I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

Charles Martin! I love everything he writes. And The Record Keeper does not disappoint. The third book in the Murphy Shepherd Series is the last rescue mission for Murphy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this well-written, suspenseful, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat book.

Satisfying conclusion to this trilogy. Very well written and researched and absorbing. Looking forward to more from this author, who is literally one of my favorites

What a great read! This author is new to me but will definitely look up more. I could hardly wanted to put it down. Highly recommend!

I like Martins work in general but some books hit me better than others, I was looking forward to this one but I stopped and started it so many times, maybe it was the book maybe it was me we will never know because I never did get through it.

Another fabulous book by Charles Martin that brings a satisfying but also heart wrenching conclusion to the Murphy Shepherd trilogy. The subject matter of trafficking is really hard to read about, but Martin crafts both rich characters and an intriguing and ever unfolding story line that his books are so hard to put down. Few authors can manage to combine this riveting story lines with writing that makes one just stop and take in certain key passages and reread them and pause
to ponder their deep truth. This title and its 2 previous books in the series leave behind characters and a story line that will stay with me.
Grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. My review is my own opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Murphy Shepherd saves people. That is his job, and he takes it very seriously when people traffic children. His last mission nearly killed him, and his recovery has been difficult.

Murphy has worked hard to create a haven for the victims he has rescued. All he's ever wanted is for them to recover in a safe place, to have the chance to reclaim their lives. He has named this Haven Freetown.

Now Murphy has to defend his home alongside his mentor and friend Bones. Now married and with two daughters he will stop at nothing to keep his family safe.

this is the third and last book in the Murphy Shepherd series. These books must be read in order as each book builds on each other. Charles Martin is a master as creating characters that ring true and his message about human trafficking will give a person chills. I will admit I have cried through each book wanting to stop but unable to put the books down. I will read anything that Martin writes because he is that good.

Plot:
* the third book in the Murphy Shepherd trilogy
* explores the power of sacrificial love
* rescue mission
* intense and action packed story

My Thoughts:
I thought this book was the perfect conclusion to the series. Once again, the story does not shy away from heavy topics that are just plain difficult to read at times and break your heart. Yet, it is all so well-written and tastefully done, which is a huge nod to Martin's phenomenal writing. I don't want to say too much here in my review so as to not spoil any plot points from the previous books, so excuse my vagueness. I will say that I really loved the new characters we meet in this book and what they added to the story. As a Christian, my biggest takeaway was the powerful message of God going after the lost sheep and everybody being worthy of that sacrificial love. This is a main theme of the book and really resonated with me. I have spoken of the heavy nature of the book, but I would also like to be sure to mention that intertwined with all of this heaviness there is hope and redemption. Overall, I found this to be such a powerful and memorable series that I'm very glad to have picked up. I am eager to read what Martin writes next!

Trigger Warnings: sexual abuse, human trafficking, implied nudity of children and adults

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

The Record Keeper was an okay read. I know a lot of people loved this series, but it just wasn't for me. I had a difficult time following the story as it was such a fast-paced read. The ending was confusing and I'm left wondering what happened with a certain character...

It was also a darker read at times and not one I enjoyed picking up. Sadly, this was not a book for me.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Incredible end.

This is the third book in Charles Martin's Murphy Shepherd trilogy. The Water Keeper (Book 1). The Letter Keeper (Book 2). This series must be read in order.

I was thoroughly impressed. I love how Charles Martin can write about such devastating circumstances and still highlight the hope that can always be found if you look for it. His message is that where there is love there is hope, and that really resonated with me.

This is a satisfying conclusion to an epic story. It's not a perfect end, but it is certainly hopeful.
I would definitely recommend it.

Trigger Warnings:
-medium details about sexual abuse of young children
-implied nakedness of adults and children

The Record Keeper is the third book in Charles Martin's Murphy Shepherd series after The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper and wow, what an amazing conclusion! I absolutely loved Murphy Shepherd and Bones and the whole gang in Freetown. Murph's dog Gunner steals the show once again too! This is such a compelling story and I really didn't want it to end even though I finished it with tears streaming down my face. It's not an easy story to read but if you do, it'll stay with you forever!

Definitely a 5 star read!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 5 July 2022.

