Prepare to be spooked by Peter Wise’s hugely entertaining and inspired collection of ghost stories. 

Swapping literature’s standard ghoulish haunts for rivers, lakes and the open sea, “Disturbing the Water” is a spine-tingling anthology that will make you want to stay close to land.

“Disturbing the Water” by Peter Wise

Published on 31st October 2023, Disturbing the Water is a standout collection of 13 water-centric, fishy and ghoulish tales that are guaranteed to deliver that adrenalin rush that comes with being scared.

With the author enjoying a successful writing career (which includes penning award-winning advertising campaigns), this debut personal project spooks and entertains in equal measure, whilst combining his skill for making every word count with a newly found flair for the paranormal.

An intriguing departure from the ubiquitous ghostly narrative, it is believed to be the first ever collection of its type. Peter Wise ticks all the boxes for fans of the genre, and most importantly, doesn’t require readers to know the first thing about angling.

About the Book

All alone in wild, remote places… obsessively pursuing their quarry in the fading light… is it any wonder so many anglers claim to have witnessed ghosts?

In a change from the usual haunted houses and gothic go-to’s, these original tales of tragedy, redemption and the unexpected feature a variety of watery realms, including a Highland river, an Irish lough, a North American wilderness, a Cornish seascape, long-lost carp lakes, and a Ukrainian water source with magical properties.

There are echoes of real history thrown in for good measure, including the English Civil War, the Second World War and even a Victorian serial killer. So prepare for some chills at the water’s edge… and beyond it.

The author says:

“While having a bath, I was listening to a podcast called The Rest is History. At the time it was a pretty niche show, although it eventually become the UK’s most popular podcast. Every episode covers a different aspect of the past – this particular one was The History of Ghosts. It was about how different ghostly traditions evolve and how the ghosts we apparently see are bound up with our beliefs and situations.

“I suddenly had the idea of writing ghost stories. But not the well-worn approach of Gothic mansions, grey ladies and headless horsemen, but with more unusual settings and protagonists. My stories would feature people who spend long obsessive hours in remote countryside, often on their own and in fading light, and who frequently claim to have experienced ghosts and other unexplained phenomena. Anglers, in other words.

“Fishing forums are full of reports of ghostly sightings. There has been the odd fictional fishing phantom over the centuries. But no-one has ever written an entire collection of ghost stories related to fish, fishing and fishy places. So I decided then and there to do it.

“I resisted the temptation to leap from my bath like Archimedes and run out into the streets naked and shout ‘Eureka’. This would have been a bit much, even for where I live in Stoke Newington. But by the end of the day I had drafted some thoughts for a book. And two years later, here it is.”

Buy the Book: Amazon; Waterstones; WH Smith.

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