The Captive: A Novel

"A fugitive story layered in frigid atmosphere, Foster's modern-day-set corker carries an old western appeal." — Entertainment Weekly

In a secessionist rural state that has cut itself off completely from urban centers, where living is hardscrabble but free, Brooke Holland runs a farm with her husband and two daughters. They make barely enough from each harvest to keep going, yet Brooke cherishes the peaceful life they have made together. She has even begun to believe she is free from the violent history she has kept a secret from her family.

When escaped criminal Stephen Cawley attacks at the farm, Brooke's buried talents surface, and she quickly and harshly subdues him. She is convinced that he has come in retribution for the blood feud she thought she escaped years ago. Brooke sets out with her family to bring Cawley to justice, planning to use the bounty on his head to hide her loved ones far from danger. As winter approaches, and as Brooke's ghosts close in, the ruthlessness that helped her survive her past may become the biggest threat to her hopes for a different future.

Propulsive and haunting, The Captive is a thrilling debut novel about the impossible choices we make to survive and protect the ones we love.

"Dark as an ice-cold winter's night, Fiona King Foster's debut novel is a pitch-perfect noir thriller." —Refinery29

"With this part–feminist Western, part–dystopian odyssey, part just plain-old nerve-jangling thriller, Foster does a terrific job of maintaining the page-turning pace of her narrative—and of Brooke's angst-ridden story. . . . Packed with heart-stopping misadventures, this novel makes outdoor challenge–style outings look like a walk in the park." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)