Another phenomenal book from a phenomenal author. I loved the first book, the second was a little slower paced but still great, and the 3rd—this one was above them all! So much action, suspense, heartbreak, and hope. Defy the odds and never give up. “Leave the 99 to find the one.” Some of these situations are questionable about how far the human body can preserve, but I was HOOKED and couldn’t stop reading. . . Now if I only new what the ending meant 😂

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the gifted book I read along with the library audio!

After his last mission got wildly personal, Murphy Shepherd is now fully entrenched in a revenge mission that is making him use every fiber of his mental and physical acuity to defeat the enemy.

This third book in the series is the resolution I didn't even know I was craving. It is suspenseful and poignant at the same time. Martin is the kind of writer that wraps their arm around your shoulder and guides you through the ups and downs of the narrative. And in this third book his writing style really shines as he brings home the themes of this series in the most touching of ways and the resolution is so bittersweet that you can't help but feel all the feelings.

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

Once again, I think I like this last and maybe final installment of the series best. This is a very tough series to follow. The situations that the victims find themselves in are pretty horrific, and although there are no highly detailed descriptions, enough is said to make its depravity clear to the readers.
In the previous visit, we found out that there was an almost Moriarty-Like character existing just outside of the periphery of our plot. In this book, we finally get the answers to who he is and how everything came to the stage that it did. It is not a happy tale, but there is a depth of emotion here that helps bring some solace of peace to the good guys. I always liked a heist-like scenario with newer people added to the mix, and I must admit that that section was my favourite.
I would not recommend coming anywhere close to this book without reading either one of the previous two. There are no perfunctory introductions except for brief references to events that brought our central cast of heroes together.
This is not a tale for the faint of heart, but at its core, it is the struggle of individuals fighting an undefeatable evil in our societies without losing out hope and hoping that the few they manage to save make a difference!
I would recommend this series to people who like a lot of action in their books of good versus evil.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This is the 3rd book in a series and all the books were great and very well written. It was the perfect way to wrap up the series when often times the ending of a series is anticlimactic. Recommend!

A great end to a great series. But some very tough issues. Thank you NetGalley and publisher. Look forward to what’s next from this author.

The Record Keeper is the third story in the Murphy Shepherd series. I’m hearing it’s the last story, which makes me so sad because I feel like this series could just keep going. There are so many amazing characters and I want to keep reading about them all, but if this is the last story, what a wonderful conclusion! That ending literally gave me goosebumps!

Murphy and Bones are some of my favorite characters ever! I love their hearts and everything they stand for. They both epitomize sacrificial love, especially Bones. This story explains his past and how he came to be where he is. What a story. What a beautiful character. We can only hope there are Bones and Murphy’s out there!

Because of the subject matter of this series, it is sometimes hard to read. To know the horrific depths man can fall to just breaks my heart, but I am so glad that several authors are bringing this horrible subject to our attention.

If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it. Charles Martin is a wonderful storyteller!

I purchased this story. I was also given a complimentary copy. The faith thread is medium. 5 stars!

Absolutely wonderful. But please don't leave me on that cliffhanger! (Beware.) Yet somehow it was the perfect end to this unique and twisty, beautiful, and deep series. I was relieved to have the story finished yet I also wanted a twelve book series at the same time! Charles Martin writes like no other author I have ever read and I am in love with his books. Catch me reading his entire back catalogue. Keep writing, sir!

What an amazing triology of books! All three were amazing and definitely are books I am still thinking about long after having turned the last page. Highly recommend for realistic fiction and moving characters.

This is a beautifully written conclusion to the Murphy Shepherd trilogy. I was moved to tears many times thinkin about the gorgeous analogy of how God seeks us out, even when we seem to be the only one lost.

So why not five stars? It's because this book really takes a long time to get going. The first 50% is a lot of rehashing of the storylines of prior books and inch-by-inch setup of what is to come. I rate the first 50% 3-stars, and the second 50% 5-stars, so an average of 4. It's still an absolutely stellar book and you definitely should read all three books in order, despite the recaps.

There are many things about the plots of these books that are incredibly difficult to read. The premise of the stories is that Murphy Shepherd and his counterparts work to rescue women and children from trafficking, and although it doesn't go into detail, enough is provided that will gut you and break your heart into a million pieces.

Although these books are an amazing allegory of God's love for people, you could read them and appreciate them for the stories themselves and not even notice the underlying message. Martin is such an excellent writer that his books appeal to a wide range of readers, whether they believe in God or not. However, one caveat is that some of the actions of the characters might not make much sense without a faith background.

Overall, I loved this trilogy and cannot wait to see what this writer comes up with next.