Murphy Shepherd Series by Charles Martin

A riveting new story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds. Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds for a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes... moreA riveting new story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds. Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds for a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.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 locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.With Charles Martin’s trademark lyricism and poignant prose, The Water Keeper is at once a tender love story and a heartrending search for freedom. Preview from Charlie Martin: “I truly consider it a privilege to be this man’s son—not just because he’s awesome, but because I don’t have to wait to read his newest novels.I started this book on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. . . . Eight. Hours. Later. I turned the final page on my iPad and let out a breath I’d been holding in for close to seven and a half hours.I can’t explain to you enough the roller coaster of emotions. I laughed. At times I didn’t breathe. Other times I read really fast in anticipation and suspense—and then re-read to make sure I didn’t miss anything important. At times I fist pumped in celebration. I even shouted a couple times in relief. But then, yes, I also shed a tear or two. Then I cussed out my dad because he did the whole rip-your-heart-in-half-thing that we all love/hate him for. Then I repented of those words because the next scene was usually one where he pulled the whole blind-side-rug-out-from-under-you move and I was fist pumping again.I’m telling you, it’s an action-packed, classic Charles Martin romance novel unlike anything I’ve ever read. And remember . . . the day you pick up this book is the day you become temporarily unavailable to the world.” Praise for Charles Martin: “Charles Martin fans rejoice, because he’s done it again . . . a multilayered story woven together with grace and redemption, and packed tight with tension and achingly real characters.” —Lauren Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Hideaway“In The Water Keeper Charles Martin crafts a compelling story with skill and sensitivity. Open the pages of this book and you’ll enter the world of characters caught up in a real-life drama that grips the heart. As with all of Charles’s books you never finish it—you continue to live there in your own imagination. Current fans won’t be disappointed; new readers will understand why Charles Martin is on the short list of contemporary authors I recommend above all others.” —Robert Whitlow, bestselling author Full-length novel Includes Discussion Questions for book clubs Also by Charles Martin: The Mountain Between Us, Send Down the Rain, Lo less

Combining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love. He shows up when all hope is lost. Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom. But then the nightmare strikes too close to home .When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought to be true... moreCombining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love. He shows up when all hope is lost. Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom. But then the nightmare strikes too close to home .When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought to be true. With more dead ends than leads, he has no idea how to find those he loves. After everything is stripped away, love is what remains. Hope feels lost, but Murphy is willing to expend his last breath trying to bring them home.Preview from Charlie Martin:“I don’t know how he does what he does. It sounds rhetorical at this point because I find myself saying the same thing after every book. I flip the last page over (usually after having read it multiple times to prolong the ending) and then say, usually out loud to myself, ‘How the h-e-double-hockey-stick did he just pull that off?’ This book is no exception. It is unequivocally, hands down, a remarkable read. It’s everything you want (and a whole lot more) from a sequel.“David Bishop/Murphy Shepherd is the guy who shoots first and asks questions later. He’s got multiple secret identities, flies around on private jets, has several storage units with motorcycles, walls full of well-used handguns, rifles, shotguns, not to mention the storage unit in south Florida where he’s got a Hell’s Bay skiff . . . I mean c’mon. He makes Batman’s arsenal and gadgets look like a joke, and Jason Bourne look like a rookie in the world of taking out bad guys. AND on top of that, the dude’s a PRIEST . . . and he uses his priestly credentials to get in (and out) of some pretty shady situations (spoiler alert) taking out a respectable amount of bad guys in his white robes in the process . . . (spoiler alert #2). Too bad those robes don’t stop bullets . . . (spoiler alert #3 . . . my bad. I’ll stop.) And on top of that, he’s got the world’s greatest dog. The Shepherd/Gunnar duo is unstoppable, again, this time around.“But amid all the secret identities and kicking butt he does, let’s face it . . . the dude’s got MAD game. For those who don’t know what that means, the dude is a total chick magnet—and not by choice. And if I can get serious for a minute, The Letter Keeper takes the character development between Bishop and his girls to the next level. By the end, you’re so invested and knitted into their stories and hearts, you’re left scratching your head thinking, ‘Are we sure this is fiction? There’s no way this is made up.’“The way he/Dad/Charles walks us through the storyline of Bishop, Summer, and Angel is everything we, us readers, have been waiting for. It’s beautiful and deep and genuine, but thrilling and exciting all in one. Dad/Charles has had a couple of really phenomenal characters break the pages in the last 20+ years of his writing—Matthew Rising, Sunday, Ella Rain (love that lady), Tyler Steele . . . You know ’em, we love ’em all—but these—Bishop, Summer, Angel, Casey, Clay, Bones, yes even Gunnar—might be my favorite. Speaking of Bones, for those who were like me wondering who the heck this guy is in the first book, well, let’s just say there’s more to Bones than meets the eye.“Y’all better get ready. Like I said last time, clear your schedule. When this book comes out, say you got a scratchy throat or something, muscle aches, play the COVID scare card for a day and say you need to quarantine. Then read this book . . . front to back. There will be more sweaty palms, fist pumps, tears, and laughter than the first one. I promise.“And yes . . . in case you’re wondering . . . by the time this book ends, there’s not much room left on his back for more names. But something tells me that’s not going to stop Bishop.”Praise for The Letter Keeper: “Very few contemporary novelists have found acclaim within mainstream and evangelical markets, but Charles Martin is among them. His latest novel is both a stand-alone story and a sequel to his highly-praised The Water Keeper. It hinges on the Scriptural message of forsaking the found in order to seek the lost, a theme Martin brings to poetic and brilliant life. A man broken by events beyond his control accepts the challenge to walk dark ways in order to bring the lost and helpless home, but he comes close to losing himself in the process. Despite the hardship and heartache, Martin’s story shines with the light of eternal hope.” —Davis Bunn, writing for Christianity TodayFull-length novelOne of the Murphy Shepherd novels:Book One: The Water KeeperBook Two: The Letter KeeperBook Three: Available June 2022!Includes discussion questions for book clubsAlso by Charles Martin: The Mountain Between Us, Send Down the Rain, Long Way Gone, When Crickets Cry less

USA TODAY and ECPA bestselling seriesCombine James Patterson and Colleen Hoover and you'll start to understand why readers are riveted by the Murphy Shepherd series from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin: gripping action, heart-wrenching emotion, and deep questions that deserve to be considered.Bones--Murphy Shepherd's teacher, mentor, priest, and friend--is gone... moreUSA TODAY and ECPA bestselling seriesCombine James Patterson and Colleen Hoover and you'll start to understand why readers are riveted by the Murphy Shepherd series from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin: gripping action, heart-wrenching emotion, and deep questions that deserve to be considered.Bones--Murphy Shepherd's teacher, mentor, priest, and friend--is gone. Devastated by the loss and unsure how to continue the rescue work they started, Murph has no choice but to jump back in when the worst happens. His longtime friend and current United States vice president, Aaron Ashley, has been a silent partner in the fight against trafficking. But in spite of having the best security available, his three daughters have been taken bound and blindfolded from their home by an extraction team that left no clues and no trace--just an empty house, a bereft mother, and nine dead Secret Service agents. Only Murph and his team have a hope of finding them.Bones may have made the ultimate sacrifice by taking down his own brother and the dark network he led, but there are still others in this network where evil is the currency and power is the prize. Soon Ashley drops out of the presidential race and a new candidate emerges--someone who is ready, too ready, to step into the race and the Oval Office.Bones taught Murph that the needs of the one, the lost one, outweigh those of the ninety-nine. In his first rescue without Bones beside him, Murph's fight against human trafficking takes him across the globe and through the halls of government to destroy the network and save the lives and souls of those taken.The Murphy Shepherd series is simultaneously a tender love story, a heartrending search for freedom, an exploration of the terrible cost of human trafficking, and an anthem to the power of love to create change when it shows up regardless of the cost. The Keeper raises the stakes even further, so be ready--you won't want to put it down until you reach the very last page.The Murphy Shepherd series: Book 1 The Water Keeper, Book 2 The Letter Keeper, Book 3 The Record Keeper, Book 4 The Keeper (coming April 2025!) less