycho. That was what kept me going.
Profile Image for GG.
95 reviews
December 18, 2025
This wasn’t for me, but might suit someone else much better!
I felt like the ‘start’ was too long, going to and fro without much happening. Then what you know is going to happen from the blurb doesn’t happen until the middle of the book and I was just waiting for it. There was a lot of focus on the corporate/work elements which I didn’t enjoy, and I struggled to stay interested overall. There were some tense moments and very descriptive, and the ending was pretty good. Worth noting there are some trigger topics, which for me were unnecessary to the overall story.
Profile Image for Ivy Lee.
40 reviews2 followers
November 27, 2025
2.5 Stars

Thank you Brendon Hart-Lancaster for the opportunity to read the ARC of A Tangled web.

The premise of this book was perfect for me as a thriller addict, but sadly the book was dominated by corporate details and discussions. The thrilling part came way too late and made me wish it covered most of the book instead of business talk.

However, I must say that I loved the author's writing style and the flow of the language he used!
6 reviews
December 10, 2025
A surprisingly gripping blend of thriller and romance with vivid, visceral writing and characters you’re never quite sure how to feel about. The slow-burning tension builds brilliantly, and that ending completely blindsided me.
Profile Image for Runa.
1 review
December 10, 2025
A tense, atmospheric read with great character depth and a plot that quietly tightens its grip as it goes. And that ending… absolutely did not see it coming.
Profile Image for Terri Hart-Lancaster.
43 reviews
December 20, 2025
A Tangled Web is a surprisingly effective blend of thriller and romance, moving between corporate London and a peaceful French village in a way that keeps the story feeling fresh. The characters are written with great depth, and I never quite knew whether to dislike them or sympathise with them, which added to the tension.

The writing is vivid and atmospheric. Some of the descriptions and situations are surprisingly visceral, the kind that make you physically react, and then the next moment you’re basking in the beauty of the French countryside. The plot is a suspenseful slow burn, and by the end you realise just how many hints and clues were woven in all along. And that ending… I definitely didn’t see it coming.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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