This story was everything that the Murphy Shepherd series needed. I cried. I laughed. And I felt so much hope while listening to this story. I appreciated how Martin used the flashbacks of stories from the past to shed more light on the future and continue to round out the characters I've come to know and love. While there is so much darkness in this story, there is also so much hope and love and redemption.

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!

Charles Martin delivers another gripping, emotional, and thought-provoking novel in The Keeper, the fourth installment in the Murphy Shepherd series. With faith, family, and honor woven throughout, this book is as much a spiritual journey as it is a high-stakes thriller.

Murphy is reeling from the loss of his mentor, Bones, when he’s thrust into another mission: rescuing the kidnapped daughters of a presidential candidate. The race against time is intense, but the deeper battle—Murphy’s struggle to find his footing without Bones—is just as interesting. As always, Martin masterfully balances action with heartfelt reflection, though the novel leans a bit too introspective.

While the themes of faith and redemption shine, the book relies heavily on flashbacks. Readers new to the series might appreciate them, but for those who have followed Murphy’s journey, they can feel excessive. Martin’s tendency to repeat certain phrases is noticeable and annoying. That said, his deeply reflective writing and the way he infuses faith into even the darkest moments make this a powerful read.

I previewed both the book and the audiobook—Jonathan K. Riggs’ narration was strong. This is not a standalone novel—I highly recommend reading the first three books for the full experience. Though a bit long, it’s another strong, moving entry in the series.

** Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and HarperCollins for review copies of this novel. The opinions are my own.

Whew. This will break your heart 25+ times, but then heal it and put it back together again.

I can’t think of anything more horrible than human trafficking and those who engage in it. It is powerful to read about someone actively fighting against it. But whew, it’s so heavy.

This has several throw backs to previous books with extra details added in. I’m not sure that this series will ever truly be done. There will always be evil to fight and I pray there will always be strong fighters to actively stand against it.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Fiction Audio for publishing this series and for providing the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook. I am so glad Jonathan K. Riggs has continued to narrate these books! Outstanding work!!

Murphy Shepherd #4
The Keeper
Charles Martin
Is one individual’s needs more important than the needs of many?
I have not read the previous books in this series.
The Vice President’s daughters have been kidnapped. There are no clues. The VP is the lead candidate in the next election. Whoever is responsible for the kidnappings must be someone at the highest level. Murphy and his crew are called upon to find the girls and return them. One of their team members, Bones, is deceased; the team is still mourning their loss.
There are a lot of flashbacks in this, the last book in the series. The main character, Murphy Shepherd, is well developed. The pace is slower than I expected. There is a strong Christian theme in this tale. This book is very intuitive.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

So hear me out. I'm going to state right up front that the first half of this book is repetitive of the first three books in The Keeper series. Like word for word repetitive. I assume the purpose of this is was to refresh the reader of the backstory and help to reinvest in the characters. Maybe it was so the book could be read as a stand alone. I don't know. I do know that I had reread the first three books in anticipation of this fourth one, so the repetition was super noticeable to me and honestly it was a little tedious at times. I thought the whole book was going to continue that way and that this was going to be the first Charles Martin book that I wasn't going to be head over heels in love with.

I WAS WRONG!!!

Through this reminiscing and repetition of the past, the overriding theme that Murph keeps wrestling with is the challenge of doing the "right" thing even if it is with great harm, and trying to learn how much is too much. How far is too far?

About halfway (?) through the book, Martin brings back the storytelling as we are are used to it in all new material. In hindsight, I realize that the internal struggle and back to the old content approach played a big part in portraying how "stuck" Murph was and then the transition towards the middle was representative of him moving on without Bones. It was about the grieving process and growth. At one point Murph says, "Will you cut me a little slack while I stumble through being human?"

This book did not disappoint. You have to hang in there and wait for the bigger picture Martin is painting. It all comes together and will leave you breathless (and hoping and praying there will be another book!).

I don't usually hold on to quotes from books too tightly but once again Martin nails it with his messages of Christ's love woven into his stories when he says, "To love is to become vulnerable." and "...his love was deeper than his hate."

