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The Vanishing Game
A down-on-his luck actor is paired with a weather-battered Land Rover Defender on a seemingly innocuous courier job. But some things are too good to be true and this innocent journey quickly unfolds into a dangerous plot with a shadowy cast of characters.
77 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2014
793 people are currently reading
1087 people want to read
About the author
William Boyd
69 books2,475 followersNote: William^^Boyd
Of Scottish descent, Boyd was born in Accra, Ghana on 7th March, 1952 and spent much of his early life there and in Nigeria where his mother was a teacher and his father, a doctor. Boyd was in Nigeria during the Biafran War, the brutal secessionist conflict which ran from 1967 to 1970 and it had a profound effect on him.
At the age of nine years he attended Gordonstoun school, in Moray, Scotland and then Nice University (Diploma of French Studies) and Glasgow University (MA Hons in English and Philosophy), where he edited the Glasgow University Guardian. He then moved to Jesus College, Oxford in 1975 and completed a PhD thesis on Shelley. For a brief period he worked at the New Statesman magazine as a TV critic, then he returned to Oxford as an English lecturer teaching the contemporary novel at St Hilda's College (1980-83). It was while he was here that his first novel, A Good Man in Africa (1981), was published.
Boyd spent eight years in academia, during which time his first film, Good and Bad at Games, was made. When he was offered a college lecturership, which would mean spending more time teaching, he was forced to choose between teaching and writing.
Boyd was selected in 1983 as one of the 20 'Best of Young British Novelists' in a promotion run by Granta magazine and the Book Marketing Council. He also became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in the same year, and is also an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He has been presented with honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of St. Andrews, Stirling and Glasgow. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.
Boyd has been with his wife Susan since they met as students at Glasgow University and all his books are dedicated to her. His wife is editor-at-large of Harper's Bazaar magazine, and they currently spend about thirty to forty days a year in the US. He and his wife have a house in Chelsea, West London but spend most of the year at their chateau in Bergerac in south west France, where Boyd produces award-winning wines.
Of Scottish descent, Boyd was born in Accra, Ghana on 7th March, 1952 and spent much of his early life there and in Nigeria where his mother was a teacher and his father, a doctor. Boyd was in Nigeria during the Biafran War, the brutal secessionist conflict which ran from 1967 to 1970 and it had a profound effect on him.
At the age of nine years he attended Gordonstoun school, in Moray, Scotland and then Nice University (Diploma of French Studies) and Glasgow University (MA Hons in English and Philosophy), where he edited the Glasgow University Guardian. He then moved to Jesus College, Oxford in 1975 and completed a PhD thesis on Shelley. For a brief period he worked at the New Statesman magazine as a TV critic, then he returned to Oxford as an English lecturer teaching the contemporary novel at St Hilda's College (1980-83). It was while he was here that his first novel, A Good Man in Africa (1981), was published.
Boyd spent eight years in academia, during which time his first film, Good and Bad at Games, was made. When he was offered a college lecturership, which would mean spending more time teaching, he was forced to choose between teaching and writing.
Boyd was selected in 1983 as one of the 20 'Best of Young British Novelists' in a promotion run by Granta magazine and the Book Marketing Council. He also became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in the same year, and is also an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He has been presented with honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of St. Andrews, Stirling and Glasgow. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.
Boyd has been with his wife Susan since they met as students at Glasgow University and all his books are dedicated to her. His wife is editor-at-large of Harper's Bazaar magazine, and they currently spend about thirty to forty days a year in the US. He and his wife have a house in Chelsea, West London but spend most of the year at their chateau in Bergerac in south west France, where Boyd produces award-winning wines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
May 18, 2017
Some of my favourite books in the past few years have been written by William Boyd, a writer of novels that I’ve found to be diverse, entertaining and often thought provoking. In this short story I initially thought I’d stumbled across a complete gem – the first half is compelling as Alec, a young jobbing actor in search of his next role, is offered a useful sum of money to deliver a package to the North of Scotland from his London base. It’ll only take him a day or so and though there’s a desire to get the parcel to its destination within twenty-four hours he knows that this is eminently achievable.
Almost as soon as the journey commences events seem slightly out of kilter. Aha, so what’s going on here then – some sort of horror tale straight of of a Stephen King collection? Amusingly, the actions Alec takes seem to be completely dictated by roles he’s played in a collection of films that didn’t quite make it: he’d draw a parallel with a part he played and find something to draw on in determining his next step. But then the tale seems to drift off the rails. Events take an ever more unlikely turns and in the end I was left wondering whether I’d missed something along the way – the conclusion of the story just didn’t make sense to me.
There is certainly some evidence of the author’s skill in drawing the reader in here, but after a good start I wish he’d taken the story in a different direction. I’m sure I wont be alone in espousing this view.
Almost as soon as the journey commences events seem slightly out of kilter. Aha, so what’s going on here then – some sort of horror tale straight of of a Stephen King collection? Amusingly, the actions Alec takes seem to be completely dictated by roles he’s played in a collection of films that didn’t quite make it: he’d draw a parallel with a part he played and find something to draw on in determining his next step. But then the tale seems to drift off the rails. Events take an ever more unlikely turns and in the end I was left wondering whether I’d missed something along the way – the conclusion of the story just didn’t make sense to me.
There is certainly some evidence of the author’s skill in drawing the reader in here, but after a good start I wish he’d taken the story in a different direction. I’m sure I wont be alone in espousing this view.
February 12, 2020
Well, this was a short story..
I mean very short!!
And it was for free on Amazon, plus written by William Boyd..
So I said to me lets read it!!!
Yes, it was OK for me..
An actor of bad movies is down on his luck..
But then he is dragged in a mystery, and surrounded by beautiful enigmatic beautiful woman..
So I couldn't withstand to give it at least three stars..
The ending delivers more questions as answers..
But I believe that Boyd did this on purpose so that the reader has to think for himself!!
It was a nice short reading, which I did indeed enjoy..
And by the way you have pictures illustrating and enriching the fun..
If you love mysteries and are fond of short stories, then go for it!!!
Dean;)
I mean very short!!
And it was for free on Amazon, plus written by William Boyd..
So I said to me lets read it!!!
Yes, it was OK for me..
An actor of bad movies is down on his luck..
But then he is dragged in a mystery, and surrounded by beautiful enigmatic beautiful woman..
So I couldn't withstand to give it at least three stars..
The ending delivers more questions as answers..
But I believe that Boyd did this on purpose so that the reader has to think for himself!!
It was a nice short reading, which I did indeed enjoy..
And by the way you have pictures illustrating and enriching the fun..
If you love mysteries and are fond of short stories, then go for it!!!
Dean;)
April 23, 2017
3.5 stars
I stumbled across this book whilst browsing Amazon and saw that it was free. It had quite an interesting title as well so I thought, why not?
It was quite enjoyable however there were a fair few problems with it:
- The protagonist Alec doesn't really talk to anyone throughout the story. It is just kind of all plot and no story actually which is disappointing because the plot was really interesting and it would have been even better if Alec had interacted with people.
- He seemed to have a lot of knowledge about the great outdoors which he always claimed to know from the movies he was in. This seemed quite unrealistic as although I've read a tonne of books, I don't think I would be able to do half of the stuff he was doing from just "being in the movie".
- The ending, or lack of. Literally, no ending was made, it sort of just sizzled out and I wanted answers. Why? Who? How? It just wasn't very well finished.
I stumbled across this book whilst browsing Amazon and saw that it was free. It had quite an interesting title as well so I thought, why not?
It was quite enjoyable however there were a fair few problems with it:
- The protagonist Alec doesn't really talk to anyone throughout the story. It is just kind of all plot and no story actually which is disappointing because the plot was really interesting and it would have been even better if Alec had interacted with people.
- He seemed to have a lot of knowledge about the great outdoors which he always claimed to know from the movies he was in. This seemed quite unrealistic as although I've read a tonne of books, I don't think I would be able to do half of the stuff he was doing from just "being in the movie".
