Tension palpable from start to finish, says the spider to the fly. What does a spider do? It lurks, it waits, it’s patient, and then it attacks. For Ellie Isles, the Spider hits a bit too close to home-ever since her face showed up on one of the victims. And with Ellie, we get a woman traumatized by her past-afraid of men and despite her endless therapy, progress is slow going. But she is whip smart, and methodical in her discovery of clues, via her online network. She’s one piece in the collective, determined to find out who the Spider’s victims are, and more importantly, who the Spider is.

As the story progresses, the suspense and stakes ramp up-especially after her therapist is arrested for the murders. But was it him? Or is someone else involved? The author takes us on a terrifying game of cat and mouse, where the stakes are high, and the truth is far closer to home than Ellie realizes. Markert also peels back layers of deception, abuse, and terror that seep into the truth of the Spider’s motives, and their past. The conclusion grips the reader is suspense, and will have them flying through the pages until the very end.

This was a solid mystery thriller that unnerved me, given that the setting is in my backyard. Fans of thrillers will love this one. 4.5 stars.

Just when I think James Markert cannot top his last book, he blows it out of the water. Let me just state all the books I have read by him have been five stars plus. This grabbed me like an early morning spider web as I walked through a field. Unexpecting, beautiful with dew glistening in the sunlight, as its sticky strings cling to my leg. My heartrate rises imagining all eight legs clinging to me. Let us just say the descriptions were phenomenal and I felt like I was part of the investigation. The plot is flawless, and the characters are gritty and real. Making me fly through the pages. Trying to figure out who is the Spider and who is the Fly?

For the last eighteen years, the Spider, has been wreaking havoc along Interstate 64, near Ransom, Kentucky. His body count steadily growing higher as the years inch along. Ellie remembers when she became infatuated, it was the night her daughter Allison yelled to her that her twin was on tv. The woman was identical and from that moment on that is all Ellie can think about. She started her own network called the Spider Web. Ellie has been able to help identify numerous Jane Does who were killed by the Spider. Ellie and Allison have also moved to Ransom. Ellie is determined to uncover the truth. As more information comes to the surface, shooting off another thread in a different direction. One prominent family is coming apart at the seams, which includes Ellie's own therapist. As the three wise monkeys say, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Each body left by the Spider is left posed in one of these positions. Why?

This book had me holding my breath, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, and my hands clenched. I loved how Ellie would just go headlong into a situation. Always thinking about the victim and not herself. The way in which Markert wrote was seamless and twisty. Making the trip so much more interesting and shocking when all the secrets come pouring out. I will not forget this book and my mind will be working my way along the endless threads of the spiderweb. Thank you to JH Markert and Crooked Lane for my gifted copy.

Obsessed with this one! The characters were so well written and brought me completely into the story. This was truly terrifying and I loved every minute of it. This has become an auto buy author for me now - amazing read!

'Will you walk into my Parlour?" said the spider to the fly 🕷️🪰

A nail biting thriller that you won't be able to put down. Ellie has been investigating the spider murders for years. Ever since the murder of a woman who looked eerily similar to herself.

The serial killers victims are all killed by spider bites 🕷️ Ellie with the help of a reporter, her neighbour and the police are trying to track the killer down before he takes his 30th victim.

The twists and turns in this book kept my head spinning! It was really exciting and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend if you're looking for a thriller read!

I am in full on Summerween mode and about lost my mind when I was approved for Spider to the Fly. I absolutely love J.H. Markert and this book was perfect.

Spider to the Fly had everything I could have wanted in a book and more. It was an excellent horror novel, but on top of that it had psychological suspense, mystery and it was so emotionally charged. The characters are well-developed and a mix of likeable and unlikeable.

This book was fast-paced (I read it in like 4 hours, I couldn’t put it down) and almost read like a non-fiction book.

If you’re looking for the perfect spooky season read, this is it. Definitely recommend picking up Spider to the Fly when it is released on September 2nd!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

J. H. Markert’s #SpiderToTheFly stressed me out in the best way, though I had to remind myself to breathe for about the last quarter of it. Ellie Isles is a true-crime writer obsessed with an active serial killer, and the more clues she gets to his identity, the more twists and turns she (and we) have to follow. Besides a satisfyingly complex mystery, there are elements of the Gothic as we learn more about Ellie’s childhood in children’s and foster homes, secret twins, and a wealthy couple as small town royalty, true horror as we learn about the abuses that she and the other children endured as well as details of the murders (spiders!), and even social commentary with the question, Can you change a person’s nature? My only advice is, don’t pick this up until you have time to finish it, because you won’t want to put it down. Thanks to #NetGalley and @CrookedLaneBooks for the review copy.

When @jamesmarkert74 has a book coming out, you bet your sweet a** that I’m picking it up and so should you!

A true crime author helps in a desperate hunt for a killer in this dark and twisted thriller from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the “clear heir to Stephen King.”

