I listened to this audiobook, which I haven't done very much, and I really liked it. The narrator was very good. The protagonist, Murphy, is a bit of a mystery through most of the book, but the author ties all loose ends together by the book's conclusion. Various characters are picked up as he travels in his boat. The book dives into the ugliness of sex trafficking but keeps hope in the theme. The author does a great job bringing a Christian perspective to ugly situations. The book is set in Florida, and the reader learns much about its geography. I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher and the author for the privilege to listen to this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my second Charles Martin book, but certainly won’t be my last. A beautiful story of heroism, heartache, and healing, Murphy Shepherd is the protector we all need and we all strive to be. Murphy Shepherd pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of the water and as he begins to unravel her story, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous problem - Summer’s daughter has run away with someone who is trafficking the young girl. Suddenly, Murph is chasing Angel along the coast of Florida to try to find her before she’s lost forever. Martin is an amazing storyteller and while the topic of sex trafficking is difficult to stomach, he tells the story in such a way that it is well worth the read. Those local to Florida will enjoy the tidbits of culture and the names of towns he describes as Murph makes his way south. My one gripe is that there are so many stories woven together that, at times, it was difficult to keep the characters and storylines straight. This is the first in a four-book series and I cannot wait to read the rest. (The first three are available now on Kindle Unlimited! The fourth has just recently been published.) This was an audiobook and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it - the narration was great!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thought I would enjoy this book because of what it’s about but I did not unfortunately. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

This is the first time I rated a book before finishing. This book took my heart apart and put it back together. I absolutely recommend.

Full review coming once I can put myself together.

My only real criticism about this book was that at some points it felt like it was dragging on a little bit for me. Like some of the backstory at times would lose my interest. But then it would pull me back in and I was invested in the characters. The storyline is so beautiful - a man who seeks out lost girls to rescue and bring them home and even goes as far as being personally invested in providing a safe place for them to live so that they can heal. I loved the main character! All the twists in the plot may be called predictable or cheesy by some, but I adore a feel-good story and that's exactly what this ended up being. A wholesome read!

In The Water Keeper, we follow Murphy Shepard.

He works to free children that have been kidnapped for the intent of being sold/trafficked. This was an interesting read that highlighted human trafficking.

Because of my job, I go to human smuggling and trafficking training every year. This series highlights this for everyone to see what it is like. It is not something that is easy to read. I think this is why this was only a 3 star read because Murphy lacked the emotions I expected.

Jonathan Riggs did a good job with the narrations. He fit Murphy perfectly.

Murphy "Murph" Shepherd lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners and no pastor, and he's dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to rescue a young girl who's been caught up in the world of alcohol, drugs and sex.

A couple of books from this series have been on my TBR for quite a while and when the books popped up as "Listen Now" on Netgalley I decided it was the perfect way to check out the series. The narrator, Jonathan K. Riggs, has a very pleasant voice and does an excellent job. The story is action-packed and pretty good but there's too much luck and too many coincidences for it to be believable. Murph and Gunner the dog must be part cat because I'm pretty sure they both have nine lives. The story takes place mostly on the waterways around Florida and there's a lot of information about boats and currents that mostly went over my head. I'd probably listen to another book in the series but I'm not in a rush to get there. Most of the reviews are 4 and 5 stars so take mine with a grain of salt.

TW: Sex trafficking, violence, animal injury.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own. Published in 2020.

In The Water Keeper, bestselling author Charles Martin crafts a poignant, heart-pounding journey of redemption, rescue, and the power of love in the face of brokenness. Told through the voice of the enigmatic Murphy Shepherd, the story dives deep—both literally and emotionally—as it navigates Florida’s treacherous coastal waterways and the even more dangerous terrain of the human heart.

As an audiobook, The Water Keeper takes on an even more powerful dimension. Narrated by the author himself, Martin lends an authenticity and emotional resonance that only he could bring to his deeply personal prose. His voice draws listeners into Murphy's solitary world, one shaped by hidden pain and a relentless mission to rescue those lost in the shadows of human trafficking.

With lyrical writing, cinematic tension, and a tender undercurrent of faith and hope, this audiobook is not just a suspenseful ride but an emotional experience. Martin’s characters are raw and real, and the story lingers long after the final word.

