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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... Lyons Public Library | F COLLINS | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library | FIC COL | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | Collins, J. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
With 190 million copies of her novels sold in more than 40 countries, Jackie Collins is one of the top-selling authors in the world. Now, in the scorching sequel to Chances, Lucky, and Lady Boss, Lucky Santangelo returns--with a vengeance-- fighting the powers behind a devious plot that threatens to destroy her family, her career, and her life.
Author Notes
Jackie Collins was born in London, England on October 4, 1937. She appeared in a series of British B movies in the 1950s and made appearances in the 1960s ITC television series Danger Man and The Saint before giving up an acting career. She has since played herself in a few television series including Minder in 1980.
Her first novel, The World Is Full of Married Men, was published in 1968. Since then, she has written more than 30 novels including The Love Killers, Hollywood Husbands, L.A. Connections, Dangerous Kiss, Lethal Seduction, Deadly Embrace, Hollywood Divorces, Drop Dead Beautiful, Poor Little Bitch Girl, Goddess of Vengeance, Confessions of a Wild Child, and The Santangelos. Several of her novels have become successful television miniseries, including Hollywood Wives, Lucky, Chances, and Lady Boss, which she wrote and produced. Big screen successes have been The Stud, The World Is Full of Married Men, and The Bitch. She also wrote an original movie, Yesterday's Hero. She died of breast cancer on September 19, 2015 at the age of 77.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Straight-from-the-hip dialogue, designer clothing and gangsters are all reliably in place in Collins's fourth novel to feature the Santangelo family, particularly Lucky, who now heads a Hollywood studio. In previous exploits, this multitalented heroine has been married three times, built Vegas hotels, run a shipping empire and killed for revenge (as one character comments, "she's had quite a life"). Along the way, she's made her share of enemies, not least of whom is Donna Landsmanformerly Donatella Bonnattiwho here stages a hostile takeover of Panther Studios, has Santangelo patriarch Gino shot and makes it appear as though Lucky's beloved husband, Lennie Golden, is killed on location in Corsica following a night's indiscretion. Mourning does not become Lucky, however, and all too soon she's involving herself with chauvinistic director Alex Woods (he of the "smile like a crocodilewide, captivating, and ultimately deadly") even as Lennie is imprisoned in a Sicilian cave. When Lucky learns what she needs to know, however, the novel's subtitle comes into play, brutally. Collins's dialogue strains belief ("Ohmigod! she gasped, clinging to Nona. "Ohmigod! No! No! NOOO!"), and she can express scarcely a sentence, a sentiment or a plot spin without resorting to cliché. As a vision of Hollywood and the mob, this novel is utterly outclassed by Mario Puzo's The Last Don. But its very lack of class and those very clichés make this an easy, nasty read, just the qualities that have previously pushed Collins to the top of the charts and will likely do so again. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Collins is back, and so is the ever-popular Lucky (Lady Boss, 1990, etc.), both operating here, it would seem, on automatic pilot. Lucky Santangelo is due for some trouble, and not just because she's appearing in yet another sequel. Everything's been calm for too long: She's finally the head of Panther Studios, and with two hit movies on her hands and more to come, she's really turning the place around; moreover, her husband, successful actor Lennie Golden, is a true love match, and her three young children are thriving. Then enter Donna Landesman, née Donatella Bonnatti, one of the last surviving members of the Bonnatti family, the longtime archrivals of the Santangelos, who, as Lucky points out more than once, don't like to be ``fucked with.'' First, Lennie has a so- called accidental death in a fiery car crash. Then, Lucky's niece Brigette Stanislopoulos is taken advantage of by a sleazy New York modeling agent and one of his top models. Meanwhile, notoriously difficult director Alex Woods is making his new movie --Gangsters- -at Panther, as well as making some moves on the recently widowed Lucky. Not to mention that Venus Maria, pop singer and would-be actress/sex symbol (and one of Lucky's best friends) is wooing Alex to gain a key role in his film. And (pause for breath) Lennie's not really dead after all, but may just as well be since he's trapped in a cave somewhere in Italy! When Lucky discovers Donna's true identity, and learns that her own supposedly loyal advisor, Morton Sharkey, has helped the Bonnatti family wreak havoc on the Santangelos, she develops a mean case of tunnel vision, vowing not to rest until justice--of the vigilante sort--is done. Seventy-five percent of the fun here lies in guessing what Hollywood hot shots Collins is really dishing (Madonna, Oliver Stone, etc.). Otherwise, it's rather a by-the-numbers if harmless romp. ($300,000 ad/promo; author tour)
Booklist Review
Trash may be her stock-in-trade, but Jackie Collins never fails to entertain. Vendetta is the fourth in her Santangelo series, featuring the multigenerational feud between the Bonnattis and the Santangelos. Here Lucky Santangelo, daughter of patriarch Gino, finds herself the head of a once-dying movie company, but through her steadfast, savvy, and uniquely feminine management style, Panther Studios is on the rise. Her next coup is to produce the controversial Alex Woods' new movie, Gangsters, about two mobsters who get involved with the same woman (think Casino). As producer, she is able to help her friend, Venus Maria, secure a key role. Venus is a slutty but talented actress-singer who never fails to shock the public but nevertheless has legions of faithful fans (think Madonna). Mix in a girl-next-door actress, Lucky's faithful husband, a burgeoning model, a stuck-up but lovable lead male, and a score of other colorful characters, and you have a lot of recognizable people doing a lot of mean things to each other when they're not sleeping together. Underneath all the sleaze is Lucky's nemesis, Donnatella Bonnatti, just waiting for the perfect moment to ruin Lucky's life. This is lasciviousness run amok, but if you have even the slightest taste for the tabloids, it's sure fun to read. --Mary Frances Wilkens
Library Journal Review
Jackie's back, and she's got Lucky Santangelo in tow. In their fourth outing together, Lucky finds herself up against nasty Donna Landesman, a rival set on destroying her. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.