The Friday 56: 'Skyring Water'

Hello, fellow Friday 56ers! 

Is it just me, or did this week fly by way too fast? It feels like I just posted last week's update, and here I am writing another Friday 56, hosted by My Head is Full of Books. I guess there's just too much on my mind, and time is slipping away. Once again, reading has been a bit of a slog for me; I'm pushing through The Last Ride of the Dirty Creek Gang, hoping to post my review sometime tomorrow.

Here's a bit of an update on my father: his checkup with the surgeon went well, which is good enough for the doctor to schedule surgery on his left knee for the 18th of this month. Since the surgery is late in the day, he won’t be released from the hospital until the following day. So, if you don’t see me posting a Friday 56 on the 19th, then you’ll know why.

For my Friday 56, I’ve chosen the newly released Skyring Water by Louis L'Amour and Beau L'Amour. I know some of you might be wondering, “Didn’t Louis L'Amour pass away many years ago?” You are correct; he passed away from cancer in 1988. However, this isn’t a case of an estate and publisher trying to profit from a deceased author’s name. The novel is co-written by L'Amour's son, Beau, who manages his father's estate. There’s a postscript in the book by Beau, explaining the history of the original unpublished draft written by his father and the process of collaborating with him both before and after his passing. This isn't just a well-edited version of Louis L'Amour's original draft; it reflects Beau’s vision of how the story of Skyring Water might have unfolded had his father lived longer to finish the tale.

Now, here’s a preview from page 56:

"He's a German, a fascist . . .?"

— L'Amour, Louis; L'Amour, Beau. Skyring Water, Bantam, 2026, p. 56.

It’s not set during World War II; instead, it takes place in 1961, amidst Cold War suspense. The story features a pair of unlikely heroes: a woman without a name and the undefeated agents of the Third Reich, who are locked in a deadly race to control the greatest secret of the twentieth century—a hidden cache of thirty tons of stolen gold in an icebound wilderness at the end of the world. It sounds like a thrilling story, and I’m looking forward to reading it next.

〜B.J. Burgess