The Sassy Bookworm
Book Review: Spider to the Fly by J. H. Markert 🕸️🕷️
Rating: 5 Stars
I don’t say this lightly, but Spider to the Fly is the kind of book that makes you cancel your plans and dive headfirst into the abyss — and then beg for more when you resurface. J.H. Markert has written a dark, tightly wound serial-killer thriller that blends true crime obsession with full-throttle horror energy. I loved it. 📚😱
At the center is Ellie Isles, a true crime author who becomes obsessed with a set of murders after seeing a victim who could have been her — same face, same details, everything eerily similar. That obsession turns into a bestselling book, a sprawling online community, and a painstaking database devoted to identifying the overlooked victims of the killer nicknamed “the Spider”: people on the margins whose deaths might otherwise go unnamed. Years later, with the Spider still at large and the body count rising, Ellie’s sleuthing catches the attention of the task force investigating the case. She’s pulled into the hunt, even more driven when her therapist is arrested in connection with the murders. From there, the stakes escalate in ways that made my heart race on every page. 🔎💔
What hooked me was how this author balances the procedural grit of a cat-and-mouse manhunt with a palpable sense of dread. This isn’t a slow, forensic slog through evidence — it’s propulsive and twisty, moving at a cinematic pace while still giving you the chilling, intimate details that true crime readers crave. The prose is precise and often unsettling in the best way, leaning into horror flair without ever losing the thread of a tightly plotted thriller. ⚡📖
A few things that stood out for me: the book’s structure — short punchy chapters, and shifting POVs across dual timelines — made it impossible to put down. Each perspective felt distinct and sharpened the tension rather than muddying it. The world-building around Ellie’s online network was fascinating: the idea of a crowd-sourced database of vulnerable people is brilliant and heartbreaking, and it adds a very modern, eerie layer to the hunt for the Spider. And can we talk about the cover? Absolutely perfect — moody, striking, and somehow exactly right for the story inside. 🧠🕸️
I finished Spider to the Fly in a single sitting and wanted to immediately re-read it. It’s the kind of novel that begs to be adapted — Netflix, take note, because this would make an incredible series. J.H. Markert has crafted something that fans of twisted serial killer thrillers (think The Butcher and the Wren, The Jigsaw Man, even The Whisper Man) will devour. Suspenseful, emotionally resonant, and deliciously dark, Spider to the Fly earns every one of my five stars. 🙌
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
Originally posted at tinyurl.com.
Book Review: Spider to the Fly by J. H. Markert 🕸️🕷️
Rating: 5 Stars
I don’t say this lightly, but Spider to the Fly is the kind of book that makes you cancel your plans and dive headfirst into the abyss — and then beg for more when you resurface. J.H. Markert has written a dark, tightly wound serial-killer thriller that blends true crime obsession with full-throttle horror energy. I loved it. 📚😱
At the center is Ellie Isles, a true crime author who becomes obsessed with a set of murders after seeing a victim who could have been her — same face, same details, everything eerily similar. That obsession turns into a bestselling book, a sprawling online community, and a painstaking database devoted to identifying the overlooked victims of the killer nicknamed “the Spider”: people on the margins whose deaths might otherwise go unnamed. Years later, with the Spider still at large and the body count rising, Ellie’s sleuthing catches the attention of the task force investigating the case. She’s pulled into the hunt, even more driven when her therapist is arrested in connection with the murders. From there, the stakes escalate in ways that made my heart race on every page. 🔎💔
What hooked me was how this author balances the procedural grit of a cat-and-mouse manhunt with a palpable sense of dread. This isn’t a slow, forensic slog through evidence — it’s propulsive and twisty, moving at a cinematic pace while still giving you the chilling, intimate details that true crime readers crave. The prose is precise and often unsettling in the best way, leaning into horror flair without ever losing the thread of a tightly plotted thriller. ⚡📖
A few things that stood out for me: the book’s structure — short punchy chapters, and shifting POVs across dual timelines — made it impossible to put down. Each perspective felt distinct and sharpened the tension rather than muddying it. The world-building around Ellie’s online network was fascinating: the idea of a crowd-sourced database of vulnerable people is brilliant and heartbreaking, and it adds a very modern, eerie layer to the hunt for the Spider. And can we talk about the cover? Absolutely perfect — moody, striking, and somehow exactly right for the story inside. 🧠🕸️
I finished Spider to the Fly in a single sitting and wanted to immediately re-read it. It’s the kind of novel that begs to be adapted — Netflix, take note, because this would make an incredible series. J.H. Markert has crafted something that fans of twisted serial killer thrillers (think The Butcher and the Wren, The Jigsaw Man, even The Whisper Man) will devour. Suspenseful, emotionally resonant, and deliciously dark, Spider to the Fly earns every one of my five stars. 🙌
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
Originally posted at tinyurl.com.