The Record Keeper
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- Create Date：2022-06-22 13:21:57
- Update Date：2025-09-08
- Status：finish
- Author：Charles Martin
- ISBN：B09SJYLJGD
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kelly
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The Record Keeper by Charles Martin is the third installment of the Murphy Shepherd series。 I highly recommend reading the series in order or you’ll miss key parts。 This story centers around Bones – where he came from and what he overcame to lead an operation that rescues people from human slavery/trafficking。 This story is dark and intense， but Martin weaves such powerful themes of hope， freedom， and salvation throughout every word on the page。The Record Keeper follows Murphy as he tracks down The Record Keeper by Charles Martin is the third installment of the Murphy Shepherd series。 I highly recommend reading the series in order or you’ll miss key parts。 This story centers around Bones – where he came from and what he overcame to lead an operation that rescues people from human slavery/trafficking。 This story is dark and intense， but Martin weaves such powerful themes of hope， freedom， and salvation throughout every word on the page。The Record Keeper follows Murphy as he tracks down Bones。 He hires a new team of hackers to help him scour the earth to find his friend and mentor。 I love the new characters （and hope maybe some of them get a spin-off series of their own someday。） And many characters return from the previous stories （like Summer， Clay， and Gunner。） But just like the first two in the series， this story has lots of action and intense moments that kept a suspense fan like me hooked。 I appreciate the overall themes of The Record Keeper。 The sacrifices both Bones and Murphy make to find the lost and forgotten is powerful。The whole series is so well done！ This releases on July 5th – and what better way to celebrate Independence Day than with a story about a Shepherd seeking that one lost sheep， bringing freedom to the hopeless and lost。 I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Valerie Robertson
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Another great book by Charles Martin！！
Dana Michael
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I live in a bubble。 There is so much evil in the world。 And the subject of this book is the most evil。 Sex Trafficking。 I know this is a work of fiction。 Yet I feel this doesn't even cover a drop in the bucket as to what is actually going on in the world。 I thank the author for exploiting this evil and covering it the way he did。 Like I said。 I live in a bubble and I needed to know and recognize what is going on。 First off， Murph is like Daniel Craig， Tom Cruise， and Liam Neeson all rolled up in I live in a bubble。 There is so much evil in the world。 And the subject of this book is the most evil。 Sex Trafficking。 I know this is a work of fiction。 Yet I feel this doesn't even cover a drop in the bucket as to what is actually going on in the world。 I thank the author for exploiting this evil and covering it the way he did。 Like I said。 I live in a bubble and I needed to know and recognize what is going on。 First off， Murph is like Daniel Craig， Tom Cruise， and Liam Neeson all rolled up into one。 He is that tough！ Kinda like a Timex watch， he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'。 I love his character。 He and Bones represents the good against the evil。 And they don't mind kicking butt and bringing some justice into the world。 The light in the darkness。 The shepherd going after the one。 It seems like a never ending fight that no one will win。 The struggle is real。 Secondly， the story line continues as Bones is the record keeper and his twin brother who owns an evil empire seems to come at them at every angle。 It is a page turning-staying up all night kind of read。 Lastly， there is tenderness and love for the lost and hurting。 There is healing and restoring。 There is HOPE。As I mentioned， it seems like a never ending fight。 However， the sheep they find each time they rescue girls and boys from utter horror is a win。 This is the third book in the trilogy and I recommend reading them in order。*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers and this is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Lisa
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A Richly Told and Riveting StorySUMMARYMurphy Shepherd finds women and children who are victims of human trafficking。 His mission in life is to help these victims find their freedom， but he goes the extra mile by assisting them to recover from the ordeal in a safely guarded location called Freetown。 When his best friend and mentor Bones is kidnapped， Murphy will stop at nothing to find him。 Murphy and his canine partner Gunner shift into high gear， racing across the country and the ocean to find A Richly Told and Riveting StorySUMMARYMurphy Shepherd finds women and children who are victims of human trafficking。 His mission in life is to help these victims find their freedom， but he goes the extra mile by assisting them to recover from the ordeal in a safely guarded location called Freetown。 When his best friend and mentor Bones is kidnapped， Murphy will stop at nothing to find him。 Murphy and his canine partner Gunner shift into high gear， racing across the country and the ocean to find Bones。 