A Kind Of Vanishing

by Lesley Thomson

WINNER OF THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE 2010 A spellbinding mystery of obsession and guilt, this is also the poignant story of what happens to those left behind when a child vanishes without trace.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook

334 pages, ebook

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Lesley Thomson was born in 1958 and grew up in London. She went to Holland Park Comprehensive and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. Her novel A Kind of Vanishing won The People's Book Prize in 2010. Lesley combines writing with teaching creative writing. She lives in Lewes with her partner.

Reviews

[Gary Heilbronn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! "literature" not "writing". Some of you may not agree with me. It may not be easy reading for some...... I've read the other reviews of this book ... and some are critical but it's easy for some readers to be negative. .... However this is not a book for those seeking a "light" (brain- and heart-dead) read ... and there's lots of unmemorable writing around ... this isn't one of those books ...but even if I did suspect who was behind the crime early on, there were twists and turns to kept me guessing and it did not detract from the quality, intensity and drama which kept me engaged throughout .... it is incredibly imaginative and poignant putting oneself into the mind of two 9 year olds from normal yet abnormal familes in the context of a horrifying crime, yet one explored with insight and perception ... rarely does one see a piece of literature of this quality around ... and I can forgive the occasional minor trangressions, notably, near the end, the details of how the crime was committed were revealed though no-one was still alive to testify to it ... AND I think that this deserves to be made into a film ...

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a hot day in the late spring of 1968, two little girls who dislike each other intensely play hide and seek in the ruins of an abandoned village. One of them disappears. The recurring image of something being buried in the garbage under more garbage is the biggest clue to how the plot progresses - people digging back into their memories of 30 years earlier and finding rotting, altered objects and impressions. Lesley Thomson’s characters are real people who have lives outside the book they’re in, and do surprising things when you’re not looking. The women in this story are so damaged by the past that no one seems surprised by any of the weird outcomes of the excavations of their past experiences. There were several clues to the actual perpetrator, also buried among dense descriptions of pretty much everything, so there aren’t too many surprises there, although there's one significant plot twist around half way. I didn’t much appreciate that the doll house in the playroom, which had been built almost identical to the actual 4-story family home and was a significant part of the plot, ended up being so incompletely described and created even more unanswered questions than the actual disappearance of the missing child. I also had difficulty believing the explanation of the killing - the character of the killer, as well as the actual location and circumstance. I also had some difficulty with the writing - prosaic for the first half of the book but becoming heavy, flowery and weighed down with colossal words around the final few chapters.
Probably the best part of the book is the series of author’s notes and photos at the end, detailing her writing process. I had loved the first 5 books in the Detective’s Daughter series (the 6th not so much) and have been searching out the author’s standalone books of which this is one. 4 stars

[Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed reading this book, there were a few aspects to its denouement that didn't ring quite true with me. I can't say what these are without revealing big spoilers, but some characters appeared to act out of character, or suddenly and easily (after trauma) change character, and - for me - this wasn't sufficiently explained. If anything it seemed some reactions and developments were more to steer the direction of the story than for the characters to remain credible. This sort of thing tends to jolt me out of the virtual reality of a novel and reminds me I'm reading - which is not a good thing to happen.

But these aspects, which are most likely down to my subjective opinions about writing, didn't spoil the story for me. I'd definitely read more from this writer. There are mysteries within mysteries, the writing style is skilled and easy on the eye, and while I guessed who the 'baddie' was quite early on, the way this was eventually revealed was still chilling.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was WAY too hard-going for me with nowhere near the amount of dialogue I like in a book. If I'd actually picked it up as a paperback I wouldn't have bought it as I'd have realised. Something you miss when it's on the Kindle, I suppose.
I can't be doing with pages of description and flowery language. It just isn't for me at all. I did have The Detective's Daughter in my wishlst too but think I'll pass now.
I did give it an extra star because I only spotted one mistake in the 14% I did read.
But I wasn't a fan of Eleanor in the little I'd read and neither her father... the whole family came across as all a bit dysfunctional.
I gave in when I happened across this passage-"....he had presented the doll's house to two catarrhly bemused children whom he had expected to be semaphorically appreciative of his gift". It means nothing to me and I can't be arsed trying to understand it. Give me plain English any day of the week !!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1968 Eleanor Ramsey is almost 9, a tomboy, and a handful. Her imagination runs wild, as does she. Alice, a few months older, is seen as a calming influence and a shining example of how little girls should behave. She says please and thank you, keeps her clothes neat and clean, and does what she is told. Her good behaviour is supposed to rub off on Eleanor and they are forced to play together. All it does, of course, is rub Eleanor up the wrong way. Within a couple of days she has decided she hates Alice. Not surprisingly, Alice feels the same way. Eleanor is a mystery to her, a messy, unruly, child who doesn't seem to know how to do what she is told. Neither, however, know how to extricate themselves from the situation. Then, Alice goes missing and Eleanor's life changes completely. Thirty years later, Eleanor's father dies and it becomes clear that the wounds left by Alice's disappearance have never healed. Her body has never been found - so the question remains, just what happened to Alice? A Kind of Vanishing is a great novel. It is a good story that is well written and keeps you turning pages. At the same time, it keeps you slightly off balance...just when you think you have it figured out, something happens to make you question yourself. Well worth a read!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Kind of Vanishing is a complex crime story, a novel that moves slowly towards an ending that both surprises and disturbs in equal measure.
It is summer 1968 and two girls are playing together in a ruined village. The two girls do not like one another, and one of the most startling aspects of this book is the author's ability to get right into the mind of a nine year old girl. The reasoning and the justification made by Eleanor during the opening pages are both convincing and sometimes, a little chilling.
Eleanor is the girl who is left behind when Alice disappears, and this incident will link the two families together for many years. As time passes by, the reader journeys along with each family, discovering their flaws and trying to deal with their complexities, as well as being taunted by the crime that is the centre of the story.

