Portobello

By: Ruth Rendell

Narrated by: Tim Curry

Ruth Rendell is widely considered to be crime fiction’s reigning queen. In Portobello, she delivers a captivating and intricate tale that weaves together the troubled lives of several people in the gentrified neighborhood of London’s Notting Hill.

Walking to the shops one day, fifty-year-old Eugene Wren discovers an envelope on the street bulging with cash. A man plagued by a shameful addiction—and his own good intentions—Wren hatches a plan to find the money’s rightful owner. Instead of going to the police, or taking the cash for himself, he prints a notice and posts it around Portobello Road. This ill-conceived act creates a chain of events that links Wren to other Londoners—people afflicted with their own obsessions and despairs. As these volatile characters come into Wren’s life—and the life of his trusting fiancée—the consequences will change them all.

Portobello is a wonderfully complex tour de force featuring a dazzling depiction of one of London’s most intriguing neighborhoods—and the dangers beneath its newly posh veneer.

NARRATOR!

Short revue as still listening, however, must add that the narrator is totally 'overdoing' the cockney voices, making all characters with it sound like stupid cartoon characters of themselves. Totally over the top. Sad, Tim Curry is fine actor/entertainer. Im finding it off putting but will have to suffer through it.

Marvelous story and reader

Tim curry should read everything! Wonderful reader. And I love the characters in Ruth Randell's books. I am addicted, although not to chic orange candies. Would like to try, though.....
Highly recommend!!!

spooky comes to life

I you love London from afar, this is a great book. Tim Curry is simply marvelous and brings all the characters to life.

FASCINATING AND WELL-READ

The interweaving of the various plots and characters is masterful. This is one of the best of Rendell's novels I've read. The characters are fascinating. Their failings and struggles are involving and often touching. And, miracle of miracles, it doesn't end in misery! The narrator does a wonderful job with all the different accents. He portrays women well, which is challenging. This is an audiobook that you can read over and over again. Ten stars.

Haunting, edgy

The scariest part of this tale is that a little of Eugene may be in all of us. Like the video game you can't put down - the cell phone you have to keep checking - the 'likes' and retweets on social media... or choc-orange... Tim Curry does a wonderful job narrating - as usual!