Go Fish

by Ian Rogers

A team of psychic investigators are assigned to examine the grisly death of a night watchman in an abandoned fish processing plant.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Short Stories, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural, Fiction, Mystery

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2020

About the author

Ian Rogers is the author of the award-winning collection, Every House Is Haunted. His novelette, “The House on Ashley Avenue,” was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and is currently being adapted into a feature film produced by Sam Raimi. His debut novel, Family, was published by Earthling Publications. He is also the creator of the Black Lands series. The first book, Sycamore, was published by Cemetery Dance Publications.

Ian's short fiction has appeared in several publications, including Tor.com, Cemetery Dance, Broken Pencil, and Shadows & Tall Trees. His work has been selected for The Best Horror of the Year and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing.

Ian lives with his wife and two cats in Peterborough, Ontario. For more information, visit ianrogers.ca.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

She wasn’t exactly the Neil Armstrong of astral projection, but so what? Practice made perfect, right? And she didn’t need to be perfect today. She only needed to be bait.

if you have already read rogers' short story collection Every House is Haunted, congratulations! 1) you have good taste in horror/dark fantasy! but also 2) you have already met the canadian team of paranormal investigators in THIS story from having read The House on Ashley Avenue: Short Story, which according to my review and NOT my spotty recollections of anything that happened six years ago, was one of my favorites in the collection.

you don't need to have read The House on Ashley Avenue: Short Story in order to "get" this one (again—everything that happened to me before, say, an hour ago is all pretty hazy in my mind), but it was nice to have that faint bell rung thru the cobwebs when ashley avenue was name-dropped TWO TIMES in the middle of this.

this story* is on the longer side of the free tor shorts, but if you wanna hunker down and spend some time in a "paranormally polluted" place that's kind of like where the x-files, syfy original cryptid movies, and lovecraft rub elbows**; a place that is also CANADA, then here's a freebie for you!

i liked it just fine, although its unexpected length strained my pitiful attention span and it took me a couple of days to focus long enough to make it through. but i have officially stopped watching the news (that show lost me at "inject yourself with disinfectant and pour clorox into your lungs!" total shark-jump, that) so it's gonna be nothing but me and my carefree blissful ignorance from here on out and i will be fine to do all the things. cool.

* or novelette? i'm still unclear on what a novelette is. wordcounttools.com says this is 24,309 words, so whatever that means oh wait, i don't have to go to work anymore because pandemic so let's learn something. a novelette is 7,500—17,000 words, so this is a novella. there. a good use of quarantine time.

** my goodness, how the phrase "rubbing elbows" reads like the most salacious erotica to me here in my socially distant tower.



SO FORBIDDEN, THIS RUBBING!!



read it for yourself here:

https://www.tor.com/2020/04/15/go-fis...

come to my blog!

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles, Sally, and Toby are psychic investigators and they are investigating a murder possibly via supernatural means at an old and abandoned warehouse. Would they be able to solve this rather strange murder?

This is my first read by Ian Rogers. I was very excited to read this and I liked the beginning of the story. It certainly kept me on an edge until the end when I felt the built-up was for nothing. Good start but the end was very weak in my opinion. Also, this is not one of my go-to genres (murder by supernatural beings) maybe that's why I didn't enjoy this short story as much as the others. Overall, not bad.

3 stars

[Steve Stred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ian Rogers has been a Canadian author that is frequently recommended to me and while I still have his release ‘Every House is Haunted’ to read, when Tor announced this novella release as a Tor.com Original, I was excited to snag it and read it asap. At a brisk 50 pages this was an easy one sitting read and I think I finished it in around a half hour, which for anyone looking for a slump buster or a distraction from a slow spot on a long read, this fits the bill perfectly.

What I liked: The story is straight forward enough – a trio of paranormal investigators arrive at a seemingly abandoned warehouse in Toronto to determine what was behind a horrendous murder. It’s from that simple premise that Rogers created an entire world in a very small page count. This should easily appeal to fans of The X-Files, Fringe or even the BPRD series. The trio have great banter and even though you’ve just met them, you feel like you know each character almost immediately.

The ‘reason’ for the murder is fantastic and I loved the description that Rogers delivered to us readers.

What I didn’t like: For a book this short and sweet, there’s not a lot of meat to pick over, but if I had to really find something, I’d say I wished there was a touch more at the ending, maybe a group debriefing or something to give us a sense of what is next for the trio.

Why you should buy it: You actually don’t have to if you’re budget strapped right now. You can read the book for free on Tor’s website. If you’re like me, and struggle to read like that or have the time to sit at your computer and read, the ebook is only 99 cents.

This was a really fun time. Rogers created a fully formed world with characters that you could see and touch in only 50 pages and the ‘battle’ or ‘fight’ that occurs as the climactic moment was action packed. This would be a great introduction to Rogers’ work, but for fans of his already, I suspect this will be a great addition to his bibliography. Now, I just hope we get more of this group and if there are already stories featuring this trio, please somebody, let me know – I want to dive in to those stories immediately!

