"The Letter Keeper" is the second in the "Murphy Shepherd" series by Charles Martin. I have not read the first book in the series, and that put me at a bit of a disadvantage when reading this book. The protagonist, Murphy Shepherd, has made his career a dangerous one of saving those who have been victimized by human trafficking. Reading about his exploits is very interesting, and his passion to rescue victims is inspiring. Readers also get to see a bit of his motivation, and read about how it affects his own romantic relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I wrote quite a convoluted review for the first in the series. On rereading it, before starting this review, I was surprised at the depth to which I appreciated the content.
The second is different but in some ways better than the previous one. The plotline is not linear, with flashbacks giving us the background on how the operation began and what it comprises of. Our leading man Murph is the one-man army who goes out to rescue women/girls (mostly, although there are a few male victims as well). An almost literal army helps them recoup and learn to stand on their feet again after their rescue. When this installment begins, we have more of the same, and the more is quite heightened in terms of the physical danger.
The previous work had a lot of chases and planning - here, we have more ambushes and a lot less planning. Things happen out of turn, and time is of the essence. The foundation is strengthened in explaining to the reader the motivation behind any of the heroic deeds and introduces a whole new level of evil in otherwise ordinary men. This is not a book for the faint of heart. Although the fighting descriptions felt less graphic, the life stories of the children rescued is not easily digestible. I would not recommend it to anyone who finds such information triggering. The focus does not linger on the atrocities but the hope a new beginning can provide and how hard it might be to cling to that hope and actually meet a brighter future. All the people, therefore, seem very realistic. Their flaws and traits seem very believable, which is what carries this book. It is hard not to be emotionally invested in the outcome of an otherwise action-packed story.
I would not recommend reading this without any knowledge of the events in the previous, even if there is information provided about some of it. It would not make sense, emotionally.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the previous book.

One of my goals in reading is to become a Charles Martin completist. I don't know if I will manage this or not because he has written quite a few books, but each book I have read of his I have fully and completely enjoyed.

"I don't really understand it, but somehow, in some impossible way, love reached down inside me, took out all the old and dirty, the scars and the stains that no soap anywhere would ever wash out. And love didn't just clean me but made me new. And maybe the craziest part of that is how I see me." And how she saw herself was whole and clean.

This is the second book in the Shepherd Murphy series. Murph is heavily involved in rescuing girls from human trafficking. He is very successful, but it comes at a price. Someone is out to get him. This book is fiction, and I don't know how much of it would even be realistic in real life, but I really like the idea that the way Murph will do whatever it takes to rescue these girls is the same way that Jesus has come to rescue us. He leaves the 99 to come and look for me.

"Either shine a light on yesterday and expose it or forfeit the joy of now and the hope of tomorrow.....left untreated, experiential pain becomes a fortress in our gut that houses a lie spoken by fear. And behind that fear is an idol of our own making. One we carve by hand when we, as self-made people, worship our own creator - us. As if we can do anything to protect ourselves."

That is what Freetown was for - to help the girls heal. It took time, but eventually most of the girls were able to go on to live a healthy life.

This book had an ending that I totally did not see coming. It made me wish that the next book was out already so I could just pick it up and keep reading. It left me wondering what I should read next that would even come close to comparing. And yet, the book was heavy so I wouldn't want a steady diet of this kind of reading either.

Warning- there are triggers in this book with human trafficking being the biggest one.

I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly awaiting the release of the next one this summer. I received this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A splendid novel and one for the ages. It caught and held my attention from the very first page. It is rare to find works of literature that draw you into the story and leave you with a sense of hope and delight. This is my first novel by Mr. Martin but it definitely will not be my last.

I will read anything that Charles Martin writes and Murphy Shephard is a character who makes me thrilled to read more about. I loved the story and the characters. What a great read and I can't wait to see where Martin takes this character next.

The Letter Keeper is a sequel to The Water Keeper. Both books tackle the tough and painful subject of human trafficking, where the main character, Murphy Shephard and his coworkers make a living of saving the un-savable. They find them, no matter how hard it is, no matter how dangerous it is, no matter the costs and they bring them back to life, heal them, protect them, help make them whole again. Just as Jesus goes after his one sheep who is lost, they leave the 99 to go after the one. Charles Martin does a perfect job of putting into words, into a beautiful story, a way to show Jesus' love for us. The story is an emotional page turner that I highly recommend, but read The Water Keeper firs).

I love Charles Martin’s books and this series. This book had the right amount of reflection and action. I look forward to book 3.

Charles Martin is the master of beautiful descriptions and storytelling. This one is the 2nd book after The Water Keeper. It got a little slow towards the middle for me, but picked back up at the end and left off with a twist and cliffhanger I never saw coming! 😮

The Letter Keeper, the second installment from Charles Martin's Murphy Shepherd's series, is what I would expect from this author. Five stars.

