Portobello by Ruth Rendell

The provided text consists of excerpts from the novel Portobello by Ruth Rendell, offering an intricate look at the lives of several interconnected characters in the Notting Hill area of London. The narrative follows the art dealer Eugene Wren, who struggles with an addiction to sugar-free sweets and grapples with his relationship with his fiancée, Ella, a doctor. Simultaneously, the plot features the troubled, petty criminal Lance Platt, who is involved in burglaries, and his morally questionable relative, Uncle Gib. A key dramatic thread involves the mentally unwell Joel Roseman, Ella’s patient, who is haunted by the past death of his sister and tormented by an internal presence he calls Mithras. The excerpts cover themes of addiction, class differences, secrets, and crime, culminating in a fire that leads to a murder charge for Lance, a development which Ella and Eugene ultimately try to rectify.