Vendetta: Lucky's Revenge [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Jackie Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997

Lucky Santangelo faces the biggest challenge of her life when her Panther studio is taken from her by Dona Landsman ? the widow of the Santangelos' arch enemy, Santino Bonnatti. Dona is a woman with big plans, and those plans include destroying Lucky in every way possible.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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 Landsman?formerly Donatella Bonnatti?who 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 crocodile?wide, 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 cliche. 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 cliches 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.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

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.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 687 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1St Edition edition (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568954352
• ISBN-13: 978-1568954356
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,659,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jackie Collins has been called a "raunchy moralist" by the late director Louis Malle, "Hollywood's own Marcel Proust" by Vanity Fair magazine and "the Victor Hugo of our time" by Simon Doonan in the New York Observer. With over 400 million copies of her books sold in more than 40 countries, and with some twenty-two New York Times bestsellers to her credit, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling novelists. She is known for giving her readers an unrivaled insiders knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and sometimes bad! "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down -- the truth is much more bizarre."
Jackie Collins started writing as a kid, making up steamy stories her schoolmates paid to devour. Her first book, The World Is Full of Married Men became a sensational bestseller because of its open sexuality and the way it dealt honestly with the double standard. After that came The Stud, Sinners, The Love Killers, The World is Full of Divorced Women, Lovers And Gamblers, Chances, and then the international sensation, Hollywood Wives -- a #1 New York Times bestseller, which was made into one of ABC's highest-rated miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen.

The Stud and The World is Full of Married Men were also filmed -- this time for the big screen. And Jackie wrote an original movie, Yesterday's Hero, starring Ian McShane and Suzanne Somers.

Reader's couldn't wait to race through Lucky, her next book -- a sequel to Chances -- and the story of incredibly beautiful, strong woman, another New York Times number one.

Then came the bad boys of Hollywood in the steamy Hollywood Husbands -- a novel which kept everyone guessing the identities of the true-to-life Hollywood characters.

Jackie then wrote Rock Star -- the story of three rock superstars and their rise to the top, followed by the long-waited sequel to Chances and Lucky -- Lady Boss -- tracking the further adventures of the wild and powerful Lucky Santangelo as she takes control of a Hollywood studio.

Both Lucky and Chances were written and adapted for NBC television by Jackie, who also executive produced the highly successful six-hour miniseries Lucky/Chances, starring Nicollette Sheridan and Sandra Bullock.

In 1992 she produced and wrote the four hour miniseries, Lady Boss, which became another huge ratings success for NBC. Lady Boss starred Kim Delaney. Next came American Star, a love story, which the Los Angeles Times described as "classic Collins."

And then the dangerously close to the truth Hollywood Kids -- a story of power, sex, danger and ambition among the grown offspring of major celebrities.

In 1996 Vendetta -- Lucky's Revenge was published -- and became an immediate New York Times bestseller.

And then in 1998, Thrill!, a psychological thriller for the nineties, in which Jackie created her signature mix of unputdownable characters.

In the summer of 1998, Jackie hosted her own daily television show, "Jackie Collins Hollywood." A combination of fun, style and interviews, Jackie talked to everyone from George Clooney to RuPaul!

After that she wrote L.A. Connections -- a four-part serial novel published one per month -- Power, Obsession, Murder and Revenge.

In 1999 came Dangerous Kiss -- the return of Lucky Santangelo in a bestselling novel about relationships, addiction, fear and lust.

In the year 2000, Lethal Seduction became the first bestseller for Jackie Collins in the new millennium. This tale of erotic suspense and glamorous intrigue featured Madison Castelli, a character first introduced in the L.A. Connections series.

Hollywood Wives -- The New Generation became a blockbuster bestseller in 2001, following in the footsteps of the original Hollywood Wives. Hollywood Wives -- The New Generation featured a brand new cast of characters and a totally fresh perspective on how women pursue power, love, sex and success in Tinseltown today.

In 2002, New York flash, L.A. trash and a Mafia don met head-on in Deadly Embrace, a sexy tale of dangerous passion and suspense featuring heroine Madison Castelli that was both a prequel and a sequel to her adventures in the bestselling Lethal Seduction.

2003 marks the return of Jackie Collins to prime-time television with a brand-new two-hour CBS TV movie Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, starring Farrah Fawcett, Melissa Gilbert, Robin Givens and Jack Scalia and produced by Collins. And in December 2003, comes her twenty-third novel, HOLLYWOOD DIVORCES, a sizzling, glam-drenched novel of lust, infidelity and revenge featuring all-new characters navigating Hollywood's treacherous trail of divorce.

Ms. Collins lives in Los Angeles, California. Her hobbies are photography, soul music, and exploring exotic locations so she can write about them later.

There have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins can tell you what really goes on in the fastest lane of all. From Beverly Hills bedrooms to a raunchy prowl along the streets of Hollywood; from glittering rock parties and concerts to stretch limos and the mansions of the power brokers -- Jackie Collins chronicles the real truth from the inside looking out.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lucky's Revenge!, March 16, 2002

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vendetta: Luckys Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

VENDETTA: LUCKY'S REVENGE, is the 4th in a series of books about Lucky Santangelo, daughter of an italian "businessman" who had ties with the mafia. In this novel, Lucky experiences a series of bad luck, not realizing til much later that this was not bad luck, but an old nemesis Donna Donnatelli Bonnatti taking revenge on the family and on Lucky for murdering Donna's husband Enzio. Lucky's movie studio is taken over by an unknown business woman, and her husband Lennie Goldman is reported missing and dead. It does appear to be bad luck but it takes some heavy duty sleuthing for Lucky to figure out what is really going on. In between this main plot, there are sub plots with various hollywood-type characters. The action never stops, as is typical in any Jackie Collins book.

If you are looking for some fast action, you won't go wrong with LUCKY'S REVENGE.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucky Santangelo is back-in the only way she knows how!, August 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Vendetta: Luckys Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

She's back!!! The gorgeous, sensual and super smart heroine, Lucky Santangelo is back in her most classiest, sexiest and most dangerous novel yet. Lucky is the new Hollywood player who plays the Hollywood game on her rules...on her terms...and better than anyone else. But Lucky soon meets her match; a ruthless, power-hungry widower of the Santangelo's enemy, Santino Bonatti, Donna Landsman. Donna's new plan includes taking away Lucky's studio...husband...family...and soul. But what Donna doesn't know is that when you play with Lucky, one thing is for sure...no matter how hard you try...no matter how much you scheme...no matter how much you know...Lucky always plays for keeps...and Lucky always wins. Setting on a journey of love, lust, power and revenge in the glittering world of Hollywood, Lucky tries to protect her family, keep up with her friends and never forget the Santangelo motto. From the Hollywood studios to the bedrooms of stars and studs, Lucky gets her revenge...Lucky writes her VENDETTA! A book of the most compromising events, most glamorous characters and most sweetest revenge... If you like Jackie Collins' creation Lucky Santangelo, don't miss this. Two thumbs up!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LUCKY IS BACK! by M. Boucher, October 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Vendetta: Lucky's Revenge (Hardcover)

Lucky Santangelo is a woman not to reckon with, and she is back in yet again, another blockbuster from superstar author Jackie Collins. This time, after loosing her husband and her studio, Lucky sets out to rebuilt her life and regain her statut as «Lady Boss».

Bringing back characters from her previous novels, and introducing us to new ones, Collins not only succeeds in penning another blockbuster, but also re-establishes herself as the queen of popular fiction. VENDETTA : Lucky's Revenge is Collins at her best. Well crafted, suspensful, steamy, it keeps the reader glued to the pages and makes you wish Collins would write a fifth book about the Santangelo clan, which, by the way, is exactly what she's doing.