So Charles Martin has come up with another book in the Murphy Shepherd series, after we all thought The Record Keeper was the final one. If you haven’t read The Water Keeper, The Letter Keeper, and the Record Keeper recently, you do not need to go back and re-read them. In this new book, Martin gives a lot of background to remind you what has happened in those 3 books. If you have NOT read them, you definitely want to read the series in order, because there’s a lot he doesn’t include in the flashbacks.

Once again, it is hard to read about the depths of evil involved in human trafficking and the awful, dark world of those who buy and sell the bodies of young boys and girls just to indulge in their perverse pleasures. After Bones’ death in The Record Keeper, his brother’s seven “generals” are ready to take over and continue expanding their power and reach. As Murphy grieves the loss of his mentor and friend, he keeps fighting, and the light shines through the darkness again and again, but at the cost of a love that gives sacrificially and completely.

The plot twists kept me gasping, and I had to take breaks now and then from the tension of the plot. New characters get introduced, more hope takes root, and I couldn’t believe how the book ends. I know you will love it like I did!

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

The Keeper is another book in Martin's Murphy Shepherd series that explores love, loss, grief, resilience, and grace. While it could be read alone, starting at the beginning of the series gives the richest reading experience.

Martin crafts characters and stories that are poignant and relatable. The Keeper is no exception. While I do prefer some of his older stories, The Keeper displays the trademark messaging that Martin is known for, wrapped up in a page-turning story.

Title:  The Keeper  
Author: Charles Martin
Genre:  Fiction    
Rating: 5 out of 5

Bones--Murphy Shepherd's teacher, mentor, priest, and friend--is gone. Devastated by the loss and unsure how to continue the rescue work they started, Murph has no choice but to jump back in when the worst happens. His longtime friend and current United States vice president, Aaron Ashley, has been a silent partner in the fight against trafficking. But in spite of having the best security available, his three daughters have been taken bound and blindfolded from their home by an extraction team that left no clues and no trace--just an empty house, a bereft mother, and nine dead Secret Service agents. Only Murph and his team have a hope of finding them.

Bones may have made the ultimate sacrifice taking down his own brother and the dark network he led, but there are still others in this network where evil is the currency and power is the prize. Soon Ashley drops out of the presidential race and a new candidate emerges--someone who is ready, too ready, to step into the race and the Oval Office.

Bones taught Murph that the needs of the one, the lost one, outweigh those of the ninety-nine. In his first rescue without Bones beside him, Murph's fight against human trafficking takes him across the globe and through the halls of government to destroy the network and save the lives and souls of those taken.

This book. Charles Martin is my favorite author, and I love the Murphy Shepherd books, so I was desperate to read this. And it did not disappoint me. The ending of The Record Keeper destroyed me in all the best possible ways—how was this going to live up to that? It did.

There was a lot of action, of course, as befits this series, but we got to spend a lot of time in Murphy’s head, too, watching as he struggled with what he’d been taught—the value of the one—and what he felt. His anguish and confusion and doubt spilled onto the page and the reader wrestled with them just as he did. Layer that with the action of the race to find the three girls and to figure out just who was behind the darkness that took them and this book was absolutely riveting, Charles Martin at his best.

Charles Martin is a bestselling author. The Keeper is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)

(Review will be live 3/18/25.)

I love The Keeper, the fourth book in the Murphy Shepherd series by Charles Martin. The books in this series have opened my eyes to the problem of human trafficking that I was not aware really existed before reading this series. A quote that is the central theme in all four of the books in this series speaks deeply to my heart. "The needs of the one outweigh those of the 99." Murphy Shepherd has just buried his best friend and mentor and is dealing with his own immense grief when the vice president’s daughters are kidnapped and trafficked. In spite of his own pain, he immediately put his own needs aside and goes to rescue the three girls. As the story unfolds, I found I could not put the book down. There were so many surprises that had me glued to the pages. Though there was quite a bit of repetition from other books with the backstory, I found myself enjoying the repetitive parts anyway.

The author does such a good job of character development that I felt like I actually came to care about a lot of the characters. One thing that really resonates for me in this book is identity… Loving yourself and caring about yourself and believing that you are worthy of love. One of my favorite quotes in the book is from Bones when he was alive and it is this: “Bones once told me “identity precedes purpose. You can’t know who you are until you know whose you are. Belongingness matters”

I absolutely love this series and hope there are many more in the series to come. I can’t wait for the next installment.

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

I have really liked this series and have kept up with all of them. This is the 4th book (and it makes me wonder if there will be more books). I really have liked the characters in this series, especially Murphy Shepherd and his family.
I love Charles Martin's writing and his reflections of truth that come out in every novel. He is easy to read and worth the time. Definitely recommend this series. This particular book really does need the 3 before it though in order to make sense. So read the whole series.

Charles Martin's books are always uplifting, full of both emotion and action. I enjoyed this one, like the others in the series, but did feel like there was too much repetition, both in catch phrases and backstory. There were definitely some unexpected points in the plot that kept me interested. Martin remains one of my favorite authors.
I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I just love Charles Martin’s writing. His newest book, The Keeper, was just as great as his previous books.

