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Hammerman: A Walking Shadow
Fish Pescado, Vicki Kahn and one last case.
Children find a body in the Strandfontein sand dunes. A populist politician is gunned down outside parliament. His number two executed in bed with a high-class escort. A cabinet minister shot leaving a security estate. A cop assassinated in his car. Another in his beach house. And it all ties back to the murder of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme in 1986 – as private investigator Fish Pescado is about to discover. He’s on the case, hunting a rogue agent through industrial estates, retirement homes, a farm in the Moordenaars Karoo. He’s also convinced someone’s out to kill his lover Vicki Kahn, lying in a coma in hospital. But he can’t watch over her all the time.
Fish and Vicki are about to get hit by history.
And history can be brutal, bloody and deadly.
Children find a body in the Strandfontein sand dunes. A populist politician is gunned down outside parliament. His number two executed in bed with a high-class escort. A cabinet minister shot leaving a security estate. A cop assassinated in his car. Another in his beach house. And it all ties back to the murder of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme in 1986 – as private investigator Fish Pescado is about to discover. He’s on the case, hunting a rogue agent through industrial estates, retirement homes, a farm in the Moordenaars Karoo. He’s also convinced someone’s out to kill his lover Vicki Kahn, lying in a coma in hospital. But he can’t watch over her all the time.
Fish and Vicki are about to get hit by history.
And history can be brutal, bloody and deadly.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2022
9 people want to read
About the author
Mike Nicol
60 books26 followersBorn in Cape Town, Mike Nicol was educated there and in Johannesburg, where he began his working life as a journalist. During the 1980s he moved back to Cape Town and worked on the magazine Leadership for a number of years. Towards the end of that decade he published his first novel, The Powers That Be, resigned from the magazine and began what he calls "the scary life of a freelance journalist and writer."
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 11, 2022
Wat die Engelse 'n 'page turner' noem.
Die amper kriptiese skryfstyl trek jou baie vinnig in die storie in en die kort hoofstukke maak dat die verhaal van die blaaie af vlieg.
Elke karakter is so eg-Suid-Afrikaans dat dit baie maklik is om elkeen se stem te hoor.
Ek het plek-plek die dialoog hardop sit en lees, want eintlik moet dié karakters gehóór word; nie net gelees nie.
Eerste boek in 'n lang tyd wat ek lees wat my enduit geboei het.
Die amper kriptiese skryfstyl trek jou baie vinnig in die storie in en die kort hoofstukke maak dat die verhaal van die blaaie af vlieg.
Elke karakter is so eg-Suid-Afrikaans dat dit baie maklik is om elkeen se stem te hoor.
Ek het plek-plek die dialoog hardop sit en lees, want eintlik moet dié karakters gehóór word; nie net gelees nie.
Eerste boek in 'n lang tyd wat ek lees wat my enduit geboei het.
July 16, 2022
Shadows – we all have a shadow whether physical or metaphorical. They can be the darkness of the past reaching out to grasp the present, compromising and reshaping the future. It is this theme that Mike Nicol covers in his latest crime thriller ‘Hammerman – a walking shadow”. As he takes you behind the shadowy curtain of spooks, international intrigue, murder and mayhem this is a masterclass in crime writing. Nicol has the ability to peer beneath those shadows, dissecting them and crafting them into a story that you will race through, recognizing characters and situations. It’s gripping and tense, demanding to be read in one sitting.
This is the fifth and final novel in the series that features Private Investigator Fish Pescado and lawyer Vicki Kahn (the Indian Kahn not the Jewish). Fish is a surfing dude – riding the next wave – fearless, looking out for that next case; Vicki; his lover, former spook with the State Security Agency. (SSA) Cape Town is their home. The cast of characters is brilliantly etched with Nicol’s sharp observation of each twitch of the unique South African psyche. Memorable - fully fleshed, colourful, loveable and funny, there’s lots of humour in the novel. Gangsters, politicians, spooks, vagrants become erstwhile companions as the novel gains pace.
What has the assassination of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986 to do with the present? Was it a South African hit - a hammerman? And why would it be of interest now? So many questions…
2017 and Fish has a couple of side-lines to his PI business - cannabis oil being one of them. The Professor, one of his clients is in trouble in gangland Manenberg so it’s Fish to the rescue. Colonel Andre Jacobs (AJ) talking the gang leaders down, an interfering politician is demanding to be part of the process – just another day in the war zones of the Cape Flats. But when Fish sees a known spook on the scene – well that’s something to ponder on…and discuss with Vicki.
Then the bodies start piling up –a beautiful female in Strandfontein, the annoying politician meets his end outside parliament , his number two next on the body count, an ANC cabinet minister …and when the cop AJ is found assassinated in his car - something is going on and, while there are seemingly no links, someone is cleaning up but why? AJ’s wife wants answers and it’s up to Fish to find them.
It’s convoluted so keep your wits about you as you read. You’re kept on your toes as you link the clues, unravel the strands and the intel that rolls out. Fish and Vicki risk everything to reach the truth but Vicki is a target too and The Aviary is definitely no bird cage! The shadows lengthen revealing a Belgian spy, the mysterious and remorseless VOICE, apartheid masters and a rogue agent. Fast and furious from the luxury of the V&A Waterfront to remote farms, industrial estates, retirement villages, Fish and Vicki are chasing shadows – with devastating consequences.
Nicol’s skill is keeping your interest sharp. Staccato sentences, short chapters - It feels like riding a giant wave, peaking… and then… taking you crashing into the shore. As a writer and journalist, he is adept at blending fact and fiction. His fertile imagination takes those strands of chatter; scrapes the linings of our violent and restricted past; the political shenanigans of the present, and brings them all together in a highly plausible story.
It’s difficult letting go but perhaps Fish’s backyard dweller Janet says it the best’ ‘No hey, Whatisit Mr Fish – you’s driving off into the yonder wide blues with the cherry of your lifetimes, that’s a good thing all matters considered. Miss Vicki’s been commatoes for these weeks. A bit of fresh air’s what the doctor ordered’
Nicol nails it again with a story that will leave you sideswiped - settle in for the wave of your life….
Hammerman is by Mike Nicol and is published by Umuzi
This is the fifth and final novel in the series that features Private Investigator Fish Pescado and lawyer Vicki Kahn (the Indian Kahn not the Jewish). Fish is a surfing dude – riding the next wave – fearless, looking out for that next case; Vicki; his lover, former spook with the State Security Agency. (SSA) Cape Town is their home. The cast of characters is brilliantly etched with Nicol’s sharp observation of each twitch of the unique South African psyche. Memorable - fully fleshed, colourful, loveable and funny, there’s lots of humour in the novel. Gangsters, politicians, spooks, vagrants become erstwhile companions as the novel gains pace.
What has the assassination of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986 to do with the present? Was it a South African hit - a hammerman? And why would it be of interest now? So many questions…
2017 and Fish has a couple of side-lines to his PI business - cannabis oil being one of them. The Professor, one of his clients is in trouble in gangland Manenberg so it’s Fish to the rescue. Colonel Andre Jacobs (AJ) talking the gang leaders down, an interfering politician is demanding to be part of the process – just another day in the war zones of the Cape Flats. But when Fish sees a known spook on the scene – well that’s something to ponder on…and discuss with Vicki.
Then the bodies start piling up –a beautiful female in Strandfontein, the annoying politician meets his end outside parliament , his number two next on the body count, an ANC cabinet minister …and when the cop AJ is found assassinated in his car - something is going on and, while there are seemingly no links, someone is cleaning up but why? AJ’s wife wants answers and it’s up to Fish to find them.
It’s convoluted so keep your wits about you as you read. You’re kept on your toes as you link the clues, unravel the strands and the intel that rolls out. Fish and Vicki risk everything to reach the truth but Vicki is a target too and The Aviary is definitely no bird cage! The shadows lengthen revealing a Belgian spy, the mysterious and remorseless VOICE, apartheid masters and a rogue agent. Fast and furious from the luxury of the V&A Waterfront to remote farms, industrial estates, retirement villages, Fish and Vicki are chasing shadows – with devastating consequences.
Nicol’s skill is keeping your interest sharp. Staccato sentences, short chapters - It feels like riding a giant wave, peaking… and then… taking you crashing into the shore. As a writer and journalist, he is adept at blending fact and fiction. His fertile imagination takes those strands of chatter; scrapes the linings of our violent and restricted past; the political shenanigans of the present, and brings them all together in a highly plausible story.
It’s difficult letting go but perhaps Fish’s backyard dweller Janet says it the best’ ‘No hey, Whatisit Mr Fish – you’s driving off into the yonder wide blues with the cherry of your lifetimes, that’s a good thing all matters considered. Miss Vicki’s been commatoes for these weeks. A bit of fresh air’s what the doctor ordered’
Nicol nails it again with a story that will leave you sideswiped - settle in for the wave of your life….
Hammerman is by Mike Nicol and is published by Umuzi
May 31, 2022
This is my first Mike Nicol read. So by that, you can probably figure out that I did not realise that "Hammerman" is part of a series, and definitely not that it is in fact the final book in the series as well. But, the book blurb sounded intriguing to me, and I was in the mood for a page-turning local thriller, so I dived right in.
As with all books that make up part of a series, I did realise that there were some previous story-lines that I may be was missing out on, but I will not call it a 'deal breaker' though. This truly South African political thriller is easy to read and even easier to get dragged into. Familiar locations (set around Cape Town and the Karoo), featuring populist political characters (names like Cesar Mapula and Boyd Mvambu makes them almost instantly recognisable), Apartheid-era secrets, a dashing surfer/private investigator - what more can you ask for? It all plays off like a fast-paced action movie - and that was actually my thought while reading this, I could picture every single scene. That is one of the fantastic things about reading the works of local authors not so?
I must admit, I did stumble a bit over some of the Afrikaans lingo used, but it I also realise that the author probably used phonetic spelling. Which is fine in our multi-lingual and multi-cultural country! I have not read a lot of local thrillers yet, but if "Hammerman" is something to go by, I must definitely add a few more on my TBR list.
With thanks to Penguin Book SA for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.
As with all books that make up part of a series, I did realise that there were some previous story-lines that I may be was missing out on, but I will not call it a 'deal breaker' though. This truly South African political thriller is easy to read and even easier to get dragged into. Familiar locations (set around Cape Town and the Karoo), featuring populist political characters (names like Cesar Mapula and Boyd Mvambu makes them almost instantly recognisable), Apartheid-era secrets, a dashing surfer/private investigator - what more can you ask for? It all plays off like a fast-paced action movie - and that was actually my thought while reading this, I could picture every single scene. That is one of the fantastic things about reading the works of local authors not so?
I must admit, I did stumble a bit over some of the Afrikaans lingo used, but it I also realise that the author probably used phonetic spelling. Which is fine in our multi-lingual and multi-cultural country! I have not read a lot of local thrillers yet, but if "Hammerman" is something to go by, I must definitely add a few more on my TBR list.
With thanks to Penguin Book SA for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2022
One evening in February 1986, a man assassinated the Swedish prime minister, Olaf Palme, shooting him outside a cinema. No one has ever been convicted of the crime, and at the time there were rumors that South Africa was involved in some way because of Palme’s outspoken opposition to apartheid and his pro-sanctions stance. The author has taken that idea, and explored how the ripples from that event might spread to the present day.
Early in the book we discover that AJ, a colonel in the South African Police Service, has a double life that makes him an asset as well as a threat. When he is murdered execution-style, his distraught wife hires PI Fish Pescado to find out the real story. That takes him on a dangerous trail that leads to a farm in the Moordenaars (Murderers) Karoo desert and a man who might, or might not, have been behind the assassination.
This is the last Vicki and Fish novel. We'll miss them.
Early in the book we discover that AJ, a colonel in the South African Police Service, has a double life that makes him an asset as well as a threat. When he is murdered execution-style, his distraught wife hires PI Fish Pescado to find out the real story. That takes him on a dangerous trail that leads to a farm in the Moordenaars (Murderers) Karoo desert and a man who might, or might not, have been behind the assassination.
This is the last Vicki and Fish novel. We'll miss them.
May 13, 2022
HAMMERMAN SIDE REVIEW
Once I got started, I didn’t want to stop until the last stop, impatient to know what’s next and next to the end.
Hammerman is a modern-day South African story with it’s politics and crime. This is the stuff you encounter daily from Mail and Guardian, Daily Maverick or any news outlet in the country.
The ANC is divided, with one faction collaborating with People’s Power Party of Cesar Mapula who is set to incinerate the country. To save the country Mapula must go and he goes from a professional hit, one bullet to the head and two to the body. The ANC renegade Jacks Sipati goes too, followed by Mapula's deputy at PPP Boyd Mvambu and Colonel Andre Jacobs of the police services.
From here more deaths follow, in the nature of a hammerman let loose.
Private investigator Fish Pescado who is investigating the assassination of Colonel Andre Jacobs is adviced by the State Security Agency to back off. His girlfriend Vicki Khahn survives a knife attack, yet this doesn’t persuade him to stand down on his private investigation. He steps on mighty royal toes who don’t broach defiance.
The story ends on Klaas’ farm where it emerges the apartheid regime could have been behind Sweden’s prime minister, Olaf Palme’s assassination and causing a national trauma that lingers to this day.
Fish gets the bullet while snooping around the farm and Klaas gets it too…
Once I got started, I didn’t want to stop until the last stop, impatient to know what’s next and next to the end.
Hammerman is a modern-day South African story with it’s politics and crime. This is the stuff you encounter daily from Mail and Guardian, Daily Maverick or any news outlet in the country.
The ANC is divided, with one faction collaborating with People’s Power Party of Cesar Mapula who is set to incinerate the country. To save the country Mapula must go and he goes from a professional hit, one bullet to the head and two to the body. The ANC renegade Jacks Sipati goes too, followed by Mapula's deputy at PPP Boyd Mvambu and Colonel Andre Jacobs of the police services.
From here more deaths follow, in the nature of a hammerman let loose.
Private investigator Fish Pescado who is investigating the assassination of Colonel Andre Jacobs is adviced by the State Security Agency to back off. His girlfriend Vicki Khahn survives a knife attack, yet this doesn’t persuade him to stand down on his private investigation. He steps on mighty royal toes who don’t broach defiance.
The story ends on Klaas’ farm where it emerges the apartheid regime could have been behind Sweden’s prime minister, Olaf Palme’s assassination and causing a national trauma that lingers to this day.
Fish gets the bullet while snooping around the farm and Klaas gets it too…
February 6, 2023
Another Brilliant book from South African author Mike Nicol!!! Highly recommend!
January 27, 2025
A good read, but not the best from Mike Nicol. He's written some superb books, but I didn't like the staccato style of many of the sentences in Hammerman.
June 23, 2022
Who even considered the truth these days? Everyone making up reality as they went along. Lying, fantasising, creating whatever story suited them best... Truth was whatever story was the story of the day.
When 'Fish' Pescado is asked by the widow of a Cape Town anti-gang police officer to look into his murder, he has no idea he'll be drawn into an international conspiracy. First, the body of one of his clients is discovered on a beach. A politician who preaches revolution that borders on treason is gunned down outside Parliament, his second-in-command is also killed and a minister is shot dead outside his home. What do they all have in common? A threat that ties back to the real-life assassination of Sweden's Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986.
While Fish is investigating why his client's husband died, possibly at the hands of a state security agent, his girlfriend, the former spy, Vicki Kahn, is still lying comatose in a hospital bed after being attacked. He's received veiled threats against her – but he can't watch her every minute.
The couple is about to get a history lesson – one filled to the brim with seditious plots, covert operations and deadly intent. Can Fish find the truth AND protect Vicki?
This thriller is pacy and full of intrigue. The murder of Olof Palme has always been fascinating, especially as apartheid-era spies were at some point blamed. The ending is shocking and entirely unexpected (why Mike Nicol, why?!) and I'm very interested in seeing where the author takes us in his next book...
July 3, 2024
A spate of murders, a police captain with a secret, politicians on the make and a spy from Belgium feature in a political thriller by national treasure, crime writer Mike Nicol.
Fish Pescado of Muizenberg is a private detective who would rather spend his days surfing a shore break or peddling cannabis products.
The story begins in 2018 with the body of a woman found by children in the Strandfontein dunes.
But then the consequences of this everyday crime escalates to fatal shooting incidents of an annoying politician outside Parliament; his number two is executed with a high-class sex worker; an ANC cabinet minister as he leaves a security compound; two police officers; a senior member of the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit, Colonel André “AJ” Jacobs, found dead in his car; and an almost pensioner in his beach house. AJ’s widow wants answers and asks Fish to find them.
Meanwhile his partner and lawyer, Vicki Khan, is not only in a coma and fighting for her life, but secrets from her past during her time as a spook with the State Security Agency Bureau are suspected in the present as a threat to her safety.
Fish moves from the V&A Waterfront to the ganglands of the Cape Flats, industrial estates, retirement homes and a farm in the Moordernaarskaroo.
Everything points to a tie-in with the assassination of the Swedish Prime Minister, Olaf Palme in 1986. While countless investigations never tied up the motive for the murder, one hypothesis points to the South African security branch hit squad having undertaken this deed.
This possibility adds an international aspect to an already complicated set of events.
Sound confusing? It is. You need to be awake and focused as the story moves at a rollicking pace, taking many unexpected twists and turns. It’s like a fast-paced action movie. I could picture every scene. That’s one of the things I enjoy when reading the works of local authors.
Also on the plus side is that the story is entertaining and humorous, keeping the reader guessing with short chapters blending fact and fiction.
Hammerman is the fifth and final thriller in the Fish and Vicki series. It can equally be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
Fish Pescado of Muizenberg is a private detective who would rather spend his days surfing a shore break or peddling cannabis products.
The story begins in 2018 with the body of a woman found by children in the Strandfontein dunes.
But then the consequences of this everyday crime escalates to fatal shooting incidents of an annoying politician outside Parliament; his number two is executed with a high-class sex worker; an ANC cabinet minister as he leaves a security compound; two police officers; a senior member of the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit, Colonel André “AJ” Jacobs, found dead in his car; and an almost pensioner in his beach house. AJ’s widow wants answers and asks Fish to find them.
Meanwhile his partner and lawyer, Vicki Khan, is not only in a coma and fighting for her life, but secrets from her past during her time as a spook with the State Security Agency Bureau are suspected in the present as a threat to her safety.
Fish moves from the V&A Waterfront to the ganglands of the Cape Flats, industrial estates, retirement homes and a farm in the Moordernaarskaroo.
Everything points to a tie-in with the assassination of the Swedish Prime Minister, Olaf Palme in 1986. While countless investigations never tied up the motive for the murder, one hypothesis points to the South African security branch hit squad having undertaken this deed.
This possibility adds an international aspect to an already complicated set of events.
Sound confusing? It is. You need to be awake and focused as the story moves at a rollicking pace, taking many unexpected twists and turns. It’s like a fast-paced action movie. I could picture every scene. That’s one of the things I enjoy when reading the works of local authors.
Also on the plus side is that the story is entertaining and humorous, keeping the reader guessing with short chapters blending fact and fiction.
Hammerman is the fifth and final thriller in the Fish and Vicki series. It can equally be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews