Flesh Bargain

The Cursed Manuscripts

by Iain Rob Wright

From multiple-time Amazon #1 bestlling author of over 40 books, Iain Rob Wright.
"Iain Rob Wright scares the hell out of me!" - JA Konrath
"A Horror Mastermind." - Matt Shaw
"Sick & twisted." - David Moody

SOME DEALS SHOULD NOT BE MADE...
With his eldest daughter fighting deadly cancer and his youngest determined to get herself into all kinds of trouble, Jake Penshaw is a man on the very edges of a breakdown. A father is supposed to keep his children safe, but no matter what he does, things only ever seem to get worse. He’s sick of being powerless. He’s sick of failing as a man.

It’s time for him to do something drastic, something that will finally fix his problems once and for all. It’s time to make a deal.

Flesh Bargain is a contemporary horror tale that will constantly surprise you. One of Iain Rob Wright’s most challenging novels yet!

THIS BOOK IS A STANDALONE ENTRY IN THE 'CURSED MANUSCRIPTS' SHARED UNIVERSE

On December 21, 2012, according to the Mayan Calendar, the world was supposed to end. It didn't. But on that day, 113 mysterious manuscripts were discovered around the world, each one written in blood by an unknown author. After several dozen unexplained deaths befell the finders of said manuscripts, a decision was made to lock them up for good in a secret vault beneath the Vatican. It is said that anyone who reads the stories will die, and as such they are now referred to as 'The Cursed Manuscripts.'

In December 2020, new manuscripts started turning up around the world. 'Flesh Bargain' was one of them.

MANUSCRIPT 10/21-024 (FLESH BARGAIN).
Details below.

Manuscript 12.20-01, discovered January 2020 in Machu Pichu, Peru, by Canadian tourist, Mitch Capaldi, who found it half buried amongst the Incan ruins. Three hours after finding the manuscript, Mr Capaldi lost his footing on the hillside and broke his neck. The loose pages of 'Flesh Bargain' were found over a ten mile radius and took several weeks to retrieve. Several locals suffered mysterious deaths during that time and labelled the cuento del diablo
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING★★★★★ "One of Britain’s brightest talents."
★★★★★ "There's no good point to put the book down so you can get some sleep."
★★★★★ "Stephen King fans would enjoy this."
★★★★★ "I loved every minute of it."
★★★★★ "I read it in 2 days, unheard of for me!"
★★★★★ "There is a surprising twist to the end of the book."
★★★★★ "A cosy, ripping yarn."
★★★★★ "Brilliant storyline with the right amount of horror."
★★★★★ "I could not put it down, had to read through the night."
★★★★★ "I loved the story!"
★★★★★ "Everything I've come to expect from Iain Rob Wright."

Genres: Horror

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2024

About the author

One of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.

With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.

To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com

Reviews

[jane.stejsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fam. Man must read this one innit? 😂

[Erin Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I somehow missed that this was #7 in a series. Thankfully, this book stands on its own. I did not need or feel I was missing any information from previous books to fully enjoy this one. It is a bit slow to start to get to the meaty bits. Once it does? Hold on tight! I very much enjoyed this book. It is properly emotion evoking, anxiety causing, and an overall good ride. I will be seeking out other books by this author and in this series.

[Mylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We know nothing about this George. He could be a murderer or a U2 fan for all we know. You can’t trust anyone these days.”

Excerpt From
Flesh Bargain: A Tale of Horror & Suspense
Iain Rob Wright

As a U2 fan, take this review anyway you want!

Iain is one of my can’t-miss-new-release authors. Maybe it was me, and the mood I was in, but I found this book to be depressing. The ending is killer, but I had a hard time being invested in Jake’s family. That being said, if you can over the annoying family dynamic and unlikeable characters, Iain did create a unique mythology.

[Luc Dantes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flesh Bargain is a good read; it is my second favourite out of the seven 'The Cursed Manuscripts' currently out. However, the first one, 'Witch,' is my first love, and my fear is that the author (Ian Rob Wright) is making the same mistake that Marvel did by expanding the universe they created too vastly. All seven books occur in the same universe created by Wright, but very few have any obvious connection. I am still patiently waiting to read more about Ashley, and am getting frustrated by the further expansion of this universe. The books are getting longer, but my interest is waning. When and/or if Wright does bring it all together like some sort of horror parody of 'Endgame,' I am afraid that I will be just as uninterested as I was in that Marvel mulch.

[Suzanne Lopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good early morning Goodreads family, I finished this book last weekend and I’ve been so busy with work and everything else that I wasn’t able to write it but without further ado, here it goes. I gave the book 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have to say this was the best book from “The Cursed Manuscripts Series” before I read the book 📖 I was reading other readers reviews and they all said this book was the best from all the others in the series and they were absolutely right!! This book is about a family that their child has leukemia and a father does a bargain to save her. I won’t do spoilers but I have to say that the author ✍️ did very well in letting the reader know every detail of the consequences that happens after a bargain has been made. It was a really sad ending letting the reader know that we can’t change life’s course. Anyway, it’s good book 📕 Give the series a chance you might like it..

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flesh Bargain ranks somewhere in the middle of the Cursed Manuscript series, in my opinion. It's more of a slow burn than the other books in the series. Although the lack of references to prior books is somewhat disappointing, the epilogue leaves room for a potential sequel or crossover with Witch, the first book in the series, which I hope will happen.

[Airika B.]

I’ve read most of the books in this series and have thoroughly enjoyed them, buuut this one? Lackluster and boring. Also, there are wayyy too many sexual comments about a MINOR teenage girl. That’s unnecessary and adds nothing to the plot. Just gives me the ick. Couldn’t even finish it

[Teena Renken · Rating 4 out of 5]

very Creepy story

Really good storyline. Leads you into a sort of surprise villain. Worth reading for sure!im going on with the series

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

All was black. All was darkness. A place for monsters.

If you want to avoid any spoilers about Iain Rob Wright's "Flesh Bargain" which is also a 'chapter' in his "The Cursed Manuscripts (Horror Collection)", well, go away now. Because this book absolutely goes off the rails at about the 70% mark* and really takes a turn towards the truly unexpected, especially after we've had some truly expected things happening up to that point (*sorry, can't be overly exact in terms of location because the publisher stuffed a bunch of the 'next' book at the end of this one… which yes, I find aggravating as hell but that's for a different discussion AND anyway it didn't influence my feelings here). Hmm, I'm just waiting for the last few folks to leave before starting my review…

Bargains must be made. Flesh bargains.

OK, now for those of you that stayed, please don't misunderstand me here: I'm not saying that my latest foray into Wright's catalogue is any kind of literary masterpiece, but damn, it was fun to read! And that's with the book starting off with a series of pretty depressing circumstances, not the least of which being that the eldest daughter in this family, Emily, is dying rather painfully from a very aggressive form of leukaemia (Acute myeloid leukaemia, which the author mentions is the "Real Madrid" of cancers) where no amount of drugs or chemotherapy have helped("Lately… the bad days far outnumbered the good…"). So naturally she's in pain, her parents Jake and Maggie are in pain and are not doing well as a couple what with all the stress, and her younger sister Lily is going through a lot - including a dalliance into drug use - owing to everyone's stress, focus on her sister's disease instead of her ("When do I get to be the centre of attention? When do I get to be important?"), and so on.

There's no room in our lives for joy or happiness.

So the family Penshaw is definitely not doing well. In fact, things suck so much right now, Papa Jake has sold off his construction and carpentry company to help make ends meet, including that they've just moved now into a cheaper house in a much, much worse neighbourhood than before. Trust me, you know it's bad when the local drug-pushing hoodlums are the first people you 'meet' along the way. It's all very emotional and it just gets steadily worse until the EXPECTED happens, namely, poor Emily has a turn for the very worst, falling into a coma as her organs start shutting down. It's several hours of absolute hell and torture for the family, with Jake doing everything in his power - or someone else's, he winked - to save his daughter's life. And yes, that includes without saying : "by any means possible!"

I’m tired. So tired. I can’t be strong any more.

Well, lo and behold another neighbour they've met in their short time on Tovey Avenue, George, makes a suggestion that they visit yet another neighbour who is distinquished at first by his really bizarre front yard. The entrance is 'guarded' by dragon statues, the door is painted red ("…and I wanted it painted black," he sang) and covered in strange symbols. Plus, planted smack dab in the front yard was also a five-foot wooden pole held a brass plate with a candle that apparently burned 24/7 because of reasons. But this new neighbour, one Mr. Jing Cho, is kind of the local Chinese warlock (not a witch! And obviously not anything to do with voodoo!) where several folks swear by his herbal remedies and 'magical' supplements. But Mr. Cho's support has done other things in the past, which we eventually learn later in the book from George during an extremely moving scene about his own experiences in this regard.

Things don’t always make sense the moment you need them to.

Anyway, without giving too much away, we have to remember while all this is going on, Emily lies dying - or even dead by now - in the hospital, with Maggie having to suffer through the excrutiating waiting totally alone. It really seems there's nothing left to do for Em as her young life slips away… where naturally as everyone expected she suddenly sits up in her hospital bed and calls out to her mourning mother. Lo and behold, she's not only alive but thriving now, as all traces of the cancer have disappeared! And why, you ask? Well, because of - wait for it - our "ancient Chinese secret!" that we just spent a good time going over with George, Jing, and the farty dog John. Now some of you might not be in your 7th decade of life yet so if you don't understand just how hilarious that reference is, google 'Calgon + ancient + Chinese + secret + TV + commercial' and I guarantee you'll find yourself on the floor. Anyway…

I think you let something in.

So all this seems swell and many of you are probably wondering at this stage about how we're getting any kind of 'horror' out of this book, what with this turn of good albeit mystically-explainable news… only during this same timeframe, Jake is stabbed by the drug dealers and finds himself taking what could be his last breaths in the middle of the road. But could he… no, the 'ancient Chinese' stuff won't work if Jake asks for help FOR HIMSELF! So what could possibly go wrong when he convinces Jing to save his life? And this is where we learn just how dangerous it is to meddle with forces you neither understand nor could possibly comprehend. I mean, who would have suspected that one of the universe's "gods" (powers, whatever) was in fact… a vampire? Oops, sorry: not A vampire but THE original vampire of vampires, even responsible for later creating Dracula himself! Gosh!

He could be a murderer or a U2 fan for all we know.

It's here where the fun really starts. Yes, Jake has become a vampire which leads to some horrifying - and to be honest pretty embarrassing - situations (oops, was that my daughter I got caught drinking?). Soon he finds himself at not just odds with the local drug dealing family but in an all-out war, some of which he's aware of and some of which he just seems to black out for part of the time. Just make sure though that if you want to activate your vampire powers and save your loved ones, don't drink from stoned losers before you get ready to go into battle! It's probably for the best just to keep on killin' and don't let up until the sun rises. Oh yeah, watch out for silver, too!

The night was once again still, quiet as death itself.

It's all pretty fun like I said and the phrase "emotional rollercoaster" can definitely be used to describe this book. I do wish Wright had taken his time towards the end as things go so fast that we're taking huge jumps in circumstance and time in just a matter of paragraphs. But that's naturally one of those situations where if we HAD slowed down, things might have gotten bogged up in TOO much detail and that would have resulted in a far different book. So in conclusion, I've really got to say this has been one of my favorite vampire reads in a long, long time and if you're a fan of the fanged kingdom, I can highly recommend it! And if you're worried about blood or gore before you start off, don't worry: the actual stuff we see is rather tame (ok the one slashed neck during the melee was a shocker but still) and anyway, compared to fighting cancer, all of that is arguably mild in comparison! Enjoy!

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey there, book lovers! It’s your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes Loves Books Headquarters. Today, I have my review of Iain Rob Wright’s Flesh Bargain (The Cursed Manuscripts Book 7). I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

Seven down, one more to go!

There is a new family on the block, one that has been hit with some hard times. That would explain why they moved into this shifty neighborhood from their previous upscale digs. The Penshaws, Jake (dad), Maggie (mom), Emily (older sister), and Lily (younger sister) have been dealing with Emily’s illness, leukemia, for around a year now, and they have scaled down so that dad and mom can give her the care she needs. Jake sold his carpentry business so they had a little cushion. To stretch the buck, they moved to Tovey Road, a block where everyone pretty much keeps to themselves, drugs are sold on the corner, and the local druglord rules with an iron fist.

In one night, everything goes from bad to incredibly worse. In a fit of desperation, Jake goes to a neighbor and enters into a bargain…a flesh bargain. It deals with some Chinese mysticism that puts Jake out of his depth. If everything works out, his daughter, Emilly, will be cured of her cancer. After making the bargain, Jake gets into a fight, and is close to death when he ends up on the same neighbor’s doorstep and makes another bargain for himself. The consequences will be dire and may change Jake forever… for the worse.

So far, Mr. Wright has dealt with witches, ghosts, zombies, and crazed killers. He is going down the typical horror haunts one by one. He leaves enough clues as to which common horror haunt he will hit this time. What was refreshing for me is that this book is also about the depths of a father’s love for his daughters. Horror is chock-full of what a mother will do, and while those stories are good, it is nice to see what a dad will do, and in this one, Jake goes to extremes for his family.

The flow of the book is fast, and picks up speed after the flash bargain is made. The writing is as sharp as a needle’s point. The characters are well thought out, from the family man to the common street thug to the elderly neighbors, to the neighbor with forbidden knowledge, to the drug kingpin; everyone has a role, a purpose, and they fill their respective areas very well. When the blood starts to fly, it is by the 55-gallon drum, and it is very satisfactory and most definitely has a place in this book. It is not there for the sake of just flinging some gore around.

The only downside I had was the use of common British slang and terms. If it was not for a well loved television show about a soccer coach, I would not know what “snooker” is. Also the thugs constantly ending their sentences with “innit” drove me a little batty.

Aside from that, this is the best book of the series.

I give this one 4.5 bookmarks out of 5!

Happy Reading!

[Cheyenne Lacanlale · Rating 3 out of 5]

♥️Book Review♥️
#thecursedmanuscripts #fleshbargain by @iain_rob_wright

this is the most current book that was released for the cursed manuscript series! I love this series. This book is based on what you’ll do and how far you’ll go for the love of your family. Dad has given everything up, including his perfect job of perfect house all his money to move their family to a smaller home in a scary neighborhood in order to have the money to pay for his daughter Emily’s cancer treatment. His daughter is perfectly healthy, but has a run-in with the drug dealer on their street named V. This causes a effect of problems One of his neighbors is an old gentleman who lost his wife, and then there is Mr. Cho, a descendant of Chinese magic of healing. Little did dad know that Mr. Cho was the answer to all of his problems. He can help save his daughter Emily and rid her of the life-threatening cancer. He made a deal with the other side to save his daughter's life. When you make a deal with a demon, there’s always a consequence and there’s always payment that must be paid. This is an action, packed horror book, and touched my heart because of the father-and-daughter relationship. This wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it was really good and definitely worth a read. This 3.75. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

#kindleunlimited #kindle #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviewer #ilovebooks #bookrecsofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookloversofinstagram #booknerds #bookmom #booksandplants #booknerdcommunity #bookishengagement #booksilove #ilovebooksmorethanpeople #bookstagramfeature #bookstafam #bookstack #booksta #bookmama #booknerdigans #booknerdsunite #kindlegirlie #horror #bookstack #horrorbookstagram #horrorbookstagram #horrifying

[Toi Mcbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the story flowed nicely and the topic was interesting I can't say I enjoyed this book. For 1 I feelit should have been more than a vampire 🧛‍♂️ story honestly the story was engaging until the brought in that element. 2nd it was extremely annoying that so much violence and deaths were happening on this one street and the authorities just aren't a factor. Also have you read a story were the characters or one character in particular are just doing dumb actions all the time, well that's this story just a bunch of characters running around to dumb stuff so yeah I was ready for this book to be finished. I have hell train saved to read but we shall see if I get around to it

[Michael D. Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

O…M…G……

This is the best story in The Cursed Manuscripts series !!! After the initial start, you just DON’T want to put this book down !!!! Can’t wait if it’s gonna come out in audiobook !!!! The whole story is just CRAZY !!!! GOOD crazy, not bad !!! LOL !!! The twist, turns and surprises will rock your world !!! Could there be another sequel ??? God, I hope so !!! Once again, Thank You, I.R.W. for giving us, your loyal fans, some FANTASTIC entertainment !!!!!!!!!!! M.H.

[William Bitner Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Read

I keep saying this, but this might well be my favorite out of the series thus far. Iain seems to just get better and better in my eyes.

The characters are believable, and the plot(s) are amazing. I love the re-imagining of the vampire character in this story, it was well thought out and one of the most interesting vampire-ish stories I've read in some time. I had a feeling that was were the story-line was headed, but wasn't completely convinces until it happened. I think that's why I found myself continuing to read long past the time I intended.

[John Hinchliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have listened to the audio version of this book.
Wow! Iain Rob Wright just gets better. What would a father do to save his terminally ill daughter? This is a most entertaining listen which starts off fairly gentle and builds up the tension as each chapter develops until an explosive climax is reached. Although a little predictable the finish is still mind blowing! Aubrey Parsons is a master of his craft and his delivery in this book is fantastic, from gently voiced characters to villainous ones he has nailed them all. Highly recommended. I eagerly await the next in this series.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a twist which I really did not expect. This book has vampires and old magic but takes place in a cruel normal world. Jake’s daughter Emily has cancer and is dying, their neighbour George went through the same thing with his daughter but found a cure but it came with an unforgiving cost. Jake does the same deal with the devil for his daughter’s life but when he is stabbed he has no choice but to make a deal for himself.

