The Devil Took Her

Tales of Horror

Melanie’s increasingly disturbing journal entries have to be delusionary ravings—if they’re not, there’s something terrible out there, snatching runaways in the night and spiriting them off to somewhere unspeakable.

In his debut collection of horror stories, The Devil Took Her, short fiction writer Michael Botur, recognized in his native New Zealand as as “one of the most original story writers of his generation” confabulates twelve terrifying tales that take us to the dark extremes of human imagination.

 Botur’s off-kilter stories take the reader through a black mirror of horrifically bizarro possibility. For two high school introverts, skipping school descends into something unspeakably awful. A powerful-yet-paranoid publisher turns a young man’s magazine internship into a nightmare.  A woman trapped in a coal cellar discovers that in order to live, she must die . . . but only a little. A teen prankster’s vicious joke against her tutor brings a swift and decisive reprisal.

 Wrote Alan Duff, MBE, author of Once Were Warriors: “Michael Botur’s writing is a breath of fresh air. Just read him. You’ll see what I mean. This dude can write.”

Praise for Michael Botur and The Devil Took Her

"Prolific, dope-as-tits writer Michael Botur is back, with a new collection. His writing in these twelve stories is pure, no-holds-barred revelry in the weird and genuinely scary. Each story is highly imaginative and, most importantly, fun to read.” —Jeremy Roberts, GingerNutsofHorror.com

“Michael Botur’s work grabs you by the throat and won’t let you go. His stories throb with what feel like real people, real conversations, real moments of pain and hope, misunderstanding and reconciliation, remorse and surprise.” —Maggie Trapp, New Zealand Listener

“Botur is a superb practitioner with the ability to bring to life these terrifying moments… It’s a little like a car crash, you don’t want to look – but you just can’t help yourself.” —Chris Reed, NZ Book Lovers

 “Gritty, unsettling, and utterly intoxicating.” —Steffanie Holmes, USA Today bestselling and award-winning author

Aside from the incredible inventiveness of its plot, Botur’s writing sings at times with fluency and vivacity. —Jenny Purchase, Kete NZ Books

“Botur is considered one of the most original story writers of his generation in New Zealand." —Patricia Prime, Takahē 86