The Captive is a contemporary horror novel written by Kit Burgoyne (penname of Ned Beauman), published by Titan Books. A book that blends together social satire and horror, with a style that lands on the action-heavy side, resulting in a really entertaining novel that immediately plunges us into action and with a surprisingly well crafted cast of characters to complement the rest of the elements.

The Nail, a supposedly feared anticapitalist group (in reality, it's mostly veteran protestor Cam and a young pair, Luke and Rosa; working on a shoestring budget), has kidnapped 23-year-old Adeline Woolsaw, heiress to the Woolsaw Group, an outsourcing company that is quietly suffocating the country through their control of many public services. An attempt to put the attention on Woolsaw Group practices; however, they soon discover they are in unexpected trouble: Adeline is heavily pregnant, and the origin of the baby wasn't a man, but something darker her parents are involved. A premise that Burgoyne uses to deliver an exhilarating thriller with a fair share of supernatural elements.

Despite the fast-paced nature of this thriller, the complexity of the dynamics between the characters is one of the highlights, especially as Adeline opens herself more to the members of the Nail (especially to Luke); Cam being the "old expert" over the inexperience of Rosa and Luke, with Rosa being a more drastic with her actions, and Luke still with the innocence of a first time revolutionary.
It is true that the villains might land a bit on the cartoonish side, but it is also a narrative device to continue equating late-stage capitalism with the literal evil.

While the premise is not exactly original, you can see how Burgoyne had fun with the execution: we have a good number of well-thought action scenes that help the plot to advance, while they also introduce the supernatural elements to the narration. Sometimes the scenes can be a bit gruesome, but it helps set the tone.
The pacing is excellent, making this novel an authentic page turner that you will want to devour in a few sessions.

The Captive is an excellent horror novel, a proposal that might clash with some readers, but which delivers an excellent execution in a classic trope like the devil's baby while also focusing in more modern themes such as the evils of late-stage capitalism, all sprinkled with a fair share of humour and gore. A great read for me!