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The Spider and the Web
The Spider and the Web
A chilling psychological thriller about buried secrets, fractured identities, and the price of justice.
Rachel drifts into a quiet Cotswolds village in England, longing for a fresh start. With her warmth and charm, she’s quickly welcomed by the tight-knit locals—none more so than Eileen and Michael, a seemingly perfect couple who take her under their wing.
But when Michael suddenly disappears, Rachel is drawn into the search.
At first, she’s just trying to help. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more unsettling things become. Stories don’t add up. Smiles don’t reach eyes. Kindness turns watchful. Questions turn dangerous.
And soon, Rachel begins to realise—she’s entangled in a dangerous web.
Dark, relentless, and simmering with tension, The Spider and the Web is a slow-burn psychological thriller that grips from the first page and tightens until the very last.
A chilling psychological thriller about buried secrets, fractured identities, and the price of justice.
Rachel drifts into a quiet Cotswolds village in England, longing for a fresh start. With her warmth and charm, she’s quickly welcomed by the tight-knit locals—none more so than Eileen and Michael, a seemingly perfect couple who take her under their wing.
But when Michael suddenly disappears, Rachel is drawn into the search.
At first, she’s just trying to help. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more unsettling things become. Stories don’t add up. Smiles don’t reach eyes. Kindness turns watchful. Questions turn dangerous.
And soon, Rachel begins to realise—she’s entangled in a dangerous web.
Dark, relentless, and simmering with tension, The Spider and the Web is a slow-burn psychological thriller that grips from the first page and tightens until the very last.
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2025
4 people want to read
About the author
S. Sebastian
3 books1 followerA man from nowhere, with stories to share from everywhere. He prefers to stay away from the spotlight, letting his words carry the weight of his presence. His writing spans across genres—psychological thrillers, crime, fantasy, horror, and deeply human novels that explore love, loss, and resilience. Each story is a journey into the unexpected, told by someone who believes the author should remain in the shadows while the stories take the stage.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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November 2, 2025My Rating: 1⭐️ boring until it was downright stupid!!
Rachel drifts into a quiet Cotswolds village in England, longing for a fresh start. With her warmth and charm, she’s quickly welcomed by the tight-knit locals—none more so than Eileen and Michael, a seemingly perfect couple who take her under their wing.
But when Michael suddenly disappears, Rachel is drawn into the search.
At first, she’s just trying to help. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more unsettling things become. Stories don’t add up. Smiles don’t reach eyes. Kindness turns watchful. Questions turn dangerous.
And soon, Rachel begins to realise—she’s entangled in a dangerous web.
Well, I didn’t enjoy this one at all. The story had potential even though it didn’t really give much away in the blurb. There was an overarching tension throughout the first 3/4 of the book… but other than that actually nothing happened.
I can handle a really slow burn so long as the pay off is worth it. And there were some moments were I was like ok… this might happen, or that might happen but then… nothing happened. Until things happened that were utterly stupid.
The family moving to Dubai storyline was kind of stupid… but I was like ok thats fine I can handle something different. Clearly Eileen and Michael had some shit going on that was secretive… so I was waiting for bodies in the basement type stuff the whole way…
I am not going to go into much detail because people do seem to like this and I don’t want to spoil it since its a new release… but seriously the twist… it was rubbish. I kind of saw it coming and I was hoping it would be done well… unfortunately it was not. Not for me.
I really found the writing or the execution of the reveal and twist to be amateurish…and sure I haven’t written a book before thats fine.. but I had to read it and I didn’t fall for it at all.. I found myself not feeling thrilled but rolling my eyes wishing like anything that it would end.
So many over the top stupid things happened that did not entertain me…
Overall, I don’t recommend this to my friends. If you read other reviews and go nahhh im gonna give it a go then great and I hope I am over here on outlier island and you love it. But my GR friends you know who you are… don’t do it!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Knight Sword Publication and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Rachel drifts into a quiet Cotswolds village in England, longing for a fresh start. With her warmth and charm, she’s quickly welcomed by the tight-knit locals—none more so than Eileen and Michael, a seemingly perfect couple who take her under their wing.
But when Michael suddenly disappears, Rachel is drawn into the search.
At first, she’s just trying to help. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more unsettling things become. Stories don’t add up. Smiles don’t reach eyes. Kindness turns watchful. Questions turn dangerous.
And soon, Rachel begins to realise—she’s entangled in a dangerous web.
Well, I didn’t enjoy this one at all. The story had potential even though it didn’t really give much away in the blurb. There was an overarching tension throughout the first 3/4 of the book… but other than that actually nothing happened.
I can handle a really slow burn so long as the pay off is worth it. And there were some moments were I was like ok… this might happen, or that might happen but then… nothing happened. Until things happened that were utterly stupid.
The family moving to Dubai storyline was kind of stupid… but I was like ok thats fine I can handle something different. Clearly Eileen and Michael had some shit going on that was secretive… so I was waiting for bodies in the basement type stuff the whole way…
I am not going to go into much detail because people do seem to like this and I don’t want to spoil it since its a new release… but seriously the twist… it was rubbish. I kind of saw it coming and I was hoping it would be done well… unfortunately it was not. Not for me.
I really found the writing or the execution of the reveal and twist to be amateurish…and sure I haven’t written a book before thats fine.. but I had to read it and I didn’t fall for it at all.. I found myself not feeling thrilled but rolling my eyes wishing like anything that it would end.
So many over the top stupid things happened that did not entertain me…
Overall, I don’t recommend this to my friends. If you read other reviews and go nahhh im gonna give it a go then great and I hope I am over here on outlier island and you love it. But my GR friends you know who you are… don’t do it!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Knight Sword Publication and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 10, 2025
This is one of those rare thrillers that not only grips you but immerses you completely. I found myself reading late into the night, unable to put it down. The sense of place, the suspense, and the beautifully crafted writing make this a standout novel.
An absolutely brilliant read — full of twists, atmosphere, and intrigue. The author has done an outstanding job. A definite 5-star book.
An absolutely brilliant read — full of twists, atmosphere, and intrigue. The author has done an outstanding job. A definite 5-star book.
October 11, 2025
Well that was an incredibly quick and easy read.
It was odd though, all the characters interactions with each other were just a bit off, giving the whole book a slightly weird vibe.
It kept me entertained for the morning, but I found it slightly predictable.
Sometimes that's OK, because I'm glad to be proven right.
Enjoyable, but won't be overly memorable I think.
Thanks to netgalley for the free advance copy of the book.
It was odd though, all the characters interactions with each other were just a bit off, giving the whole book a slightly weird vibe.
It kept me entertained for the morning, but I found it slightly predictable.
Sometimes that's OK, because I'm glad to be proven right.
Enjoyable, but won't be overly memorable I think.
Thanks to netgalley for the free advance copy of the book.
October 21, 2025
Unusual fast paced thriller, full of Suspense and twists, held my attention throughout and was a quick read. My first from this author and I'd definitely delve into more of their work.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews