Reilly's Luck: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – June 1, 1985

In my opinion, Louis L'Amour is the best western author of all time. Max Brand gave you great characters but only o.k. description of the countryside. Zane Grey was the opposite: great countryside but only o.k. description of characters. Louis L'Amour's characters and countryside were a great mix of the two. And his research was impeccable. If he had a spring in the story, then at the time the story was based there was a spring. His research was meticulous. I am 60 years old and I have read Louis L'Amour since I was 14. His Sackett series is one of the best and his historical story, The Walking Drum, as well as his metaphysical one, The Lonesome Gods, are phenomenal stand alone books.Enjoy this book and read the others I just mentioned.

I was 11 had been diagnosed as dyslexic and had grown to hate reading. My dad read the "poetry in the bar" scene from this book to me and then stopped reading. I asked dad to please continue. He layed the book on the coffee table, stood up and as he walked out and said you read it. That night, by flashlight, I read it through (struggling all the way). My ability to read grew and my love reading blossomed.

I am an avid western reader and a L'mour fan. This is one of his best works. I have always liked the Sackett line but I think this far exceeds the Sackett stories. Great story line, well fleshed out characters and longer than most of his novels.

This is one of L'Amour best titles. It has all of the components that made him an icon of western writers. Coming of age, philosophy, western values, action, and a hint of romance. Reilly is one of my favorite stories from the master of western literature.

I'm a big fan of the late Louis L'Amour. INMO one of America's great authors and the only author to be awarded the Congressional medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Reagan. I've bought and read 24 of his westerns, 3 short story collections, his sci fi book Haunted Mesa, Walking Drum, The Last of the Breed, The Lonesome Gods and his first book of poems. Almost all 5 stars. An incredibly talented author.Reilly's Luck is about a 4 year old boy named Val Darrant growing up and becoming a respectable man. We see his evil, manipulating, murderous mother named Myra who does everything including prostitution and multiple murders in order to advance herself in society and make lots of money. That all she cares about and had no use for he husband, son or boy friend. She treats everyone like dirt. She tells Van her boyfriend she doesn't want her 4 year old son and to get rid of it. Its 40 below zero out and she orders Van to get rid of her son Val. Van has pity on the kid and likes Val and does not leave him to die in the cold but takes Val to the only one ( Will Reilly) he can think of that might take care of Val. Will Reilly is a professional gambler with good upbringing, manners, intelligence and is good with a gun. He makes some good investments. Val and Will Reilly go to Europe where Reilly meets a beautiful woman and falls in love but she is hounded by a low life, gambling Prince Pavel. The Price tries to bull whip Will Reilly but Reilly gets the whip and slashes and scars the prince's face with his own whip. The Prince plans vengeance and hires men to kill Reilly. Myra the evil mother plots to kill her ex boyfriend Van so there will be one less person that knows her sorted past. Also Val's now rich but evil mother must find the box sent to Val from Van that shows her killings and her sorted prostitution past. Maybe have her son killed too.Val also makes good investments ( in 1/3 of a ranch and property the railroad later wants that's worth millions)and passes the bar exam and is a licenced attorney and can practice law if he wants to.Lots of action in this great book. Its a page burner. I read the 229 page book in 2 days.The reader develops deep empathy with poor little Val Darrant and Van who would not let Val die. Also Will Reilly is shown as a real hero and a wonderful person. Lots of fighting, gunfighting, and murder. Several real evil persons are shown. Two outlaws turn out to be good. Also Billy the Kid is a minor character in the book as well as wild Bill Kickok who helped both Val and Reilly.I won't ruin the story telling the sad fate of Reilly or the great ending. Reilly's Luck is a great Western and a thoughtful look at a man trying to bring up a young boy right and teach him what he would need in life. Also shows the ultimate evil that can be in a beautiful woman with no soul, lust in some men's hearts leading to their downfall and what evil men will do to their fellow men for power and money. A great story and one of L'Amour's best. Rated 5 stars

After all the hype written about this book, I guess I was led to expect too much. Yes there was just too much of everything in this book. Too much traipsing back east and then out west. Too many characters popping up that know more than they should. A mother that is more wicked than most bona fide gunslingers.On the other side of the scale are 2 outstanding main characters. Val Darrant started life with everything against him and still turned out to be an admirable even likable young man. All the credit goes to Will Reilly. If not for Will taking the task seroiusly of bringing up the boy, the life of Val would have turned out far differently. Will deserves to have his name in the title of this book. But it was not luck that earned him the legacy of being Val's uncle. It was honor, love and perseverance that accomplished it.

I first read "Reilly's Luck" as a teenager over 3 decades ago. It's one of Mr. L'Amour's best reads. I have read all his work, or most of it, more times than I can count. The things we do in this lifetime echo for eternity (Gladiator). Our choices, how we react, direct our future steps. The past follows the future. I love the guidance and moral code I learned from Mr. L'Amour's historical fiction. He was my "father" growing up. Thank you, Mr. L'Amour, for your life's work.

I have read all Mr Lamour’s books several times in hardcover and in paperbacks and am presently rereading them in digital format as they come available at a reasonable price. In reading this book, it struck me that this was one of his very best. Another review is really unnecessary, but I wanted to share that observation.

Intriguing story. it follows the life of a young lad form the age of 4 yrs and tells of being brought up by a gambler whilest living the tough life of early westerners inculdin a romantic interest. Involves quite a lot of info re gambling, living and surviving on the trail, and L'Amour uses his experience of boxing to be of interest . All in all another great story by Louis and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

As usual this is an absolutely top notch tale from a master of the western. However it is a much better plot than the usual Louis LaMour novel. I was wishing that it was longer than it actually was. It did come to the end rather suddenly although he doe's tend to finish his books as though he had become bored. Certainly a five star read.

great read could not put down

Great novel

This book was bought as gift for a Louis L'Amour fan who enjoys every book he's read by this author.