No one is coming to your aid. We have ensured this.

Six strangers wake up on a remote island in the Florida Keys with no memory of their arrival. They soon discover their sole common bond: all are heroin addicts. As the first excruciating pangs of withrawal make themselves felt, the six notice a yacht anchored across open water. On it lurk four shadowy figures, protected by the hungry sharks that patrol the waves. So begins a dangerous game. The six must undertake the impossible—swim to the next island where a cache of heroin awaits, or die trying. When alliances form, betrayal is inevitable. As the fight to survive intensifies, the stakes reach terrifying heights—and their captors' motives finally begin to emerge.

J. Kent Messum's profile page

J. KENT MESSUM is an author, musician, and always bets on the underdog. He lives in Toronto with his wife, dog, and trio of cats.

“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, Edgar-Award-winning 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, Edgar-Award-winning author of Bent Road and Until She Comes Home

"The suspense blazed so much so I had to put the book down a couple of times just to look away. A brilliantly written novel. Bait makes Jaws look like a frolic in the pool.” - DJ McIntosh, bestselling author of The Book of Stolen Tales

"Bait reads faster than a feeding frenzy, I was hooked from the very first page. A terrific debut from a talented new writer!" - Daniel Palmer, author of Stolen

"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, Edgar-Award finalist author of Purgatory Chasm and The Whole Lie