Found it quite a struggle to get into this book - I will try again and hope to come back with a better review!

I was really excited to get approved for this book I love the idea of this book and could not wait to get started.
It's a very scary idea of life in the future where all your information is stored on the net and how you can be erased at the touch of a button. The book is really interesting and a real page-turner a great summer read I highly recommend this to any fans of films and book like the net.

Thank you can't wait to read more from the author

A techno-thriller with interesting AI-related themes, although in the end, I wasn’t awed by the story.

Set in a somewhat near future where transactions are handled through blockchain-based contracts and people’s quality of life is dependent on their social credit score as well as on their financial credit score, “Tangle’s Game” tells the story of Amanda Back, a successful investment banker who finally got a complete grip back on her life after an ex-boyfriend stole her money and left her betrayed. Flying back to London, and after an invasive search episode at the airport, she comes home only to realise that said boyfriend has involved her in a dangerous game where a mysterious USB stick and the information it contains is key. The only problem? Amanda isn’t a hacker, or a conspiracy theorist, or a whistleblower, and is probably the last person with the proper connections to do something with said information.

The premise really hooked me in, and I quickly wanted to know more about how this would all unfurl: who were the enemies, how would they try to get the info, what was Tangle’s exact part in that, who could be Amanda’s allies… Most of all, I was interested in Tatsu, the little AI contracted to help her decrypt the contents of the USB stick. I always have a soft spot for AIs, and Tatsu was definitely endearing.

By contrast, though, I never really warmed up to the human characters. Mostly they were “unlikeable” as people (Amanda is pretty much self-centered, Tangle is no better and probably somewhere on the sociopathic ladder…), but that in itself is not a deal-breaker for me—they can be the most rotten pieces of crap in the world, I can still find them likeable as characters, provided the execution goes this way. It wasn’t much the case here, in part because these characters as a whole made problematic decision after problematic decision, in a way that made me keep wondering how on Earth they were still alive. (I’ve been a tabletop RPG player for over 20 years. Trust my experience when I say that “’eceiving mysterious information and just hanging about in one’s own flat—where everybody know they can find you—while trying to come up with ideas about what to do” is a sure way of being assaulted at night by men in black or other unsavoury characters.) I was actually glad when one of the bad guys finally called them on their ability to come up with plans that may work in movies, but never in real life. And that was worth for pretty much the whole cast, not only Amanda, who at least I would’ve expected to be the most clueless.

The last 20% picked up, and with Tatsu still involved by that point, that made me want to read until the end at any rate. The ending itself is fairly open, and leaves much unresolved, but in a way, it also makes much sense: things got mired, then exploded, and now the world’s in turmoil… and the fragile situation at the end, teetering between hope and potential catastrophe, fits that pattern.

Conclusion: 2.5 stars. Mostly I didn’t care much about the human characters, and there were a few plot holes that annoyed me, but I did enjoy the part played by the AI, and the way Amanda (and Tangle, too, after all) considered it.

This near-future sci fi thriller has all the right ingredients but a little too much exposition; characters give long, considered monologues expressing their idealogies, which would be fine if they weren't perpetually fleeing for their lives from eight different but equally murderous groups. I found myself skimming to get to the next action sequence, which may have impaired my judgment somewhat.
I appreciated a strong female protagonist, an intriguing AI character and a lot of topical geopolitical background, but Tangle seemed a pointless character undeserving of redemption, and the comedy gay henchmen would have been great if it had been remotely relevant that they were gay. Also there was something too toxic about them to make them sympathetic,
Gennerally this has a good premise but falters occasionally in the execution.

This is a genre of book I usually enjoy. Although the content was fascinating, the main character Amanda really did the story no justice at all. Disappointing.

While the premise of this book was interesting, the execution of it was poor. Amanda was extremely unlikable, and I don't think Houston intended her to be. She is unsympathetic of those around her and completely incapable to see where others thinking may come from. It is strange to me that my favourite character was Tatsu, who was AI and seemed to have more empathy than Amanda! It is extremely difficult to become invested in books where I dislike the main character.

I would also like to add that to me, this is not a sci-fi, but more political-thriller fiction.

An unusual story of a possible future where Artificial Intelligence and blockchain are all-important. An exciting story once the basic premise was established and a very enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy,

This was sadly a DNF for me. I did not connect with the writing style.

