Murph is mourning the death of his friend and mentor Bones when word comes that the teenage daughters of the Vice President have been kidnapped. This blends a somewhat implausible plot (namely that Murph would be the only one to save them) with a genuinely gripping quest to find the girls. it's the latest in a series about combatting trafficking but entirely enjoyable on its own. As always, there's a strong faith component to the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Martin's fans will be pleased.

Charles Martin does it again - can he write a book this is not 100% amazing, heartbreaking, and healing at the same time? The Keeper was everything I needed to wrap up the Murphy Shepherd stories (but can we have another please?) The plot twists, the backstories . . . pure shock. Just when you think you have it figured out, there's another twist, another surprise. The storyline was so unique - it was fascinating for the story to be about such a high ranking politician, and I appreciated how the story opens the eyes of the reader to corruption high up within the government/politicians. (no spoilers). The Keeper broke me and healed me at the same time, and the storyline of true selfless agape love is so beautiful and healing. 10 stars!

First of all, let's talk about the beautiful cover! The entire series has had gorgeous covers and this one is my favorite
Secondly, the narration is spot on. The narrator has done all four books and is perfect for Murphy Shepard/David Bishop. He really has done a masterful job of bringing the story to life.
Lastly, the story has the action, my husband loves (kickbut scenes) and the sweet moments of reflection that I love. Let's face it, Martin is a master storyteller and brings characters to life with his genius pen. My favorite parts though, are with Summer. She gets Murph and totally loves him and supports him in what he is called to do. And of course Gunner. He is a fan favorite. Actually, all the characters are great and it was good to be with them all on this last adventure. (Or is it?) There is a surprise and lots of reminiscing. Some may argue too much, but it didn't take away from the overarching message for me. Going for the one while leaving the ninety nine. It was a good ending to the series and I am glad I was here for it.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers, and this is my honest opinion.

Murphy’s grief is almost destroying him. After losing his mentor, Bones, he is given a challenge to rescue the 3 daughters of the Vice President of the United States. These girls were taken in an elaborate abduction that left their mom as the only survivor in the house. Murphy’s fight to bring them home will have you cheering him on!

The Keeper, by Charles Martin is the fourth and final book in A Murphy Sheperd Novel series. This story takes over where the previous one ends, so it is best to read them in order. This book is filled with action, suspense and mystery. The story gives a lot of background information about Murphy and his work with Bones.

I found this book to be interesting and caught my self wanting to keep reading to find out what happened with the girls and if they were found. I especially enjoyed the parts of the story when Murphy would return home. I found the book to be a little technical with the explanation about the different guns Murphy and Bones used.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

This is the fourth in the Keeper series by Mr. Martin. Granted, I fell in love with his book’s way before the Keeper series and I have read most of them. I have to say I still like his previous books best, but of the 4 Keepers, this was my favorite.

He seems to go over the top in describing the fire power, the horsepower, and the action, from a middle-aged woman’s viewpoint, I do not know the difference between the gun caliber, so I just whiz past all that. This one does have a delightful story aside from all the action. I like the new characters he has introduced in the past two books and I will continue reading his books as long as he writes them. A 5-star read this is and I highly recommend.

My all time favorite of his is When Crickets Cry, he will have a hard time topping that one.

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

Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors. The Keeper did not disappoint with Murphy, Bones and the rest this is book four in series. Very fast paced,story line that keeps your interest. Love the romance mixed in also.

Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to read this book.

“Bones would not dismiss Frank. Never had. So, for the last time, he left the ninety-nine to attempt one more impossible rescue.“

I literally don’t understand how Charles Martin manages to make each book in this series better than the one before! He has a way of drawing me into the me heart of the story and making me feel every single emotion. One minute this story had me chewing my nails I was so stressed and just a minute later, I was crying. Just a few minutes later, I was laughing. Charles Martin is truly an amazing author and this series has easily become one of my favorites. In The Keeper, Martin doesn’t just deal with the dark world of human trafficking, he also brings in the shady underside of the political elite and the things some people will do to stay in power. The entire series had me enthralled but this one was absolutely my favorite. There were so many surprises, and even with the heavy, sad moments, there were some truly beautiful scenes. I really hope this isn’t the last of the series!

Thank you, Charles Martin, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Netgalley for gifting me an e-arc of this book. My review was not affected by this.

I was thrilled when I was granted the opportunity to read the ARC of Charles Martin's "The Keeper" (Murphy Shepherd #4). While flashbacks were abundant in the book, I felt they were necessary for two reasons: 1) in case anyone had not read books 1-3 in the series and 2) to serve as cathartic grief therapy. Martin excelled at showing how light overcomes the dark, hope overcomes despair, love overcomes evil. With the unexpected plot twist and ending, can there be a book #5?

Releases Apr. 1st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. I was very excited when I heard there would be a Book 4 in the Keeper series.
Bones, Murphy Shepherd, and others who put their life on the line to save others from human trafficking and make a home for them are heroes and the family members who support them.
Book 4, The Keeper, is another great novel, very well written. a page-turner that kept my interest until the end. I am hoping that there will be more books in this series.

"Because the needs of the one, outweigh the needs of the ninety-nine"

As the 4th installment of Murphy Shepherd books I went into this book with high expectations. And I was not disappointed! Although I was slightly lost in the beginning because I had to think back and remember the characters and where we last left off (it has been a few years since I read The Record Keeper), these familiar characters came back with a bang, and I was thrown into where our last story ended (and oh so sad when I remembered). Charles Martin is a really beautiful writer. His stories are thoughtful, emotional, and always exciting. I'd like to think that there are Murph Shepherd's out there tracking down the lost and vulnerable. Loved the ending, or is it just a beginning?

4.5 stars

Excellent story! The Keeper by Charles Martin is another fantastic story in the Murphy Shepherd series. I love the action, the characters who become family, the resources that this outside the government group has at their fingertips to rescue those who are lost and those who have been abducted for sex trafficking. These badass guys give everything they have to leave the 99 and rescue the one.

The vice president's three daughters are kidnapped from a extremely secure home. And there is not much to go on to be able to find them. There is definitely evil in this world, and these characters bring hope. They are the ones who children have been praying for to knock down the door and rescue them from the hell they are living in. Murph struggles with who he is after his life-long mentor is gone.

This whole series could be a series of movies. like Mission Impossible. The characters, their journeys, the action, it's just so good! I recommend that you start and book 1 and read your way to The Keeper. You will not be able to put any of them down! I highly recommend them all!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

While this was good, I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous books in the Murphy Shepherd series. This one dragged a little too much for me.

Excellent next installment in this series. I do hope this means it is going to continue. These characters are great, and I love the thematic truth that is shared throughout this book and the series as a whole. Make sure you start at the beginning of the series.

This was an absolutely amazing book that will bring you to tears, horrify you and somewhere along the way, leave you a better person for having read it.

Murphy Shepherd is in a very dark place following the death of his mentor and friend Bones. They've been together for many years, saving people from horrible situations, facing death themselves to accomplish the rescues. Without Bones, Murph is adrift. He and his team continue the work Bones started, and one day they are faced with a challenge to one of their own.

I can't and won't go any further with a description because to do so would be not only spoiling the book for other readers, but removing the magic of reading it themselves first hand. First time in a long time a book has gutted me like this one did. Highly recommend, even if you haven't read the other books in the series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Yet another beautiful offering from Charles Martin. His writing style always paints a picture I can see clearly in my mind’s eye and never fails to elicit an emotional response. The way he uses his writing to illustrate matters of love, faith and truth always speaks to me. That said, the story and plot of this book just didn’t land for me. The reminiscing about Bones and their relationship was beautiful but often so extensive that the plot line of the rest of the book felt forgotten and failed to feel interwoven when it was finally revisited. I also felt like the details about weaponry and technology was a bit excessive but another reader may appreciate that level of detail and knowledge so perhaps just personal preference for me.

I will always recommend this author’s work and this one is no exception to that but overall it didn’t add to the beautiful series already created and written, in my opinion.

The Keeper is a fantastic addition to the Murphy Shepherd series. Through flashbacks and more vignettes, Charles Martin reminds us of the story of Bones and Murph and brings us forward into the future. Throughout this story I cried, I laughed and fell even more in love with the characters of this story than I was before.

I enjoyed The Keeper by Charles Martin. I thought the series was over and was excited when I heard about #4 being released. He is such a gifted writer and always draws me in his storytelling! The book starts off refreshing the reader of what happened in book 3.

'Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the ninety-nine.' This quote is the basis of what Murphy and his guys set out to do. Rescue those abducted into child trafficking. This book begins where book #3 left off when his good friend and mentor Bones died and Murphy is struggling to pick up the pieces and move on. He pulls it together when the two daughters of the VP are kidnapped and he is requested to again be a rescuer. I love that the lifelong mission for Murphy is to rescue the vulnerable and bring justice to the evil ones.

The story is filled with action and adventure to keep your interest in the story. It is a story of brokenness, grief, perseverance, redemption, and love!


The end of the story did leave an opening to a possible addition to this series, but we will see! I recommend starting at book 1 and reading through the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have always been a huge Charles Martin fan. However this book was a bit of a disappointment to me. There was a lot of looking back to his experiences with Bones and it felt too long. However I look forward to what he does next.

The Keeper is a beautiful depiction of one man’s life changing another’s, and then the cycle continuing. The Keeper has a heartfelt depth and truth that would touch any soul. Love. Sacrifice. Freedom. Pain. Purpose. Murphy Shepherd.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers and Net Galley for the ARC!