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A free short story you can find here:
https://www.tor.com/2020/04/15/go-fis...

It was short, but not very good. The characters were caricatures & stilted. Worse, I didn't really get any sense of overall logic in the story; one reason I don't read much paranormal stuff any more. Still, thanks to Peter who turned me on to it in his review.

[Tom A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plague Review 10: Go Fish by Ian Rogers

Three investigators working for the mysterious Mereville Group investigate the gruesome death of a night watchman in a fish processing plant. These are not your run-of-the-mill investigators, as they possess certain abilities that make them perfect for the job. But the entity they are after is equally unique and maybe far more dangerous than they thought.

Ian Rogers wowed me with his collection Every House is Haunted, and I wanted to experience more of his engaging writing style and penchant for capturing the eerie. In this tale, Rogers takes the well-known story shell of the paranormal investigation and adds interesting ideas along the way. I have no complaints; the characters are engaging and well-developed (despite the short length), the suspense and terror are present, and the main baddie is a great creation. My slight complaint is that the ending could have been more explosive and memorable. Oh, and there's a lot of fish jokes.

I hope we get to see more from the Mereville Group!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice short story about 3 paranormal investigators looking into the death of a night watchman at a secret haunted building. I liked the idea of the insurance company they work for and the interesting creature they find. This would make a great series of books.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing short story. Though now I wonder if there is more in this universe, because I really enjoyed the world building set up for this story.

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just... meh. The premise sounded so promising too: abandoned warehouse, gruesome murder, psychic investigators, but the end result was just so... boring.

How can you make a psychic murder investigation boring, you ask me? Well, let's see.

The characters are mere caricatures with no personality. The story is full of exposition. It's the worst case of tell, not show I've seen in a while. First we get to listen to an interrogation about how the security guard died. Then we listen to one of the character going over the whole backstory of the building and the murders that happened there before. By the time that's over, we are 3/4 into the short story and the characters haven't even moved inside the building yet. Then we get to listen in details to their elaborate plan to lure out the entity... By the time the action, as it is in this story, started, I was seriously tempted to take a nap.

And since when do paranormal investigators also act as paranormal exterminators? They seemed woefully unprepared for that role, which made this whole premise even more ridiculous. Sure, let's send 2 psychics and a norm to neutralize a monster that killed over 100 people over the years. Without doing any proper research, without knowing what it is, how it manifests, and how to stop it. Sounds a bit weird for a company that, according to the story, specializes in protecting people from such "haunted" places.

Yup, I won't recommend this.

[Peter Tillman]

Story link: https://www.tor.com/2020/04/15/go-fis...
Great cover art! -- by Goñi Montes, http://www.goniart.com/ More of their Good Stuff...

[R Frueh · Rating 4 out of 5]

More, please.

[Amy Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good Paranormal Detectives routine. It's a bit rough around the edges, and could easily have been 5 stars with tighter edits, but it's entertaining enough. There are a few "What's wrong with you, are you trying to get yourself killed?!?" moments.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story from an author called Ian Rogers who I have not come across before. Apparently, this story of psychic investigators is part of a series and he has a short story collection of them out at the moment. The story was sufficiently enjoyable as to encourage me to look it up.

[Daisysbookmusings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this and think a longer story would be fantastic the only downside is that it is a digital read, otherwise it would be 5 stars.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up to 4 because Ian deserves a half star added, not one taken away Mr Goodreads!

Take a bit of this...



add a bit of this.....



and one of these...





And we have some supernatural Ian Rogers noir. :)

Now, if only those publishing dickheads would release the rest of his stuff on kindle, we could enjoy more of Ian's work.

[Patrickmalka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short story about a haunted fish processing warehouse that isn't haunted by what you might expect.

This story is part of a series of stories featuring an insurance group that handle the eight most haunted properties. The stories cross genres, jumping from horror to hardboiled noir to comedy in a way that Ian Rogers really excels at. It's what keeps me tracking down his new releases.

This is a great stand alone story and well worth anyone's time but I can see how it may not be the best introduction to the eight or even Ian Rogers since he dives into the story fast and a lot of the work, like the research the characters have done concerning the property and its history seems quick and convenient but makes sense if you already know a bit about who they are and what they do.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

After devouring Ian Rogers' collection, 'Every House is Haunted', I discovered (in the story notes) that some of the stories are connected (one, the 'Ashley House' was picked by Netflix and Sam Raimi for a movie, current;y in development): they revolve around the mysterious Mereville Group, an insurance firm that secretly investigates the supernatural. 'Go Fish' belongs to this series of stories, and it concerns one of the infamous Eight mentioned in the Ashley story. There are familiar faces (if you've read the story, though it's not necessary to enjoy this one!), a lot of suspense, some crafty humor, and a very original ghost creature! Please, Mr. Rogers, give us more stories from the Mereville Group!

