About the Book

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 of 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.

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In My Opinion

Charles Martin has been on my TBR radar for a while, and even more so after hearing him speak on a panel last winter. So, with the release of The Water Keeper, I decided to mark this author off my list of want-to-reads.

Martin takes a hard look at human trafficking and how girls are manipulated and targeted. There are some great plot twists in the book (although I feel like I saw the big one coming from the get-go). There’s a romance that sprouts and Murph picks up some interesting characters along the way.

At times the plot gets too convoluted, though. It’s difficult to distinguish what is real life and what is meant as metaphor. Some scenes were a little much with the graphic violence or descriptions but overall the heart of the message Martin shares is there.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.