DNF - 43%

I tried... I really did! After enjoying Charles Martin's writing in The Mountain Between Us, I was excited to read his new series, Murphy Shepherd; however, I couldn't get through it. While the synopsis of The Water Keeper (book one of this series) and The Letter Keeper sounds riveting, it takes almost half the book to get to the action! The stories drag on, giving readers background we didn't ask for in an attempt to connect the characters and put a face to the words, but Martin failed to pull on my heartstrings. I gave both books a chance, but there is only so much sludge I can wade through. If the books started in the middle, maybe I would've felt differently, but this series is just not for me. I'm sorry, but these are my honest thoughts.

I did not know this was the second in the series but I enjoyed the writing and the story. It slowed a bit in the middle but then moved on more.

The Letter Keeper is the second book in the Murphy Shepherd series by Charles Martin. While it might be okay as a standalone, I definitely think you will get the most out of this story by having the full background.

Due to the nature of the topic of human trafficking that this story deals with, this is certainly not an easy read by any means and I must say I struggled a bit with it... though I think that had more to do with my own frame of mind at the time of reading than the story itself. Charles Martin is a wonderful story teller creating captivating characters who will draw you in and make you feel every emotion and this story is certainly no exception to that. It seemed like it might have been a bit slower paced than what I remembered the first one being, but a very good read nonethless. If you're looking for a beautiful read that will make you think and stick with you after the final pages, this is certainly one to check out, but definitely read book one first!

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Another amazing novel by Charles Martin. It was intriguing but also sobering in its portrayal of human trafficking. Thanks to Net Galley for the AR copy.

Charles Martin has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. I love the depth of his writing and he draws me in to the characters lives in a way that I cannot put the book down until I know the ending. He brings real people and issues to the fictional novel world and helps bring compassion to situations that otherwise might not be given any.

At times an action thriller, and at others a heart-tugging romance, Charles Martin is back with the second installment in the Murphy Shepherd series.

Picking up in the previous book, Murph continues to risk his life to safe the one, but when the traffickers target his newfound family he will stop at nothing to bring them home.

Filled with moments of non-stop action mixed with heartwarming moments, this book never stops for breath. I liked how we get to learn more about the inner workings of Free Town, as well as Murph's backstory. The story is nothing short of cinematic and larger than life, compelling and action packed, it is a difficult book to put down. Christian faith is alluded to, but not discussed plainly. Though not overly explicit this book talks about human trafficking in honest terms as well as the trauma experienced by the victims.

A must read for anyone who read The Water Keeper, as it follows the same characters as they face new challenges. Heart-tugging, romantic, and heroic you won't want to miss it.

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

DNF - the writing in this book was really quite poor. It jumped around so much in the beginning, not to mention it dove right into a situation where I had no idea what was happening.

This is the first time I have given my favorite author less than 5 stars. It's why I'm behind on the review. I hated to do it. Normally. I absolutely, 100% love Martin's stories. The redemption, the overcoming, the persevering...his stories are magical.

In The Letter Keeper, which is a follow-up to The Water Keeper, we get an exciting start, similar to TWK. Then that slows down and we are given the history of Murph, which I love. Martin's writing never falters, he is always poetic and carefully meaningful in his words, it was just...the middle of the book was a big contrast to TWK. It was slower, kind of delving deeper into the lives of Murph and the people in his life. Then, the story kicks back up and we're back to the writing we are used to (action-packed, would definitely be a Michael Bay movie).

I love Charles Martin. He is my favorite novelist. I will continue to buy his books without even looking to see what they are about. I love that he's a man of deep faith, but doesn't throw it in your face. This was not a bad book by any means. Just not what I'm used to lately.

While you could technically read this as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading The Water Keeper first. I think you'll have a deeper understanding of the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own, and not influenced by receiving this book.

I love Charles Martin’s writing, but it does give me whiplash! The second in the Murphy Shepherd series is more contemplative than the first book, but then takes off at rocket speed when the action starts. Murph, who sometimes seemed superhuman in the first book, become a little more human in this one, and this book is definitely slower action. I’ll honestly admit that while seeing the human side of Murph was nice, Martin’s action writing is imaginative and captivating. I like how the story ends with that leading edge into a follow on. The overall premise of what’s going on will keep me reading his next book (and I can’t wait!). A solid 4.5 rounded up.

I usually like Charles Martin's books, but this one didn't capture my interest. Sorry to say, I didn't finish it.

The Letter Keeper #2
by Charles Martin
Publish Date June 8, 2021

Combining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't read # 1 so I need to go back and catch up on that one. This is on my list of books that I am considering for our 2022 Book Club at our library. I think this one will be a hit!

Thank you!
5 stars