When the face of a murdered woman matches your own...you’ll find yourself trapped in a spider’s deadly web.

Author: J.H. Markert
Book Name: Spider to the Fly
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Pub Date: September 2, 2025
My Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Thank you @netgalley ,@crookedlanebooks , and J.H. Markert for the ARC of Spider to the Fly in exchange for my honest review!

Description:
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 doppelgänger’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...

Review/Thoughts:
Spider to the Fly is a dark, chilling, and deeply emotional crime thriller. Ellie’s journey starts with obsession but pulls her into a horrifying web connected to her own hidden past. Growing up in an orphanage, Ellie never remembered the cruel experiments done on twin children—including herself and a twin sister she never knew.

As she digs deeper, the truth unravels: the Spider Killer’s spree is fueled by trauma and revenge from that same dark place. The emotional layers of childhood betrayal and loss make this thriller stand out.

I loved how the story kept building suspense, revealing secrets I didn't see coming. Edward became a true hero at the end, and I really enjoyed the happy ending! (Although I have to say—I hated Ellie’s daughter, Amber.)

Despite many characters and twists, I was completely immersed. It’s an intense and unforgettable story!

Recommend:
Highly recommend for fans of dark psychological thrillers filled with chilling secrets, strong emotions, and a satisfying ending!



#SpiderToTheFly #JHMarkert #CrimeThriller #SerialKillerThriller #TrueCrimeFiction #PsychologicalThriller #BookReview #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks #ThrillerBooks #DarkSecrets #HappyEnding #Bookstagram

I’m so sorry but absolutely nothing about this was enjoyable for me. I’m not sure if it’s because of my reading slump or what but I just couldn’t do it. I disliked it so badly I’m sorry

FMC Ellie is a true crime writer and runs a true crime network and database. There happens to be a serial killer on the loose, and they murder someone who could be Ellie's twin. She is adopted, so maybe she did have a sibling who looked just like her, and neither was the wiser. Law enforcement can't seem to make any progress in finding the murderer, so they turn to Ellie for assistance and expertise. This multilayered horror mystery had twists throughout the story, never feeling stagnant, and kept me interested in this fast-paced, quick read.

Online true crime has been pretty big over the last decade and seems to get bigger as time goes on, so this angle for a story is believable to a degree. The US is obsessed with murder mysteries, and people all over the country jump on board to offer their theories regarding cases discussed on TV and in social media.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of, so if you get confused with novels that do that, you might want to keep a notebook handy if you want to keep track and follow along to see if you can figure it out.

I will keep this author in mind when I want to read a creepy horror story. I appreciate a shorter book as well, since reading 700-page novels can be tiresome sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book that is expected to be published on September 2nd, 2025, just in time for spooky season to start. This would be a great Thriller/Horror choice for the season and would make for some interesting discussions.

I couldn’t put this one down! A really good mystery - outlandish but it still worked. The setting was cool, all of the characters were interesting and I was invested in the story. Will definitely read more from this author.

I’ve enjoyed JH Markert’s other works and was excited to receive this ARC from Netgalley. “Spider To The Fly” starts off with a cool set up. There’s a serial killer murdering young women with spiders and leaving a fly behind in their mouths. Ellie’s daughter Amber notices the newest victim looks like her mother. Ellie becomes obsessed with the case and becomes a true crime author as a regular and runs a website devoted to trying to figure out who this killer is. When another woman is murdered things start to slowly spiral out of control. There’s a lot here that is top notch serial killer thriller stuff. And I don’t wanna giveaway too much, There’s also a lot here that it’s a bit over the top. and while that can be fun, I’m always up for strange experiments and sordid family histories, it became a bit predictable and silly for me in the end. Felt like a cool concept just stretched a bit too far for my taste. I would still recommend it, but knowing what this author is capable of I was a little underwhelmed.