The Keeper by Charles Martin continues the heart-touching style his fans love, bringing reflective and deeply emotional writing that speaks to the reader’s soul. However, as the fourth installment in the Murphy Shepherd series, it feels a bit repetitive and relies heavily on introspective exploration of emotions, with less focus on action or new developments. This contemplative approach weighs down the pacing, especially due to tackling a subject that feels challenging to sustain over multiple books. Readers should approach the series in order, as each book builds directly on the previous one. Although not his strongest, The Keeper is still a testament to Martin’s talent for heartfelt storytelling and his strong faith.

The Keeper by C. Martin.published by Nelson Fiction is part of the Murphy Sheperd Series.
An enthralling read, literally unputdownable.
Blurb: Murphy Shepherd's teacher, mentor, priest, and friend--is gone. Devastated by the loss and unsure how to continue the rescue work they started, Murph has no choice but to jump back in when the worst happens. His longtime friend and current United States vice president, Aaron Ashley, has been a silent partner in the fight against trafficking. But in spite of having the best security available, his three daughters have been taken.
B may have made the ultimate sacrifice taking down his own brother and the dark network he led, but there are still others. Soon Ashley drops out of the presidential race and a new candidate emerges--someone who is ready, too ready, to step into the race and the Oval Office.

This book is amazing the fourth in his series each one I think is the best but the next one is even better.

The Keeper is book 4 in the Murphy Shephard series. Charles Martin is an amazing voice in today's Christian fiction genre. This may be the best book of the 4! The story starts with David/Murphy struggling after the death of Bones. More of their story and history is revealed and the story gets better as every page is turned! The twists in the story were completely unexpected. This is simply an excellent story that picks right up where #3 ended. Some have said this could be a standalone, but I think that all should be read in order to understand the full depth of what Murphy/David does and is and how all of his story fits together. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but all opinions are my own.

This is book 4 of the Murphy Shepherd series. I have read the others; however, each story is basically a standalone, with enough background that the reader will pick it right up. These are captivating, engaging stories nearly impossible to put down.
This story is about rescuing, mainly female, children of all ages, from the ravages of child trafficking. Absolutely outrageous to know such a thing exists, however, because it does, thankful for those who put their life on the line, as the fictitious character of Murphy Shepherd and others do.
The story begins with Murph at Arlington National Cemetery, where his mentor and best friend, Bones, is laid to rest. Although he is dealing with an agonizing sadness, at the loss, he vows to continue with the mission of saving children. Unknown to him the plot to take three daughters of a high-profile friend will play out soon.
The character development is exemplary, and the characters are memorable. The reality of child trafficking is not discounted in any way. Sacrificial love as well as the healing power of love is a theme throughout this heartfelt story.
I believe this book will appeal to the mainstream market as well as evangelicals. Personally, I loved the occasional reference to scripture.
I received a complimentary copy of his book. All comments and opinions are my own.

This is my first time reading anything by Charles Martin. Other than some references to earlier storylines, I wasn't lost in the story. It was written in such a way that it can stand on its own, although it is the latest in the series. Fans will obviously love the story. It is broad enough to fit into several categories. It has some romance, some intrigue, some action, and some moral direction. The subject matter is not bright and cheery, but the presentation of hope within a dark story is amazing. I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

Such a good read! I really enjoyed how this author is very descriptive, and how the writing style flowed so well. It was a good mystery/thriller and this book kept me engaged the whole time! I really liked this one!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I really enjoyed this as a romance and it worked with what I was looking for from the description. I was invested in what was happening to the characters and glad it was so well written. Charles Martin wrote this well and left me wanting to read more.

If you thought the Murphy Shepherd/David Bishop story reached its conclusion with The Record Keeper, you're not alone. According to a video posted to Charles Martin's social media, he thought so too. But as he worked toward making the three existing books into movies that are expected to be made in the next few years, he said he realized that there was more to the story and he began the 4th installment.

The Keeper is every bit as good as the previous three books, and maybe even better. I could not put it down and finished it in a few days when the average book has been taking me over a week because of some intense real-life situations that are taking up a lot of my time right now. N0t only did I enjoy the unfolding of several important plot points, but I enjoyed seeing several characters grow and evolve through the events in the story.

Of course, the subject is human trafficking and sexual abuse of girls and women, so you have to be able to handle that. This series as a whole manages to convey the immense evil and tragedy of human trafficking without being graphic about it. That in itself takes a great deal of talent.

I can only hope that Martin doesn't stop with four and continues on with the saga of Murphy Shepherd and his tribe. I for one would eagerly read a fifth installment or as many as he wants to write.

This is an amazing story from one of today’s most incredible Christian authors. Human trafficking has become an increasingly criminal pandemic today. Charles Martin dives in with The Keeper showing that no one and no family is immune from being touched by this horrendous tragedy. The Keeper is incredible work from Charles Martin.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

This book started out good but lost the plot midway through and by the end it made no sense . I often find his later books to be to Christian preachy in nature . His earlier books are much better. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

These books are so deep and so insightful! Murphy and the community at Freetown are left to deal with the world without Bones in the midst of trafficking of the vice presidents daughters. Murphy and his team fight to find the one sheep while flashing back to their own memories of Bones and trying to heal. This book has a wealth of insight.

Thanks to netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the arc. The opinions are my own.

The beginning of this book really grabbed me. Then it got into the story line and I Have no idea what this book is about. I could not continue to read something I don't have an understanding of what is going on. Maybe I had to read the first books to know. Sorry it was not for me.