Убийци от любов

by Jackie Collins, Пламен Иванов (Преводач)

От Лос Анджелис до Маями, от Ню Йорк до Лондон, все е секс за продан… и за отмъщение!

Гангстерският бос Енцо Басалино не обича никой да му пречи на бизнеса. И когато красивата Маргарит Браун успява да убеди прекалено много проститутки да изоставят призванието си, тя е премахната.

Три изключителни жени се заклеват да отмъстят на Басалино, като погубят тримата му сина. Невинно изглеждащата Бет ще тръгне след Франк в Ню Йорк; ексцентричната Рио ще прелъсти Анджело в Лондон; изящната Лара ще плени в клопката си Ник в Лос Анджелис.

В разкошната крепост на Басалино в Маями, играта ще експлодира в разтърсващо насилие, когато трите жени използват единственото оръжие, на което неговите синове не могат да устоят…

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Thriller, Contemporary, Classics, Contemporary Romance

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

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 power brokers-Jackie Collins chronicles the real truth from the inside looking out.

Jackie Collins has been called a "raunchy moralist" by the late director Louis Malle and "Hollywood's own Marcel Proust" by Vanity Fair magazine. With over 500 million copies of her books sold in more than forty countries, and with some 30 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 unrivalled insider's knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and infamous. "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down-the truth is much more bizarre."

Jackie Collins died of breast cancer Saturday, September 19, 2015. Jackie Collins, who had kept her illness secret, said recently that she believed in an afterlife, that she had no regrets and that she had emulated Frank Sinatra in that “I did it my way.”

Visit Jackie's website: www.jackiecollins.com
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/JackieJCollins
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jackiecollins and Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/jackiejcollins

Reviews

[~Sofia~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Jackie Collins novel down and I never tire of them. Another gut punching story full of grit, sex and well, more sex.

Earlier I went and grabbed a coffee from the little coffee shop near my house. The lady behind the counter asked what I was doing with my day, my answer was snuggling with my coffee and getting back to my Jackie Collins. There ensued much conversation with me and the other women in the queue discussing the writings of Jackie. So it turns out Jackie is well known to the females of all ages. This is what makes her great. She appeals to all ages and you never forget her novels.

So, this is a book from her early days, a lot shorter than I am used to, focusing on woman and revenge. From the get go you dive head first into the drama. As I was reading this book I have been looking at how much Women and the Womens rights have progressed, however reading this novel which was first published in 1974, not much has changed or is different. We are only now fighting the issues that have been going on long before I was born, the only difference is situations (#metoo) is more publicized, bringing to light the issues women face. A Jackie Collins novel nowadays may be entertainment but in the back of my mind I am wondering if this is the way Jackie told the truth and tried to bring to light the antics of Hollywood without being a whistle blower. Back in those day it was tough to be a women especially one bringing to light the actions of these billionaire mogels.

The story itself is extremely action packed and fast pacing. I did enjoy it but I wasn't hooked and I did not get a sinking feeling when it ended. It felt more like a light read. Something to read on the plane. You kind of get the idea of where the story is heading. I was a little bit disappointed, three women hell bent on revenge, I thought there was so many ways she could of gone with this but it kind of fell short? I did not warm to any of the characters which was a shame. Still it's another one added to the collection!

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

only read it out of desperation

[Carolyn M L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly flawless Jackie Collins, as always.

[becs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up for just 50p at a charity shop - not knowing what to expect, I finally gave in and decided to give it a read.
Right away, the 70s-era attitudes and perspectives are clear, but that’s part of what makes it so interesting.
It’s great to see how female empowerment - and the way women were treated - was already starting to shift during that 70s time period.
What really stood out was how boldly the story demonstrates strong, independent women, unapologetically taking control in a world that tried to silence them. Especially by men.

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth, Lara, and Rio are all women out to get revenge for Margaret’s murder. A murder committed by the renown Bassalino crime family. Their revenge is by sex, therefore destroying each of the sons of this infamous family.

I did not think this book was quite a Jackie Collin’s style as others I have read, and she is one of my favorite authors. There is sex, although not quite as much as usual or quite as hot, murder, and crime in the story as Collins is known for. Do not get me wrong , I liked the novel, I could not put it down.