Interesting premise. The synopsis hooked me in. Unfortunately this book just didn't capture me enough for me to finish it. It was a bit too futuristic for my taste and rather convoluted at times.
I'm sure there will be some that love it, but I think the main character needs developing a bit more.

Tangle's Game by Stewart Hotston (review copy from Rebellion) starts extremely strongly, with the experience of a mixed race woman detained at an airport for questioning.  Subjected to racist abuse and sexual harassment, Amanda Back, a successful banker, doesn't know why she has been detained.  It is only when she is finally released and makes her way home that she finds out that her ex-boyfriend Tangle has involved her in a complex plot about blockchain and AI by sending her an encrypted USB key containing datafiles that are being sought by governments across the world. 


On the one hand, Tangle's Game is a very prescient novel that extends current issues in society.  Technological development is mixed up with global geo-politics and attempts by one nation state to undermine others.  Its conclusions and their impact on Amanda feel startlingly plausible.  And Hotston is to be applauded for his characterisation of Tangle as a charismatic but selfish and self-obsessed man.  Another, lazier writer would have romanticised Amanda's toxic ex-boyfriend and tried to redeem him. 


But this is a flawed novel.  The authorial voice is far too prominent for me, with a didactic tone that is determined to tell you how to interpret the events of the book and the issues it portrays.  This kind of "tell, not show" is intrusive, and throws me out of books.  The novel also relies on too many early coincidences - the arrival of two hired mercenaries in Amanda's flat, and the presence of a helpful AI.  Neither is fully explained and feels clumsily done in order to move the plot along.  And while the story flows competently if predictably from thereon in, it's hard to care about any of the characters. 


Goodreads rating: 2*

I don’t read futuristic books as I don’t like them. Well this book changed my views. I thought it was a great read although being honest did not understand some of the jargon but I did not feel that was a problem. Amanda was a great character and wanted to do the right thing by everyone but at every turn she stumbled on problems to sort out. I would have liked to know the ending in a little more detail but understand that the story has to end somewhere and I guess this was as good a place as any. I would read Stewart Hotston’s books again which is something I never thought I would say in view of the content of the book

I don't think I have managed to decide my thoughts on this book. It was a bit futuristic for my taste. The story itself was good but got pretty confusing with what was going on and I didn't feel the ending was great.

Clever use of current events woven into a futuristic landscape of ideas however gets lost along the way so not sure if it is meant as a serious thriller or a tongue in cheek essay on futuristic fears. What could have been a really good idea turns out to be a tangled web rather than a tangles game!

Unfortunately I struggled with this book. I found it very disjointed and the characters unappealing and implausible. Maybe just me.......sorry. Not going to review it elsewhere as the author should be encouraged - perhaps further editing needed?

Not what I expected when I was completely hooked by the synopsis. The main character felt so flatly written that it just stopped me from enjoying the story. I was looking forward to a thriller involving AI as it can be a g plot device and definitely one of my favorites but this book disappointed me so much.

Pretty pacy stuff- a bit too long winded at times for my tastes but interesting story line and characters.

I was looking forward to reading a tome featuring near future AI, however I found the storyline too weak and confusing to fully enjoy this book. I re read several passages in order to attempt to fully understand the flow, but it was hard work I'm afraid.

I was sent a copy of Tangles Game by Stewart Hotston to read and review by NetGalley.
This is a novel set in the not too distant ‘post Brexit’ future and with this in mind is at times quite disturbing! The novel is fast paced and well written by someone who obviously knows a good deal about finance and computing, these subjects both being intrinsic to the plot. That said, there were a couple of glaring continuity errors – a pet hate of mine – and I feel that in some ways the genre categorisation would be more well suited to Young Adult than general Sci Fi/Fantasy. A good read though that leaves you with plenty to think about, especially regarding the rapidly rising future of technology.

Futuristic novel,very topical, featuring AI. Not really my cup of tea,very strange story and I switched off.

The book is set in the not too distant future. Black Mirror style social scores determine the cost of things, blockchain has finally found a use other than currency, screens are everywhere...
Amanda, a banker, returns from a business trip and is detained at the airport and asked about an old flame who she hasn't heard from in years. She returns home to find a package waiting for her and a number of guests visiting. She's thrust into a situation where she has information about Russian influence in funding terrorist activity, but no one will listen to her. Everyone seems to be after the information she has (UK agents, European agents, CIA, GRU, etc). Enjoyable story and I liked the AI stuff.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for a copy of the book.