The Endgame

by Jeffrey Archer

The Endgame is part of THE YEAR OF SHORT STORIES and is one of a limited number of free digital shorts released to celebrate the publication of Jeffrey Archer's magnificent seventh short-story collection, Tell Tale.

Taken from To Cut a Long Story Short, Jeffrey Archer's fourth collection of short stories, The Endgame is an irresistible, witty and ingenious short read.

After he becomes a widower, wealthy Cornelius Barrington decides to test the loyalty of his family and friends to himself, or his money, by declaring himself bankrupt, enlisting the help of his old friend and trusted lawyer, Frank Vintcent, to make the ruse authentic. Soon though, Barrington is left pondering whether blood really is thicker than water . . .

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

56 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Jeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.

He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).

Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master storyteller Lord Jeffrey Archer has chosen to please his fans with a new venture; a short story released each month. Those familiar with Archer’s work will know that he can not only spin long and involved pieces, but also the short story that compacts adventure into a handful of pages. I recently discovered that I overlooked the December (2017) story in my reading, which is an interesting piece that pits family members against one another and shows just how charitable they can be in times of crisis. Cornelius Barrington has always suspected his family to be more interested in his money than anything else. Over one of their weekly chess matches, Barrington devises a plan with his solicitor, Frank Vintcent, to turn the tables on his greedy family. Barrington and Vintcent draw up paperwork to show that this well-to-do man is actually on the brink of bankruptcy. Reactions are quick to come in, though no one is entirely sure if they can help their esteemed family member with his financial woes. Barrington continues with the charade, putting not only his estate up for sale, but liquidating most of his belongings at auction. Barrington generously invites family and close friends to bid on items of interest to them. It is at this point that their greed and need to be at the trough becomes readily apparent, forcing Cornelius Barrington to see just how far people are willing to go to deflect the need to help, while surrounding themselves with riches. Archer pens yet another wonderful piece that keeps the reader thinking and the story flowing through to its final zinger. Recommended for those who love a good Archer short story or any reader who needs something to fill a little time in their day!

Lord Jeffrey Archer’s work is always full of unique perspectives, be they complete novels or shorter story such as this one. I am so pleased to have come across this collection and have reviewed each story based on its own merits. Now I await each instalment on a monthly basis, I can hope to find gems amidst all the reading I undertake each year. This was definitely one of the more complex and should likely not have been ready without the aid of my morning caffeine boost, as I needed to be sharp and follow the quick wit that Cornelius Barrington adds to the story throughout its development. That being said, Archer develops some interesting character traits for Barrington, this mastermind who coaxes his family into their downfall and shows that they are but a grubby lot, interested in riches over family honour. The supporting characters, individuals who seek to better themselves at the cost of others, proved interesting and their excuses kept my eyebrows raised throughout this piece. Truly, one could not ask for a more deceitful lot. The story was of the perfect length to remind myself why I enjoy Archer’s work so much. Archer is able to impress and entertain in equal measure, something that is rare in the pieces I have come across over the last number of years. I have enjoyed all these pieces and am eager for the next turn of the calendar, when I can be assured yet another short story.

Kudos, Lord Archer, for a masterful new story collection. How you find so many effective ideas that produce high quality publications I will never know.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this short story by Jeffrey Archer from the year of short stories.
Totally brilliant and I was really sorry when I turned the last page. Recommended.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superbly constructed and woven short story by the master Jeffrey Archer. An intriguing tale of one man's "game" to find out if his relatives genuinely care for him ...... or whether they're just after his money.

[Pratip Vijayakumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read Jeffrey Archer's books but this SHort-Story made me realise What I have missed. Such a fast-paced Short-Story set in the form of Chess game with Chess and humans playing the game of one man together.
Jeffrey Archer really have a knack to tell stories in a way you get engrossed in the books so fast. At times the book felt like reading the lives of Middle-class Indian families whose family member is rich and the rest are trying to be corny and unhelpful when they find no use for that individual. For some reason, the so-called Protoganist came out as a psychopath to me but he had a point to test the individuals who would be taking care of the properties and business like he did. Instead of playing an emotional game he could have played the intelligent game which would have made even more sense. Do read this Shirt-story and I'm sure you would be amazed.
Happy reading.

[Ankita Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

The Endgame was a short, entertaining read and I had fun reading it. Watching all the characters react differently to the news was entertaining and made me chuckle throughout the story.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cornelius Barrington, a widower and without children sets some tests to decide who would be the beneficiary to his will. His plan is clever and the results are not really that surprising. It was a fun read and reminded me of some stories that I used to read in Indian comic books (Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama) where the King and the clever minister come up with tests to decide the Heir to the throne.

[Amit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediocre

This short story is not among Archer's best. The writing is so-so while suspense is mediocre. The plot could have unravelled several ways and you can see them all coming.

[Chayan Sen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good one, as usual.

It was a good read.Focussed, simple yet tenaciously cohesive storytelling kept me glued to it.Characters were potrayed nicely
Enjoyed it.Try it.

[J. Alchem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

A beautifully crafted story of a man who wanted to test the loyalty of the people closed to him whether they were with him for his wealth or genuinely loved him.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ingenious story where the changing of a man’s will could mean the difference between life and death. Not so much that if the contents were known one of five beneficiaries could be deemed a suspect if the man died in suspicious circumstances. Rather the question that since his wife’s death who of his close family and housekeeper would care for him if he had no money to leave.
It examines the issue of love me for myself of for incremental gains. Each person owes him but if he was penniless would they repay their debts and rally round to save him from bankruptcy and humiliation.
I loved the concept and the hook Archer used to hold the story together. It is a genuine subject matter often throwing up motive in crime or motivation in those who are hangers on feeding of the scraps from a rich man’s table until he pops his clogs.
On the surface sadly all to predictable with integrity wished for some of the characters to be more than good time friends and family members.
It begs the question in life how we match up and perhaps how we are viewed by others. How would we be remembered and why people would react if we were no around. Much better then to be genuine, care for people not for what we get out of it or a hoped for reward. Do not let money blind us of the love of others or blur our motivation to give ourselves to others.
The master short story teller leaves us entertained and with plenty to think about in this reflective piece.

[Klare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this one. Quite a lot happening in such a short book. Looking forward to reading some more.

[Vinayak B H · Rating 3 out of 5]

quite tactfully written book.

[Prasanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was on a Monday morning when I came across several Jeffrey Archer short stories free on Amazon Kindle. Apparently few digital short reads have been released for free on Kindle to celebrate his new book,Tell Tale. So if you have not downloaded them, you can log into your Amazon account and search for 'The Year of Short Stories'. Around 10 of Archer's short stories can be downloaded for free.

Coming to this short read, 'The End Game', it's an interesting story and sheds light on human psychology. A rich widower comes up with a plan to find out who of his relatives really care for him and along with his best friend chalks up his delightful game. And like Archer's signature mark, the story ends on an unexpected twist. A short and interesting read.

[Vidya Ravi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous read

Truly a page-turner..Jeffrey Archer is as usual, a master storyteller and casts a spell on the reader..be it a short story or a long novel...

[Diwakar Grandhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short read. A comparison of real life to the game of chess. As described here in the story, we do see it in real life also that only when we encounter a harsh situation that the nature/color of every person around us gets revealed. Also, as it happens to Hugh (the brother), sometimes, when we are powerless but we somehow want to help another person, we should listen to our heart more than our head.