- The ending, or lack of. Literally, no ending was made, it sort of just sizzled out and I wanted answers. Why? Who? How? It just wasn't very well finished.
September 1, 2015
Was totally swept along in this short story about an actor drawn into a real life drama but using his former roles in mediocre movies to help him out. It was moving along at a fair lick, quite exciting. And then it ended. Just like that. It ended without being finished, which is such a shame. It was like Boyd ran out of ink/hard disc space. Boo hoo as I had forgiven it being something of a glorified Land Rover advert (because I have one and I love it!) but can't forgive the non existent ending. My first ever minus point for Mr Boyd. I am a big fan of his.
December 17, 2014
It started out with a lot of promise, and an intriguing (if implausible) setup. Along the way it seemed to get more suspenseful until close to the end when it lost all credibility. After a while, I no longer cared about the main character or the mystery. Good thing, since there was no real ending. I thought the inclusion of photos was a distraction, and I really disliked the fact that apparently this was just a giant promo for Land Rover.
November 21, 2014
Ehhhhhh. A cool, short, quick read, because it was free and I could not make up my mind about anything else I wanted to read.
I DO however like the interactive E-book - very cool to see the moving photos etc.
This would have been a better read if it was maybe a full length book? Could have been a great thriller!
I DO however like the interactive E-book - very cool to see the moving photos etc.
This would have been a better read if it was maybe a full length book? Could have been a great thriller!
April 23, 2015
This is one of the few ebooks I've read with pictures. They were pretty good even though they only show in gray scale on my Kindle DX. It was an interesting mystery, but the circumstances were stretched a bit too much. All in all, it was a quick, fun story.
April 24, 2015
Somewhat v ok
While the plot was ok, it left the reader wanting more and just abruptly ended, this didn't make sense to me. What was the point to having everyone recognize the protagonist?
While the plot was ok, it left the reader wanting more and just abruptly ended, this didn't make sense to me. What was the point to having everyone recognize the protagonist?
May 23, 2019
I’m not positive how this weird novella came about and the Land Rover “ad placement” wasn’t lost on me, but I still found it an engaging mystery story. I thought it was a good bit of fun for what it was.
January 18, 2023
this is quite literally the worst book i've ever read and i'm judging the professor that made me read it but !! thank u i have one book more for my gr challenge <3
March 25, 2015
Alec Dunbar is an actor. Called to a producer’s office one afternoon, he discovers the part was really for a woman, but on the way out he is offered £1,000 by a woman to drive a flask of what appears to be water far into Scotland to a church. It supposedly contains water from the River Jordan to be used at a ceremony. Having few funds, Dunbar accepts. His car in disrepair he accepts the offer of the woman’s Land Rover. (Weirdly, this novella was sponsored by Land Rover and given away for free download.) What makes the short read amusing is that Dunbar uses knowledge acquired by acting in films to help himself get out from under the bad guys who invariably want what’s in the flask.
It’s a painless way to spend an hour or so and the cost was right.
It’s a painless way to spend an hour or so and the cost was right.
December 4, 2014
This is a short story with an interesting way to tell the story. It has pictures! I enjoyed the main character and how he used knowledge gained from his past movie roles to solve problems. The story starts out with a quick way to make money and moves into hiding and mystery. It is well written and flows well. I did not however, like that you do not find out who or why at the end.
December 25, 2018
Well paced, psychological thriller of a short story. Not super suspenseful but had a good air of mystery to it. Good for what it was. Quick and enjoyable.
October 31, 2020
Alec Dunbar is a young actor in look for a job.
After a botched audition, he is approached by an attractive woman, who offers him 1000 pounds to deliver holy water to a church in Scotland. This sets off a night of intrigue, as he realizes he's been followed all along, and his life might be in danger. It seems he has been targeted for the job, and the package he needs to deliver is not just holy water.
This is a short story, and as it often happens with short stories, a lot is left to the readers imagination. But come on, I felt this story ended so abruptly, left me with so many questions.
Anyway, I gave it 3 stars because it was fun while it lasted.
After a botched audition, he is approached by an attractive woman, who offers him 1000 pounds to deliver holy water to a church in Scotland. This sets off a night of intrigue, as he realizes he's been followed all along, and his life might be in danger. It seems he has been targeted for the job, and the package he needs to deliver is not just holy water.
This is a short story, and as it often happens with short stories, a lot is left to the readers imagination. But come on, I felt this story ended so abruptly, left me with so many questions.
Anyway, I gave it 3 stars because it was fun while it lasted.
January 20, 2018
I don’t think most people who read this realize it is just a 78-page advertisement for Land Rover. This short story was published by Jaguar Land Rover an offered for free on Kindle.
It seems like the idea was to leave all the interpretation up to the reader, but it just comes across as a story with very little planning or thought behind it.
It seems like the idea was to leave all the interpretation up to the reader, but it just comes across as a story with very little planning or thought behind it.
January 14, 2019
Interesting premise. Main character spent WAY too much time reminiscing about all the movies he’s been in (and died in). Also there’s no real resolution - you just kinda hope it was enough? Not my cup of tea.
October 27, 2022
A good start but the story soon descends into mediocrity. Not so bad considering it's a free short story.
May 13, 2017
This book really doesn't have any redeeming qualities, except for the fact that it is short and doesn't interfere with your day too much. The length is the only reason I'm sticking to my 2-star rating. Typically for something this short, I look forward to a narrator that will take what they are given and turn it into something special, not the case for The Vanishing Game. Russ Bain is our narrator and the entire book I could have sworn he hated the book as much as anyone who is reading it. He did not put any emotion into his reading, not even a gasp. There were so many opportunities for Russ to elevate the book to a different level, but instead he helped it crash and burn.
The book itself was one trope after the next with holes riddled through the plot. I had so many questions at the end like WHY. Just why, for the whole novel, why?! I think with a little more thought The Vanishing Game could have been something magical, but unfortuantely it just appears to be a rushed job.
Give this book a try if you like to torture yourself, or skip it - you really aren't missing anything.
The book itself was one trope after the next with holes riddled through the plot. I had so many questions at the end like WHY. Just why, for the whole novel, why?! I think with a little more thought The Vanishing Game could have been something magical, but unfortuantely it just appears to be a rushed job.
Give this book a try if you like to torture yourself, or skip it - you really aren't missing anything.
January 28, 2015
A short story with pictures. Story of an low-level actor who is down and out on his money and gets too much money for a simple task. It takes him too long to figure out he's a mule for some illicit activity.
Somewhat predictable events follow, references to bad movies that the actor had been in, and he in the end, figures a way out of his predicament and gets two of the antagonists arrested and two others disappear without a trace.
Then the story ends with only single sentence that indicates he's going back to his normal life. The story is unresolved, which is somewhat unsatisfying. But what really makes the story not worth reading is that nothing changed in the end.
The protagonist is the same person before and after the story. The antagonists are either the same before and after, or possibly dead. And the mysterious fluid that is the catalyst for the story is never identified, so it is also unchanged.
In short, there's no reason for this story to ever have been told.
But hey, it was free and took 45 minutes to read.
Somewhat predictable events follow, references to bad movies that the actor had been in, and he in the end, figures a way out of his predicament and gets two of the antagonists arrested and two others disappear without a trace.
Then the story ends with only single sentence that indicates he's going back to his normal life. The story is unresolved, which is somewhat unsatisfying. But what really makes the story not worth reading is that nothing changed in the end.
The protagonist is the same person before and after the story. The antagonists are either the same before and after, or possibly dead. And the mysterious fluid that is the catalyst for the story is never identified, so it is also unchanged.
In short, there's no reason for this story to ever have been told.
But hey, it was free and took 45 minutes to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2018
This was so completely unlike the other (excellent) William Boyd novels I've read that I wonder if this short novel is simply a 'bit of a laugh' for the author! Then I see that it's published by Jaguar Land Rover USA?! Suddenly becomes clear that this is probably some well-paid for bit of advertising buried within a quick story, just to showcase as many possible mentions per page of their 'KT-99' Land Rover Defender that features so heavily it's more of a character than the actual few human characters in the story! I say 'story', such as it was! It started out as a bit intriguing but very quickly became utterly ludicrous. A down-and-out actor suddenly turned into MacGyver! We never did find out what was really going on, what was the mysterious substance in the flask, why send him to a random church at the far end of Scotland, why choose him etc etc? But you know what, I don't even really care. This character and the whole story is best left where it is, never to be spared another thought.
March 1, 2015
A quick read that starts out promising but fizzles half of the way in. Yes, it's a short story so long prose character development & detailed plot lines are not necessarily called for. But, given some of the early suspense elements, I really expected more. It almost seemed as if the writer got tired. The true motive for the caper fell horribly flat and the climax came much too quickly.
Not sure if I'm interested in reading more from this author based on this story.
Not sure if I'm interested in reading more from this author based on this story.
August 11, 2016
Why did I read this? I could have checked the reader rating which was 2.70 which would have been fair warning. But I found this on Amazon Kindle free, and it had an interesting title, so........ The concept of the plot was good, but it just never developed, at all. The characters were vague and the ending didn't resolve anything. Mr. Boyd has written several books. I'm sure this must be the worst of the lot, I sure hope so.
November 24, 2015
Good book too. Short
Would have been nice for him to have. Gone back to the pub and joined up with the bar girl or to the school and found out what the chemical was by what was left in the test tube
Would have been nice for him to have. Gone back to the pub and joined up with the bar girl or to the school and found out what the chemical was by what was left in the test tube
April 14, 2017
2.5/5
I got this audiobook for free at
Amazon.
The premise is interesting, the narrator does a good job. I was enjoying it, until it "ended", if by ended you mean leaving all the mystery unresolved. If it had a ending (good or bad) I might gave it a 3 rating.
I got this audiobook for free at
Amazon.
The premise is interesting, the narrator does a good job. I was enjoying it, until it "ended", if by ended you mean leaving all the mystery unresolved. If it had a ending (good or bad) I might gave it a 3 rating.
November 16, 2016
What did I think? Not much really. a short story rather than a novel. Bizarrely included photos on my ebook version which just made it seem like the synopsis of a film, with stills. Didn't think I would be disappointed by a Wiiam Boyd book, but I was.
July 22, 2018
I would have given this book a higher rating if it had an ending. It did not. This was basically an advert for Land Rover. I am very disappointed. Normally I love William Boyd's work but this one will never be recommended by me. The beginning of the story had great promise - and then it ended!
April 29, 2015
pictures in books? simply not for me.
December 3, 2016
I would give a higher rating if the story had been completed properly. It's enough to make you want more but, there is no more. A bitter disappointment.
January 29, 2018
Nonsense
This book is pointless. Circular and silly. Very predictable and simplistic in plot. I do not recommend it to any reader
This book is pointless. Circular and silly. Very predictable and simplistic in plot. I do not recommend it to any reader
June 28, 2021
This has been sitting in my Kindle library since I picked it up for free in 2015, and only now have I gotten around to actually reading it. It's a quick and sufficiently entertaining read, more style than substance (with the kinds of photos you'd put on a writing moodboard but usually wouldn't include in the actual book). While there is a clear climax, there isn't much in the way of falling action or resolution ... it kind of just ends, so that the whole episode feels like just a blip in the protagonist's life.
And honestly, I just don't buy the repeated use of "Oh, I was in a bad movie where I learned the exact skill that will get me out of this alive" — especially since I've watched Mythbusters and have friends who just can't resist debunking these scenes during a casual movie marathon.
And honestly, I just don't buy the repeated use of "Oh, I was in a bad movie where I learned the exact skill that will get me out of this alive" — especially since I've watched Mythbusters and have friends who just can't resist debunking these scenes during a casual movie marathon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews