What happens when a rockstar loses it all? Martin Kemp’s debut novel explores the darker side of fame, with a healthy dose of crime, blackmail, and redemption.
Johnny Klein was the frontman of the band Klein. Back in the 1980s, he had everything — chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, a glamorous wife, and a mansion or two. But decades later, it’s all gone. The band’s broken up, the money’s dried up, his wife and daughter have left him, and the bailiffs are knocking. When we meet him, Johnny’s broke and on the brink.
A friend offers him a temporary lifeline — a place to crash above a curry house on Brick Lane. The owner is a huge fan, and one of the waiters moonlights as an Elvis impersonator with dreams of stardom. But Johnny has more pressing problems. He’s desperate to rebuild his life, and when old friend and still-successful musician Pete James offers him a way back into the music industry, Johnny grabs it.
There’s a catch. Pete needs Johnny to do him a favour first — find some dirt on a journalist threatening to publish a story about him. Blackmail isn’t exactly Johnny’s strong suit, but he’s out of options. What follows is a journey through the criminal underworld — full of shady deals, moral compromise, and more than a few dark turns.
When I was growing up, Martin Kemp was best known to me as Steve Owen in EastEnders. It was only later I learned about Spandau Ballet and the Krays. In more recent years, he’s added television presenting and reality TV to his CV. So when I heard he’d written a novel, I was intrigued — and honestly, pleasantly surprised.
There’s often scepticism when celebrities release fiction, but this one worked for me. It doesn’t feel like a vanity project. And while the story centres on a fallen rockstar, I don’t think Johnny Klein is just Kemp in disguise. Kemp wasn’t the lead singer of his band, and the fictional Klein band leans more punk than pop.
That said, there’s a sense that Kemp understands what it means to have had it all — and to wonder what might have been if it all slipped away. The novel explores that what-if with grit, humour, and a fair bit of danger.
If you enjoy this one, there’s a sequel out now called The Fall. I haven’t read it yet, but I plan to — and I’ll post a review when I do.
My Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
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