Spider to the FlyJ.H. Markert || Publication Date - 02.09.2025
You're a fly trapped in a web, not knowing the Spider is closer than you think...
Fiction | Crime | Thriller
Affiliate Link - https://bookshop.org/a/110173/9798892421898
You're at home, cooking dinner for yourself and your young daughter when she comes into the kitchen begging you to look at the TV. She's pointing at a murder victim, the latest victim of the I-64 serial killer dubbed 'The Spider'. This instance wouldn't normally cause too much alarm, except the person on the TV looks identical to you, in every single way.This was Ellie's reality, and as a result of wanting to know more about this woman look alike, she became one of the most researched minds on the I-64 killer and a best selling novelist collating her research.
When Ellie's therapist is arrested and charged for the murders of the I-64 killer, she is more determined than ever to find out exactly who this person is to save an innocent man from spending the rest of his life behind bars.
The Review (may contain spoilers)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!
As far as Thrillers go... Unfortunately the suspense and atmosphere this book was trying to convey did not land for me. The plot was an interesting concept, but I feel the pacing was too slow for the punch of the book to really impact my reading experience. I'm also sad to say that I was not invested in any of the characters at all in this story. They all appeared very bland, which I'm sad to say exacerbated the dull reading experience.
All of the above is not to say this wasn't a well written book. I enjoyed the authors writing, and I definitely feel they have the ability to pull in feedback from this release and really step it up for their next novel.
I wished there was more elaboration for the events being held in this story. Too much of it, I felt, was being kept from the reader in the attempt to keep the mystery. However, to me this was detrimental. The mystery behind a lot of the plot never really made sense, and this lead me to thinking, 'why is this even happening in the first place?'. A little more writing from behind closed doors from other characters involved in the novel could have really added to the Thriller. Especially from the point of view of those who had married into the Brock family.
I also did not understand the inclusion of the main character having a fear of men. It had some relevance to the beginning of the book, and obviously was supported by her experienced trauma. However, approaching the middle, it's lost in the narrative and ultimately feels irrelevant. I would have appreciated this characteristic of the main character if it was conveyed and supported through the entire book. Relating to my above point, adding to the Thriller and exposing traumatic events from a present tense point of view would have helped solidify her fears. It would also have helped if her fear didn't just suddenly fall off the face of the Earth half way through the book.
Overall Thoughts
Generally speaking, this was a fine novel. It was written well and has things which would add to the narrative to elevate it up a notch. The story premise was interesting to a point and it had potential. Unfortunately for me, this wasn't a stand out novel.
A lot of the mystery felt too closed off from the reader. And despite knowing I don't need my hand held, additional characters experiences from behind those closed doors could really have added a lot to the story being told.
I wouldn't recommend this book to a seasoned Thriller reader. However, inherently it's not a bad book, and if you're new to the genre it would be a good entry point to see if you enjoy the type of writing and tropes which feature within thriller/crime novels.