Martin, popular in Christian circles, writes a memorable story about sex trafficking in Florida with characters and a dog that stay with you. Some violence as the good guys take on the bad ones but no profanity or explicit sex. Technical descriptions of boats and geographical references of Florida bog the plot down. Very predictable and mushy.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Water Keeper by Charles Martin.

Murph is a man full of secrets and surprises. He lives a seemingly quiet life, seeing to the upkeep of a local church by the water, nothing out of the ordinary or pretentious. But after a woman injures herself greatly in a reckless boating accident, Murphy jumps to her aid, and embarks on a wild adventure that neither could have bargained for.

This is a really fun and fast paced adventure story. Lot of characters are picked up along the way, a lot of secrets are uncovered, and a lot of people find themselves and each other. Overall I remained interested and captivated.

I remember having the same criticism of the last Martin book I read that he tends to just rush through the details and nuances of the story in order to get to the meat. I'm sure a lot of people enjoy that, but for me it felt rushed, and without more explanation, it all felt over the top. Coincidences definitely happen, but c'mon. There is plenty of emotion and humanity in the story, but I guess I would have liked more.

Another amazing book my Charles Martin. Each one different but this one is so relevant to today. I think everyone should read it and have their eyes opened to what is around us. Such a well written and pull you into it story.
Thanks to net galley and the publisher to share this book with me.
I definitely recommend it.

Exciting storyline with the underlying message that love and commitment are essential elements for all relationships. Hard to put down once you start.

Another amazing story from Charles Martin. Riveting text. Hope that shines in the darkness of evil. Vibrant--broken yet strong--characters with a main character who believes the 'needs of the one outweigh those of the ninety-nine.' The story revolves aroud sex-trafficking in the Florida coastal areas and looks at the question--the heart's cry of humanity--'Whose am I?' It is a reminder that love writes over old memories and writes what can be. What a marvelous story from an author who has quickly become one of my favorite writers. I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.

I finished this book in one sitting!!! I basically devoured this book. I have long been a fan of everything that Charles Martin writes and have read everything to date. This book does not disappoint. The Water Keeper is a symbolic story of the 99 sheep and Jesus left the flock for the one.

Murphy is a sad soul and he is on a mission. He has many layers that unfold as you move along through the story. I don't want to give any of the story away but this story includes love, heartbreak, and forgiveness. This story is very complex but eventually unfolds and all comes together. I love this aspect of this author. I was completely unable to guess the ending.

I am truly honored to have been selected to read and review this book. Thank you netgalley for the electronic copy of the book and as usual all opinions are mine.

This book is one of the best, Charles Martin books I have read! I would catch
myself reading faster and faster! When I finished the book I went right to the
beginning and read several chapters a second time. I really enjoyed all of the
characters and I'm so hoping there will be a second book following this one.

Thank you so much, Charles Martin, the publisher, and NetGalley, for giving me
the chance to read and review this great book!

Without a doubt, this is Martin's best so far. Very relevant and informative for our times. I was mesmerized until the end. The last sentence left me hanging so that I am looking forward to the sequel! Way to go, Mr. Martin. Please keep them coming!

I am undone. Really. This book is amazing. Can someone be in love with a fictional hero? I fell hard in 8 hours time. More like 5 minutes. This story is about love. Unconditional love. It's about going after the one and leaving the 99 behind. This book is soul stirring. It deals with pure evil, sex trafficking. It has action, suspense, and mystery, with a kick butt hero. And did I mention unconditional love? This book will appeal to both men and women. This is typical Charles Martin drop-a-bomb ending that will leave chills and warm your heart. Just click buy now and be blessed.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson publishing. This is my honest opinion.

I started this book without even reading what the plot was - I just knew that it was going to be another great book by Martin, and I wasn't disappointed at all. Murphy is a man who has had a hard life, but is dedicated to saving young lives who have been captured in the world of human trafficking. He and his boat are well acquainted with the east coast and Florida area where these young women are transported. As the story unfolds, additional characters find Murphy - all for a purpose and all become an integral part of his journey.

This story was suspenseful and I couldn't want to finish the book, but I also wanted it to never end. Martin's writing is always powerful and characters well developed.

