Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately, this book didn't download properly and I was unable to read it.

This is a shame as I definitely loved the premise and felt I would have really enjoyed the story!

The concept and writing of this has huge potential but it just wasn't all there for me. I really need to at least be able to like the protagonist to keep me interested but I just couldn't. I also felt that some aspects weren't explained well enough to really understand the magnitude and therefore this didn't up the ante which I believe was the authors intention.

There was a lot I liked about this book, and a few things I didn't, which were the more lengthy political speeches in it. However, rather than deducting a point for that as I usually do, I have kept the five points as I really liked the unusual elements of this story and thought that probably a certain amount of politics were required to bring the inevitable conclusion.
The ideas were great, although I had been hoping for something a little more scifi than technothriller, and I liked the main female character, plus the goons were more interesting than normal!

Well that was scary believable. With crypto-currency and social media being more important than ever, this book published in 2019 holds even more weight now. (I know I'm late to the party).
A fast moving and emotional tale with a core message about our values and our ability to give up our own freedom for likes.
Some of the dialogue was clunky and often I felt I was being lectured but still a solid read

This was a confusing mystery to me as I was unsure whether it was supposed to be futuristic or present time.

It was slow in places and the characters were not well developed.

Overall it was Okay but there are better stories out there to read.

i was really intrigued by this book because of the synopsis. i love when thrillers and scifi mix! however, i was not very engaged or entertained by this book. i found the writing to be a little flat and the main character was not developed enough to hold my attention (i prefer characters to have very gray morals). it was not a bad book, i'm just more particular with the books i actively enjoy.

I had never heard of Stewart Hotston as an author so wasn't sure what to expect from the novel and to be honest now I have finished Tangle's Game, I'm still not entirely sure what I just read.

The opening to the story centres on Amanda Back, a young woman who works in finance on her way back to the UK who gets stopped by customs and questioned by a suspicious character called Crisp about a package her ex boyfriend Tangle Singh has meant to have sent her. These opening chapters had a lot of promise, secret codes, blockchain technology references, think Da Vjnci Code but for the tech world. As Amanda fights to find out what Tangle has sent her on a hard drive she encounters assassin's and secret gangs from all over the world, from there sadly the story gets more and more far fetched and without spoilers it really does get rather absurd.

A few other things irked me about the story, there seems to be a whole sub plot focused on the fact that Amanda is mixed race and feels prejudice from every community she tries to be part of in Britain. Brexit (Britain leaving the European Union) also seems to play heavily on the authors mind and they make several references to the impact the decision has on Britain, which for me didn't add anything to the main, overall odd plot.

A book of promise, but for me failed to deliver

Imagine a future where you are defined by your 'social credit score'... hang on, I think we may (unofficially) be in that scary place already. I'm not a massive fan of techy/futuristic fiction and for me, I found the technical jargon bewildering being somewhat of a Luddite. But the writing made some important political points that will make the reader stop and think about the state of the world we have created. Amanda has been successful, at least she has according to her social credit score. But when an ex boyfriend sends her a package containing potentially explosive information the chase is on from multiple agencies, hoping to gain the information. Amanda begins to question the way she has been living, and learns that one person can make a difference. The power of trust and friendship and the value in questioning the status quo.

A fast paced intriguing thriller which keeps you reading. A good read if you enjoy tech related dystopian fiction. I did feel some characters including the main character Amanda could have been developed a little bit more which would have made the book more enjoyable in my opinion.. Just didn't come together for a good read.

A very thrilling novel. Loved the unique plot. I was captivated from the beginning right until the end!

Tangle's Game is frenetic near future thriller, that discusses issues that should concern us all about social media, big data and technology.

We are your slaves, and we do not wish to be

I was expecting something akin to Suicide Club when I picked up Tangle’s Game, a book about a woman with a life that seems perfect right up until it isn’t. Instead I got something a bit confused, a bit slow and dragging, with a main character who didn’t interest me much.

Why should there only be one way to live? One way to be civilised?

Amanda Beck has a great job, credit score, and social life. Then her past, in the form of ex-boyfriend Tangle, comes back to haunt her. Now she’s on the hunt for something involving blockchains, and there’s various different political factions on her tail. The start was solid: Amanda detained in a jail cell with no idea why she’s there. It was a bit mysterious, a bit intriguing, and a bit unsettling.

But Tangle’s Game didn’t manage to keep me enthralled. Part of the problem was that I felt that the book could’ve done with another round of edits. There were a few typos and errors, and the plot didn’t flow smoothly. Amanda was rather unsympathetic as a main character, often snappish and overly defensive. The mysterious Tangle didn’t have much going for him either, painted as an out and out villain rather than someone with any redeemable qualities.

I exist in the liminal, stuck between two worlds who can’t see how I exist as I do, both demanding I become what they expect when they see me

The main issue for me, and this may be entirely my fault as a reader, was that I didn’t entirely get it. Yeah, I know a little about blockchains, which probably helped, because the plot revolved around something quite technical. But the setting itself felt more like a sketch than a filled-in and complete picture, relatable in its similarity to our world and confusing because the differences between it and our reality weren’t properly explained.

Tangle’s Game wasn’t the book for me, feeling more like a political thriller with some punch ups than a sci-fi. A bright note in the book came in the form of Tatsu, a character to enjoy if you pick this book up.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of Tangle’s Game.

[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I decided to dnf this book. It wasn't necessarily bad, it just wasn't for me and it probably would have taken me months to actually finish it.

Any book with a mystery and fast pace story telling grabs my attention straight away, and this book did exactly that!

This book was not my cup of tea at all. Too.. Techy for my taste that I couldn't seem to find the rhythm of the story.

People are known for their credit score, it determines their social hierarchy, their wealth and most of all their personality. So when Amanda Banks goes from social butterfly to a low worm and with a target suddenly on her head, she knows something's not quite right.

Navigating her way through the tricky system, Amanda must do everything she can to save herself and the world from danger.

I was looking forward to reading this book as soon as I saw the ARC. The first 50 pages were good though quite slow. Though the book didn't really manage to pick up and I felt slightly confused on the whole meaning behind the story.

Amanda's character had real potential to be a really good heroine, though I felt she was a little lack luster. I struggled to get on with the book, and I think overall the book had a good base to it but just needed to have a bit more structure.

Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for an early copy of the book.

This was a great thriller-ish tech book, set in a very probable future where cryptocurrency and social media reign supreme.
The writing had me hooked from the beginning and it was clear to see the author had a lot of knowledge of Science and Technology.

Great read.

(See all of my Book Reviews) - "Tangle's Game" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Stewart Hotston (https://stewarthotston.com/). This is Mr. Hotston’s third novel.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in a near future. The primary character is Amanda Back.

Back gets swept up into something she didn’t see coming. A former boyfriend sent her information that many want and are willing to go to any length to obtain. She sets off to find out what the information is.

I was disappointed with the 2.5 hours I spent reading this 235-page science fiction thriller. It took me only 2.5 hours as I simply called a Rule of 50 at that point and put the novel down. I don’t do that very often, but I just couldn’t get involved with this novel. To me, it seemed chaotic with a lot of political preaching. The cover art is an interesting choice. I give this novel a 2 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

This was sensational .. sometimes a little talky, but overall good fun , with kick ass female protagonist and the mystery of the inventor of block chain front and center.. Tangle, a long ago ex, involves Amanda in a deep conspiracy and it's handled by an AI raising initially in her fridge .. really funny. Highly recommend whether you know all tech lingo or not.