Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert is an atmospheric and unsettling horror story with flashes of excellence. While not exactly the book I was expecting, the book delivers on the chilling premise.
Ellie Isles first became obsessed with the I-64 murders when she saw her own face on one of the victims. Identical to every detail, the woman wasn’t her, but she could have been. Compelled to discover the story of her dopplegänger’s death, Ellie wrote a bestselling true crime book about the serial killer, dubbed “the Spider.”
Four years later, the Spider still hasn’t been caught, and his victim count is climbing. Many of the bodies remain unidentified, but with Ellie’s online network of true crime followers, that’s slowly changing. Together they’ve pooled information to create a massive database that tracks people at risk of becoming Jane and John Does–the homeless, the drug addicted, and the downtrodden–with the hopes that if they become victims, they might at least be identified.
Now that Ellie has successfully identified multiple victims, the law enforcement task force tracking down the Spider pulls her in to help–and after Ellie’s therapist is arrested for the murders, she is more determined than ever to help catch the Spider.
J.H. Markert gives us another solid thriller with Spider to the Fly. With nods to Silence of the Lambs, one of my favorite horror films, Markert crafts a story that’s both captivating and chilling. I was pulled in to atmospheric and eerie story from the start and really didn’t let up. Markert’s writing is smooth and easy to read, offering just the right amount of detail on each page to set the scene without bogging down the pace. A quick read, that’s for sure.
Spider to the Fly is a fascinating, gory, and wonderfully layered tale. I found myself piecing the story together with clues, constantly second-guessing the twists that came at me. Markert does a good job constructing a mystery that kept me engaged and builds tension throughout. What starts off as an intriguing story becomes a pulse-pounding tale that by the final page I couldn’t read fast enough. When a triller makes you hold your breath, the writer has done their job.
This all said, while the ending was well-executed in a way, I couldn’t help but feel it fell just short. There were some lingering thoughts that stuck with me and this stayed with me after closing the book. These gaps left me wanting a bit more insight into to fully bring these threads together in the end.
Spider to the Fly is an exhilarating read and a solid outing for J.H. Markert. Fans of Markert’s will enjoy his storytelling and those fans of the genre should enjoy reading this novel. I was guessing throughout and that’s all you can really ask for in a great thriller.
Spider to the Fly hits bookstores everywhere on September 2, 2025 from Crooked Lane Books.