Perfect for: Fans of Nicholas Sparks, Francine Rivers, and anyone who appreciates redemptive storytelling with grit and heart.
Rating: ★★★★★

My new husband and I listened to this together. It was our first Charles Martin book. I knew the subject matter beforehand, and it was indeed intense. The story started off kind of slow and then there was such a big cast of characters who were all interwoven in various ways. We enjoyed it and look forward to listening to the next one.

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin has it all! Action, adventure, emotions, a little romance, spirituality, good against evil, and underlying stories of resilience courage that prevails no matter what.

The Water Keeper is the first book of the Murphy Shepard series. “Murph” is our hero how rescues young, sex-trafficked girls across the world for the US government and is also a trained priest. He’s already been through so much as a child and teen and then enrolls in the government program to use his skills to find missing girls who no one cares about anymore. He cares and his passion for this who have strayed makes all the difference.

The pace of the book is perfect. It’s fast and exciting to keep you waiting for what is next. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was great. He kept the pace and momentum going perfectly. He wants you to feel as you are in the story with all the characters.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I was so excited to read this series! It's a gripping story from the beginning, and it's perfect for the reader who wants a mystery that still holds lots of emotion and depth. This is a beautiful story and absolutely worth the read!

Charles Martin’s The Water Keeper presents a plot that, on the surface, seems promising: a hero hunting human traffickers in a gritty, high-stakes pursuit. However, the story quickly unravels into something far less believable. The protagonist, while ostensibly focused on his mission, veers off course at every turn, stopping to rescue every stray person and animal he encounters. This constant diversion strains credulity, as does his superhuman resilience—being shot multiple times barely slows him down as he continues to take on villains. Adding to the implausibility is the web of interconnections among strangers who just happen to cross his path, tying the narrative into knots that defy logic.

The writing itself doesn’t help. Martin burdens the story with excessive detail, stretching what could be conveyed in a sentence or two into lengthy, overwritten passages. This verbosity adds little to the narrative beyond padding the word count, turning an already tedious read into a slog. I found myself pushing through to the end more out of obligation than enjoyment.

The audiobook narration by Jonathan K. Riggs compounds the issues. His voice is pleasant enough, but his delivery falls flat. At times, he races through sections with breakneck speed, while in others, he moderates his pace adequately. Yet throughout, there’s a distinct lack of emotion or cadence—just a monotone presence that fails to bring the story to life. Whether this dullness stems from Riggs’ choices or direction from the author or producer, I can’t say, but it doesn’t inspire confidence.

In the end, The Water Keeper is a miss. The plot’s potential drowns in unbelievable twists and overlong prose, and the narration does nothing to salvage it. I wouldn’t recommend this book or author, and I’d reserve judgment on Riggs as a narrator until I knew more about the creative decisions behind his performance.

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin
This is a poignant story demonstrating heroism in today’s slave industry.
Murphy Shepard exists on an island tending the grounds of a church. Recently plagued with the loss of his mentor, he is one a mission to put him to rest.
Murph pulls Summer out of the Intercoastal Waterway and joins her journey to find her missing daughter.
A dangerous mission takes the two head first into the modern-day industry of trafficking and slavery.
Charles Martin has a gift with his story telling. The beautiful descriptions of Florida took me back to a place I love. I was right there in the story!
Gunner, a white labrador, is easily the hero in this tale and I love a good book that celebrates a canine hero!
I really enjoyed this audiobook provided by NetGalley. I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review it. 5/5⭐

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book but I’m so glad I kept with it. Murph is one of those great characters with so much depth & mystery that unravels at just the right moments. Summer, Ellie & Clay add great elements to the story and Gunner is a great dog character, The story was pretty serious & the human trafficking element was dark. The action was fast paced & great. The narrator is so easy to listen to & I enjoyed listening,

Thanks to NetGalley, Charles Martin & Thomas Nelson Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

Title: The Water Keeper
By: Charles Martin
Pub. Day: May 5, 2020

Genre:
Fiction, Mystery, Christian, Audiobook,

Trigger Warnings:
Human Trafficking, Suicide, Drugs, Intimate Scenes

Memorable Quotes:

“We don’t love because people love us back. We love because we can. Because we were made to.”

“You hang around people long enough and you learn their tells. Pain has a way of exiting the body, and most will let you know when it’s on its way out. Seldom do they know what their “tell” is telling you. Most often it’s silent. Sometimes it can be loud. However it comes out, it leaves a trail.

