Murder

By Jackie Collins

The third installment in the sexy, thrilling four-part L.A. Connections miniseries, a behind-the-curtains peek into the exclusive mansions of Hollywood where the city's most powerful players willingly risk it all for love, lust, and murder, from New York Times bestselling author Jackie Collins, now ebook standalone novellas at an unbeatable price!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pocket Star
• Release date: Aug 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781501174964

Jackie Collins

There have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins (1937-2015) 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 400 million copies of her books sold in more than forty countries, and with some twenty-seven 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.” Ms. Collins books include Poor Little Bitch Girl, A Santangelo Story and Drop Dead Beautiful. Jackie Collins was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013. She lived in Los Angeles, CA.

Book preview

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Reviews for Murder

[claret100682 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like the way this was written, the quick dialogue and rich storytelling which I've enjoyed in Doyle's other books. I personally like books with a historical link, and it was an informative tale on the early days of the IRA. Skillful juxtaposition of humour and descriptions of violence/the grim streets of Dublin's slums, and a handful of memorable characters made the story quite compulsive, but I felt it trailed off a bit in the end.

[dbeveridge_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Roddy Doyle has such a wonderful ear for dialogue, but here it's supplemented by a dreamy first-person narrative in which the protagonist, a turn-of-the-century Dublin street urchin turned IRA assassin, serves as a lovely metaphoric persona for the faceless, raging, colonial street fighter; whose perambulations around (and under) his home city provide an opportunity to tell the history of Ireland in the first quarter of the twentieth century, rich in its depictions of the majority underclass, and of the doomed spirit of rebellion. A tour do force of historical fiction.

[oreillynsf_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

MY NAME IS HENRY SMART! It's a cry you will read over and over in this book, a childhood expression of someone trying to define his own identity in a society and a family that doesn't take him seriously. Henry's perspective on English Imperialism and the Irish Revolution is magnificent - his realizations about the corrupt nature of leading Irish heroes, and his recognition that as a footsoldier in the revolution he is simply hamburger to his leaders, must be a bit of a shock to Irish patriots. But on many levels it is less about ireland than the corrupting nature of power and adulation. I've read every word Doyle has published. But this one hit me like a ton of bricks. Powerful and poignant.

[theexone_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent story and writing. So sad and depressing, did not even smile once. Irish Bloody Sunday

[lara335 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An irreverent treatment of Irish Republicanism in the early 20th Century as experienced by Henry, one of its not very deep-thinking or aware foot soldiers.

[brose72 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of Henry Smart - his triumphs and trials in Dublin. A story of history, humor, and adventure well told by the author.

[shabacus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had only known Roddy Doyle from the Barrytown trilogy, and picked up this book thanks to the author's name alone. I made an attempt at it about four years ago but was quickly put off by the very different style.Recently I tired again, and I'm glad I did. Despite the darkness inherent throughout, there are elements of black comedy that cut through the gloom, and the result is a thoroughly engaging novel that blends contemporary Irish history with a big, semi-mythical character.About halfway through, I decided to see what else Doyle had written, and realized that this book, too, was part of a series. So now I will have to get the rest. I'm looking forward to spending a lot more time with Henry Smart.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story covers a large part of Ireland's troubled history in the early 20th century, from the Easter Day rising in 1916 to the birth of The Republic in the 1920s. It is a clever mix of fact (Michael Collins makes several appearances) and fiction (Henry). It is a well-written novel with a seemingly accurate sense of time and place, with much amusing dialogue mixed in with the often violent actions of the hero and his associates. Not an easy read I found, but ultimately worthwhile.

[jroach19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book follows the career and exploits of Henry during the Easter Revolt and the Anglo-Irish War before Irish independence. This is a very good read. Michael Collins is portrayed in this book as a cold blooded murderer, a psychopath. This makes me wonder about Doyle's attitude toward Collins, and why he portrayed Collins in such a way.