This is perfect for fans of cat and mouse serial killer thrillers like The Butcher and the Wren, Jigsaw Man and The Whisper Man.

I will tell you this reads like a crime thriller rather than horror. Which was fine by me considering I am a crime junkie! I do think this is one you should go into blind. Because, who doesn’t love surprises? Pre-order your copy and add it to your TBR! You will be so glad you did!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date 9/2/25

I just finished this book and am trying to write this while I’m still processing everything. First of all, I loved the references in the beginning to Twisted Tree and what happened in the author’s previous book Sleep Tight (if you haven’t read this you’re missing out)! I always enjoy a tie-in situation. The rest of the book was a wild roller coaster of darkness, murder, spiders, farms, and evil people. Things spiraled out of control so quickly and I loved it! There were some pretty unexpected twists along the way that really had me gasping. This is a must-read for anyone who loves a dark thriller about a serial killer! Unless you have arachnophobia in which case steer clear 😂

Spider To The Fly
By James Markert
Crooked Lane Books
(09/02/25)
5⭐️

From true crime author to detective assistant, Ellie never imagined that her investigative skills would bring her to assisting to catch the I-65 serial killer (the Spider), or that she would somehow be caught in the crosshairs of the killer’s sights. Throughout this incredible story, we learn all about Ellie and how she is part of the “spiderweb.”

A thrilling, heart pounding ride with an
abundance of mystery, suspense and chills! I am definitely looking forward to reading more James Markert books! I’ve always been a die-hard Stephen King fan and I can honestly say that James Markert is following in his footsteps and then some!

Thank you to Net Galley and James Markert for this free ARC book in exchange for my candid review.

Having read J.H. Markert's previous three horror books -and loved them!- I went into this blind, certain that I was in for a treat. Well, the latter turned out to be an understatement!

"Spider to the Fly" is a dense, cerebral, super-intricate and multi-layered mystery thriller, with some strong horror elements and a powerful character-driven plot. The large cast, though, includes so many interesting characters, and those characters harbor so many secrets, the plot immediately becomes a labyrinthine multi-jointed set of storylines with one revelation on top of another, a veritable tsunami of plot twists and shocking surprises! Thanks to Markert's terrific writing style, the detailed story -a real web of facts, obsessions, personality quirks, raw emotions, family connections, and easy-to-miss subtleties- moves fast among a variety of themes (from found family to serial killers and abusive psychological experiments on children) to reach an absolutely satisfying ending, having gone through several suspenseful moments of life and death significance, not least between a single mother (a true crime author) and her teenage daughter, the stars of the book (though not even the most interesting characters!).

The opening scenes are totally engrossing: in the late 1950s, three kids are abandoned in an orphanage (a heart-breaking instance full of meaning for what's to come later), and in the 2010s a mother sees her own face on the news, the newscaster informing people of her death. These two scenes prepare the ground for a magnificent tale of mystery and psychological horror, weirdly conveying an atmosphere of a nonfiction book (everything feels so real) - with memorable moments of creepiness and horror (especially if you hate spiders!).

“Spider To The Fly” is brimming with empathy for the victims and rage against the abusers. It has strong female characters, clever ideas, realistic portrayals of criminal investigations, and a brilliantly drawn serial killer enmeshed in an occasionally, outrageously nonlinear, narrative. It's also a super-exciting and hugely entertaining book, especially if one loves horror thrillers. Highly recommended!

i really liked this book! i loved our main character ellie and her foibles, i loved her daughter amber too, i would have liked a little more exploration of ellie’s abject fear of men, especially at the conclusion of the tale, ESPECIALLY given who turned out to be The Spider. the story unfolded quite nicely, i would’ve again liked a little more explanation of what the Brocks were up to, a little more depth to their characters, perhaps one of the siblings actual telling a story of something their adoptive parents did to them rather than hearing it all secondhand. overall tho, a good time!

I drew an immediate parallel to Silence of the Lambs with the fly being put in the mouth of victims but the book stands on it's own feet without over relying on horror tropes.

Murder by all manner of venomous spiders is now added to my 10 worst ways to die. My skin was crawling just reading it being described in passing, and I like spiders. BLegh.

The atmosphere in this book felt like being in a room with the walls closing in. I liked the aspect of Ellie being so draw to the Spider killings not just because of her resemblance to the victims but her being fully twisted in the web.

The ending felt a bit sudden and there were some loose threads but maybe that means a sequel in the future??

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.

LOVED THIS BOOK! IT WAS BOTH TWISTED (WILD AND DISTURBING) AND HAD LOTS OF TWISTS. THE STORY WAS UNIQUE AND KEPT ME GUESSING FROM ONE PAGE TO THE NEXT. TRIGGER WARNING: SPIDERS. LOTS OF SPIDERS. FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES FAST-PACED THRILLERS, THIS IS FOR YOU!

This book was compelling and, as other reviewers have said, had notes of Silence of the Lambs, and I ultimately enjoyed it, but it felt a bit flat in a way that's hard to put my finger on. I would still recommend it, though!

If you have a troubleson teenager then you can really relate to this book, not only enjoy it for the mystery and suspense. Great interesting story of twins in foster care who get picked by Foster care parents. At least some do and some don't. Actually sometimes that's for the best. I really liked this book and read it in one day. It's very unigue with a ton of different characters but mostly centers around Ellie and her daughter Amber. It's almost to the end of the book before you find out who Amber's father is and it has you guessing. This author has other books that a super good.

great story telling! I loved how i was fully immA huge thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for this eARC (this made my year 🥹)

I am, self-proclaimed of course, J. H. Market’s biggest fan, and this book has done nothing to change that. Honestly, this might be his best book yet, and that’s saying something because they’ve all been 5⭐️ reads. When I got the approval for this from NetGalley, I literally dropped everything and started reading this. And I am so very glad that I did, because damn, what a web he weaves in this book (yes, pun intended). The beginning of this book is a little disjointed as he jumps around establishing the characters and the storyline, but by about 15% in, it all clicks together and it is amazing. Market’s writing is addicting and his storytelling is truly next level. He writes with truly striking prose and creates a fully engrossing tale. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. This was such a multilayered mystery, that every reveal was mind blowing. The premise of this book was so unique and the entire plot was so well and thoroughly developed. He threw in twist after twist and I still never saw the biggest one coming. It was jaw dropping for sure. The characters were well developed, the feelings were raw and real, and as the reader you felt connected to the characters and their struggles. The ending was phenomenal and honestly broke my heart a little bit. This was a truly amazing read, I’m still thinking about it. 5/5⭐️ersed into the story.

This horror novel was terrifying! It is full of mystery, psychological suspense and emotional! This author captured my attention in the first chapter and throughout the entire book! I will now read anything this author writes. This is a very fast paced read, that is both plot and character driven. The characters in this story are strongly developed and are both likable and unlikable. The different points of views in the book brought the suspense even higher and the mystery even deeper. Even though this book is a book of fiction, it felt like I was reading a nonfiction book. It felt realistic and horrifying. This book comes with a serial killer on the loose, a found family and a nonlinear timeline. It was well executed and it came with unexpected twists! Oh and I do not like spiders, so this book was extra creepy. I give it a 4.5 out of a 5 star rating!

“Spider To The Fly” centers around Ellie Isles, who develops an obsession with the I-64 murders. She becomes obsessed and captivated by these murders because one of the many victims of this serial killer looks a lot like her. Because of her drive to find this serial killer and her doppelgänger tragic fate, she writes a true crime book that leads her to become a best seller author. The serial killer is known as the spider, and the flies its victims. As this story unfolds, Ellie never gives up hope, especially for the victims!

Thank you to NetGalley, author J. H. Markert and Crooked Lane Books for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I think fans of the author Stephen King and the movie “The Silence of the Lambs” would enjoy reading this book! Content warnings include emotional abuse, rape, mental illness, child abuse, torture and suicide.

This book is expected to be published on September 2, 2025!

Thank you @crookedlanebooks #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert completely devoured me whole. The only thing I’m mad about is that I didn’t save it for spooky season. Markert is quickly becoming my go-to for dark, twisted crime thrillers, and after loving Sleep Tight last fall, this one sealed the deal. Sign me up for everything this man writes.

This book has everything I crave in a thriller: serial killers, amateur true crime sleuths, sketchy side characters you side-eye from page one, and a dark, claustrophobic, drippy, black-as-night vibe. It’s cat-and-mouse tension at its finest, and what a tangled web Markert weaves (see what I did there? HAHA)!

I was obsessed with all the little details, the eerie clues, and the way each chapter left me with my heart pounding and a desperate need to turn the next page. It’s the kind of book you finish and immediately feel the urge to recommend to every thriller fan you know.

If you love your thrillers gritty, atmospheric, and just a little unhinged — Spider to the Fly is not to be missed. Five creepy, blood-stained stars from me. 🕷️

I loved Markert’s previous novels and this one was enjoyable. The mix of procedural, serial killer thriller and horror novel is not new to the author. So far, it’s worked well and this time he adds a dash of true crime, with a protagonist devoted to solving cold cases. I liked the creepy origin of the crimes involving an orphanage, unethical experimentation and twisted games. The final part was very suspenseful and had me yelling at the book. A few of the twists were excellent. That said, the plot didn’t completely work for me. Some parts were too convoluted and not very plausible. There were too many supporting characters to keep straight and, while Ellie and her daughter Amber are well developed, I didn’t like them enough to root for them. The dialogues were also a little repetitive, rehashing the same information. So I’m still a fan of the author, this was just not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books.

This was a good serial killer based mystery. There were some fun similarities to Silence of the Lambs, and I think fans of that story will like it. I enjoyed the suspense level, and creepiness of the story. I think there was a little disconnect for me when it came to the characters, but I enjoyed it overall.