If you are a fan of horror, I am sure that means you are no stranger to J H Markert's work, and if you are not, then shame on you. But it also means you get to start on this one book, which I have to say I think is one of his best so far!

Ellie Isles gets the shock of her life one day when she sees her face on the TV as a victim of the notorious I-64 killer, known as The Spider. But it is not her, as she is standing in her living room with her daughter. This prompts her to change her life, to move to the town where this woman lived and try to find out more about her. Unfortunately, the woman's family is influential, and they rebuff her advances. Years later, she is a best-selling author of The Spider and His Victims, and runs a website, her Spider's Web, which she has used to give a name to the numerous Jane Does who were victims of the Spider.

But now it seems like the Spider has been found in her hometown, and Ellie and her daughter are now the ones in the middle of his web.

It was brilliant. Not only does it involve spiders (which scare the crap out of me me anyway) but it also uses secrets and lies that fill a small town. It can be hard to feel so insular in such a place, especially when it feels like the walls are closing in. A chilling read.

An engaging and entertaining thriller with twists and turns around every corner, it was difficult to put down.

An engaging and entertaining thriller that takes a while to find its footing, with a riveting ending where I found myself fully invested. I was initially expecting a sci-fi thriller in the vein of Orphan Black, doppelgängers, and scientific experimentation, but two out of three ain't bad.

Ellie Isles was raised in a revolving door of foster homes, not knowing anything about her birth family. When she sees her own face on television–a victim of the Spider serial killer–a growing obsession leads her to becoming the foremost expert on the case. Years later, her therapist Ian Brock has been arrested, the prime suspect for the murders. And soon, memories of a facility called the Farm begin to surface–a place where children were subjected to horrific experiments and tests. As she fights to find the real killer, they soon realize that they're part of a decades-long conspiracy.

"Twins share the same DNA" is an easy way to introduce red herrings–who's the good twin and who's the evil twin? Nature vs. nurture is tackled in a heavy-handed way without a lot of nuance, and the idea that dozens of people can be hypnotized for decades is also laughable. I was also hoping that Ellie's phobia of men would tie into her childhood experiences and the overarching plot, but the explanation comes abruptly and is never mentioned again.

However, despite these critiques, the ending is gripping and the stakes are high–I don't know how J.H. Markert managed to make me feel sympathy for a man who kidnapped a woman and held her captive for decades, but somehow he manages to do it. Overall, an engaging, fun, and quick read, but nothing groundbreaking in the thriller genre.

Another favourite. Honestly, I adore J.H Markert. This story was so skillfully told and he deserves the comparison to Stephen King. His writings often remind me of SK's and that's a pretty big deal. This was one dark, thrilling ride that I won't forget in a long while. It sent shivers down my spine when I fully got to understand the significance of the title. A great work overall!

This was a fast-paced, grabbing read from page one. Ellie was a really interesting character through which to see this drama and horrors unfold, as she grew closer and closer connections to these string of murders. I think true crime in general has some moral pitfalls that the book fell into a bit. There were plenty of twists and turns, making for a surprising thriller with solid horror elements.

I really wanted to like this book. I didn't care for the way the writing was, characters were medium to me, and the storyline was just eh.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest rating.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and J. H. Markert for early access copy of Spider to the Fly.

Spider to the Fly follows the story of Ellie, who after seeing a victim of the I-64 murders who looks identical to her, becomes obsessed with the serial killer named "The Spider." After Ellie wrote a book about the murders, started an online true crime network/database to help prevent victims from being unidentified, and eventually starts helping law enforcement to track down the Spider., Ellie is suddenly thrown even further into the search when her own therapist gets arrested for the murders.

With twists and turns at all corners, it was hard to put Spider to the Fly down. This will be a fantastic fit anyone who is interested in true crime stories. J.H. Markert does a phenomenal job at making the reader feel like they are watching the story unfold.

🕸️ This book starts much like a typical true crime mystery (fiction) novel - we learn about the long-term serial killer and the true crime investigative journalist, our main character, Ellie Isles, who is somehow connected to and investigating the case.

🕷️The book started out reading as a tiny bit confusing, but once the story picked up, it did take off!

🕸️ There are a lot of surprises in the story - it heads in directions I would not have expected from the beginning opening.

🕷️ Some of those twists and turns felt a little conveniently written and/or far-fetched, but in the end they came together into a compelling story. It reminded me a bit of the House in the Pines in that some of the explanations for what happened feel far fetched but are still a fun and exciting “what if” to explore. The twists kept twisting although I did predict the big ones

🕸️ I enjoy stories written like this with multiple POVs that expose more information as the story continues.

🕷️I really liked the ending a lot - it was action packed and tense! I even had an actual chill or two.

🕸️ If you are scared of spiders / arachnaphobic - you’ll want to skip this one!

🕷️ Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane books, and @netgalley for this #gifted #advancereadercopy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't think any JH Markert book could beat The Nightmare Man, but dang if this book might do it.

I love the mystery around the FMC and her potential connections to the murdered victims and killer. I also think her personality was perfection for this type of curious, aggressive, 'don't stop until I get answers' character.

I also love the progression of the book. It starts off as a dark, crime solving mystery, then (like typical JH Markert books) turns into something more complicated.

I feel so lucky to be able to review this book early and am already anxiously awaiting his next book.

The story started off slow, and I kept having to stop and come back to it. There were a lot of characters that you had to keep track of, so I got confused about who people were a time or two. Ellie was a little confusing to me at times but as the story progressed I started to understand her more. The twist at the end was a good one and I didn't see it coming. All and all I really liked it but there was a lot happening in the story so you have to pay attention.

Book review 📖

📜Spider To The Fly
✍️J.H. Markert
📠Crooked Lane Books
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: September 2, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @crookedlanebooks for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨True crime writer, Ellie Isles, first became obsessed with the I-64 murders when she saw her face on one of the victims. The victim was identical to her in every way, so compelled to find out everything she could, Ellie wrote a best-seller, dubbing the killer “the Spider.”

✨Weaving his victims into a web they can’t escape from, the killer is still very active four years later.

✨With a new and improved system of cataloguing and identifying potential victims—homeless, runaways, and drug-addicted—Ellie is able to share and work alongside law enforcement in assisting their investigation. Once her therapist is arrested for the murders, she is in a race against time to find out who the Spider killer is.

✨This was a spooky ride with a horror-y edge. Perfect for any serial killer thriller lovers, this one will have you scratching your head in the whodunit department. A little bizarre at times and character heavy, so it was somewhat tough to navigate.

#netgalley #spidertothefly #jhmarkert #crookedlanebooks #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #summerreleases #thrillerfiction

Thank you to @netgalley @jamesmarkert74 and @crookedlanebooks for allowing me to read this amazing book!

I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ without hesitation and if I could give more, I would! I am a FAN of @jamesmarkert74 and this book is by far, in my opinion his best! The storyline was easy to follow and the characters lives pulled me in! Even though the story goes back and forth from past to present and from one character to the next, it’s well told and easy to follow. I can’t wait for this books release date so that everyone can get their hands on a copy!

Markert is quickly becoming the master of that fine line between thriller and horror. The MO of the serial killer in this one is honestly terrifying. There is so much to this story, as well, like a web they slowly builds to the ending, and when you get the full reveal my kind was blown. The characters are well drawn and interesting, it’s an incredibly solid and engrossing book.

Definitely a enthralling read. The plot is original and quite well-developed. It truly felt like the story has been thoroughly thought out, it did not read like a more « mainstream » thriller, and I liked that. It was a rather profound read, with some storylines intertwining. It was not a straight forward read, though it was easy to read thanks to the writing. The only thing is I did not connect with the characters at all, especially one male character that was ruining some scenes for me. But I would still recommend this book… if you’re not terrified of spiders.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.