Q&A: J.H. Markert, Author of ‘Spider to the Fly’

We chat with author J.H. Markert about Spider to the Fly, which follows a  true crime author who helps in a desperate hunt for a killer in this dark and twisted thriller.

Hi, J.H.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Beyond being married for 26 years with 2 children, 6-foot-tall and losing more hair every year, I was also a tennis pro for 25 years, before retiring to write full-time during Covid. I’ve had 6 novels published under my name (James) and Spider to the Fly will be my fourth novel under J.H. (5 including my audio original Wicked Games).

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

When I was a junior in high school, we read primarily Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe in our English class, and the sudden switch from what I’d previously known as “the classics” changed my life. Until that point, I’d hated to read. During that school year I developed a love for reading. I devoured every Stephen King book in print and then moved on to Dean Koontz and Peter Straub and John Grisham and Tom Clancy and the list goes on. But it didn’t take long after becoming an avid reader that I realized I had an imagination too, and so began my love of writing.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Different Seasons by Stephen King
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Shining by Stephen King
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

Your latest novel, Spider to the Fly, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Please, step into my parlor

What can readers expect?

I hope readers can expect to be moved emotionally on many different levels. It’s a dark novel, which I believe is more psychological thriller than horror, although it does certainly have plenty of horror elements. But and every time I see an early reviewer say it gives The Silence of the Lambs vibes I smile, because that was the tone I was going for, with a mixture of the movie Seven thrown in. But hopefully readers will be, at first, intrigued and then compelled, and then finally thrilled enough to keep going. I also hope readers come to like Ellie Isles as much as I enjoyed writing her. Oh, and spiders, readers can expect lots of spiders.

Where did the inspiration for Spider to the Fly come from?

It all started with my infatuation with the concept of twins. And then I had the idea of the main character seeing her face on the news as the latest victim of a serial killer, and real possibilities of it being her twin. I was once bitten by a brown recluse spider, and the wound wasn’t pretty, so I used that memory as fuel in creating possibly my most terrifying antagonist to date, in the Spider.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I thoroughly enjoyed writing the quirky, take-no-shit (but shy) protagonist Ellie Isles, who is just a fighter, despite being so introverted that it’s often times painful.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I was fortunate that the idea for Spider to the Fly came to me quickly, and the writing of it , on a tight deadline, went quickly as well. The only obstacle, other than time (honestly I need deadlines to help me focus), was about two-thirds through when the story seemed to stall for a couple days, before I realized I didn’t need a certain character. I completely removed that character’s POV, which took out about 15,000 words at the time, but it also opened up the story beautifully and allowed me to see things much more clearly.

What’s next for you?

Much! In March of 2026, I have another horror novel coming out called DIG, and in the Fall of 2026, I have another dark thriller/suspense novel coming out, tentatively titled I Am Mallard Malone. Both with Crooked Lane Books. I have also finished my newest historical, Ransom Burning, a Civil Rights era drama, and I can’t wait to see what happens with it!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

Recently I really enjoyed Wally Lamb’s latest novel, The River is Waiting. I also loved Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen, Wellness by Nathan Hill, and California Fire and Life by one of my absolute favorite writers, Don Winslow. I’m really looking forward to reading Never Flinch by Stephen King, King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby, and Ken Follett’s upcoming release, Circle of Days.

Will you be picking up Spider to the Fly? Tell us in the comments below!