[Alokita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it is me or it is this work, that didn't feel new or fresh. The story felt so obvious with lack of choices that whatever happened seemed obvious. It might be the limitation of the short story genre or that we have become too accustomed to the twist in the tail setup that a normal story doesn't fulfil us any more.
The language as expected from a seasoned author was neat, crisp and fluid making it an easy read.
Recommended for any short distance journey when one prefers books over people.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story, charmingly told

I thought this a delightful book which, once I'd started it, I had to carry on until I'd finished it - despite the fact that is was by then 1am in the morning

[Vikram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining

Love reading Jeffrey Archer's books. He is a master Story Teller. Whether full length books or short stories, Archer is the master...

[Manoj Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

A bit far fetched may be but still an engrossing tale. A nice way to get to know what your nearest and dearest feel about you

[Tyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and cheeky. A delightful read.

[Aishwarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read

If you're a Jeffrey Archer fan, I suggest you do not read this short story unless you've read First Among Equals. Contains mild spoilers.

[Mike Briley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit complicated but quite amusing.

[Manasa HR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Endgame!

The story was very plain.
It belongs to the Archer Books Family. But then, it lacks a bit of Archer quality.

[Chiranjeeb Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

Loved the story and the end note.

‘Sometimes you can miss the most obvious things, even when they are staring you right in the face’

[Tanmay Meher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella worth reading

Again the master has put his strokes. Indeed as usual one of the best story teller of all time. This guy never disappoints.

[Sivakumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply loved it.
Wonderful page turner it was.

[S S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of the game as ever!

Jeffrey Archer, a grandmaster, has checkmated readers again. As full of intrigue and engrossing as always. A must read for lovers of English fiction.

[Amisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

As usual, never disappointed by Jeffrey Archer. One of the best short stories. An intriguing read. Very good insights on life.

[Prerna Shambhavee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine watching a really tough game where everyone is trying their absolute hardest. This book feels exactly like that. It starts with a small signal that something is about to happen and quickly turns into a big race where every single move matters. You just want to keep looking at the score to see who finally gets ahead.

When you start End Game, it’s like two people sit down to play the last round of a competition. The story is pretty simple: a huge fight between two men who are very different but both desperately want to win. It's all about something huge—a prize that is worth a whole lot—and both of them will do anything to get it. The book goes really fast, like a car with the gas pedal stuck, jumping from one secret to the next tight spot. If you like a story where things keep changing on you, this is the book.

The few main people are why the story moves so well. We follow Alex, who is the main guy; he is smart and always planning ahead, but you can feel how tired he gets from always trying to stay ahead. On the other side is Marcus, who is rich and thinks he can just buy his win. He’s the kind of person who doesn't handle losing well at all. Then there is Sarah, who is Alex's helper; she's a fast thinker and good at finding the facts others try to hide. They seem like regular people stuck in a wild situation.

The author is great at showing how truly hard it is to win when everything is against you. You keep asking yourself how Alex is going to get out of the big messes he keeps landing in. It's not just running away; it's a mind game, too, with both men trying to guess what the other will do with small choices that become huge problems down the road. This book is like a perfect car that just runs until the final piece clicks into place. You’ll feel better when the fight is over, but you’ll also remember the fast ride you just took. If you need a book to grab you and hold on until the very last word, pick this one up. Ready? The game has started.

[A.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rich man pretends to be financially bankrupt so he can see which of the five people who owe him money will make the effort to look after him now when he is no longer 'wealthy'.
So far as a test of his likeability, it fails because he is still a horrible man. I mean he sacks his housekeeper and makes her repay a five hundred pound loan [he has a chess set worth half a million pounds] - in order to do so, she has to sell her car - no severance pay? or long term salary bonus? She sticks around [bless her, the English servant is so good at heart *makes a face*]
The people he thought would be awful are. No surprises there. And the twist that is supposed to categorise all of these Archer stories is not very twisty. I mean, it might have been a better twist to have him really crash his wealth; start a run on the bank, or something so that ends up being what he pretended to be. But here, he learns precisely nothing about being a better person, and is still wealthy at the end. [kind of like the author after getting sentenced to 4 years for perjury in a financial scandal, eh?]
2 stars