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A Tangled Web
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Expected 9 Dec 25Luke 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.
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
Expected publication December 9, 2025
3 people want to read
About the author
Brendon Hart-Lancaster
2 books5 followersThis 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.
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 - 9 of 9 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews