Skyring Water: A Novel

by Beau L'Amour, Louis L'Amour

528 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

BEAU L’AMOUR is the son of novelist Louis L'Amour. Beau grew up among the writers, actors, beatniks, Apache Indians, FBI agents, and members of the Hollywood Ten who were the denizens of his West Hollywood neighborhood and his parents’ friends. He graduated from California Institute of the Arts. Over the years, L’Amour has written and produced a series of more than sixty audio dramas and worked in the radio and magazine business, then as a screenwriter and television producer. In the world of book publishing, he has been an art director, literary editor, and ghost writer.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of uncorrected eBook file

In Spain in 1961, Mike Fowler shoots and disables the car that had been pursuing him, then takes several shots to keep the pursuers’ attention focused on him so that his partner, Anton Voss, can escape. After making it look like there had been two shooters, he drives on. He has a long drive to France.

Despite continued pursuit in France, Mike manages to board the ship carrying their cargo. For the moment, he has escaped the pursuing Brotherhood, the Invisible Reich.

But is he really safe?

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For readers used to seeing Louis L’Amour’s name on the covers of western tales, it might be a surprise to discover this cold war thriller was co-authored by Louis L’Amour and his son, Beau. Readers can get all the fascinating details of the writing of the book in the lengthy Postscript following the story.

Set in the cold war when the world was on the brink of nuclear war, this is a story that pulls readers in from the outset. The pace is quick, the tension high, the suspense unrelenting. Mike Fowler and Anton Voss are the main characters here, unlikely compatriots, but bonded by each having saved the other’s life. Both characters are well-developed and believable; their friendship is a strength of the story.

Plot twists, unexpected reveals, and a decades old mystery surrounding a treasure-trove of gold all work together to keep the reader involved in the unfolding story. Readers who enjoy espionage thrillers will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Ballantine / Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#SkyringWater #NetGalley

[G Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Skyring Water – Louis & Beay L’Amour (Read 3/26 NetGalley) Skyring Water is a brand new novel from the mind of Louis L’Amour. It’s not a western, as was most of his books. This is set in the 1960’s of the Cold War. As his son, Beau (co-author) mentions in the acknowledgements, this book follows the style of the action writers of the 70’s & 80’s. As I was reading the book, I felt it reminded me of a Ludlum novel. Skyring Water has all of the intrigue, espionage of Ludlum with the detail that Louis L’Amour was known to put in his westerns.

As a Cold War novel, it deals with the weapons of mass destruction and the intense search for the next bomb to destroy the World. The heroes (maybe, maybe-not) are arms dealers selling WW2 surplus armaments to the many revolutionaries of the early 60’s, going wherever the surplus takes them. Mike Fowler learns of a U-boat filled with gold bars from his associate Voss and the hunt is on. But others have heard the rumors and are doing their best to beat Fowler and Voss to it. They will kill anyone in their way. As Fowler gets closer to the objective, the more he doubts the sub has gold. It may be the thing nations go to war over!

Louis L’Amour always made you feel like you knew the characters, the situation and the desperation of the novel. Beau L’Amour has done a wonderful job of imitating his father’s style with his descriptive narrative. I was excited to have the opportunity to read what may be the last novel we get from the files of Louis L’Amour.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts

Growing up with an avid reader for a father I was introduced to westerns written by author Louis L’Amour as a preteen.

My favorites were those stories penned about the Sackett family.

My Dad and I read and reread them many times over the years because they were so enjoyable.

This particular collaboration between father and son is a very different kind of novel and one that has a lot of moving parts that will test its readers patience at times because it is a very long book.

Filled with characters that are both likable and not you get a sense of how Anton Voss and Mike Fowler have survived as partners in business despite those who are against them.

A thriller in every sense of the word that involves multi-layered secrets, a dangerous mystery and tension that finally ends with a not so surprising twist.

A “loud” story with a “quiet” ending.

[EArc from Netgalley]

[Wendi Flint Rank (WendiReviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a week! I generally finish books in 2-3 days.
This book took a. Entire week, several hours each day.
To keep me interested and engaged should tell people
what a good story this is. The main characters are
well,written and engaging from start to finish. The
scenes, backdrops and fascinating locales became
my obsession ~ looking things up and being fascinated
is the best part of books and this book was just
loaded.
Beau L'Amour has done an amazing job blending and
working with his Dad's project, and fleshing the work
out for a great result.
I recommend this to the Louis L'Amour fans and
believe you will feel Louis in this book. I certainly
felt him.
My thanks to Ballentine ~ Bantam via NetGalley
for the download copy of the book for review purposes.

[Doug Yonce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good idea, but not carried on in the rich tradition I was expecting. Maybe I’m just being nostalgic, but the characters and the pacing of this story just didn’t measure up to the mater’s standards. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.