Jul 16, 2007 By Jackie Collins 3 min read

They say that whatever goes around, comes around. Call it kismet. Call it mojo, Karma, or “vibes”. Whatever you call it, doesn’t it seem like the Universe pays you back for the things you do?

Did you ever notice that what goes around can come around generations later?

In the new novel “Drop Dead Beautiful” by Jackie Collins, Lucky Santangelo’s father made a big mistake half a lifetime ago. Now Lucky will pay.

Everyone has their struggles, but the Santangelos had more than their share. Patriarch Gino emigrated from Italy and learned to make his way on the streets with his fists. His first wife died and his beloved son was killed. Family businesses were targeted by corruption and crime. Death and loss were near-constant companions.

But the tide has turned and, for the Santangelo clan, there’s reason for celebration: Gino will soon mark his 95th birthday with a party, and the whole family will be in attendance. Gino’s beautiful, headstrong daughter, Lucky, is embarking on the business venture of a lifetime with her luxury Vegas hotel, The Keys. Her marriage to Lennie is strong and their children are happy and successful.

All, that is, except Max.

Sixteen-year-old Max is the epitome of her mother: beautiful, wild, and very smart. She’s also (unfortunately) very single, but that’s about to change. Max has met a guy online, and they’ve arranged to meet in-person. Also unfortunately, the rendezvous is scheduled on the weekend of Gino’s party.

As Lucky fumes about her daughter’s disappearance on Gino’s special night, she also moves ahead with Grand Opening plans for The Keys. But fate, once again, has different plans for the Santangelos.

Years ago, Gino had a “disagreement” with his former best friend, and Enzio Bonnatti paid for it with his life. Now, Enzio’s grandson, Anthony, plans to pay the Santangelo clan back.

The Grand Opening celebration for The Keys will be explosive.

In more ways than one.

Twenty years ago, I was absolutely mesmerized by the first Jackie Collins novel I’d ever read; so much so, in fact, that I’ve read every one since then. The good news is that this book isn’t going to disappoint fans. The bad news is, this book isn’t going to gain any, either.

“Drop Dead Beautiful” is populated with a cast of incredibly wealthy and unbelievably attractive people that have everything they could ever want, as well as a bunch of well-to-do bad guys that are eminently hate-able. The problem is that it’s hard to identify with any of them, because Collins has made them all so over-the-top rich, beautiful, and nasty. In other words, in a world where the chasm between making big money and barely making it widens, the 1980s, “Dynasty”-style, blithely-wealthy plot line isn’t all that much fun anymore.

Still, if you’re a Lucky Santangelo fan or if you loved all the other Jackie Collins novels, you should drop everything to read “Drop Dead Beautiful”. If you’re a first-time reader, though, and you pick up this book…. drop it and try another one.