[piratejenny_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say, it's Roddy Doyle? I love him. The writing is so wonderful and I get so wrapped up in his stories. This first volume in the Last Roundup trilogy is the story of Henry, who grows up in the Dublin slums and comes to join the IRB and Sinn Fein. It really shows the hardships of growing up in the slums (of any city, I think) and how awful it was. And also the ambivalence of some IRB (later IRA) members about their cause and why some of them joined other than to free the Irish Republic. Excellent

[othemts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Doyle is one of my favorite writers and this is his best novel. Set in the time of the Easter Rebellion and Anglo-Irish War, this epic story mixes fact with fiction as the protagonist Henry Smart rubs shoulders with the historical figures of his day

[eyejaybee · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A few days ago I was faced with a choice. I could leave this book on the shelf in Waterstone's or i could buy it, take it home and read it.I chose poorly!

[duffdaddy-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book tells the story of Henry Smart (jr) - a boy from the streets of Dublin who becomes invovled in the Irish revolution. He's born of a poor mother and a one-legged dad who works as a bouncer in a "hoor-house" and does the occasional murder for the mysterious owner of said cathouse. Henry lives on the street with his little brother Victor until his father and Victor die. With his dad's wooden leg with him at all times (he uses it as a weapon; keeps it in a holster) he then becomes a member of the militia who began the revolution and works his way to become a gofer killer for the heads of the IRA. He runs with his wife (his schoolteacher from before) until he figures out he will be killed next. He kills the owner of the cathouse (his dad's ex-employer) and makes way to America. Overall, this book was done very well. It took a few pages to grab my interest, but once it had it, I found it hard to put down. Especially the descriptions of Henry's military (?) service for the revolution. Roddy so seemlessly wove Henry's story into history that i felt I was reading a bio of a real person. When it would occur to me that Henry was not real, I was disappointed. This book should have been about 50 pages shorter, but overall a great addition to Roddy's body of work.

[bsiemens_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I approached this novel with a small amount of reticence. I knew from the reviews that the main character is a terrorist who is portrayed with attractive traits; I wasn't interested to sympathize with the cause. Roddy Doyle has written a complicated work that can be real about the terrific chaos of guerrilla warfare and about characters that I want to get to know better. I look forward to reading the next novel in The Last Roundup series.

[musecure · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dark and often humorous look at early 20th century Ireland and the Easter Rising, telling the story of Henry Smart coming into his own.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My experience with Roddy Doyle's books is really hit and miss....love some of them, not crazy about others. This falls mostly in the latter category. Maybe if I had been a bit more familiar with the historic events portrayed, I would have got more out of it?That said, the book was well researched, and contained vivid descriptions that I enjoyed. And, I was struck, at the end, by just how young Henry was. He never really had a childhood, with a depressed mother and missing father. So, I felt for him -- at the end -- despite largely disliking him. I also found it interesting that he fought with the nationalists yet seemed to lack any independence ideology. During a gun battle, he doesn't aim at the enemy, but at windows of shops he wasn't allowed into as a child. He is missing something in his life, and maybe found a sense of belonging in the nationalist movement.Sounds like I'm starting to like it more upon reflection???

[squeakychu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry Smart, born in Dublin, is enraged from birth. He wants to be noticed and nurtured by his parents. His mother, too busy having other children, becomes heavily dependent on alcohol. His one-legged father is much too involved with his job as an occasional hit man and bouncer for a fancy brothel. As a very young child, Henry takes to living on the streets with his even younger brother Victor.The beginning of A Star Called Henry is reminiscent of how Frank McCourt describes childhood poverty in Ireland. The difference is that Henry Smart becomes infuriated by it. From the anger with which Henry is born to his developing philosophy of terrorism through his cold-blooded and feelingless executions, the story leaves the reader shuddering. At times it becomes hard to read because it presents the idea of a terrorist and murderer as protagonist. Doyle uses short clipped sentences and phrases to keep the action hopping along. Because the reader becomes so involved with Henry, it's difficult to know whether to root for him or against him. As in other Doyle novels, the author does a terrific job of capturing the flavor of Ireland as well as penetrating deep within an individual’s psyche. Even if the reader lacks knowledge specifically about the Irish Rebellion, the turmoil of warring factions (and even factions within factions) is captured so well. Here is an engaging read not to be missed for any Doyle fan.