Murphy quickly discovers that Bones' kidnapper is Bones’ jealous brother， who has eyes and ears everywhere。 Murphy must up his technology game and hire computer experts if he wants to win the battle for Bones life。 REVIEWThe Record Keeper Is a richly told and riveting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat。 It’s both a heart-wrenching and action-packed tale with an admirable protagonist。 Murphy Shepherd， also known as David Bishop， will stop at nothing to save trafficking victims。 He is bold， fearless， and determined。 Gunner， the quintessential German Shepherd， takes the prize for the best partner/dog ever！ The cast of characters is superb。 I hesitate even to call them characters because， after three books they all feel like family。 You can’t help but feel the intensity and heartache and even wonder how much of this story is true to life。 I love Charles Martin’s books and have read every one of them。 This one， while stellar， gave me a little pause。 There were a few portions of the story， such as Bones’ horrendous youth， that left me unsettled and uncertain。 In this latest novel， Martin seems to push the envelope on the level of intensity of the drama that may have some readers needing an emotional rest。 The Record Keeper is a tale of two brothers， one good and one evil。 One of these brothers is a major player in the sex trafficking of children， while the other tries to set these children free from this bondage。 It is a well-told story of the shepherd who leaves his flock to go and find the one lost sheep。 This book concludes the three-part series featuring the indomitable Murphy Shepherd。 Other books in the series include The Water Keeper （2020） and The Letter Keeper （2021）。 You will want to read all three。 Charles Martin’s stories are always eye-opening and fabulous。 Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for an advance reading copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 Publisher Thomas Nelson Published July 5， 2022Review www。bluestockingreviews。com 。。。more
Judy
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I love this series and I don't know if this is the last book of the series or if there will be more。 I'm hoping there could be more， but I will continue reading whatever Charles Martin writes because I love his lyrical voice。 This series has been full of the horrors of child slavery， amazing heroism and bravery， redemption and forgiveness， and most of all love。 A sacrificial love that is deep and abiding。 This book puts Bones （Murphy's mentor） and his twin brother who is evil to the core in the I love this series and I don't know if this is the last book of the series or if there will be more。 I'm hoping there could be more， but I will continue reading whatever Charles Martin writes because I love his lyrical voice。 This series has been full of the horrors of child slavery， amazing heroism and bravery， redemption and forgiveness， and most of all love。 A sacrificial love that is deep and abiding。 This book puts Bones （Murphy's mentor） and his twin brother who is evil to the core in the forefront。 Although Murphy had come near death in his last rescue mission， he has no choice but to try to stop Bones' brother。This book is tense and emotional。 I think anyone wanting to read it should read The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper first to get the background on Murphy and Bones。 Their history is important to fully understand the relationship and what drives them。 Gunner the dog is a hero too and is always present; he's a great character too。 The philosophy taught by Bones and followed by Murphy runs throughout the book and in central to the story。Thanks to Thomas Nelson--FICTION through Netgalley for an advance copy。 This book will be published on July 5， 2022。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Judy Collins
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GOOD VERSUS EVIL Bestselling author Charles Martin continues his popular Murphy Shepherd series following The Letter Keeper （#2） and The Water Keeper （#1） with THE RECORD KEEPER （#3）， the final book with an emotional closure of two brothers of evil versus good。Bones， mentor of Murphy Shepherd， has worked for years to take down evil pedophiles and victims of sex trafficking。 They both have worked tirelessly fighting the evils of the world。 Shepherd is also a novelist writing under a pseudonym an GOOD VERSUS EVIL Bestselling author Charles Martin continues his popular Murphy Shepherd series following The Letter Keeper （#2） and The Water Keeper （#1） with THE RECORD KEEPER （#3）， the final book with an emotional closure of two brothers of evil versus good。Bones， mentor of Murphy Shepherd， has worked for years to take down evil pedophiles and victims of sex trafficking。 They both have worked tirelessly fighting the evils of the world。 Shepherd is also a novelist writing under a pseudonym and wants to keep it a secret。 Frank wants to tell the world。 We also get to catch up with the gang: Summer， Ellie， Clay， Gunner， and Casey。This novel focuses on Bones， his background， and his evil twin brother， Frank。 He does not want to do good and is the opposite of his brother。 He wants to take down his brother and Murphy。 This story is dark and intense; however， Martin blends powerful themes of hope， forgiveness， healing， and salvation。 From sexual abuse within the church， plus other evils， the action and the tension heat up in the race against time to find Bones before it is too late。 Both heart-wrenching and action-packed。 The shepherd who leaves his flock to find the one lost sheep。 I recommend reading the first two books in the series prior to reading this one。 THE WATER KEEPER was my favorite in the series。 I also recommend reading Charles's earlier books which I loved。 Even though I am a huge long-time fan of Charles Martin and have read all his books， this was my least favorite in the series。 The usual stunning lyrical prose and evocative emotional letter writing that Charles is known for are missing here。 It seemed too commercialized and reads more like an action INTENSE thriller like Greg Hurwitz versus literary fiction and not enough rich character development。 I hope that after this series， Charles will return to his earlier writing style with the books we all loved and cherished set in South Georgia， which are less action-centered and more people-focused。 Would like to see more of Charles's beautiful prose and emotional stories—like Catherine Ryan Hyde books we love。A special thank you to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson for an ARC to read， enjoy， and review。 It was challenging to read the format since there seemed to be no line spacing but sure the final book will be corrected。 Blog Review Posted @www。JudithDCollins。com @JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooksPub Date: July 5， 2022My Rating: 4 Stars 。。。more
Michelle Rhoden
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If you don’t read The Record Keeper by Charles Martin， you’re going to miss an awesome book。 Once you start reading， you are drawn into the story and don’t want to put it down。 The book and author are both amazing。 I highly recommend this book。 I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion and review。 All words are my own。
Tracie Gutknecht
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ThrillerOh my gosh， do I love this series！ This is the 3rd book of the Murphy Shepherd series and is the absolute best of the best！"Because the needs of the one outweigh those of the ninety-nine。" This tenet is what Murphy and Bones live by。 It's what makes them pursue a kidnapped and exploited person when they are bruised and broken and should probably take a break。 Yes， they have religious training， but their goal is to rescue women and children who have been kidnapped and are being trafficked ThrillerOh my gosh， do I love this series！ This is the 3rd book of the Murphy Shepherd series and is the absolute best of the best！"Because the needs of the one outweigh those of the ninety-nine。" This tenet is what Murphy and Bones live by。 It's what makes them pursue a kidnapped and exploited person when they are bruised and broken and should probably take a break。 Yes， they have religious training， but their goal is to rescue women and children who have been kidnapped and are being trafficked。 In this installment Murphy is still recovering from a wound that almost ended his life。 But this time， they aren't just going after the victims they are going after the "head of the snake"。 By their estimations one man has been responsible for the trafficking of hundreds of thousands of people in the past twenty years。 This man is Bones' brother， specifically his twin。 They had a horrific childhood and suffered abuse at the hands of many men。 At a major turning point in their lives Bones' choose goodness and Frank choose the dark。 Frank is very rich and very brilliant。 He has enough money to have created his own internet and can hack anything with a processor。 He began attacking Murph and Freetown and their friends to get to Bones。 and they need to stop him once and for all。 Trouble is a man rich enough to hack any device knows your plans as soon as you make them。The intricacies of the search for Frank， the tension of the storyline and the overarching theme had me crying and gasping and turning pages as quickly as possible。 Most of all， it made me think。 What does being kind really cost？ Can the smallest of actions really change the world？Oh， what a book！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel。 I will be forever grateful to have read this one。 。。。more
Ellen White
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The third book in this series with a subject that was well written about。 Giving us a good ending， of how those caught in this ， in faith to overcome。Given ARC for Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Kristie
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An incredible conclusion to the Murphy Shepherd series！ These books have imprinted themselves on my heart。 Such beautiful writing about such a dark subject。 I’m just awe struck at the depth， the humanity， the wisdom， the love， and all other emotions that pour out of these amazing books。 Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the advanced copy。
Betty
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I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review。 First I will say that I really enjoy reading books by Charles Martin。 When I came upon this offering I was so pleased。 Since this is the 3rd book in the series， I obtained copies of the first 2 books。 In my opinion， the Record Keeper is not really a stand alone， so much would be missed if the first two books weren’t read。 The story follows Murphy Shepard （not his given name） as he he I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review。 First I will say that I really enjoy reading books by Charles Martin。 When I came upon this offering I was so pleased。 Since this is the 3rd book in the series， I obtained copies of the first 2 books。 In my opinion， the Record Keeper is not really a stand alone， so much would be missed if the first two books weren’t read。 The story follows Murphy Shepard （not his given name） as he helps rescue young adults， mostly girls， from sex trafficking。 He also is a writer， but his real name is not known initially。 This will make sense while reading， I do not want to add a spoiler。 Though the topic of these books might put some people off， to me it gave me faith that there are people out there who are trying to right the wrong。 I’m not sure I could read another book about sex trafficking but I do like Murphy Shepard so I guess I will just have to wait and see if another book comes out。 The book is very well written and the storyline does progress well。Definitely worth the read。 This author is awesome。 。。。more
Julia
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https://www。instagram。com/p/CdzTZT2LH。。。 https://www。instagram。com/p/CdzTZT2LH。。。 。。。more
elcissoni
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I cannot say enough about Charles Martin’s books！ I have only read the three in his Murphy Shepherd Series but am looking forward to reading more of his other books in the future。 The Record Keeper is the third （and final） book of the series and I recommend reading the first two （The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper） before reading this one so you can have a full picture of the story that unfolds。The Record Keeper is full of heart and action and mystery as Murphy Shepherd races against the clo I cannot say enough about Charles Martin’s books！ I have only read the three in his Murphy Shepherd Series but am looking forward to reading more of his other books in the future。 The Record Keeper is the third （and final） book of the series and I recommend reading the first two （The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper） before reading this one so you can have a full picture of the story that unfolds。The Record Keeper is full of heart and action and mystery as Murphy Shepherd races against the clock to continue rescuing those that are lost。 This book is about human trafficking so some parts are rather disturbing but I am thankful the issue is addressed as it is because trafficking is such a horrific industry that I feel is often overlooked。 I am grateful to the author for shedding light on such an atrocity。Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Kelly Barton
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The Record Keeper will take you on a ride！ Murph and Bones are back， in what may be the best of the series， yet。 Charles Martin takes us to a different level， as he reveals the depths of where Bones comes from， who he is， and the overwhelming and incredible duties he carries in life。 Packed with adventure， tenderness， grit and soul， The Record Keeper is a recommended read！
Christie
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No words。 There is such a powerful message in this book。 This book elicited deep emotion， causing me to cry several times。 To fully appreciate this story， you need to read the first two books， but they are absolutely worth your time。 I really hope Murph's story continues。I received an advance review copy from NetGalley。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。 No words。 There is such a powerful message in this book。 This book elicited deep emotion， causing me to cry several times。 To fully appreciate this story， you need to read the first two books， but they are absolutely worth your time。 I really hope Murph's story continues。I received an advance review copy from NetGalley。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Jeanne Alfveby Crea
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Once again Charles Martin has immersed me from the first page in his action packed series where the heroes rescue the innocent from the clutches of evil and the depravity of sex trafficking。 I know this evil exists but to read about it in this story is to get a better understanding of how truly horrifying it is and how very traumatic。 My heart breaks for the innocence lost and the way they are so evilly used。 Every faith has a certain percentage of people who are supposed to be moral role models Once again Charles Martin has immersed me from the first page in his action packed series where the heroes rescue the innocent from the clutches of evil and the depravity of sex trafficking。 I know this evil exists but to read about it in this story is to get a better understanding of how truly horrifying it is and how very traumatic。 My heart breaks for the innocence lost and the way they are so evilly used。 Every faith has a certain percentage of people who are supposed to be moral role models when in fact they are the complete opposite。 It is reprehensible。 It is difficult to read about， and so horrific for the victims who will never be the same。 