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The Black Tangle
His wife is cheating. Her lover wants him dead.
Alex thinks he’s heading into the mountains for a much-needed weekend with friends. He thinks he knows who he can trust.
He’s wrong.
To him, the trip is a vacation. To his wife, it’s a murder plot already in motion.
But when night falls over the isolated cabin, the perfect plan begins to unravel. What was supposed to be a clean kill turns into a claustrophobic nightmare where lies sharpen, loyalties fracture, and survival comes at a brutal cost.
By the time the truth comes out, the question is no longer who wanted Alex dead—
It’s who will survive what comes next.
The Black Tangle is a psychological thriller about betrayal, revenge, and the terrifying moment when love turns into a weapon.
Alex thinks he’s heading into the mountains for a much-needed weekend with friends. He thinks he knows who he can trust.
He’s wrong.
To him, the trip is a vacation. To his wife, it’s a murder plot already in motion.
But when night falls over the isolated cabin, the perfect plan begins to unravel. What was supposed to be a clean kill turns into a claustrophobic nightmare where lies sharpen, loyalties fracture, and survival comes at a brutal cost.
By the time the truth comes out, the question is no longer who wanted Alex dead—
It’s who will survive what comes next.
The Black Tangle is a psychological thriller about betrayal, revenge, and the terrifying moment when love turns into a weapon.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2026
About the author
Ennix Xiong
2 books16 followersEnnix Xiong is a storyteller who finds meaning in the quiet beauty of life—the flicker of light through trees, the echo of a well-chosen word, the silence between breaths. Born in the mountains of Asia and carried by fate to America, he now lives a joy-filled life, surrounded by family, with his wife and three children. His writing is rooted in truth, shaped by emotion, and guided by a deep reverence for the human experience.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
3 1/2 🌟
Many thanks to Ennix Xiong for providing an eARC of The Black Tangle in exchange for an honest review.
As Ennix Xiong's debut novel, The Black Tangle is an impressive first release. I enjoyed this story and found the plot engaging throughout. The numerous twists and turns kept me invested from beginning to end, and every time I thought I had figured out where the story was heading, another unexpected development proved me wrong. This made for a highly entertaining and unpredictable read.
That said, I did find some aspects of the story confusing at times. The shifting timelines and the large number of character arcs being developed occasionally made it difficult to keep track of everything that was happening. In particular, I found Alex's character development somewhat confusing, and there were certain elements of his storyline that I felt were unnecessary. Because of the many twists and layers within the narrative, this is a book that requires close attention and full investment from the reader.
Overall, The Black Tangle is a compelling and well-crafted story filled with surprises. Readers who enjoy complex plots, unexpected reveals, and stories that keep them guessing will likely find it just as captivating as I did.
Many thanks to Ennix Xiong for providing an eARC of The Black Tangle in exchange for an honest review.
As Ennix Xiong's debut novel, The Black Tangle is an impressive first release. I enjoyed this story and found the plot engaging throughout. The numerous twists and turns kept me invested from beginning to end, and every time I thought I had figured out where the story was heading, another unexpected development proved me wrong. This made for a highly entertaining and unpredictable read.
That said, I did find some aspects of the story confusing at times. The shifting timelines and the large number of character arcs being developed occasionally made it difficult to keep track of everything that was happening. In particular, I found Alex's character development somewhat confusing, and there were certain elements of his storyline that I felt were unnecessary. Because of the many twists and layers within the narrative, this is a book that requires close attention and full investment from the reader.
Overall, The Black Tangle is a compelling and well-crafted story filled with surprises. Readers who enjoy complex plots, unexpected reveals, and stories that keep them guessing will likely find it just as captivating as I did.
June 28, 2026
The Black Tangle
Ennix Xiong
4 stars
Format: eBook
Genre: Psychological Thriller
His wife is cheating. Her lover wants him dead. Alex thinks he’s heading into the mountains for a much-needed weekend with friends. He thinks he knows who he can trust. He’s wrong. To him, the trip is a vacation. To his wife, it’s a murder plot already in motion. But when night falls over the isolated cabin, the perfect plan begins to unravel. What was supposed to be a clean kill turns into a claustrophobic nightmare where lies sharpen, loyalties fracture, and survival comes at a brutal cost. By the time the truth comes out, the question is no longer who wanted Alex dead- it’s who will survive what comes next.
This book is Ennix Xiong’s debut novel and he did a really good job. There are plenty of twists and turns and no one is safe in that cabin. This will be a series and the second book is teased at the end.
June 30, 2026
Really enjoyed this one, I couldn't put it down. There were so many unexpected twists, I also think there was the right amount of humor to balance some of the darkness. Looking forward to the next book about the Red Angel
August 19, 2026
Amazing amazing amazing. Could not put it down. I love books that are super psychological and this was it. You can picture everything that was happening without it being overly descriptive at the same time. Definitely looking forward to reading more of this author’s books in the future
August 20, 2026
Awesome Book
I would give this 100 stars if I could. This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I read this in 2 1/2 days. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel!!! Thank you @Ennix Xiong
I would give this 100 stars if I could. This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I read this in 2 1/2 days. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel!!! Thank you @Ennix Xiong
August 1, 2026
This debut story has a lot of moving parts!
This book is action-packed, psychologically layered, and delivered with some great descriptions and turn-of-phrase. Alex, as a character, is complex and emotional, and we see the source of his demons early on. However, there often seems to be too much going on, too many twists and turns in the narrative so that everyone looks suspicious. Overall, I wanted to see how it ended and understand the foreshadowing of the first chapter. Good debut story.
This book is action-packed, psychologically layered, and delivered with some great descriptions and turn-of-phrase. Alex, as a character, is complex and emotional, and we see the source of his demons early on. However, there often seems to be too much going on, too many twists and turns in the narrative so that everyone looks suspicious. Overall, I wanted to see how it ended and understand the foreshadowing of the first chapter. Good debut story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved The Black Tangle. For a debut novel, Ennix Xiong has created an incredibly captivating and ambitious story that kept me hooked from the very first page. The plot is filled with twists, turns, and surprises, and every time I thought I had figured out what was coming next, the story took another unexpected direction. That unpredictability made it impossible to put down and kept me fully invested until the very end.
What I appreciated most was how layered and intricate the story was. The interconnected storylines, mysteries, and character journeys created a rich reading experience that rewarded careful attention. While the shifting timelines and numerous character arcs occasionally required me to slow down and piece things together, they ultimately added to the depth and complexity of the narrative. This is definitely a book that asks readers to be fully engaged, and I found that challenge to be part of its appeal.
The characters were compelling, and although there were moments when I found Alex’s storyline a bit difficult to follow, it never took away from my overall enjoyment of the novel. The sheer creativity behind the plot and the way the various threads came together left a lasting impression on me.
Overall, The Black Tangle is a fascinating, well-crafted, and thoroughly entertaining read. If you enjoy complex mysteries, shocking twists, and stories that constantly keep you guessing, I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list. I cannot wait to see what Ennix Xiong writes next. Thanks for allowing me to be advanced reader .
What I appreciated most was how layered and intricate the story was. The interconnected storylines, mysteries, and character journeys created a rich reading experience that rewarded careful attention. While the shifting timelines and numerous character arcs occasionally required me to slow down and piece things together, they ultimately added to the depth and complexity of the narrative. This is definitely a book that asks readers to be fully engaged, and I found that challenge to be part of its appeal.
The characters were compelling, and although there were moments when I found Alex’s storyline a bit difficult to follow, it never took away from my overall enjoyment of the novel. The sheer creativity behind the plot and the way the various threads came together left a lasting impression on me.
Overall, The Black Tangle is a fascinating, well-crafted, and thoroughly entertaining read. If you enjoy complex mysteries, shocking twists, and stories that constantly keep you guessing, I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list. I cannot wait to see what Ennix Xiong writes next. Thanks for allowing me to be advanced reader .
Review of advance copy received from Author
3½ stars
I read this as an ARC and appreciate the opportunity. This is Ennix's debut novel.
First, I'd like to praise the creativity of this book. I felt like overall, the actual story was well written. I also didn't find the grammatical errors and typos that I usually find in ARC's. I also like that there were plenty of twists.
However, I did find the book somewhat confusing and hard to follow, as it continously switched amongst different time lines. It also wasn't what I was expecting.
I do wish Goodreads offered half star ratings, as I feel bad giving it 3 stars, because it wasn't a bad book, but I just can't round up to 4 stars.
Overall, if you want to give a new author a chance and read something unique, I'd recommend this book.
I read this as an ARC and appreciate the opportunity. This is Ennix's debut novel.
First, I'd like to praise the creativity of this book. I felt like overall, the actual story was well written. I also didn't find the grammatical errors and typos that I usually find in ARC's. I also like that there were plenty of twists.
However, I did find the book somewhat confusing and hard to follow, as it continously switched amongst different time lines. It also wasn't what I was expecting.
I do wish Goodreads offered half star ratings, as I feel bad giving it 3 stars, because it wasn't a bad book, but I just can't round up to 4 stars.
Overall, if you want to give a new author a chance and read something unique, I'd recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
Oh my gosh, this book is insane! The twists are absolutely crazy. The Black Tangle is a must-read for any thriller fan. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC!
This story is like an onion, layer after layer of twists and I love how everything comes full circle. Jack is definitely my favorite character.
The book beautifully shows how love can turn into something incredibly dark, and how greed can lead to destruction. What a wild ride!
This story is like an onion, layer after layer of twists and I love how everything comes full circle. Jack is definitely my favorite character.
The book beautifully shows how love can turn into something incredibly dark, and how greed can lead to destruction. What a wild ride!
Review of advance copy received from Author
It was a story with a lot of psychological twists and characters I couldn't really trust from the beginning. It was confusing at times but still, I could't predict what would happen next.
I also liked the end of the story with all its blood and justice.
I also liked the end of the story with all its blood and justice.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews