Spider To The Fly

Author: J. H. Markert
Genre: Psychological Thriller
320 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, September 2025

Synopsis
Ellie Isles first became obsessed with the I-64 Strangler when she saw her own face on one of his victims. Identical to every detail, the woman wasn’t her, but she could have been. Unable to stop herself from obsessing over her doppelganger’s death, Ellie wrote a true crime book about the Strangler and became a bestselling author.

Four years and a dozen more victims later, the Strangler still hasn’t been caught, and many of his victims remain unidentified. Ellie has created an online true crime network with millions of followers and a massive database of people at risk of becoming Jane and John the homeless, the drug-addicted and downtrodden, the unwanted and uncared-for, with the hopes that if they become victims, they might at least be identified. 

Some people think Ellie is crazy. She’s convinced that the victim with her face was her own unknown long-lost twin, and her determination to build the Doe database borders on manic. But with multiple victims successfully identified from her database, the task force trying to catch the Strangler can’t deny her utility–and Ellie is more determined than ever to help catch the Strangler.

My review
Spider To The Fly is a psychological thriller by J. H. Markert that immediately caught my attention with its intriguing title and striking cover. After reading the blurb, I couldn’t wait to dive in over the weekend. I’m a sucker for stories featuring amateur sleuths and true crime authors, and this novel’s premise was especially compelling. Markert successfully crafts a layered narrative that blends psychological thriller elements with family drama and a hint of horror. If horror isn’t your thing, don’t let that deter you – the story is undeniably chilling and shocking at times, but it only lightly dips into the horror genre. I was completely engrossed and was able to easily finish the book in a day.

This story is packed with intricate details, a complex narrative, and a large cast of characters – all within a relatively short length. I don’t say this often, but in this case, a longer novel might have been beneficial. Much of this story relies on the gradual unraveling of the characters’ backstories, which shape their motivations and actions. A longer narrative would have allowed past events to unfold more naturally rather than through information dumps. In psychological thrillers, themes like trauma, obsession, guilt, and morality need to be fully explored to create a deeper impact. If these themes aren’t well-developed, the psychological depth of the story can feel superficial. More pages would have allowed for deeper character development and richer backstories, and gradually revealing subtle personality traits and motivations would have made the characters more authentic. While I felt I got to know Ellie Isles and her daughter Amber well, further depth in the secondary characters could have added more complexity to the narrative and made the characters feel more organic.

Spider To The Fly has a compelling premise and engrossing storyline, but I feel Markert missed the chance to fully develop his characters, their backstories, and the trauma that shaped them. A deeper exploration of these elements could have strengthened the plot and made the story more immersive. Unfortunately, for me the suspense fell a little flat, making the twists more predictable and less impactful.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and J. H. Markert for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

My recommendation: an entertaining read with an outstanding premise, but a missed opportunity to fully develop the characters and storyline.