“A novel by Ruth Rendell”

This book is about addictions, but not your normal alcohol, drugs, smoking addictions. Here we find one character addicted to a made up Chocorange, supposedly a child’s chocolaty sweet which he finds most embarrassing but impossible to stop. Indeed, as with all addictions, it just gets worse. We also have a young man who cannot stand sunlight and who believes he almost went to heaven (or hell) and is left with a problem. He is, in any case, very disturbed. Then we have the usual inadequates who pepper the story. These somehow all become intertwined by situations centred on the Portobello Road in London. I’m sure for Ruth Rendell fans or for those who like a slower more cerebral story it will be a very satisfying read but I’m not a fan and I found it a bit repetitive and contrived. Not one of my favourite reads of the year.

Bernard Gallivan
September 2018