Honey Dust

Cameron, former columnist for the Hollywood Reporter and currently a writer for Beverly Hills 213 , makes her fiction debut with a lackluster saga about three generations of Hollywood women. Honey Perry comes to Hollywood determined to make her mark as an actress, but quickly learns that the real power lies with top movie executive Phillip King (aka Pinky Cohen). Marrying King forthwith, she gets down to the business of building a movie dynasty, since her nominally powerful husband is actually weak-willed and shortsighted. Her most formidable rival for control of King Pictures will be her daughter, Powar, who receives $18 million in stock as a graduation present from her father. Powar soon has troubles of her own, however, when she becomes pregnant by a brilliant, married young director. The bitterness between Honey and Powar will only be resolved when the life of this child, spunky, talented Jordan King, is threatened by a stress-induced perforated ulcer. Cameron is obviously better versed in Hollywood gossip than in dialogue, characterization or plotting; her story reads more like a rough treatment for a bad mini-series than an actual novel. This is a weak substitute for Jacqueline Susann (who shares the dedication with Grace Metalious), but may suffice to get Hollywood-hungry summer readers through an afternoon at the beach. (Aug.)