“Love is like water. No matter how you cut it, slice it, beat it, or blow it into ten trillion droplets, give it a few minutes and it will all come back together again. Like nothing ever happened. Love fills the empty places and flows from what was once the epicenter of the wound. And it’s the flowing that washes out the residue of the pain and makes us whole again. That’s the crazy miracle that is love. The more you pour out, the more you have to pour. I don’t understand it, I just know it’s true.”

Summary/Review:
Murph is living in the chapel by the water off the coast of Florida when a mysterious young girl appears. Murph can tell the young girl is in some sort of trouble, he gives the young girl his contact information. He is an undercover hero, and when Murph meets Summer, their situation comes full circle. Together, Murph and Summer join forces to find the mysterious young girl and bring her to safety.

Charles Martin has a beautifully tragic way of taking a reader down the path of human trafficking that is awakening to the soul, in a non detrimental way! The reader quickly falls in love with the deeply layered characters, the suspenseful plot line, with rich life altering themes of forgiveness, redemption, hope and most importantly love. I truly appreciated the author’s knowledge and insight into Human Trafficking. Thank you for an advanced reader's copy of this novel!

Thank you to Charles Martin, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, Boldwood Books , and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my review.

#TheWaterKeeper
#CharlesMartin
#BoldwoodBooks
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#ThomasNelson
#ZondervanFictionAudio
#NetGalley

Murphy Shepherd is my hero! He is a "priest" who goes on missions trying to find people who have been kidnapped and are being sold on the human trafficking.

While taking care of a church that has no parishioners, he rescues a woman name Summer who is looking for her daughter who is missing. Along with a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.

This was literally such a good book. Fast paced. Really gave a good look into what human trafficking looks like. I loved the story. It was so fast paced and kept my attention throughout the book. I can't wait to move forward with the series and already have the new book on preorder.

I read the second book in this series a while ago, so it was great to go back to the beginning of this series and see how it all starts. I really like the character of Murphy Shepherd. He has a past filled with many jobs and stories that have all affected him and he has managed to turn those experiences into a positive career and home. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Jonathan K. Riggs did a great job narrating this story and I look forward to listening to him narrate the remainder of the series.

The Water Keeper, by Charles Martin, is quite the action adventure, romance. While that's not necessarily a unique genre, the slower pace of this book with each of the characters different stories, makes it unique. Each of the characters are such an interesting and varied mix of personalities and that helps keep the story moving. I must admit, after all the drama, I wasn't a fan of the ending. If you like a lot of details in your books, along with a slower pace, I think you'll enjoy this one.
The narrator, Jonathan K. Riggs, does a good job managing each of the characters and keeping the story going at a fairly steady pace. I found his voice to be calm and soothing in a way that worked well with the story.

This book seemed to take forever for me to finish. I tried listening to the Audiobook version and it kept losing my interest, then I picked up the ebook and the same thing happened. I kept putting it down and switching to other books. This obviously means the book was not in the top 5 for me.

The book itself isn't awful but it really couldn't keep my attention especially in audio format.

Murph is a mysterious man with a past, who lives and works in a chapel in Florida. That premise actually sounds cool right, but that's where things kind of go astray. Everything happens in weird coincidences. Murph meets Angel who he gives his card to, and then her mom Summer he meets in a boating accident where he saves her, picks up Gunner and happens on his owner in a field. I can go on with the coincidences but I'll just leave it at they are rather unbelievable.

It was silly at times too for me since I know I rolled my eyes at least once and more like 10 times. Murph gets stabbed, punched and shot multiple times and manages to walk away every time with very little intervention....yeah okaaaay.

Some may like it, I wasn't a fan.

Murphy Shepherd is an example of the saying "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". Life has handed him many challenges, he's won a few and lost some very important ones. Murph has retreated to an island off the Florida coast where he is isolated from those who have hurt him. But Murph cannot turn off that piece of his mind that insists he rescue those who need his help and rid the world of those who have no conscience. His life begins to twist again when he meets a young woman in trouble and later meets her mother, who's just trying to save her daughter.

I've read several of Charles Martin's books and am always surprised when I fall into the stories, only to "see" the characters and their stories. Martin's skillful descriptions of the Florida scenery give excellent display to the ever changing coastal waters. I listened to THE WATER KEEPER on audio book and was swept away by the narrator's reading. Reading or listening, it's a 5 star experience.