This story focuses on the past abuse of certain Catholic priests in the US and Europe， as well as individuals around the world who partake in this reprehensible behavior。I am truly grateful for the good and holy priests and religious that have been amazing role models to me。 And I am deeply disturbed and saddened for those who suffer at the hands of trusted leaders。The Record Keeper delves deeper into the heroic men who take a stand against this evil by rescuing the innocent and providing a place for healing。 It's so natural to want to kill the evil man at the top and exact revenge for all the evil he has done。 Can mercy even be a part of that equation？This is an amazing conclusion to the Murphy Shepherd series。 Where we get to know even better a truly selfless person who is always on the lookout to do what he can to save others from their present circumstances。 Where we encounter an amazing skilled team who provide support and love to the rescuers and the rescued。 This is a page-turning， thought-provoking story that I highly recommend。Thank you to the publisher and net galley for allowing me to read an early copy。 。。。more
Amy Rector
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I had heard of Charles Martin， but this was my first read。 He is a master。 Dense， smart， mesmerizing， chilling， anguishing， full of love and hate， distinguished。 Well done， Charles Martin。 This is the third of his Murphy "Shep" Shepard series。 Shep and his buddy， Bones， are agents in an unknown， high up， super secret， government agency， about which there are rumors but no confirmed knowledge。 They specialize in rescuing women， boys and girls from sex trafficking。 Some traffickers are low-level s I had heard of Charles Martin， but this was my first read。 He is a master。 Dense， smart， mesmerizing， chilling， anguishing， full of love and hate， distinguished。 Well done， Charles Martin。 This is the third of his Murphy "Shep" Shepard series。 Shep and his buddy， Bones， are agents in an unknown， high up， super secret， government agency， about which there are rumors but no confirmed knowledge。 They specialize in rescuing women， boys and girls from sex trafficking。 Some traffickers are low-level scum bags， but many are high-level， associated with the church and other well known organizations。 Shep and Bones take them all on with voracious appetites。 Backstories are resolved in this episode， but I won't give them away。 Shep is a hero， the old-fashioned kind， with modern day skills with the motto， "Love always shows up"。 There are references to people and situations relating to books 1 and 2。 At times I was a little lost。 While this book might be better read after the first two， I still found it interesting and intriguing。 I am definitely going back and reading 1 and 2。 Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 I recommend it！ 。。。more
Maryellen
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Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。The Record Keeper is the 3rd and final book in the Murphy Shepherd series。 I have loved this series for the story on its face value， immersing me in the gritty world of human trafficking， for the thorough and complex character development as well as the adventure。 But， on a deeper level this author wholly succeeds braiding the broader themes of redemption， faith， loyalty， unconditional love， what is family throughout all th Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。The Record Keeper is the 3rd and final book in the Murphy Shepherd series。 I have loved this series for the story on its face value， immersing me in the gritty world of human trafficking， for the thorough and complex character development as well as the adventure。 But， on a deeper level this author wholly succeeds braiding the broader themes of redemption， faith， loyalty， unconditional love， what is family throughout all three books。This novel opens in the aftermath of the fire that closed the second book "The Letter Keeper" where the team learns that Bones brother is the violent criminal behind the attacks on Murphy， the ranch as well as being the leader in the human trafficking world。 Murphy is struggling in his recovery both physical， mental and faithful and wonders if he'll go back to his rescue mission and how it will affect his wife and family after the most recent events at the ranch。Bones never waivers and is intent on finding his brother and bringing him down。 This books fills in the backstories we've been missing and help fill out the character studies that were incomplete。 The story pretty much comes to an end in this book with the author tying up many of the loose ends but not necessarily in a pretty bow。 While I'd have like this series to go on， i can also see that this was a logical place to end。I highly recommend this series as a whole and feel that just reading the last book would leave the reading not getting the benefit of the entire story and the broad themes that make it so special。 。。。more
Kelly Hughes