This is a dark, often quite slow, but nevertheless, hauntingly chilling read. An expose of minds, relationships, families and passion.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

After throwing up a few red herrings the answer to the mystery of the disappearance of Alice over 30 years before was pretty much what I had originally thought. That doesn't mean it was predictable, not by a long shot, those red herrings were pretty spectacular! I can appreciate why this book might not suit many who would normally read the crime/mystery genre but I thought it was excellent. Having read The Detective's Daughter first I was thrilled by the forward references to that book which cropped up towards the end of this novel. I'm looking forward to the next Lesley Thomson!

[Snoozie Suzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally finished listening to this today, but I cannot tell you much about it other than it is dull, rambling, tiring and hard work. Listen to it if you want to sleep. I renewed it twice it took me that long to finish, but finish it I did.

[Meri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping but very sad thriller set in Tide Mills, the ruined village near Newhaven

[Jasmine h · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cleverly written , a really good read that I didn’t want to put down!

[Theodora Gotsis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! That's the first thing I thought when I finished this novel. Two little girls so different yet both feel more similar about their enforced friendship then they'll ever know. I was hooked into this story by the first few pages. I had trouble putting it down and I read until late so that I could finish it. I recently finished The Detective's Daughter, so I got to know Isabel Ramsey as a character and I loved the process of being shown a time of life in the grand old family that was exciting but catastrophic.

Not since Kate Atkinson have I read a mystery that hooked me in and was written so well. The writing was so good that I felt as though I was watching a movie unfold in front of me.

Would recommend this book (and the author) to anyone who enjoys mysteries but is particular about the writing.

[Danié · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard to get into, there was not much to keep my interest, and I had to push myself to keep going.
It has a lot of descriptive information that is probably not needed.
In places it drags on, with only a few sentences to keep you interested.
A book of 400+ pages, that could have told the story and kept it interesting in around 200 pages.
The story line was good, but in all the book could have been condensed.

[Kirsty Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly engaging read. I felt it was difficult to relate to any of the characters but this did not impact on my enjoyment of the book. The story kept me pulled in and the writing fit well. By the end of the book I was emotionally attached and felt saddened when the truth was revealed even though it wasn't surprising. I'd be happy to try another Lesley Thomson book.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and engrossing read although it took a while to get into the book but once there it held me captivated. A story that encompasses 30 years; a child missing 3 decades ago and no hint of what happened. A must read.

[Liette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! That was quite the story and could put my finger on the solution. Just like an Agatha Christie's book, the missing bits come as a suprise at the end.

A great read on a long weekend when its too hot or too wet to do more than sit in a cozy spot with a good book.

[WANDA GREENWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book.

This book kept me guessing and had lots of curves. I loved it. I recommend it to anyone that likes surprises. Lesley Thomson is now one of my favorite authors and her series of the Dectective's Daughter is one of my favorite series.

[A.K. Biggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book - believed every word and was completely drawn in and it is in my top ten favourite books. I found it after reading the first of Lesley Thomson's Detective Daughter series - which is equally good.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting! Just could not put this one down. It had me guessing right to the end. The characters were so well developed, they seemed very real. Will read more from this author.

[Sally Hirst · Rating 3 out of 5]

The positives were a fairly twisty plot so that although at several points you thought 'aha, I have the measure of this now', that was almost always a signal for a turn you hadn't in fact expected. It is about a day when two little girls are off playing together and one of them disappears. You get different bits of it told by different characters and some shifting back and forth in time to put the picture together and this is all smoothly done. Why no recommendation then ? I just didn't much like any of the characters. They were believable, but you never identified with one enough for it to really drop you right inside the story.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Eleanor is .a tomboy and doesn't fit into her lord of the manner summer home with the rest of her family. Even worse her mum arranged playdates with a girl for the entire holiday. Eleanor and Alice don't have much in common but are forced to spend the time together. Until Eleanor disappears when the girls are playing hide and seek.

A clever book but I found it difficult to get into especially the start as told my a child of 8/9 and her confusion between reality and fiction. The author deliberately blurs the lines so narrators are unreliable in many parts of the book.

But having finished the book the title works on many levels, each character having to tip reality to live.

[LisaMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. I was sucked in at the beginning because it kind of remined me of Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, then I lasted for about 4 1/2 hours, but in Part 2 I decided I didn't care about the petty thoughts of the Ramsey adults, and there was too much repetition over the day Alice disappeared (which coincided with assassination of Bobby Kennedy), and though I wanted to find out what happened I was done with all the characters.

[Joyce Ellis · Rating 1 out of 5]

When you get to 7% of a book and absolutely NOTHING has happened, its time to give up. Endless ramblings from an 8 year old about maidens and dragons and ghosts and blah blah blah. Gave up after the first chapter.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is based on the event and a disappearance and what comes after. It also has a mystery.

[Nicole Winget · Rating 4 out of 5]

A uniquely terrifying book. Twisty and turny. Stick with it - it’s a slow start and a long simmer but the payoff is worth it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A child disappears and it changes everything. Good mystery with enough twists to keep you guessing.

[Ann Chappe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended ...an enjoyable read . There were some jarring aspects to the plot and some of the characters didn't really come to life and so I would probably make it 3.5

[Janet.Woodruff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get through but I persevered thinking it would get better. It didn’t. To much family dysfunction and deviant behavior.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to a 2.5 than a 3.

[Jean Potter]

Beautifully written but somewhat confusing at times, particularly as an audio book. A not entirely unexpected ending.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took several attempts get into book - not a fan at this point.