As each of the Bassalino heirs met up with the woman assigned to cause their destruction, I wondered where the sex would lead and how it would cause their demise. I have to say that the story between Beth and Frank was my favorite. Beth’s innocence was amazing, and how she overcame that innocence to do her job kept me riveted Rio’s outrageous behavior, which I believe is her normal behavior, mad me laugh, shudder, and shake my head. She definitely showed Angelo a different life then he was use to. Lara and Nick (sigh), oh my, who could dream you would fall in love with part of the family that caused the murder of your sister.

Love Killers is an easy book to read and very entertaining. I enjoy it very much and recommend it to all my fellow Jackie Collins fans.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite brutal for Jackie and without the sheen of glamour that usually accompanies her books. I enjoyed it in all of it’s bittersweet justice and you can definitely see the inspiration for characters in her later works.

[Soph Hylands · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I enjoyed this book! Why did it remind me of the Sopranos haha

[Raimondo Lagioia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading it right on the heels of the Fontaine duology which I also reviewed, I admit that my hopes regarding this book weren't very high. If it weren't included in an omnibus with those gruesome twosome, it's doubtful that I'd even have dipped into this. It did prove to be a bit of an improvement compared to at least one of them, but yeah I won't have missed much if I opted to skipped this.

First off, I commend Collins for her versatility as a writer. The serious tenor of this novel stands in admirable contrast from the bubbly froth of her Khaled series. I don't know if she has written other crime thrillers, but I won't be surprised if she has a knack for them. The earlier parts were especially promising, which I guess is quite normal for most revenge yarns.

However, the schemes our leads came up against the Bassalino family were spectacularly hare-brained. They did seem exciting, ballsy, and maybe even workable at first glance but when the details were finally revealed, I was so nonplussed that they left too much to chance. While their execution is satisfactory, the extent of the ruin they would have wrought even if they were ultimately successful was dicey. And ugh, all that collateral damage!

For all the Bassalino crime family's posturing, they were so unbelievably ineffectual in responding to crises. Their security protocols even in the midst of a hot war is one big fat joke. And yes, I believe that the poor victim's vengeful paramour inflicted far more damage compared to the dubious efforts of our sexy Furies. The latter may have blown a sizable chunk out of their enemy's armor, but the resultant wounds would hardly have been mortal.

And regarding some plot points - I have no words. In the midst of intense gang warfare, a major character died in a vehicle accident of all things, out of sheer bad luck. A peerless unabomber assassin was mauled by a pack of vicious guard dogs because he forgot his bag of decoy steaks. There's also this passionate, totally unnecessary romance that feels more like a bone thrown to fans of her more conventional works.

It was a rather quick read, so I didn't feel like I wasted my time.

5/10; 2 stars.

[Tammy Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Smh

[Jules · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this on a whim as I saw it on sale in the Kindle store. Having never read a book by Jackie Collins, I thought I'd give it a try. I can now safely say, not my kind of genre.

[Ben Cela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's kind of like if the last 20 minutes of Showgirls was turned into its own book!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed it. A bit bonkers and silly, with no particularly likeable characters.

[Charlotte Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting from Jackie Collins but an easy read I read in one day and really enjoyed it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

May contain a spoiler!

The Love Killers is story about revenge.

When one of their own is gunned down, by a Mob boss, revenge is on their minds.

Rio, Lara and Beth want to avenge Margaret's senseless death by seducing and destroying Bassalino's sons. How you ask, well by sex. This confused me due to the fact that Margaret was trying to boost women using their minds and not their bodies. In my opinion, they destroyed everything Margaret worked for and believed in.

All in all, this novel was a fast paced read with twists and turns that had me swiping the pages....fast!

[Bryan Pfiester · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick Review: 2/5

Pros:
- Typical Collins. I’m a huge fan of Jackie Collins’ books, so I appreciate the over-the-top story beats, unexpected twists, and outrageous characters in her tales. This book is no different and delivers on all of these.

Cons:
- Formulaic. Normally Collins’ writing pulls me in and keeps me hooked until the end, but this book just feels very middle of the road. It follows the same pattern as her other works without doing anything new or exciting. It is my least favorite book of hers so far and I’ve read at least 10 others.

- Weak plot. Collins’ work normally focuses on empowered women in dangerous situations, but this book is built on a shaky foundation. “Our friend and sister died, so let’s seduce her murderer’s sons. We’ll figure out why we’re doing this later!” The ending especially made everything feel a bit pointless.

- Disappointing characters. The only character I really enjoyed in this book was Rio and that was only for her eccentric personality. Everyone felt a little underdeveloped or uninteresting, which is unusual for Collins.

Favorite Part: Rio’s chapters were very fun (except for the last one) and I love that even 51 years ago, Jackie had queer and trans characters in the spotlight!

Recommend to Others?: No. There are MANY better Collins novels that I would recommend over Love Killers.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth, Lara and Rio - three beautiful women with vengeance in their hearts. After the shooting death of their hero & sister & friend, Margaret, each woman is determined to bring down Enzio, the man that ordered the shooting. How do they ruin such a high powered man? They set their sights on his three sons.

Okay, don't want to give too much away, so let's move on.

This was just as fabulous the second time around - I love this book - it's so fast paced. The relationship between Lara and Nick I enjoyed, but I found the downfall of Frank to be the most intriguing. Not that I was sad to see him go, not in the least. He deserved it after what he did to his pregnant wife & unborn baby.

The ending was still as sad as I remember. I liked Rio, but that's the irony.

I'd definitely recommend this to my fellow Jackie Collins fans, or anyone who likes a hot read.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason this was not a book I remember ever seeing and I have only read it because it was lent to me. Sometimes a girl just has to have a Jackie Collins, others try to steal her crown but she remains steadfast and true.

This has been a departure from books of hers I have read in the past but I enjoyed it nevertheless even though I did find it a little far-fetched in places. That does not detract at all from her writing and quality of her storytelling which I've always loved.

This seemed shorter than the books of hers I have read before,with shorter more punchy chapters, nevertheless if you want a decent read which won't take you long I recommend it.

[Tracey Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first ever Jackie Collins book over thirty years ago and got me hooked. Need to re-read it to see if it is still as trashy as the first time I read it. Although dated and trashy and more violent what I remember I still loved it

[Julius Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a 'light' reading session. Collins did not disappoint, but the ending's rather incomplete..too many questions unanswered, too many issues unresolved...unless a sequel is in order...

[Michelle Wiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable story about avenging the death of a loved one.

[Dede · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ratings: 3.5/5

Atunci când lupți pentru o cauză nobilă și dai tot ce e mai bun din tine, fără nici o urmă de egoism, nu mai ții cont de răul care bate la ușă, ca și urmare a dedicării tale active pentru ceva benefic societății în care trăiești.

Margaret Brown începe promițător în susținerea drepturilor femeilor care, din cauza unor împrejurimi nefericite, ajung să se prostitueze pentru a-și duce traiul în această lume nedreaptă. Astfel că, atrăgând un număr impresionant de adepte în această luptă aprigă, spre enervarea mafioților italieni, își găsește sfârșitul chiar în mijlocul mulțimii feminine ce asista plină de speranță la motivațiile acestei femei puternice, care nu cunoștea frica și ideea de a renunța, atunci când își propunea ceva în minte.

Prietenele și surorile sale, devastate după o asemenea veste, își pun în cap să se răzbune pe Enzio Bassalino, iar cel mai bun mod prin care pot să facă asta, este prin intermediul celor trei fii ai săi. Erau în stare de orice pentru ca moartea lui Margaret să nu fi fost una în zadar. Sperau ca planul să reușească și totul să revină cât de cât la normal.

Pentru șeful mafiot, băieții reprezentau mândria sa și tot ce fusese el în tinerețe. Singurul care părea că o să-i ia pe urme tatălui în toate era Frank, cel mai mare dintre frați. Nick și Angelo, mezinul, nu împărtășeau această moștenire de gene, preferând să stea departe de pericol. La un moment dat, chiar mărturisesc amândoi că și-ar fi dorit să fie orfani, dar nu ar fi recunoscut niciodată în fața tatălui acest lucru. Angelo și-amintește că, în adolescență, și-a exprimat dorința de a alege calea artistică, însă Enzio îl bătuse de-i sunase apa în cap și-l închisese în camera sa, pentru așa-zisele prostii care-i treceau prin minte. Nu că acum s-ar fi schimbat, era la fel de pierde-vară. Încă avea timp să se maturizeze, spunea mereu Enzio.

