Another amazing novel by Charles Martin. It was intriguing but also sobering in its portrayal of human trafficking. Thanks to Net Galley for the AR copy.

Charles Martin has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. I love the depth of his writing and he draws me in to the characters lives in a way that I cannot put the book down until I know the ending. He brings real people and issues to the fictional novel world and helps bring compassion to situations that otherwise might not be given any.

At times an action thriller, and at others a heart-tugging romance, Charles Martin is back with the second installment in the Murphy Shepherd series.

Picking up in the previous book, Murph continues to risk his life to safe the one, but when the traffickers target his newfound family he will stop at nothing to bring them home.

Filled with moments of non-stop action mixed with heartwarming moments, this book never stops for breath. I liked how we get to learn more about the inner workings of Free Town, as well as Murph's backstory. The story is nothing short of cinematic and larger than life, compelling and action packed, it is a difficult book to put down. Christian faith is alluded to, but not discussed plainly. Though not overly explicit this book talks about human trafficking in honest terms as well as the trauma experienced by the victims.

A must read for anyone who read The Water Keeper, as it follows the same characters as they face new challenges. Heart-tugging, romantic, and heroic you won't want to miss it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF - the writing in this book was really quite poor. It jumped around so much in the beginning, not to mention it dove right into a situation where I had no idea what was happening.

This is the first time I have given my favorite author less than 5 stars. It's why I'm behind on the review. I hated to do it. Normally. I absolutely, 100% love Martin's stories. The redemption, the overcoming, the persevering...his stories are magical.

In The Letter Keeper, which is a follow-up to The Water Keeper, we get an exciting start, similar to TWK. Then that slows down and we are given the history of Murph, which I love. Martin's writing never falters, he is always poetic and carefully meaningful in his words, it was just...the middle of the book was a big contrast to TWK. It was slower, kind of delving deeper into the lives of Murph and the people in his life. Then, the story kicks back up and we're back to the writing we are used to (action-packed, would definitely be a Michael Bay movie).

I love Charles Martin. He is my favorite novelist. I will continue to buy his books without even looking to see what they are about. I love that he's a man of deep faith, but doesn't throw it in your face. This was not a bad book by any means. Just not what I'm used to lately.

While you could technically read this as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading The Water Keeper first. I think you'll have a deeper understanding of the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own, and not influenced by receiving this book.

I love Charles Martin’s writing, but it does give me whiplash! The second in the Murphy Shepherd series is more contemplative than the first book, but then takes off at rocket speed when the action starts. Murph, who sometimes seemed superhuman in the first book, become a little more human in this one, and this book is definitely slower action. I’ll honestly admit that while seeing the human side of Murph was nice, Martin’s action writing is imaginative and captivating. I like how the story ends with that leading edge into a follow on. The overall premise of what’s going on will keep me reading his next book (and I can’t wait!). A solid 4.5 rounded up.

I usually like Charles Martin's books, but this one didn't capture my interest. Sorry to say, I didn't finish it.

The Letter Keeper #2
by Charles Martin
Publish Date June 8, 2021

Combining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't read # 1 so I need to go back and catch up on that one. This is on my list of books that I am considering for our 2022 Book Club at our library. I think this one will be a hit!

Thank you!
5 stars

Intense! This is the second book in the Murphy Shepherd series dealing with human trafficking! I doubt if any human is able to endure all that Murphy Shepherd does and survive to fight some more but it makes for a great read! I learned a lot about the rehabilitation that has to be done after victims are rescued. Sometimes a person keeps a secret because more people will benefit from that action. We all need the love of an earthly father and, even more so, the love of our heavenly father! I recommend The Letter Keeper to others. I received a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

I finished this book several days ago. But I had to wait and absorb it before I could even think about writing a review. Once again, Charles Martin has ripped my heart out of my chest and made it ache for the characters you discover as you find yourself lost in the story. The author has an amazing gift of taking a current global issue and relating it to the Bible and Christian principles. Murphy Shepherd’s dedication and openness in helping to rescue and heal those who have suffered so much is inspirational.

I will warn you, make sure you have a box (or two) of tissues close by. You will need them! And make sure you’re in a place where you can sob out loud … I mean ugly girl crying … and gasp out loud. There are twists and turns, moments of intense agony, times of extreme joy, and pages of sitting on the edge of your seat in suspense. Charles Martin has written a story that delivers the ugliness of humanity but is cleansed by God’s love and sacrifice.

Be prepared for the last chapter! But don’t peak. It’s worth the wait.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

If anything can rob of you now, it is yesterday.

Murphy Shepherd continues on. Haunted by the past (see The Water Keeper, Murphy has a future with his daughter and Summer. This book is more character driven and it is driven by Murphy and what he does. He rescues victims from trafficking. He has a heart for it, he has a passion for it. His life has changed with finding his daughter and with Summer coming into life. He has found love. And with that, he knows that his operation can be shut down if his enemies want to go after him. He is also haunted by his daughter's mother and how their relationship ended. The plot is driven by these two fronts. Everything else is secondary.

For me personally, I always appreciate a struggle between good and evil. With emotions and fighting to do the right thing. Murphy Shepherd covers all that. However, the plot was lost and found again thru out Murphy musing and going back in time. You really need to read the first book to have any connection with the second. The third will tying up the lose ends and of the evil behind trafficking. Martin does a great job in putting a face in what trafficking does and who is behind it. Power and money. It is a Christian book but not heavy on theology but how love cast out all fear and evil.

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

In my opinion, the second installment of Murphy Shepherd was even better than the first. This book was full of excitement, suspense and was a page turner.

In this sequel, some of my questions were answered that I still had from the first book. The beginning of the book opens where THE WATER KEEPER left off. Throughout the novel, explanations of why Bones never revealed Marie's whereabouts were explained.

Bones and Murph are in a race against time to save others from sex trafficking. Murph and Bones explain more details about Freetown and how the rescued live in safety there. Some of the girls get kidnapped from Freetown and another rescue begins to save their lives. It means even more this time because Summer, Murph's new wife, is in the group.

I highly recommend this book! This one is a cliffhanger! Hurry up with the next one.

I am a big fan of Charles Martin and have read several of his books. This was a slower read for me and I found it more challenging to stay engaged compared to the first book in this series. I look forward to reading the last book in the series when it comes out, and hopefully it will hold my attention more.

I’m going to be honest. I was about 40% through the book and I didn’t really care to read anymore, which is weird, because I always love Charles’ books. But the first half is really a lot of backstory and narration. I was bored.

But I kept reading, and wow, I’m glad it did. I was up until 2am because I had to see how it ended. So push through that first half because the last half is well worth it and it does add a lot of depth to the overall story.

I would say I think you need to read The Water Keeper first, otherwise you will probably be pretty confused, but you won’t regret reading that one either.


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

"He leaves the ninety-nine."

Charles Martin has a unique way of writing stories that stay with you long after you read them and this one is no exception. This is the sequel to his novel, The Water Keeper, which also deals with the horrific subject of human trafficking. There is the same edge-of-your-seat tension in this story, but it did slow down a bit to give you the back story of how Murphy came to be such a sacrificial hero. And I loved that.

I loved getting to know the characters better, especially Casey. Her story was so heart breaking, but Murphy gave her hope and a chance at a new life. I just finished this book last night and know that I will be thinking about it for a long time. It was just so powerful. Obviously, I highly recommend this book.

The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin
A Murphy Shepherd novel #2

Almost put this book down before finishing but decided to read the end, then a bit in the middle, and still unsatisfied with quitting I skimmed it all to find out if what I thought did not make sense might make complete sense by the last page. I felt, when I nearly stopped reading, that this is a series that probably should be read starting with book and I still feel that way after reading as I did although I did manage to get a sense of the main character, his calling, and the life he leads.

What I liked:
* Shepherd/Bishop: a man with a skill-set and life calling to be admired…although…at times he seemed to have a death wish or perhaps he was an adrenaline junkie.
* Bones: co-worker/boss/string puller of Shepherd
* The task that Shepherd & Bones have in common and the way they achieve their goal(s)
* The way Shepherd keeps track of the people his work has impacted
* Gunner: A dedicated, smart, and loving canine companion
* The lives saved and the hints about what they were saved from.
* Casey: one of the people saved
* The parts Marie, Ellie, Summer and Angel played in the story ALTHOUGH this is where having read the first book might have come in handy.
* The indestructible constitution Shepherd must have – and his ability to heal from death defying injuries.
* Finding out who Bones & Shepherd will probably be chasing in the next book

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that there are traffickers in real life as evil or more evil than the ones mentioned in this book.
* Thinking about the pain and suffering that those trafficked must experience.
* Feeling that I should have read book one before reading this one – felt I must be missing things at times.

Did I like this book? Sort of
Would I read more by this author? Maybe

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

This is an amazing book. Love the continued story of Murph! Love the way Charles Martin writes. You can’t put the book down. Always thrilling and heartbreaking. Can not wait for the story to contiune!

As with The Water Keeper, this book deals with some sensitive subjects that might be hard for some readers; but they are handled well with Charles Martin's usual excellent writing. I think it's beneficial for the reader to read these books in order to get the full impact of the characters and to understand the story. This is another thought-provoking book.

Before you start this book, set aside about two days to do nothing but read because you won't want to put this book down. This has basically been the case with every Charles Martin book I've read, but I absolutely love this series. It's not because it gives me the warm fuzzies or makes me smile, but instead it makes me think. It affects me deep in my heart and mind. I feel so invested in Murphy Shepherd because the story is told completely from his point of view, so the reader is able to dive deep into his thoughts and feelings. I love this hero. He's a mix of a Jason Bourne/Jack Reacher type, but with a heart of faith and love. He's a protector, not only in the process of rescuing those trapped in human trafficking, but after their rescue.

This book, like the previous one, looks at Murphy's past and how it impacts his present. In the first book it focused a lot on his relationship with his first wife. This book explores that some more, but answers a lot of questions about his relationship with his mentor and how Murphy came to be who he is. The present intersects as this past connection impacts those he loves in the here and now.

This book, along with The Water Keeper, are two of my favorite books. I can't recommend them enough. After I read both I had to take a step back and just process all that happened. I really want to go back and read them again. Both have plot twists and turns that I didn't fully understand until the end. For me, that equals well written fiction.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to give an honest review, which I did.**

First things - I should have read the first one. I didn't realize this was the second in the series. Secondly - Trafficking of humans is the subject matter so if this triggers you, proceed with caution. It doesn't dwell on all the details and most of it is in the rescue phase, but it is handled well and it wasn't as heavy as I anticipated.

I couldn't put this one down. It was a rich story that moved around quite a bit. I was in it until the end which brought a twist that I wasn't expecting and the promise of another book in this series.

I admire the people that are strong enough to save others from this dire situation. I loved the relationships that were among those behind the scenes and the honest way it showed the healing process and the time that it takes for these victims to heal, if they heal.

The characters were complex and flawed humans in the best sense of the words. I was honored to receive an eARC through netgalley and give this honest review.