Another 5 stars from me!

I am obsessed with this series, and I was so impressed with this one! Charles Martin has a way of brining the reader in that is unmatched. I loved this book so much, and it was a perfect fourth book to this series!

Another absolutely beautiful installment in this series. Charles Martin has long been a favorite author of mine but this series has been some of his best writing.

Murph is on the hunt for the Vice President’s daughter who were stolen by some “bad men with bad intentions.” Unfortunately this time he is without Bones. The journey made me laugh and cry. I won’t give it away but there is one spot where I was actually sobbing.

The narrator was great.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.

The Keeper by @storiedcareer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


By far my favorite one of the series. It’s hard to put into words what these books do to my heart and my mind. This one had a few backstories mentioned previously in the series, but I would highly recommend reading all the books in order to fully understand all that happens.
I love the way the narrator reads, the way the story is woven together, and the beautiful unwavering love and hope threaded throughout.
This book is the 4th in the series and releases in April!

I received an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own. @thomasnelson @storiedcareer @netgalley

#goodreads #netgalley #charlesmartin #thekeeper #murphyshepherd #bookstagram #literarypearlsof25

Thank you to #Netgally, #CharlesMartin, and #ThomasNelson publishers for the ARC of this book. I listened to the audiobook version. All opinions are my own.

Charles Martin is a master storyteller, and somehow he gets better and better. In this fourth book in the Murphy Shepherd series, his trusted mentor and treasured friend Bones is gone. Murph is devastated and at a complete loss, but knows somehow he has to continue their work, fighting evil and saving vulnerable people. When is dear friend and US vice president Aaron Ashley's three girls are abducted against all odds, Murphy knows he and his team are the most experienced and equipped to go after these bad guys and attempt to save the girls. While this book draws the reader in with drama and suspense related to their rescue, this is also a story of healing for Murphy Shepherd after experiencing one of the greatest losses of his life. Charles Martin's ability to convey humility, brokenness, unconditional love, vulnerability, authenticity, commitment, the importance of doing hard things--is remarkable. When I read his books it's impossible for me to have just one favorite character, or one person in particular I am pulling for. Each of his characters are so vital to the stories and there are many to root for, seeing in each of them (in the good guys, and maybe in even a few of the bad guys) qualities of sacrifice, deep investment in others' good, and love. This story of rescue, redemption, and valuing of others more than yourselves is one not to miss! I can't recommend it highly enough! Thank you, Charles Martin, for another winner!

Such an inspirational story and definitely brings and draws attention to human trafficking, which is much needed and more prevalent than anyone is aware.

Martin is such an exquisite writer, tons of details, research is out all of his topics and military type techniques that you can just almost feel like you are right there in the heart pumping action. I love a good rescue story in this book is several examples of that. Also does an excellent job of adding spiritual elements throughout the story that really tug at your heart. All the emotions!

Love following along in the series and think this is the next excellent installation. Excellent narration in this book as well!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson books for my Audible early release copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Phenomenal book about a really difficult subject. I didn’t realize at first it was a series but you can listen to this one without having already read or listened to the first three.
I can say I enjoyed this book enough that I want to read or listen to the first three in the series.

Though the topic of sex trafficking is hard to read about, I think it's been helpful for me as I see what a pervasive problem it is. I hope there are people like Murphy Shepherd and Bones out there kicking down doors to free the captives.

This book had a slower pace and less action than the others I feel as it focused a lot on Murph trying to figure out how to go on without Bones. His grief was intense. It's hard to change roles when the mentee becomes the leader. It was interesting seeing him start to train others as Bones had trained him.

This story was also a beautiful testament to marriage. Summer's support was incredible. A man like Murph needs a woman like Summer in his corner.

I listened to the audiobook as well and the narrator was great. There is a lot of back and forth timewise in the book so a time or two I had to back it up to keep it all straight.

Excellent book. Charles Martin is a special writer. Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free audiobook . All opinions are my own.

