Charles Martin Creates so much depths into his novels. Tragically, emotionally, spiritually, without missing a beat in his suspense.
It was great to see past characters, including bones who still speaks through memory,
Heartfelt and hard to put down.
Amazing narration.

A bit of background: I'd read and enjoyed a couple of Charles Martin's books, and had of course heard of this Murphy Shepherd series but had never read any of the books from the series until recently. When I saw this new book was coming out I did a bit of a binge and read the first three books in the series over the space of about 3 weeks in April 2025. The good news is that I enjoyed them all. The flip side of that is that schedule didn't serve this 4th book well for me. If I were one of the legions of fans of the book that had waited 3 years for this one, I'm sure I would've appreciated the flashbacks and referrals to events in the previous books more. But since my memory didn't need refreshing, a lot of this book felt repetitive. The actual storyline was a good one, again shining a light on the horrors of human trafficking and the evils that people can perpetrate on each other - and the need for good people to fight the good fight against that evil. The repetitive nature would've made it a 3.5-star read for me, but the main storyline and overarching theme of the series, along with the excellent narration by Jonathan K. Riggs, bumped it to 4 stars. And had I not read all four books so close together, it would probably have been 4 stars, period.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

The last of the series so far. I enjoyed it and i guess there's a book 5 coming..... i am relieved that :Bones did not die".

To be honest, I thought this series ended in 2022 with The Record Keeper. I was pleasantly surprised to learn there was a new installment, and even more surprised by some of the plot twists in this story that set up likely future books in this series.

For anyone who hasn't read the first three books in the Murphy Shepherd series, I recommend starting at the beginning with The Water Keeper, and continuing from there. While the fourth book recaps the essentials to get a new reader up to speed, I think you’ll get more out of the series reading it in order. And there's a lot of substance to this series. Well worth the time to read it.

The audiobook edition is read by Jonathan K. Riggs, who does a great job telling the story and giving voice to Murphy Shepherd and the other characters.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an Advance Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley.

I continue to say the same thing about this author. If you haven’t read his books they are a must. Each story dives deep into the characters and I love the way he brings the characters to life. Most of his stories catch me in the beginning and I need to know more.
Thanks for the advanced copy.

I continue to say—I'm a huge fan of Charles Martin’s books, and The Keeper is yet another incredible addition to the Murphy Shepherd series. This fourth book has been the hardest for me to read emotionally, as it centers around Murphy dealing with the death of Bones, a character I’ve grown to love deeply throughout the last three books.

Watching Murphy walk through his grief, trying to figure out how to keep doing the work without the steady presence of his friend and mentor, absolutely pulls at your heartstrings. But as we’ve seen throughout this series, the mission doesn’t stop. There’s still a war to be fought, and someone to rescue—because, as Martin so powerfully reminds us, the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the ninety-nine.

In The Keeper, almost before Bones’s funeral is even over, Murphy is called back into action. Three daughters of a presidential hopeful have been taken, and there are no leads. It’s high stakes, fast-paced, and emotionally charged—but the true heart of the story lies in Murphy’s struggle to figure out who he is without Bones by his side.

If you're an audiobook fan, don’t miss Jonathan K. Riggs’s narration—he continues to do an excellent job bringing this series to life.

If you’ve been walking this road with Murphy from the beginning, prepare yourself: this one hits differently. But it’s a beautiful, powerful continuation of a story I’m not ready to let go of yet.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of both the book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I always love a good Christian mystery/suspense, and this did not disappoint. This is the fourth book in the sires, and I feel I need to go back and start from book 1. But overall this was a great book.

This is literally one of my favorite series!

Murphy Shepherd is one of a kind…he tracks down people that have been kidnapped and brings them home and in his spare time he’s a best selling author.

This book concentrates on working to break up the organization founded by Frank. We get more of the story about several different characters from Free Town and of course lots of action but thankfully without unnecessary sex or language thrown in. Charles Martin if definitely an auto buy for me!


I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion

So many emotions were felt while reading this book, happiness, sadness, and anger. I don't know if this will be the final book in the Murphy Shepherd series, if it is, it ended on a high note. If this is not the end, then I look forward to reading where Charles Martin takes us next.

Jonathan K. Riggs, once again, did a great job narrating this series.

Charles Martin’s The Keeper is a masterclass in emotional storytelling, and the audiobook elevates it to an unforgettable experience. Narrated with depth and nuance, the voice performance captures every ounce of Murphy Shepherd’s grief, grit, and grace as he embarks on his most personal and perilous mission yet.

This fourth installment in the Murphy Shepherd series is a powerful blend of suspense, heartache, and hope. With Bones gone, Murph is left to navigate a world still riddled with the evil they fought so hard to dismantle. The stakes are sky-high when the daughters of a presidential hopeful are abducted, and Murph must act swiftly, without his mentor, but with unwavering resolve.

Martin’s prose is poetic and piercing, and the audiobook format brings it to life in a way that feels intimate and immersive. The themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of justice are handled with sensitivity and strength. The human trafficking storyline is harrowing but necessary, and Martin approaches it with compassion and clarity.

What truly sets this audiobook apart is the emotional resonance. You don’t just hear Murph’s journey—you feel it. From the quiet moments of reflection to the pulse-pounding action, every scene is delivered with authenticity and heart.

Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the series, The Keeper is a must-listen. It’s a story of courage, love, and the enduring power of doing what’s right—even when it costs everything.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charles Martin, Harper Audio Christian Publishing- Thomas Nelson Fiction, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On paper, The Keeper had everything that usually draws me in—military themes, emotional fallout after the death of a friend, a high-stakes kidnapping plot, and the heavy reality of sex trafficking. But despite all that, I struggled to connect with it, and I’ve been trying to pinpoint why.

Ultimately, the story was confusing. There was a lot of jumping back and forth in the timeline, and a huge cast of characters whose names alternated between real ones and military code names—it was hard to keep track. I also went into the book blind, and for a while, I couldn’t even tell if it was a novel or nonfiction. The narration (I listened to the audiobook) didn’t help either—it was delivered in a way that made it sound like a true story, which added to my confusion.

The cover also didn’t align with the content for a good chunk of the book, and that threw me off too. And while the pacing started off promising, it dragged on. I thought I was close to the end, only to realize I was just 65% through.

The narrator’s obsessive reverence for his fallen friend—who was clearly an important figure in his life—ended up feeling repetitive and overdone. We’re reminded constantly how revered he was, to the point that it began to feel idolizing and unnecessarily intense.

At times, the book leaned heavily into moral lessons and personal convictions in a way that felt more like a lecture than a story. It pulled me out of the narrative and made the tone feel a bit heavy-handed.

Add to that a surprising number of references to cellulite (which got old fast), and I found myself losing patience.

I also didn’t realize this was book four in a series, but honestly, I’m not sure reading the earlier books would have helped much.

All in all, The Keeper was a tough read for me, and I found myself forcing the finish line.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Murphy Shepherd series is simultaneously a tender love story, a heartrending search for freedom, an exploration of the terrible cost of human trafficking, and an anthem to the power of love to create change when it shows up regardless of the cost. The Keeper raises the stakes even further, so be ready--you won't want to put it down until you reach the very last page.. This was part of the synopsis and sums this story up succinctly.

I love all the main characters. Mr. Martin certainly took me on an emotional roller coaster. I’ve read the first in the series and plan to read books 2 and 3 soon. The ending leaves an opening for the next book. There were several unexpected turns in this book. Outstanding narration. Highly recommend the entire series.

I was blessed with an ARC and these are my own, unbiased opinions.

Martin is a gifted writer and I was glad to see the continuation of the Murphy Shepherd series and how Martin brings forgiveness and redemption into his stories. In The Keeper Martin has some beautiful prose and, once the plot starts rolling, the story is intriguing. My problem with the story was that so much of the story was mourning and loss and re-hashing of the previous novels. Perhaps the author felt it was necessary in order for the novel to stand alone, but it slowed movement considerably.
Recommended for fans of Christian fiction.

This was an ARC audiobook I received from NetGalley.

I just adore this series, and book 4 did not disappoint. The author keeps a good pace, and I love the religious pieces throughout. It is not overly preachy, and he makes it fit in seamlessly. I plan to read everything Charles Martin writes.

A reason why you should try the first book in a series before you request all of them.
I just can't get on with these. The narrator is great, but plot wise the subjects are so similar, and the Christian angle is too much for me at the moment.

This was my first book I read from the series and although I enjoyed the book, I was felt lost sometimes. I must say I am in love with the cover of the book as it is very beautiful. The book had a balance of action-filled moments and emotional moments.

I enjoyed the narration as it fitted the main character and really brought the story to life.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Charles Martin for the ARC.

Love Love Love this book. The Narrators are good. The storyline compelling. Going to read the rest very soon.

I can hardly put into words how incredible this series is or the range of emotions this book took me through. I put off reading it for so long because I didn’t want it to end before it even began — and when I finally picked it up, it completely wrecked me (in the best possible way). Reading it during Holy Week made the experience even more profound. The allegory between Bones and Jesus is chef’s kiss — absolutely stunning — and it broke my heart in all the right ways. This series has forever secured its spot as my #1, whether I’m reading it or listening to it. The audiobook is just as beautiful as the written word, with Jonathan's narration being absolutely perfect for any role — but especially this one. This story will stay with me forever.

I can’t wait to read the next installment of the Murphy Shephard series! Listening to this audiobook has been such a joy. I love how invested I became with the characters, mostly because Martin does an excellent job of character development. While I had an idea of the ending, it was still a good ending and well written. I need to see how the story of Bones ends up!!! Thanks to #NetGalley for the audioARC of #TheKeeper.

The Keeper by Charles Martin is a powerful and emotional read that really sticks with you. The characters feel real, the writing is beautiful, and the story is full of heart and redemption. It’s about second chances, healing, and finding hope when things feel lost. Martin knows how to tug at your heartstrings without overdoing it. If you like stories that make you feel something, this one’s definitely worth your time.