A very compelling read. Sequel to the Water Keeper, ties up some of the loose ends from The Water Keeper. genre-defying. blend of the best of Contemporary Christian fiction, thrillers and romance. Previosuly I had read two other Charles Martin books, but I'll be reading more.

I am turning into a big fan of Charles Martin! I really enjoyed this second book in the Murphy Shepherd series. I enjoyed this page turning story and learning more of the back story of the characters. I so appreciate how Martin is tackling the difficult issue of human trafficking through this work of fiction. It is so important. The characters are very complex and will stick with me for a long time. Now I am sad that I need to wait a while for the next in the series. I hope it is not too long!

Martin continues the story of Murphy Shepherd and his family. As always, there is a lot of adventure, danger, and great character development. The plot revolves around those he has rescued and continues to rescue from captivity. Recommended. Readers will want to read previous books in the series before this one as it refers back to characters and situations in those books. Review based on an advance copy provided by NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for ecopy for my Kindle.
I really enjoy Charles Martin's books. and this one is no exception. Such a "clean" story about forgiveness and redemption. It's a sequel to "The Water Keeper," and I would suggest reading it first. Looking forward to 3rd book in this series.

When you turn the last page of a Charles Martin book, you just say, "Wow!" and The Letter Keeper was no exception. I cannot wait for book 3 in the trilogy. This second book really went deeper into getting to know Murphy and the people in his life. I could not read this fast enough and wanted to savor each word at the same time. The raw intensity of this character is like none other, and perfectly illustrates what it means to leave the ninety-nine for the one.

Another phenomenal masterpiece.

I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley and my opinion is my own.

This story is so relevant for awareness of the trafficking crisis of today. I hope there are real Murphys out there. The action was like being on a ferris wheel and a roller coaster at the same time. You will not be bored! Very well thought out and penned story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a Charles Martin junky; I have read many of his books, several of them are in my all-time top reads, “When Crickets Cry” is in the top 5. But I knew at some time Charles would change genre’s and he would lose me. He did….
I gave the Murphy Shepherd series a second try and it struck out again. I think this series just goes over the top. The story starts out with a bang, a lot of action going on, then we mellow out for a while, deal a lot with women/child trafficking and then we have a bunch of action again. It loses the believability when Murphy just keeps going and going, like the energizer bunny.
I guess at 64 years old and being a CM fan for years, I just didn’t want him to change. I want him to write more like Chasing Fireflys, Wrapped in Rain, and The Dead Don’t Dance. He had everything I love. Will I pick up another Charles Martin to read, you betcha I will, will I pick up another Murphy, probably not.
I want to thank Thomas Nelson along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. This one earns 4 stars.

This is the third novel I have read by Charles Martin. Wow! This book grabbed me from the first sentence. This book was full of emotion and very deep philosophical thoughts and oh my.. the action! As Martin always does he weaves lessons of faith and hope throughout. Loved the characters and I'm in love with Murphy Shepherd and maybe he's really MacGyver or Jason Bourne. I didn't realize this was a sequel so.. I'll be reading the first one next! I also think this would be an amazing action movie!

In order to read this book, I went back to the first installment to be prepared. I did not care for the first book, and really had to struggle to get through this one. I think maybe if the main character was written as a 'supernatural' person would this book be believable. He is severely injured time and time again, and heals completely. Though the characters are really great, the writing is repetitive and long winded. Murphy comes off as some sort of intuitive therapist of sorts and it gets annoying after a while. I really tried to like these books, because of the great rating that this author and these books get, but this is the end of the road for me.

Readers finally find out Murph's life story and everything & everyone who has made him the person he is. Charles Martin's books are truly remarkable and leaves the reader inspired and wanting more at the end. He is a true storyteller and I look forward to his next book.

4,5 stars
The Water Keeper was the first Charles Martin story I encountered and I absolutely loved that fantastic action-packed novel where evil and sacrificial love in unequal parts, shine a light on human trafficking, and those who attempt to rescue the ones caught in its web. Thrilled to read The Letter Keeper, the second in the Murphy Shepard series. It is very good. The Letter Keeper brings back the characters we have come to know and love. With more details and backstories, we learn a lot more about Bones and Murphy. This time the setting is partially set in the secret town set up in the mountain solely for healing and recovery of those rescued who are on their way to freedom.

"If my life experience had taught me anything, it's this: the wounds of the past carry a lot of weight when it comes to walking into one's future, and it anything can rob you of now, it's yesterday."

"Stripped bare, the human soul has one real desire: to know and be known. And in that moment, I was."

I highly recommend this series and I cannot wait for book #3

Thank you to the Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy!

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

The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking what am I going to say about the book. Finally I thought of something. I am just speeches! I love Charles Martin and have read everything he has ever written. As always his books have my interest on the first page. I was so happy he did a sequel to The Water Keeper. I loved the characters in this book series. This book follows the journey of Murphy Shepherd as he works to save the lives of children being traded in the sex slave trade. This is such an important topic right now and I'm thankful that Charles Martin has chosen to spotlight this. I will read this book series more than once!

So....when I first read "The Water Keeper" (book 1) and enjoyed it, I didn't know there was going to be a sequel. Amazon now says this one is "Book 2 of 2", but I'm telling you right now that it better not be stopping here. Although there were a few instances that some suspended disbelief is required (honestly, how many times can someone have such serious injuries and still pull through, but whatever), it's still worth it. I definitely recommend them both. But please know that you absolutely MUST read The Water Keeper first. And Mr. Martin, I am assuming there is a third Murphy Shepherd book on the way, so please do not let me down.

David Bishop/Murphy Shepherd is a rescuer of lost souls, and he continues to do so even at great personal cost. The bad guys make it super personal by taking his family, but he will find them and there will be a substantial price to pay along with some surprising secrets revealed. This book also provides more background into Murphy and Bones' history.

I will gladly recommend this book, and remember: read the first one BEFORE you start this one!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a dance between hope and heartbreak. Hope takes the lead, only to have heartbreak step on its toes, but darkness cannot stand in the light.
This look into Murphy's world was wonderfully wrought with emotion. I laughed with Summer and cried with Casey, all while cheering Murphy on as he put one foot in front of the other, always ready for that next time when he must leave the ninety nine in search of the one.
While The Letter Keeper is not a light read, the impact and needed truth makes it necessary. The emotional depth of Murphy's character and the lives of those who've been exploited gives rise to one of the best books I've ever read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I almost quit about 10% into the book because I couldn't figure out what was happening or how the characters fit together. However, I kept reading and in the end, I can't say I wasted my time, but no, I will not be reading the next book in the series.

The story is told in the first person by Shepherd, and it follows two timelines--what is happening now, and what happened in the past to bring him into this line of work.

Based on the blurb above, I expected a story where his loved ones were kidnapped early in the book and we as readers spent most of the book watching him follow the clues and dead ends to rescue them. Instead there was a lot of exposition about Murphy's childhood and young adult years, followed by some current action, then, in the last quarter of the book the kidnapping and resolution.

What did I not like? Basically, the characters all seem so unrealistic. Murphy was a loner kid who had only one friend, but at some point he saw some trafficking victims and rescues them, and that is noticed by someone. He gets an appointment to the Air Force Academy, even though he never applied, and while there, is mentored by an Episcopal priest who is a chaplain, but who wears robes around the Academy, not a uniform. The chaplain signs him up for an online seminary and between his Academy work and the seminary program, Murphy is busy to say the least.

After graduation, instead of going into the Air Force, he goes to work for his mentor in some super-secret super exclusive group that rescues people. They set up a community for the folks they rescue where they can receive counseling, love, support, etc.--and I'm talking community, not a couple of buildings.

The bottom line is that I never figured out why all these people were together. In writing this post, I learned that this is book two in the series and reading the blurb on book one explained a few of the characters, but there is one in particular that still makes no sense to me based on the content of this book. I could never get to the point of accepting the author's world as real.

The book is published by Thomas Nelson which is a Christian publisher and as noted, two of the characters are priests (I think--maybe they are just pretending)but while the theme of self-sacrificing love is there, I wouldn't call this a religious book.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: C.