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"I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。" There are no words to describe Charles Martin's books so I will steal a couple of lines from this book to explain how I feel。 "I don’t know how you do it。 How you string them together and suck us all in。 I used to get so excited when I’d open my email and find your manuscript sitting unread in my inbox。 I’d sit down and relish every word。 The first of your fans to read the new work before any "I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。" There are no words to describe Charles Martin's books so I will steal a couple of lines from this book to explain how I feel。 "I don’t know how you do it。 How you string them together and suck us all in。 I used to get so excited when I’d open my email and find your manuscript sitting unread in my inbox。 I’d sit down and relish every word。 The first of your fans to read the new work before anyone else。 A delectable luxury。" I'm so thankful to have gotten to read them before they are released。 This is the last book of the trilogy and what it ending it was。 This is the story of Bones， Murphy Shepherds mentor。 It explains his history and why he has chosen the work he does。 The ending was heart wrenching and moving！ I won't be able to pick up a new book for a few days because I will be processing this one。 If you haven't read this series to so now！ 。。。more
Bethany
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I received a prerelease copy through NetGalley， Charles Martin， is a favorite author of mine and this book did not disappoint。 Charles Martin knows how to write people and those people stay with you after you have finished the book。 This is the third book in a series on a topic that is not easy to read but awareness is much needed。 This book brings back the familiar faces of the other two books and more backstories of major characters while also bringing in some new people。
Emily Vreken
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The Record Keeper is the third book in a series by Charles Martin about human trafficking。 The topic is a hard one to tackle， but Martin does so with sensitivity and grace。 He also manages to weave in an amazing allegory about how our heavenly Father has rescued us from slavery to Satan and sin。 Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book， "A record of my keeper。 Who left the ninety-nine。。。for me。" Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 I received a complimentary copy of this book The Record Keeper is the third book in a series by Charles Martin about human trafficking。 The topic is a hard one to tackle， but Martin does so with sensitivity and grace。 He also manages to weave in an amazing allegory about how our heavenly Father has rescued us from slavery to Satan and sin。 Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book， "A record of my keeper。 Who left the ninety-nine。。。for me。" Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。" 。。。more
Cheri
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I am a loyal fan of Charles Martin and his cast of endearing characters。 I anxiously awaited this last book in the series， and thoroughly enjoyed it。 The storyline kept me engaged from start to finish， with definite highs and lows along the way。 The first book in this series （The Water Keeper） remains my favorite of the three， but The Record Keeper did not disappoint。
Diane Jackson
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I almost quit reading in the 2nd chapter。 Even though it is a topic that everyone needs to know and be more aware， I was not ready for the topic of human trafficking。 As I was contemplating giving it up something caught my attention and the next thing I know I am halfway through the book。 This is the first book of Charles Martin that I have read but I can guarantee it is not the last。 He slips in so many elements that seem to be just a part of the story but leaves you thinking things like how do I almost quit reading in the 2nd chapter。 Even though it is a topic that everyone needs to know and be more aware， I was not ready for the topic of human trafficking。 As I was contemplating giving it up something caught my attention and the next thing I know I am halfway through the book。 This is the first book of Charles Martin that I have read but I can guarantee it is not the last。 He slips in so many elements that seem to be just a part of the story but leaves you thinking things like how does one provide for everyone as they are saved， how does one overcome the horror and what is it like in total darkness。 Martin gives new insight on the importance of finding the one lost sheep and most important of belonging and hopeThanks to Netgalley ， Thomas Nelson and Charles Martin for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Jennie Webb
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This book is very tough to read！ To me， it was harder than the previous two， because of the subject。 Some of Bone's story was kind of unbelievable to me， because who could really live through all of that？ However， overall， it was a good story， with good character development， building on the last 2 books。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advance e-copy！ All opinions expressed are entirely my own。 This book is very tough to read！ To me， it was harder than the previous two， because of the subject。 Some of Bone's story was kind of unbelievable to me， because who could really live through all of that？ However， overall， it was a good story， with good character development， building on the last 2 books。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advance e-copy！ All opinions expressed are entirely my own。 。。。more