[Mark M J Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something that drew me to the story was the mention of a night watchman. I’ve worked security detail on buildings before, including patrolling a (mostly) empty mental health facility. One thing I’ve never done is patrol an abandoned fish processing plant, nor have I encountered anything spooky, so I was intrigued to see how the story was going to progress.

Yes, a security guard certainly does meet a grisly end. So grisly, that I’m pretty sure someone had to use a mop to clean up most of his remains.

You see, something spooky is indeed lurking in the building, something that the owners are aware of and something that warrants a trio of investigators to examine further. Good job that a couple of them are psychics. Although, they could be in for a spot of bother when they tangle with a ghostly underwater creature.

There might not be a lot of story here in terms of size, but what there is works well. It was an enjoyable tale that left me wanting more from the characters and the world they inhabit, which is always a double-edged sword in a way. It’s a testament to the writer’s skill at creating lore that I want to delve into further, but it's also disappointing that the short page count means that it’s over very quickly. That’s probably my only negative with the story.

Go Fish mixes the supernatural with realistic characters to deliver an entertaining read.

[DeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I heard the synopsis of this short story I knew I wanted to read it. Pretty much anything to do with ghosts or paranormal will at least get me to look at it, throw in paranormal investigators and I definitely have to pick it up. That being said, I really enjoyed this story as a very unlikely trio worked together to figure out the secrets in an empty warehouse they were visiting. The characters that were featured in this story were definitely characters I would read about again as I enjoyed their interactions and banter. All it all it was a really fun story.

[MollyK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Perfectly spooky, engaging and funny.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun little novella...horror /urban fantasy. There was a lot of world building in a small package. (Read on I09 )

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

How lucky am I to read Go Fish before anyone?! Really incredibly lucky because Every House is Haunted was an amazing read and Ian Rogers is a magnificent storyteller. Do I usually like stories about fish processing plants? Not generally but with Roger's strong imagination and incredible story telling abilities, I'd read a grocery list if he published one.

In just 26 pages Rogers forces the reader to run the gamut of emotions from confusion and empathy to joy and dread and of course fear, a primal fear no less. From the opening lines Rogers builds a tension that is visceral. Occasionally there is a bit of breathing room as the tension is slightly relieved by the humor. Toby's jokes and the group's banter lull you into a false sense of security. But you quickly learn you are not safe - physically or mentally.

It's hard to describe what Go Fish is about without giving it all away. It is a short story after all so it's heavily plot driven. I will say it's a creative take on a haunted house story, psychic abilities, and just enough cosmic horror to keep your mind working after the lights are out. However, (and this is where Rogers stands out as a writer) it's not solely about what happens. There is also an underlying current of trust and friendship which makes the story feel personal. You root for the characters; their loss is your loss, their triumph is your triumph.

I sincerely hope we see Charles, Sally, Toby, and the Mereville Group in the future.

[Netanella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story - three paranormal detectives with psychic abilities investigate a gruesome slaying at an abandoned fish processing plant. Giant ghost shark emerges, with sufficient psychic slime and sharp teeth, to cause panic and chaos. And whet my appetite for Shark Week, which I think I missed this year.

I enjoyed the story, but I didn't feel much connection with any of the characters.

[Miriam Cihodariu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice addition to the collection of Tor short stories, I almost always find them just to my liking. This investigative story takes place in a dark setting of a fish processing industrial house, with the story being led by a team of psychic detectives. I loved it for both the horror and the humor notes, and especially for how natural both are blended into the narrative. Can't wait to read more from Ian Rogers. :)

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun (if gruesome) story about psychic investigators who are called in after a mysterious death at a fish processing plant. This reminded me a bit of W H Hodgson's Carnacki stories. The "culprit" when it is finally revealed is definitely scary.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm annoyed that it's not a novel, such a good story line. I found it lovely and refreshing forgot how much I love short stories! Would be nice to perhaps see it made into a graphic novel 😊 great read

[Katrina Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun story. The group dynamic is fun and the subject matter makes it X-Files-esque.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little boring. I liked the premise but there didn't seen to be much tension in the story. I needed to feel more buy in from the characters. I felt from the beginning that nothing was going to happen to them.

[Roland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't know what I'm getting into, and it turned out to be not my cup of tea, so not much to see here.

If you read this here in the review section, it is probably because you are as well think it was an ok read and are browsing through the 2 star section reviews to gather your thoughts: I urge you to read the author's other Tor short: Shards, that one was mind blowing for me, might as well be the same for you.

[Canavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

✭✭✭

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚 Free short story from Tor 📚

Creepy, abandoned warehouse + real bad dying + Canadian psychic investigators (refreshing, that) + paranormal pollution + nettlesome fingers (don't ask) + dismemberment, yay! + blasé rebels vs. grizzled badasses + fishy prehistoric predators + psychics as delicatessen + severed heads, yay! - meh characterization - exposition overload - yawn =



Approx. reading time: 54 minutes.