Welcome back to Books With Cause! Let’s dive into my latest review — The Fall by Martin Kemp. The sequel to The Game takes us back into the chaotic life of washed-up rockstar Johnny Klein, and it’s a ride packed with mystery, music, and redemption.
A few months ago, on this site I posted a review for The Game, the debut novel by Martin Kemp. At the end of that review, I mentioned that there is a sequel and finally I’ve been able to get my hands on a copy.
Much like in the first novel, our protagonist is Johnny Klein, faded frontman of the now-disbanded group Klein. He’s a rockstar who had it all and lost it all. Much like in the first book, he’s doing what he can to get his life back on track. He’s still living in the spare room of a curry house in Brick Lane, but he has no ambition to get back in the music industry. Despite the ongoing requests from his former drummer to get the band back together. Johnny seems to think it’s impossible for him to be back in the music business without suffering at the hands of the drink and the drugs. And because of that he’d rather not take the risk at all.
This book opens with Johnny in St Tropez. But he’s not on holiday. He’s still working the occasional odd job for Pete James. This time he’s been sent out to James’s villa to retrieve two guitars that are due to go up for a charity auction. But things don’t go according to plan when Klein’s partner for the job steals reels of tape from James’s studio and takes off with them in the middle of the night.
Once back in London, Klein is assigned the task of retrieving the tapes. What’s on them, he doesn’t know, but it must be something big if James is willing to pay five grand for their safe return. Meanwhile, a Japanese music producer falls to his death from his skyscraper office. But did he jump or was he pushed? And how can he possibly be connected to the tapes that Klein is trying desperately to find?
Kemp’s second offering into the world of Johnny Klein isn’t just good, I think it’s actually better than the first one. I think the experience of the first one has made Kemp more comfortable as a writer. The plot unravels at a rapid pace with plenty of drama and action-filled scenes. The readers who have read both books will know that despite Klein’s best intentions, things will go wrong. He just can’t help himself. But he’s not a bad guy at all. His heart is in the right place. The majority of the supporting characters from the first novel return and they all have plenty to do. They have their own subplots that weave their way into the main story.
The edition of the book I read also has a foreword from Kemp where he confesses that the character of Klein is an extension of himself. I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s almost like a Sliding Doors awareness of how one decision could send our lives into one of two different directions. Kemp is one of the fortunate ones who still enjoys a comfortable lifestyle. But for every Kemp there is a celebrity who loses it all, ends up going bankrupt, living on the streets or worse. Klein is an exploration of that worse case scenario and how things could’ve ended up.
I don’t know if Kemp has plans for a third book, but I wouldn’t be surprised and I would be keen to read that one too – based on how good this one is. I also think these books could make for a good television drama adaptation. Maybe even with Kemp playing the lead role. That’s something I’d like to see too.
My Goodreads review: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
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