Bait

Bait is J. Kent Messum's thrilling story of survival and sanity strained to its limits. 
 
Please know that no one will be coming to your aid 
Much effort has been made to ensure this 
 
Six strangers wake up on a remote, deserted island, with no memory of their arrival. They appear to have been chosen at random. 
 
One of the castaways finds a letter they learn that there only chance of escape is to another island just a mile away. Across some of the most dangerous, shark-infested waters in the world. The letter ends with one simple instruction: begin when you wish. 
 
As the group are forces to face their darkest fears they will be pushed to the very edge of sanity. The odds against survival are long. 
 
From aboard a yacht anchored offshore, a group of shadowy figures watches them. And waits . . . 
 
Tightly plotted and brilliantly imagined, Bait marks the debut of the exciting new thriller talent, J. Kent Messum. Fans of Irvine Welsh, Suzanne Collins and hit TV show Lost will be hooked by his story. 
 
Praise for Bait: 
 
'Reading J. Kent Messum's Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut' - Megan Abbott, author of Dare Me 
 
'The stakes could be no higher in this crisply written, fast-paced novel that examines the shifting line between right and wrong, good and evil. Bait will keep readers turning pages late into the night' - Lori Roy, author of Bent Road and Until She Comes Home 
 
'Jaws meets Lord of the Flies meets Drugstore Cowboy! A powerhouse debut. The horror dawns on the reader as it dawns on the characters, making for a mesmerizing, one-sitting read.' - Steve Ulfelder, author of Purgatory Chasm and The Whole Lie 
 
J. Kent Messum is a British-Canadian writer living in Toronto. Bait is his first novel.

Reading J. Kent Messum's Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut.

The stakes could be no higher in this crisply written, fast-paced novel that examines the shifting line between right and wrong, good and evil. Bait will keep readers turning pages late into the night.

Lori Roy, author of Bent Road and Until She Comes Home

Jaws meets Lord of the Flies meets Drugstore Cowboy! A powerhouse debut.

Steve Ulfelder, author of Purgatory Chasm and The Whole Lie

J. Kent Messum is a British-Canadian writer living in Toronto. Husk is his second novel, the follow-up to the award-winning Bait.

Please know that no one will be coming to your aid 
Much effort has been made to ensure this 
 
Six strangers wake up on a remote, deserted island, with no memory of their arrival. They appear to have been chosen at random. 
 
One of the castaways finds a letter they learn that there only chance of escape is to another island just a mile away. Across some of the most dangerous, shark-infested waters in the world. The letter ends with one simple instruction: begin when you wish. 
 
As the group are forces to face their darkest fears they will be pushed to the very edge of sanity. The odds against survival are long. 
 
From aboard a yacht anchored offshore, a group of shadowy figures watches them. And waits . . .

J. Kent Messum

Raw, visceral, powerful ... may just make you question what it is to be human

Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination

Reading J. Kent Messum's Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut

The stakes could be no higher in this crisply written, fast-paced novel that examines the shifting line between right and wrong, good and evil. Bait will keep readers turning pages late into the night.

Jaws meets Lord of the Flies meets Drugstore Cowboy! A powerhouse debut.

For a lucky few, death is merely an inconvenience. With the help of technology the mind can survive after a body has been laid to rest. This afterlife, however, is far from paradise. 
 
 Rhodes is a 'Husk'. It's an illegal and highly lucrative job - renting out control of his body and mind to the highest bidder. It's a sure way to a better life, but some clients go too far. 
 
 Then the visions start - terrible sights that haunt his waking hours. They could be dreams, or they could be something far worse - they just might be memories.

J. Kent Messum

Praise for Husk

Raw, visceral, powerful ... may just make you question what it is to be human

Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination

Reading J. Kent Messum's Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut

Raw, visceral, powerful ... may just make you question what it is to be human

Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination

Reading J. Kent Messum's Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut

Raw, visceral, powerful ... may just make you question what it is to be human

Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination

Reading J. Kent Messum's Bait is like taking a high dive into black water. What you find in its murky depths is disturbing, pulse-pounding and utterly surprising. An exhilarating debut

Books by J. Kent Messum

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