The Desolate Garden

What secrets lie in the ledgers of the Royal Government Bank?

After Harry Paterson is summoned to London following his father's murder, he finds out that the late Lord Elliot Paterson had discovered hidden information dated all the way back to 1936... and a vast quantity of money erased from the accounts.

Mysterious initials and an address in Leningrad - a major port in former Soviet Union - are his only clues.

Together with the attractive Judith Meadows, Harry must unravel his father's mysterious death - and figure out the mystery hidden in the files of the Royal Government Bank.

Praise from readers:

★★★★★ - "I never saw what was coming... Highly recommend this book."

★★★★★ - "Several surprise twists, a budding romance, and a feel of having visited England are just some of the gifts of this story. For any history buff, this is delicious buffet of entertainment. Mr. Kemp has done his research well."

★★★★★ - "Lots of twists and turns in this political thriller. If you are a fan of the genre, you will find this a fun and nicely paced read."

★★★★★ - "Well-written and intriguing, with characters that are deep and likable. Fiction and history are mixed together in a very interesting way. I very much enjoyed this book."

I came into writing literarily by accident.             I was at work one sunny November day in 2006, minding my own business, stopped at a red traffic light when a van, driven incompetently, smashed into me. I was taken to Hospital and kept in for while, but it was not physical injuries that I suffered from; it was mental.I had lost all confidence in myself, let alone those around me. The experts said that I had post traumatic stress disorder, which I thought only the military or emergency personnel suffered from.On good days, I attempted to go to work, sometimes I even made it through Blackwell Tunnel only to hear, or see, something that made me jump out of my skin, and the anxiety attacks would start.I told my wife that I was okay and going regularly but I wasn't, I could not cope with life and thought about ending it.Somehow or other with the help from my dear wife, and professionals, I managed to survive and ever so slowly, rebuilt my self-esteem.It took almost four years to fully recover and become what I now am, somewhere close to what I was before that day, but it was during those dark depressive days that I began to write.My very first story, Look Both Ways, Then Look Behind, found a literary agent but not a publisher. He told me that I had a talent, raw, but nevertheless it was there. After telling me to write another story, he said that there were two choices open to me: One, wait for a traditional deal. At sixty-two, with no literary profile or experience; little hope. Two, self-publish through New Generation.This, I'm delighted to say, I did.