Spider to the Fly: A Novel

by J. H. Markert

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Book cover for Spider to the Fly

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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.”

Perfect for fans of cat and mouse serial killer thrillers like The Butcher and the Wren and The Jigsaw Man.


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 Does: 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.

With striking prose and a horror flair, Spider to the Fly is an engrossing serial killer thriller perfect for fans of The Whisper Man.
  • ISBN13 9798892421898
  • Publish Date 23 September 2025
  • Publish Status Forthcoming
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Crooked Lane Books