Such a page turner, had me gripped from the very beginning! Left on a cliffhanger!!

[Chris Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone that's read a book by Iain Rob Wright, you know what you'll get. There will be interesting characters with real-life concerns and worries (at least to start with!). There will be something monstrous or otherworldly. Then there will be a fun, engrossing story to tie it all together. Flesh Bargain is just such a book. I really enjoyed reading it. Not the authors best for me but still better than most books of similar genre.

[J KEEGAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chinese magic and a gang of dealers

Moving to this street was necessary to look after Emily.
She had cancer and wasn't responding to great. She was a skeleton and looked pale. Her hair had gone. She still smiled.She was a fighter.
Her dad Make did everything he could but it was not enough.
Until he met Cho. He made a dark bargain but he thought it was worth it, until it wasnt.
Another fantastic book from a master of horror. Enjoy.

[Vincent Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining read

After I read the other reads of the haunted manuscript I was set to thoroughly enjoy this story however I have to say that I was disappointed with it. The characters seemed to be in turmoil long before they got to their new neighborhood.
Just couldn't feel for them my opinion of course the last few chapters were its redeeming quality and even then not by much.

[Alice Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another phenomenal read

Love Iain’s books. And this ‘series’ especially. I found this easy reading, gripping, relatable easy to read characters. Thinking about the book even between reading it is always a good sign! I didn’t see the twist coming. Actually either twists. There were a few! Loved it

[Lolajune Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another

good and fast read from one of my most favorite authors .. I'd almost forgotten that a new 'Cursed Manuscript' was forthcoming so when I found out I dropped everything and finished it in less than a few hours .. I recommend the entire series which doesn't require a particular reading order .. Read on, fellow horror fans 😗

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling Read

If your child was dying, would you do anything to make them better? Anything?!

Jake did, to save his daughter. However it was the deal he made for himself that had, consequences.

Another enthralling read from the pen of Mr Iain Rob Wright. I read it in a night, who needs sleep anyway!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

😊

How far would you go to save someone you love? What would you do to save someone you love?
For Jake he's skeptical but soon becomes a believer. Anything to save his daughter. But what will the consequences really be?
Interesting, and quite fast paced after a bit of a slow start with quite a bit of morbidity.

[Shannon Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book once I actually got into it. Didn't really warm the characters of of the Fam , apologies I couldn't resist- if you are of a certain age or don't have teens/ early twenty year olds at home much of the younger characters language is gonna be a mystery to you!
Great ending but up in the air, definitely needs a follow up please 🙏.

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book is number seven in a series, it is fine to read on its own. The story starts out of the italian of a family, and it was so well written that I kind of wish it didn't go into the supernatural avenue. But when it does, it is still satisfying, pretty good plot and well written characters.

[Steven Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really tried to like this but this is going on my DNF pile. The build up to the climax was a build up to another build up to...yet another build up. Also I've really begun to hate the London accent in books, the slang and the mannerism grate me. I was hoping for scary after recently finishing the last days by Adam Neville but I ended up getting vampire.

[Rickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and Turns

This started off as a great character piece about a family that fell on hard times. The beginning was very emotional and heartbreaking even after the supernatural stuff started coming in. I loved the twists and turns of this tale and I'm very curious if this is getting a sequel as all the other Cursed Manuscripts were stand alone (with some minor connections).

[Marily · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! WOW! I purposefully "dragged -my feet" through but only because I did not want to rush this great book! I loved it! and the author does an incredible job at making you become thoroughly invested in the characters, and every plot twist goes right to your heart, so to say. Apparently this is book 7. And this is the first book I've read from this author. I'm hooked! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[cre8tive_reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖

Flesh Bargain by Ian Rob Wright

☺️☺️☺️☺️

After reading all Ian's other books in The Cursed Manuscripts series, I had to keep going. Another great story. Although one of the characters was a C U Next Time.  😂🤣 I'm sure if you read it you'll figure out who.
It also takes on a kind of new take on a topic that has been done a bunch as well. Nice not reading the same old same old.

[AGilden · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the slower moving books in the series, in which the first 60-70% mostly contained vague suggestions of something sinister to come. But when the bloody action eventually started, there was lots of it. The moral of the story is to rather accept our miserable circumstances than to make a deal with the supernatural to get us out of them. Not my favourite of the series, but a decent read.