South African crime fiction is definitely on the up. Following the breakthrough of Deon Meyer, Lauren Beukes and Margie Orford, it's about time the superlative talent of Mike Nicol should also be recognised. His 'Revenge' trilogy, which I reviewed for The Guardian, was outstanding and this opening volume of a new series notches up the suspense several degrees higher. Set in Cape Town, it sees PI Fish Pescado, a sleuth with a six pack and attitude to boot and lawyer and gambling addict Vicki Kahn teaming up and involved with the savage world of local politics and police corruption. Explosive, topical and corruscating, this lifts the lid off the other side of the African dream.
PI Fish Pescado is surfing. To Fish this is paradise. Except, he has no work, and a diminishing bank balance. Until a young surfer paddles up: ‘Hey, Fish, there's a pretty chick looking for you.' The pretty chick is Vicki Kahn, poker addict by night, lawyer by day. She's bright, sharp, lovely. The best woman he's ever had. And she's got a job for him: find the murderous bastard who wiped out a bystander at an illegal drag race. Thing is the drag racer has connections high up. Really high up, right to the police commissioner. Thing is the commissioner has his eye on Vicki Kahn. Thing is the commissioner has a past, a nasty past. A past that has something to do with the bad old days and hit squads and the kind of information that no one in the new rainbow nation wants uncovered. The kind of information that involves lots of money – gold bullion in fact. And the commissioner has a taste for the lush life. A taste that is ruthless, savage. Before long Fish and Vicki can't tell who's a cop and who's a robber. Or who's gunning for them.
Mike Nicol was born in Cape Town, where he still lives. The Revenge Trilogy is his first foray into crime fiction, and has met with widespread acclaim.
