Hollywood Wives

By Jackie Collins

Making movies, making money, making a spectacle of themselves --- these seem to be the goals of the show biz folks of Hollywood.
Ross and Elaine Conti: He will soon be fifty and his star is fading. He needs a good role in a good movie. Elaine Conti, his wife, knows she is only important to Hollywood society as long as he is important. So it is vital that Ross score a good role. Or Elaine goes back to being the nobody she used to be.
Buddy and Angel Hudson: devastating good lucks have so far failed to make him a star and his innocent young wife has no idea of what he has done to stay alive in Hollywood. Nor does she know of his failed relationship with his doting mother. Angel, who is equally as gorgeous as her handsome husband, wants only to be a good wife and a good mother. But Buddy's secrets may bring their new marriage to an end.
Neil and Montana Gray: Montana took Neil under her wing and helped him dry out and reestablish himself as the talented director he used to be. Montana has written a script and is certain she and Neil can make an important and profitable movie. But Neil is cheating and gradually falling off the wagon and Montana is losing control of the script she has labored so hard to bring to completion.
Sadie La Salle: high powered agent to the stars. She could get Ross Conti the work he needs but she bears a long-standing grudge against the aging star and would rather see him dead than lift a finger to help him.
Karen Lancaster: daughter of Hollywood royalty, she lives a pointless, privileged existence. Best friend of Elaine Conti, nevertheless, she is having a torrid affair with Ross, Elaine's husband.
Deke Andrews: a psychopath on a rampage, he leaves a trail of corpses as he travels to Los Angeles, looking for some kind of sick revenge for the sorry life he has led. More blood will be shed if he has his way.

How much of what Collins writes about Hollywood is true, I don't know. She certainly tells a tale of cheaters, drunks and druggies, people more concerned with pleasure, sex and appearances than they are about their own decency. I found the story to be fairly interesting but way too long. I also could have done without the whole Deke Andrews subplot, which I didn't think added much to the story. It was an OK read.