Complex and twisty mystery weaving past and present with lost memories and layers of secrets. Solid characters and many tense moments really keep this one moving to the very end.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy!

I swear, Markert's books just keep getting better and better. This was so well written I was stressed out the entire time I was reading and also constantly itching thinking about those damn spiders!

The end of each chapter had its own mini twist, and since we got a few different points of view, and it was expertly paced to keep me engaged with the story the entire time.

And every time I thought the twists *had* to be done, another one revealed itself and took me by surprise. I can't say enough good things about how well-written this one was. This is for sure my favorite from Markert to date.

Spider to the Fly pub date is September 2.

This was sooo good! I need to read more books by this author. I have nothing negative to say.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for giving me access to read and review this book early.

Unfortunately the suspense and atmosphere this book was trying to convey did not land for me. The plot was an interesting concept, but I feel the pacing was too slow for the punch of the book to really impact my reading experience.

I also did not understand the inclusion of the main character having a fear of men. It had some relevance to the beginning of the book, and obviously was supported by her experienced trauma. However, approaching the middle, it's lost in the narrative and ultimately feels irrelevant. I would have appreciated this characteristic of the main character if it was conveyed and supported through the entire book.

Love this author so so much actually. Ever since I read the Nightmare Man. And this one was just as good. Definitely a lifelong fan now.

I loved this book. It has a perfect blend of mystery, suspense and horror. Ellie saw her own self in a murdered woman. She was her doppelgänger which intrigued her to get to the bottom of her murder mystery. She has wrote a book about the serial killer named spider. It’s been four years, the victims are increasing and the killer still hasn’t been found. The details of the murders were intriguing. And you won’t be able to guess the twists and the person behind all those murders. I realised that how author made the killer exterior looks so sane from outside but from inside he was a complete psychopath. Looks can be deceiving and people can be diplomatic and hide their inner self so well. So, when the unthinkable happens with Ellie’s therapist then with a daughter, she must make haste and save the victims before the killer strikes again.

I loved how twisted and dark the mystery was. Expect the unexpected, murders, killer on loose, suspense, mystery, secrets and thorough investigation leading to the tangled web created by the killer. Author’s writing is brilliant and the book was so mind-blowing. The ending was jaw-dropping. Do not miss out this one, if you love dark and twisty books, you definitely need it.

Thanks to the Publisher

This is my first book by this author and it is a solid thriller!! Definitely looking into their other works! Highly recommend this book, be warned though if you have a genuine fear of spiders.

J.H. Markert takes us on another wild ride with his upcoming novel Spider to the Fly. 
 
Now, if you have genuine arachnophobia, this book should be read at your own peril. Whilst I am not a fan of spiders, I absolutely loved this heart in mouth, spine tingling book about a true crime author whose obsession with the I-64 killer leads her to assist in the man hunt for ‘The Spider’. But when an unexpected arrest brings long buried memories to light... it’s easy to point at someone else when everyone starts seeing double.  
 
James is an unbelievably talented writer with one heck of a horror fueled imagination. This is one that will stick with me forever. I felt the goosebumps this inflicted for days after I finished.

My third book by this author and man could be write a solid thriller! This one had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Not my favorite by him, but still a solid read.

I love a good horror/thriller/mystery but this one was a miss for me. There were definitely some twists but nothing that had me on the edge of my seat. I thought the storyline was okay but nothing had really pulled me in. I just kept waiting for it to get better. This one unfortunately wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much J.H. Markers, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨
Publication Date: September 2 2025

#SpidertotheFly #NetGalley

Spider to the Fly was pretty decent over all, and not bad for my first ever JH Markert read. It's definitely sinister and twisted, but the story itself sort of smacks you in the face with info dumping in the first few chapters which was a bit confusing. Overall though, I really enjoyed this!

Teresa Brock <fullybookedinkentucky@gmail.com>

Sat, May 24, 1:17 PM (1 day ago)

to james

Spider to the Fly

J. H. Markert

09/02/2025

Crooked Lane Books



If J. H. Markert writes it, I will read it. Period. No questions asked. Every. Single. Time. Add in a serial killer and I-64 in Kentucky – well – hot damn – excuse me while I read. HA!



A chilling game of cat and mouse like nothing I’ve read before. Meet Ellie Isles—mother, survivor, and unwitting link to a serial killer known only as The Spider. Leaving a trail of bodies along the I-64 corridor between Lexington and Louisville, The Spider’s victims all share a gruesome detail: each one has died from multiple spider bites. But everything changes when the latest victim is identified. Staring back from the TV screen is a woman who could be Ellie’s twin. From that moment on, Ellie’s life spirals into obsession. She becomes consumed with the victims, their eerie similarities, and the invisible threads that connect them. What begins as a personal investigation evolves into a best-selling true crime book and an online community determined to expose the truth. But the closer Ellie gets to the web’s center, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Spiders and their webs have long symbolized the quiet, creeping danger of deceit—and in the hands of an author like JH Markert, that danger becomes hauntingly vivid. Deceit, manipulation, betrayal and the devastating consequences are meticulously woven onto each page as the reader is taken through a journey to find the truth while living the consequences of decisions made decades earlier. Innocence is destroyed and the world is changed in ways that you will never see coming. The twists and turns are relentless, leaving you never really knowing what the truth is and how deep the secrets go. I can promise you this – (1) You will have questions (2) You will want more and (3) You will agree this book needs to be made into a series ASAP

🕷️🕸️ a very big thank you to crooked lane for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review 🕷️🕸️

J.H. Markert was very serious about writing about a serial killer dubbed “the Spider”, so much so they decided to create a story so twisted and complicated it’s like that of a web.

The Spider. Named after their horrific calling cards - all of which are related to the arachnid. They scuttle through the I-64, leaving a mounting number of victims in its wake.

Ellie Isles is a true crime author, single mother and owner of a database which tracks high risk individuals in hope that Joe and Jane Doe’s can be more readily identified. And it’s not just some amateur hour over here - it has thousands of reports, leading to the identification of 13 Jane Doe’s who were victim of the Spider.

While Ellie sounds like your run of the mill armchair detective her connection to The Spider is a little more complicated than your average r/ unsolved fan. Ellie believes one of the Spiders victims is her secret identical twin.

After the police believe they catch the Spider, Ellie is called upon to assist in the investigation due to her knowledge and connection to the Spider. Unbeknownst to her is ALSO her daughter’s involvement too… goodness this spiders web just keeps on spinning.


I’m quite conflicted with my thoughts on Spider to the Fly! I absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy your crime thrillers but are looking for something a little bit more sinister.

Unfortunately the books major disadvantage are the first few chapters of the book. It reads quite messy and feels like plot points were established quickly to get them out of the way. I couldn’t help but feel a little hungover from it and couldn’t fully get into the story until later in the book.

After you get through the first few chapters the story does develop to be simultaneously fast paced and slow burning - I felt engaged with the story and wanted to keep reading more while the tension is drip fed to you. I really enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and the backstory on The Farm is genuinely terrifying and so well written!

I love love love my cat and mouse/procedurals and I am so glad J.H. Markert is dialling in on making them creepy, dark and intense.

I was absolutely over the moon to receive this ARC because I loved Sleep Tight, J.H.’s 2024 release! Thank you again to Crooked Lane and to J.H. Markert for another great read.

A suspenseful novel where the primary characters are trying to unmask a hidden serial killer in their midst. The story is a bit convoluted and the author’s choice to switch point of views every other chapter or so made following parts of the story frustrating. The story is macabre at times and reminds me of some 90s thriller movies like “Seven” and “Silence of the Lambs”. Ellie the primary character is searching for the serial killer because her doppleganger was killed by them. This urged her to become deeply entwined in the case and even set up her own online network to look for clues for the case. She writes a book and gains notoriety. However, she is also a mess with a deep fear of men (that she somehow is working through despite going to a male therapist?) and a caring but seemingly overbearing mother. I found that I didn’t really like any of the characters who are featured. I found that Ellie was whiny and inefficient. Her daughter brash and shortsighted (though for a teenager that’s forgivable), the FBI and detectives were ineffectual and even the bad guys were not super believable. I finished and felt underwhelmed because I’d picked out the true killer and also found the motivation to be uninspired. There was also some concept of forced shared memory loss that began to lift after a specific event and that just makes no sense. It is more mystical than reasonable and there is an attempt to make it reasonable. Decent but I wouldn’t read another.

A mildly derivative serial killer thriller, Spider to the Fly is saved by some solid character work and a propulsive sense of pacing, even if it's plot leaves room to be desired.

For fans of J.H Markert this very much had the same vibe as his other books- though I did find it a tad more confusing. Not to give any spoilers but the premise of the book had me quite confused later on, with it hard to keep track of who was who and why I was supposed to care about them. That being said the main characters were well thought out and interesting and id for sure read more of his books!

This was a solid serial killer thriller with a definite creep factor throughout! 🙌

I did feel the story took some over the top turns and there were plenty of characters to keep track of. 👀 But overall I really enjoyed the read and definitely recommend checking it out! 👏

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and J.H. Markert for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller/Horror
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: September 2, 2025
📖 320 pages

🕷 Serial Killer
🕸 Nonlinear Timeline
🪰 Multiple POV
🕷 Found Family

🕸 I loved Spider to the Fly! The second I started reading it I was hooked and I sped through it in a matter of about 8 hours! I really enjoyed the discussion of phobias, as well as the utterly unique cast of characters. Markert does an excellent job of swapping POV to build suspense and utilizing flashbacks as a means to explain the trauma the ultimately led to the serial killer being made.

🕷 If you've ever wanted a thriller that makes your skin crawl and documents the traumatic events that make your monster, Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert is perfect for you!

Thank you so much, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley, for the digital review copy! 🪰

⚠️ arachnophobia, kidn@pping, murder, minor horror elements/gore, systematic mental abuse

One of the BEST thrillers I have read in a long time. Better than Sleep Tight! I was hooked from the beginning and did not expect all the twists. As someone who loves crime documentaries and serial killer stories this was for sure a good one. At first the spider to the fly concept seemed a little ok, but man did that get deep and interesting. I dont want to spoil it but you will not be able to put this down, it has been all I could think of until I finished it. I could picture the entire story, the writing and descriptions were amazing! This should 100% be turned into a movie! This comes out Sept 2nd 2025, and for sure I'll be grabbing my own copy. Thanks to JH Market + Crooked Lane + NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I had a great time flying through this one. The chapters are short and right from the beginning full of intrigue, plottwists and tension. I found myself invested from page 1. It was a really fun reading experience, the book being filled with some great action and a million plottwists that left my jaw open.
We follow a huge cast of characters so it could get a little confusing at times, but I think J. H. Markert did a great job at writing it in a way where you still managed to keep up and grasp the connections. I loved how somehow everyone ended up connected, even if it was a little unrealistic.

My biggest complaint is that I'm left with some questions. I didn't like that the book simply ended with catching the killer instead of exploring the motives and explaining the exact outcome some more. We were given enough explanations for it to make sense, but I just wished we had explored it a little more since the final reveal is pretty aprubt.
Additionally, I wish we had gotten a deeper dive into that farm and what exactly had happened to those children. It's such an interesting concept and so important to the story that I felt it should have been explored more.

It's a great thriller that will keep you in your toes guessing the entire time.