The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin is a suspenseful, heartwarming, and fully satisfying thriller with a wonderful storyline that keeps you guessing from page one. The book opens with a dramatic scene of a young girl being rescued from horrific sex traffickers. Then the rescuer is off again to save someone else from this unspeakable fate. It follows the adventures of the beloved hero David Bishop from The Water Keeper.

* I would recommend you read The Water Keeper first if possible, but if not the quick synopsis is David and his friend and mentor, Bones, are real life action heroes who are able to rescue those who seem impossible to find. They have great financial and technical resources at their fingertips. At their true heart they want the best for those who they have saved from this awful fate and house them in a remote Colorado compound to heal their bodies and hearts. *

This book has it all, and I mean all! The adventures of Bish are on full view but what is most striking to me about Martin’s books is the underlying message and clarity of emotions that he shares in such evocative language, I have multiple quotes I have highlighted but I will share this one. “The wounds of the past carry a lot of weight when it comes to walking into one’s future....left untreated, experiential pain becomes a fortress in our gut that houses a lie spoken by fear.” So, as per usual Martin has entertained my adventure loving self, blessed my desire to right the wrongs, touched my soul with his treatment of those who need love, and opened my mind up to new ways of thinking.

I will warn you that you are left with a cliffhanger of massive proportions that will have you questioning much of what you thought you knew. But, this book answers multiple questions from The Water Keeper. You can not help but be drawn in and especially touched by the growth of the girls who are under the care of Bishop and Bones, A romance might also be in the works, but no spoilers here!

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Thomas Nelson - Fiction in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

“Trafficking in people is an evil without comparison.”

“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.”

“For we alone are the keepers of the letters that set us free.”

4.25 Stars Out Of 5

The Letter Keeper, the sequel to The Water Keeper, is a great read. In my review of The Water Keeper, I mentioned that it was one of the best books I had ever read. It’s one of those books that can be hard to read at times because of the subject matter, but important in shining a light to a global problem. Evil exists in the world and Charles Martin shows us what other evil and love can do.

Sequels are hard. You find yourselves comparing it to the previous book. So 4.25 stars might seem unfair to a book that as good as this. But compared to The Water Keeper, I felt like something was lacking. There was a long stretch of between a quarter to a half of the book that had a lot of backstories that caused the book to drag at times. While a lot of this was necessary to the action packed second half, this was a large contrast to The Water Keeper. And a lot of it was really just a set up to Book Three, which I cannot wait to devour.

But what made this book so great in its own right is that it was so character driven. And because of that, this one packed a lot of emotions at various times. Maybe even more so than The Water Keeper. And I loved the familiar characters of Murphy, Bones, Summer, Angel, Clay, Ellie, and of course Gunner.

So I hope Book Three comes sooner than later!

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

After reading The Water Keeper, which I consider one of Charles Martin’s best novels (and I’ve read almost all of his novels), I couldn’t wait to read The Letter Keeper. It did not disappoint! Continuing the story of David Bishop,, the story’s highs and lows take the reader on quite an emotional yet enlightening ride. Highly recommended.

If ever there was a more consistent author whose writing would blow you away, it would be Charles Martin! The Letter Keeper is no different. Murphy Shepard and his long time cohorts have made their lives about saving the un-savable. Individuals that have been taken from their families and made to do unthinkable acts, Murphy finds them and gives them a whole new life. He has made a perfect, protected world away from the danger and cruelty of the real world. Until the day comes and someone infiltrates the walls of his fortress. His wife, daughters and two others are stolen away. Will Murphy be able to find them in time before they are taken away never to be seen from again?
Charles Martin knows how to suck you in and keep you glued to his book. His writing is spot on and keeps you guessing. I highly recommend any book of his including this one, The Letter Keeper. I will continue to look for Martin's other works. Special Thanks to NetGalley, Charles Martin, and Thomas Nelson Publishing for sending me an advanced digital Copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #TheLetterKeeper #NetGalley

I was pleased to see a sequel to his previous book since it ended with an unsettling ending. I enjoyed the characters in this book and the storylines. I found the action scenes a bit to wordy and scanned through them for what would further the story. The commitment to and love for the girls made me think of God's unfailing love for us, without the human limitations.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.