Planul fetelor ia amploare și fiecare își alege victima, în funcție de fratele cui i s-ar potrivi mai bine. Lara pune ochii pe Nick, amândoi având în comun o frumusețe naturală, care nu trece cu vederea nimănui. "Logodit" pe moment cu o stea de cinema care, cu ceva ani în plus, ar putea să-i fie chiar mamă, Nick are impresia că și-a găsit femeia vieții lui. Asta până când Lara apare în viața sa și atracția puternică ce o simt unul pentru celălalt îi acaparează zdravăn pe amândoi.

Rio se ocupă de Angelo, ajungând să-l joace pe degete cum știe mai bine, iar el, în loc să stea cât mai departe de ea, rămâne fermecat de tipă, ceea ce, pentru el, chiar este o noutate. Obișnuit ca femeile să-i cadă în plasă și să se țină scai de el, Rio îl incită ca nimeni alta și e decis să-i arate de ce este în stare masculul din el.

Lui Beth, cea mai tânără dintre fete, îi este încredințat Frank, acesta având o pasiune pentru tinerele inocente, cu un aer de virgină, așa cum era și soția sa atunci când s-au căsătorit. Deși, la prima vedere, tânăra nu părea că avea să reușească să-și joace rolul până la final, pentru Margaret era în stare să facă tot ce-i stătea în putință. Îl prinde în mrejele sale pe mafiot și aranjează lucrurile, astfel încât soția însărcinată a acestuia să îi prindă în flagrant.

Însă, deși situația pare a fi în favoarea fetelor, consecințele nu întârzie să apară și unele dintre ele se trezesc că toată chestia asta cu răzbunarea a fost o prostie. Nu le-o va aduce pe Margaret înapoi și nici nu simt că au făcut ce trebuia. Sora lor mai mare nu ar fi fost niciodată de acord cu așa ceva. Iar lucrurile se precipită și mai tare atunci când iubitul lui Margaret dorește să se răzbune într-un alt fel, mult mai rău decât planul fetelor. Folosește aceleași arme ca și cei care i-au ucis femeia.

Și se lasă cu explozii, atât pasionale, cât și de-a dreptul mortale, înlăturând pe oricine și orice i-ar sta în cale.

Cine va câștiga acest joc al puterii, un joc țesut de intrigi, manipulări în masă, control absolut și pericol la tot pasul? Odată ce ai te-ai aruncat în el, nu mai e cale de întoarcere.

Recenzia aici: https://bookysme.wordpress.com/2017/0...

[Chantelle Castelletti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Love Killers by Jackie Collins

The book was published in 1974 by Jackie Collins, this being my first time reading her work made me think about what other topics she touches. In this short novel (294 pages) the readers get to see three peculiar women with the same cause for revenge and vengeance work together. Beth, Lara and Rio use their looks and femininity to get revenge for Margaret’s murder. This is where the Bassalino family is introduced. An Italian family who has lots of power, looks and influence.

It is a very fast pacing book, great to read in one sitting. The author uses very good easy English all throughout and is good for several ages. Due to its fast pace it is important for readers to remember the names mentions as they will be mentioned again. Personally, I gave the book 3/5 stars. It a nice and quick read but you do know where it’s heading too and even though I liked it, the story did not make me excited or sad when it finished. It does mention sexual assault, sex and some rough language so readers be aware.

I do not think it is a book for everyone, but it does have a lot of good qualities such as the mention of women’s rights or the lack of. Even though the main plot is revenge we do get to see the importance of speaking out and at the same time the danger involved with it.

[scorpionwoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book took off like a fast car and never stopped going! i'm a sucker for drama and twists and this book had plenty of them. i love a good revenge story and while this didn't fulfill everything i like out of one, it was very entertaining. the three women all had compelling stories that didn't take a lot to set up. i loved how different all of the bassalino brothers were. i thought lana's back and forth with nick was kind of annoying cause it felt out of character for her. rio was fun but also a little annoying.

my favorite side character was leroy. i would've read a whole book that he was the focus of.

i think my edition (kindle) had been revised hough? from what i assumed the first edition had been released in the mid-late 70s. there were references to typing classes and communism so in my head that's the time period we were in. but twice there was a mention of sending a text -- but no mention of cellphones. there was also a portion where the characters listen to usher. almost as if whatever was original book (probably sending a letter & marvin gaye) were updated to more modern standards. but if anything it jut confused me so i ignored it and subbed in the era appropriate references.

[Lainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time taken to read - 4 days on and off

Pages - 294

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

POWERFUL MEN, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AND EXQUISITE REVENGE... Beth, Lara and Rio -- three exotic women with a common cause and vengeance in their hearts.

They're out to avenge a murder and they'll go to any lengths. Their targets: the heirs of the Bassalino crime family. Their weapon: sex. The result: a bloodbath of sexual mayhem through the lethal corridors of organized crime.

Three beautiful women set out to prove that when it comes to revenge, the female is far deadlier than the male -- especially when they're "THE LOVE KILLERS. . .



My Review

A powerful woman, Margaret, activist, saving women from a life of abuse/exploitation, helping them to find their own voice is killed, an organised hit by mafia style criminals. Margaret was very loved and despite her killer being almost untouchable those who love her will not let it go unpunished.

Beth, Rio and Lara take matters into their own hands and take their own revenge, using their womanly ways they get close to the boss man and go after the main man by targeting the things he loves most.

I read Collins growing up so sex, violence, murder, abuse, manipulation are themes you often find so not for the easily offended. I loved the idea of these very different women going after very powerful men, can't say I loved the way they did it, each woman going after their target very differently. Some of the scenes are uncomfortable to read and you are dealing with some of the absolute dregs of humanity. It makes for a quick, shocking and dark at times read, 3/5 for me this time!

[Sue Lauzon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Jackie Collins book that didn't disappoint. I don't think I have ever read one that did. This book was a very fast paced book that I got right into from the very first chapter making it a really quick read for me. I wanted to keep reading it until the finish. I was a little disappointed with the ending in the respect that a character, that was only mentioned a few times throughout the book by other characters, was introduced in the last chapter. Jackie Collins has a way with doing a recap on her characters in her books in the final chapters and by bringing this character in in the last chapter felt like a loose end to me. But then again maybe he had more to do with the whole book then the reader realizes. I can't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for anyone!! Well worth the read!!

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was interesting but too short If you ask me. It was moving way too fast without any insight on the characters. It was an okay read If you are looking for something to read on a plane. But If you are more into detailed reading with character development this is definitely not the book for you.

All in all I had no expectations whatsoever when i began this book and I was mostly pleasantly surprised. But really I do need a little more than just the scenes happening with no insight on characters inner world and no wider explanations of what is happening to give a book more then 3 stars.

[Cheshta · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story, as said by the back of the book, is about three girls who are set to avenge Margaret's murder. But oh, the book ends with no specific role by any of the three. All the work is done my just someone else. The girls try to take revenge, but nothing they try works, and they end up doing nothing by themselves.
Can give the book a read. Just there's nothing extraordinary in the book as mentioned in the description.

[mrskittyglock55 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book! It has everything bad ass women,the killing of powerful men and revenge. The author did and amazing job, the perfectly captured the thin line between love and hate,I would have loved a different ending for some of the characters but it was an amazing addition to the book(one of them falling in love with the men) 8/10 (one of my best reads this year)

[Anna Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly this wasn’t one of Jackie’s best but I still enjoyed it. There was a lot less characters than she normally intertwines through the story which I’m sure is why it’s a lot shorter than normal. As per usual it delivers murder, sex and a glamorous lifestyle!

[Guillaume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie met haar oneliners... Echt weer een heerlijk ontspannend en grappig boek. Voor mij hoefden er niet zo veel doden te vallen. Rio Java, Angelo, Leroy; personnages dis voor mij niet hoefden te sterven. Ook gek dat dit boek in de seventies is geschreven en dat je daar anno 2022 niets van merkt!