In this third book in the Murphy Shepherd series (which was apparently thought to be a trilogy - until it wasn't) we learn more about Murphy's story. But this one is also as much about his mentor and friend, Bones, as it is about Murphy. Bones' backstory is pivotal not only to our increased understanding of Bones, but to Murphy's rescue attempt after Bones disappears. It's another story of heroism in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, the "importance of leaving the 99 to save the one", and the embodiment of Murphy's favorite saying, "Love always wins". But does it? Another well-honed installment in this series, made more enjoyable by the excellent narration by Jonathan K. Riggs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

The Record Keeper is the third and last book in the Shepherd Series. To get the full impact of this book, you need to read the first two - The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper. This series is awe-inspiring, gut wrenching, emotional, moving, powerful. This is some of Charles Martin's best work, in my opinion. This is a story you don't want to miss out on. And while he has said this is the final book in this series, I pray he will continue on.

I listened to this audiobook, and I really liked it. The narrator was very good, and the book kept my attention.

This is the third book in Charles Martin's "Keeper" series. Many of the characters from the first two books of the "The Keeper" series continue in this book, which I think is great. It also introduces some new characters that add some depth to the story. Even if you didn't have the opportunity to read the first two books of the series, this book does well to read on its own.

The same protagonist, Murphy, continues to be a great guy. The book dives into the relationships and history of the people introduced in the first books. It dives into one of the main character's ugly family history and the black sheep of the family.

The author continues to do a great job bringing a Christian perspective to ugly situations. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book in the series. If you enjoy a good, suspenseful, well-written book, I think you'll enjoy "The Record Keeper."

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book through NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and the author, Charles Martin, for the privilege to listen to this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How can each book in this series be so good! Often, there is a dud in the middle of a series, but with this one, Each one is amazing. These stories and these characters will stick with me for a long time. They have me praying for people in similar situations, with similar hearts. In this one, Murphy has to save his friend and mentor, Bones. And the villian is big one! I listened to this one immediately after finishing The Letter Keeper, because I couldn't wait. Now I am excited to read The keeper. I highly recommend this author, this series! You do not want to miss it!

I loved learning more about Bones and his life. It definitely was not an easy life, but he made it count and saved many lives. The conclusion to this installment of the Murphy Shepherd series was satisfying and sad. I look forward to reading the next book to see what becomes of Murph.

Once again, Jonathan K. Riggs did a great job narrating this series. I look forward to listening to more of Jonathan's work in the future.

Murphy Shepherd series, and this is book 3. I have read book one and left a 5-star review. With that in mind, and reading the synopsis for this book, I thought I would like this book also. Let me say that I do feel the book is written well, and my problem is with the storyline. If it had been mentioned that this book would have child trafficking and child pimping I would have not chosen it. As I see this as a subject that needs light shed on it, I also know what I can handle. I struggled with finishing the book because of the subject. I also struggle with leaving a review, but I will be honest. As I said before, the book is written well, and if I didn't have a personal problem with the subject, I would be able to leave a higher review. I just wish I had been informed as to the subject before committing to listen to the book. The narrator, Jonathan K. Riggs, does an excellent job with the narration.

A touching story to listen to! Charles Martin dedicates a great deal of effort to his books. The third of the series, even though dealing with a touchy subject, will keep you listening or turning the pages until the end. Looking forward to the next book.

The Record Keeper
Murphy Shepherd #3
Charles Martin
This is the last book in the Murphy Shepherd trilogy. It’ s a good read but took me a bit to get into it. I have not read the first two books, “The Water Keeper” and “The Letter Keeper” and that may be why it took me a while to connect. This book is not for the faint of heart. Human trafficking is a large part of this tale. I found it difficult to listen to this story. Human trafficking is evil.
Murphy Shepherd and his cohorts rescue women and children that have been taken for trafficking. There aren’t a lot of graphic details but enough to break your heart. The first two books focused on Murphy, his encounters and operations. This the last book has more of a focus on Bones. His story will break your heart. We learn why Bones has a mission to rescue. Bones’ twin brother is the evil in this tale. Bones and Frank lived a life of hell as children.
This story is well written, so well written that I wondered if the story was inspired by actually events. There is a Christian message within the pages of this book, but it is not an in-your-face message. The message is like the shepherd and the sheep, when one wonders off you go retrieve it. The genre of this book is thriller and deals with issues of integrity, suffering, and faith. One of my favorite quotes from this tale, “You can’t know who you are until you’ve settled whose you are.”
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Emotionally rocked! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jonathan K. Riggs. I was unfamiliar with this series or really the premise, it gripped me right out of the gate.

It felt like the narrator was telling me HIS story, I felt like someone was telling me their emotional life story. I could feel the pain, the sorrow, and the hope to my core. It had such deep meaning, and impactful metaphors.

It is a Christian Mystery/Thriller so it is clean, off page violence; the story is about human trafficking but again it is told in a way that is raw yet again off page without being in your face details, but you understand the horrors. And it is about the people that are part of an un-named government ops group that save those that are lost, rescue the wounded, and bringing them back to safety, no matter the cost to them and their team.

My only criticism is that the epilogue felt long, but hang in there because it wraps up the trilogy, the ending so good.

Now I need to return to the beginning!!

The Record Keeper by Charles Martin is a suspenseful and emotionally charged conclusion to the Murphy Shepherd trilogy. When Murphy's mentor, Bones, is kidnapped, Murphy embarks on a relentless mission to rescue him. This installment delves into themes of sacrifice, justice, and the profound impact of love. Although I had not read the previous books in the series, I found this novel compelling and impactful as a standalone.

Clearly in the minority with this series. I just found them too similar, similar plotlines, and felt I was being preached at.

I really wanted to like this series but I really struggled to find the heart and emotions behind the words. The narrator has a robotic intensity to his reading that kept me from feeling any connection to the plot or characters. This is the third in a book that deals with difficult topics of human trafficking, grief, parenthood, addiction and faith that has so much potential but It didn't work for me, sadly.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to listen in exchange for my thoughts. All opinions are my own.

This was the third book in the series - even though I haven’t read the first two books it was easy enough to follow along.
I listened to it on audio and thought the narrator was good.

It is an emotional, heartbreaking story about human trafficking and healing..

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for the audio.

Listened to the Audiobook version of this book and it was great! Parts were a little repetitive from the first 2 novels, but there was a lot of backstory explaining the characters and it was very interesting. The end still leaves a little bit hanging, maybe there'll be a 4th novel!

Loved this whole series. This one helped to fill in some blanks from the other books in the series.

“The Record Keeper” by Charles Martin and narrated by Jonathan K. Riggs is the third book in the The Murphy Shepherd series, with Book 1 being “The Water Keeper” and Book 2 being “The Letter Keeper.” This book is not a stand-alone book, it would be much betterl to read the first two books first in order to understand the story. I enjoyed all three books a lot, but by the second half of the third book I was beginning to feel the story of Murphey Shepherd was going on just a bit too long. Perhaps I shouldn’t have listened to them one after another but have given myself more of a break in between. Having said that, it shows how compelling the stories are and what a good writer Charles Martin is. This isn’t the type of book I would normally read, but I’m glad I did.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC. My opinions are my own.

Title: The Record Keeper
By: Charles Martin
Pub. Day: July 5, 2022

Genre:
Fiction, Mystery, Christian, Audiobook,

Trigger Warnings:
Human Trafficking, Sucide, Drugs, Intimate Scenes

Memorable Quotes:
“People in darkness don’t know they’re in darkness because it’s all they’ve ever known. It’s their world. They navigate primarily by bumping off things that are stronger. Immovable. They don’t know darkness is darkness until someone turns on a light. Only then does the darkness roll back like a scroll. It has to. Darkness can’t stand light. And it hasn’t. Not since God spoke it into existence.”

“I, as much as anyone, knew that hope is what feeds us. It's the currency of mankind. The fuel of the soul. Without it, we wither and die.”

“...every man has a basement. Some lay dark. Unlit. Concealed. Others sprawl like airport runways for all the world to see. The difference is determined by whether he is hiding something or digging it up. Hammer or shovel says much about a man.”

Summary/Review:
The Record Keeper is the third book in the Keeper Series by Charles Martin. Over the last several years, Murph has learned all he knows, from the “Great” Bones. This latest narrative is the story of Bones, his purpose, place, and ultimate sacrifice all comes to light in “The Record Keeper.”

Charles Martin masterfully creates action-packed novels that keep the reader on the edge of their seats from the very first page. Beyond the fast paced suspense, his stories take the reader on an emotional roller coaster—diving deep into the depths of love, loss, and the bonds that tie us together. With every twist and turn, the narrative explores meaningful themes like the purpose of life, the strength of family, and the ache of family. Through moments of heartbreak and redemption, Martin creates powerful messages of hope, forgiveness, and deep love, leaving readers deeply moved. The narrator did a great job for voice variations, pacing and using excellent tone quality for ease of understanding.

Thank you to Charles Martin, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my review.

#TheRecordKeeper
#CharlesMartin
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#ThomasNelson
#ZondervanFictionAudio
#NetGalley

The third book in the trilogy finds Murphy being tested again. We've seen him go from a man with nothing to lose but chooses to save others to the present where he has so much, yet knows he's destined to give his life to save the innocent.
Charles Martin is one of the few authors who can wring every last emotion you have and still leave you feeling as if you have taken the trip along side Murphy and will do it as many times as needed.

I also listened to the audiobook. The narration adds so much to the overall feeling of the story. If you can, both read and listen, you'll appreciate them both so much more.

The Record Keeper by Charles Martin
This was a gripping, heart-destroying volume! Full of emotion and inspiration!
This continues the mission of Murphy Sheperd and Bones with Gunner right by their side. This is such an important subject matter and I appreciatively applaud Charles Martin for pouring so much heart and soul into his stories.
I thought this was a beautiful volume of love, sacrifice, and dedication to saving those who need saving, finding purpose and recognizing loss. Brilliant!
I have become a true fan and I can’t wait to read more! Murphy Sheperd is my hero and Gunner is brilliant!
I had the privilege of reviewing a copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!
A stellar experience and analogy of God seeking us out where we are and taking us to where we need to be. Phenomenal storytelling and writing! The narrator does such a great job capturing and setting the mood and tone for this series. He gives voice and character to each individual and the mellow tone just carries the listener through. Loved it! 5/5⭐

I struggled to be engaged with this book and it was hard to finish. The plot didn’t hook me and neither did the narrators.