Exciting, scary and eyeopening about the horrible crimes of human trafficking. Every young person should read this so they can be aware of how some of this happens.

I received this book from Netgally, but all opinions are honest and solely my own.

For me, given the volume of books that I read in a year (~100) it's rare that the content of anyone books stays with me over the long haul, much less and author. I've now learned that Charles Martin is that author. He writes stories with such depth, creating complicated characters with such humanity, yet still drawing clear moral lines, as well as the lines between good and evil.

Mr. Martin's latest book revolves around Murphy Shepard, a man broken by love lost who salves his wounded soul be searching for lost women and reuniting them with loved ones. Sometimes Murph picks up other wayward sorts along the way, including an almost drowned stray dog named Tabby and Summer, a guilt-ridden mom in recovery from drug addiction searching for her daughter Angel, whom she fears is with human trafficker. A bit further down the road Tabby leads Murph to his owner Clay, an elderly ex-con with cancer trying to get to Key West to say his final goodbyes.

Their journey from North to South Florida by boat is filled with plenty of action, as they are tested by love and loss as life moves along, much like the waters that they travel. The author’s vivid narrative and writing style brings the Florida coast to life and makes the water journey as much a part of the novel as the people. Christian principles of love, compassion, forgiveness and redemption are the spine of all Mr. Martin’s novels, but he doesn’t preach at the reader. I can’t sing my praises high enough for this latest novel.

In the movie "The Wrath of Khan," Spock says, “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Captain Kirk answers, “Or the one.” The Water Keeper adopts Captain Kirk's answer and states that the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the ninety-nine. Each life matters and no one gets left behind.

The Water Keeper is a rich, evocative thriller that echoes Travis McGee's helping hand along Florida's canals and waterways. If you miss hearing about the beauty and majesty of those bays and inlets, this book offers another taste of that paradise. But, Martin's Murph or Murphy is not some pretend McGee, he's a priest and a wounded man who has been twisted past the point of breaking. And he is a man on a mission to save those stolen by human traffickers plying the Florida and Caribbean coasts before they are used up, traded, discarded.

The story begins on a deserted island where Murph lives in a church without a priest and he has lost those close to him and must lay their weary ashes somewhere. His losses are incalculable, included the one who lifted him from the dirt when he'd al but given up and his lifelong love, Marie, without whom it was "like waking up in a world where the sun had been removed from the sky."

He has some kind of magnet attracting those that need help from the man whose life had been stolen from him by forty years in prison to the Broadway dancer who lost her daughter while she drowned in dope. The author reminds us that people are like icebergs and we can't readily see their stories, what's deep within them, eating away at them.

Religious themes are in the background of the story such as redemption, forgiveness, and faith. As the author explains at one point, we are somewhere east or west of the Garden of Eden and we don't always hear or trust.

The story is filled with broken people and Murph rescues them from evil even though he can barely heal his own wounds. But he minces no words when it comes to evil like the child traffickers. Evil cannot be bargained with. It cannot be reasoned with. Giving in to evil never satisfies it.

This story is a high-paced jet-propelled thriller but it's got depth to it that few thrillers really can claim.

Wow! I am amazed that each new book by Charles Martin is very different from the previous one, but his way of gripping the reader’s interest from the very beginning and not letting go until you’re exhausted at the end never changes. This raw and gripping novel about one man’s involvement in rescuing those caught in the dark, ugly world of human trafficking is not an easy read, but it is worth it! I bookmarked numerous pages with moving quotes about the nature of true, sacrifical love. I highly recommend this book!

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

The Water Keeper is another amazing book by the author. As I began to read, I really didn't know where the book was going or what to expect. There was so much about the main character, Murphy, that I felt was a complete puzzle.

I quickly came to really like Murphy and to begin to put pieces of the puzzle that he was together. There were other, very interesting characters in the book. Summer, Angel, Ellie, and Bones were some of those. Each of them enriched the book. Also, I can't forget Gunner the dog. He added greatly to the story. Fingers and Marie were important to the story too, as they influenced Murphy and played a large part into the making of the man he became.

As usual, the storyline was incredible, and immensely touching. This author's books never fail to bring tears to my eyes at least a few times, and not always sad ones. I found the storyline to be complex, and satisfying. I feel sure that this is going to be one of my top favorite books of the year.