Portobello - Hardcover

Rendell, Ruth

3.33

3,156 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385665423 ISBN 13: 9780385665421

Publisher: Doubleday Canada, 2008

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From crime fiction’s reigning queen comes a diabolically intricate tale that weaves together the lives of very different people in the vibrant part of London known as Portobello.

Fifty-year-old Eugene Wren inherited from his father an art gallery near an arcade that now sells cashmere, handmade soaps, and children’s clothing. But he decided to move to a more upmarket site. Eugene was, perhaps, too secretive for his own good. He also had an addictive personality. But he had cut back radically on his alcohol consumption, and had given up cigarettes. Which was just as well, considering he was dating a doctor. For all his good intentions, though, there was something he didn’t want her to know.

One day, Eugene comes across an envelope containing a sum of money. Rather than report the matter to the police, he writes a note and sticks it up on a lamppost near his house. This note would link a number of very different people–each with their own obsessions, problems, dreams, and despairs. And through it all the hectic life of Portobello bustles on.

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From the Back Cover:

From crime fiction's reigning queen comes a diabolically intricate tale that weaves together the lives of very different people in a vibrant part of London known as Portobello. Walking to the shops of Notting Hill one day, fifty-year-old art gallery owner Eugene Wren discovers an envelope on the street bulging with cash. Instead of going to the police or keeping the money for himself, Wren hatches a plan to find the money's rightful owner. He composes a notice and posts it on a lamppost near his home.

This seemingly harmless act creates a chain of events that links Wren to some unsavory characters, upsetting not only his life but that of his fiancee -- and it delivers consequences that will change them all.

About the Author:

Ruth Rendell has been awarded three Edgars for best novel by the Mystery Writers of America, as well as the Grand Master Award. In England, the Crime Writers’ Association has honoured her with two Gold Dagger Awards for best novel, a Silver Dagger, and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre. In 1996 she was awarded the CBE and in 1997 became a Life Peer.

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