I really wanted to love Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert. The premise sounded so promising: a true crime junkie obsessed with catching a serial killer, a creepy database of Jane and John Does, and that whole haunting vibe of a long lost twin lurking in the background. I’m a sucker for a dark thriller, especially one with a horror twist and a Stephen King-esque chill. But honestly, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me, and I’m kind of bummed about it.

Let’s start with Ellie. She’s this driven, slightly unhinged bit traumatized woman who’s built an online empire tracking unidentified victims, hoping to give them names. I liked that idea—it’s noble in a gritty, messed-up way. But then the book just… keeps going with that same note. She’s manic, sure, but after a while, it felt like she was spinning her wheels instead of growing or surprising me. I kept waiting for her to do something that’d make me root for her, but she just stayed stuck in this loop of obsession that got old fast.

The killer himself? He’s creepy enough with his stats including dozens of murdered women via spider bites and a fly in the mouth that he feeds baby batter to? Gross, yikes, deranged. Alas, the plot starts piling on all these extra threads, like Ellie’s twin thing, the task force, random side characters who don’t really go anywhere… and it’s like the book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. A serial killer chase? A personal redemption story? A horror flick? It’s all there, but it’s a jumbled mess. I remember sitting on my couch, my dog snoring next to me, thinking, “Okay, can we just focus on *one* thing here?”

I’ll give it this: Markert knows how to write atmosphere. The bit where Ellie visits some sketchy alley to chase a lead, the fog rolling in, the shadows twitching—it’s straight out of a nightmare, and I was into it. But the payoff? Meh. The twists felt forced. And don’t get me started on the ending. Without spoiling it, let’s just say it left me flipping back a page, wondering if I missed something, because it didn’t tie up half the stuff I cared about.

All in all, Spider to the Fly felt like a rough draft that needed a tighter edit. It’s not terrible; it’s just… fine. It had potential and a few creepy moments that stuck with me, but I wouldn’t reread it. If you’re new to Markert, maybe start with The Nightmare Man.