I’ve been wanting to try a Charles Martin book for the longest time. I just didn’t know what was the best place to start. When I saw this on NetGalley, I thought here is my chance. While I could have read this one without reading the first three books, I decided to go all in and get the entire experience. Let me just tell you—I had no clue what I was getting myself into!

Just going of the covers of the Murphy Shepherd series, the reader sees these serene, contemplative, dreamy scenes and immediately thinks this will be a good, calm read. Uhmmm…no! Not even close! These stories are high action, intense plot, continuously moving and evolving, involving hard topics and powerful themes of self-worth, selflessness, and forgiveness.

Each story picks up where the last left off. And Charles does a good job with story telling and flashback recollections that the read can easily pick up any book without foreknowledge of the previous and not be lost to the overall plot.

With that being said, do not, if at all possible, pass up the chance to read all of the books in order. There is just too much good stuff in there miss one moment with Murphy and his team.

Love this series and the narrator is fantastic!

This book was heartbreaking, action-packed, and full of surprises—but also filled with so much hope. From the very first page, I was just so happy to be back with Murphy and the crew. The story and action here was engaging while also feeling new. I was caught between wanting to fly through this and also desperately wanting to slow down so it wouldn't end.

I never expected another book after the last one, so this was the best surprise. The new characters added so much to the story and I'm interested to see if we get to hear from them in the future. The way it ended makes me hopeful that there’s still more to come, and I’ll be first in line to read anything that comes after this!

As always, the narration was so well done!

The Fourth book in the Murphy Shepard series, I had not read the previous books and could follow the story but believe reading the previous books will have the reader more vested in the storylines. This was a fast-paced action-adventure story I couldn't put down. The subject matter is serious and important. The author does a great job of explaining how sex trafficking works and why it exists; it’s something I've never understood. Charles Martin shows how it takes a collaborative effort to keep up and stop traffickers, which explains why they’re hard to catch and how they get away with so much. The friendship between Murphy and Camp starts developing into what Bones and Murph had. Camp brings out an extra layer to Murph’s personality. The author does such a good job of character development that I felt like I actually came to care about a lot of the characters. One thing that really resonates for me in this book is identity… Loving yourself and caring about yourself and believing that you are worthy of love.
Thanks to netgalley, Charles Martin and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity.

I just knew bone can not die like that, ehhhhh. The twixt, the storyline, the actions, the everything. I was so happy that my guy did not die or was missing in action.

"People in darkness don't know they are in darkness until someone comes along to on the light." Darkness can not win when there is light ✨️

Jesus is the light.

Thank you, Charles Martin, Harper Collins, and NetGalley, for the early copy.👏 🙌 👌 😍

#Netgalley #Charles Martin #Harper Collins for this beautiful read. Thank you to everyone that made it available for me to read

4.5⭐️
This series has me in a choke hold! I could listen to this narrator read my grocery list.

I was so excited to step back in Murphy Shepherd's world. In this one, we begin to see what a world without Bones looks like and how to accept this loss. While everyone is still grieving, the Vice President's three daughters are kidnapped. Murphy and all of Hopetown do what they do best to try and bring the girls home.

There are many flashbacks in this book that I sometimes struggled to follow which timeline I was in, but the flashback did help remind me of important detail that may have been forgotten from previous books.

I have found all of the main characters to be very likable and really love the "found family" aspect in all of the Murphy Shephard books.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. Book #4 in the Murphy Shepherd series and probably my least favorite of them, but it was still really good. I felt like there were parts that were unnecessary and too much. Absolutely love this narrator though and the fact that it sounds like there will be a book #5 in the future!

The Keeper is the fourth novel in the Murphy Shepherd series and hopefully not the last! Publication date 4/1/2025‼️
This has been an incredible action packed, suspenseful and emotional experience.
All of the stories addressed the serious issue of human trafficking of children and young women and what extreme measures others are prepared to take to save these innocent lives.
There is love, sadness, hope and friendship throughout the narratives. Charles Martin’s writing is rich in detail, which helps to create an immersive experience. He incorporates local history adding depth to the stories he tells. Jonathan K. Riggs is the most entertaining narrator I’ve encountered so far in my new adventure with audiobooks.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.