Louise Pledge
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Methinks， going by other reviews I've read， I'd have enjoyed this a lot more， had I read the preceding two books in the series。 I kept thinking， "What did I miss here？"Murphy Shepherd and his good friend， Bones， have， apparently， founded a community which they named "Freetown" and where they care for and rehabilitate girls who were， formerly， not free， as in victims of human trafficking。 It started out too slow for my liking but was quite heart-warming with some mystery added in （my favorite gen Methinks， going by other reviews I've read， I'd have enjoyed this a lot more， had I read the preceding two books in the series。 I kept thinking， "What did I miss here？"Murphy Shepherd and his good friend， Bones， have， apparently， founded a community which they named "Freetown" and where they care for and rehabilitate girls who were， formerly， not free， as in victims of human trafficking。 It started out too slow for my liking but was quite heart-warming with some mystery added in （my favorite genre） when a major character is missing。 Still trying to decide whether to go back and read the first two。。。 。。。more
Dave Milbrandt
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For those who are fans of Charles Martin， you will love this book。 For those who do not know his work yet， the same is true。 In beautiful yet furious fashion， Martin weaves a tale of anger （righteous and otherwise） love， loss and redemption in such a way that you want to yell and cry all at the same time。 As a writer， I rarely find a book that makes want to be a better storyteller and a better person all at once。 The Record Keeper does both。This is a story of brokenness and healing that reminds For those who are fans of Charles Martin， you will love this book。 For those who do not know his work yet， the same is true。 In beautiful yet furious fashion， Martin weaves a tale of anger （righteous and otherwise） love， loss and redemption in such a way that you want to yell and cry all at the same time。 As a writer， I rarely find a book that makes want to be a better storyteller and a better person all at once。 The Record Keeper does both。This is a story of brokenness and healing that reminds us we all are broken and all need healing。 "Then Bones" indeed。 I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review of its merits。 。。。more
Cindy
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What an amazing conclusion to the trilogy that started with The Water Keeper。 It's a tough subject but I'm glad Charles Martin addresses this topic。 I really enjoy Charles Martin books but this series is awesome！ I received my review copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson books， all opinions are my own。 What an amazing conclusion to the trilogy that started with The Water Keeper。 It's a tough subject but I'm glad Charles Martin addresses this topic。 I really enjoy Charles Martin books but this series is awesome！ I received my review copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson books， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Lindsey Gandhi
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The Record Keeper is the third and last book in the Shepherd Series。 To get the full impact of this book， you need to read the first two - The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper。 Charles Martin has a true gift from God in his writing ability and this series is one I pray he will continue。 As with all of his books， he weaves the themes of love， redemption， forgiveness， hope， resilience， sacrifice and faith in a magical and poignant way that leaves your heart full and your lungs breathless。 This p The Record Keeper is the third and last book in the Shepherd Series。 To get the full impact of this book， you need to read the first two - The Water Keeper and The Letter Keeper。 Charles Martin has a true gift from God in his writing ability and this series is one I pray he will continue。 As with all of his books， he weaves the themes of love， redemption， forgiveness， hope， resilience， sacrifice and faith in a magical and poignant way that leaves your heart full and your lungs breathless。 This particular series （all three books） are really a story within a story within a story。 In a masterful way Martin reveal layers that add such depth， amazement and intensity to the story all while gently nudging the reader to dig within their own soul for a stronger connection with God， to see the light within the darkness。 And the main topic is a tough one - human trafficking。 He shows you the evil， horrific nature of this topic with the most delicate of hands。 While I know this is a work of fiction， I can't help but worry these are very real scenarios。 "We can no longer be content to rescue sheep。 Or sit here and protect the flock。 We need to hunt the wolf。"In real life， I pray we have people like Murphy and Bones out there who will continue to rescue those in need in such a selfless way， someone to show up when all hope is lost。 Because everyone deserves to be rescued。 In this final book we get the backstory of Bones - how he came to be the man he is， why this is his mission， why he leaves the 99 to go after the 1。 In this case， the one happens to be the wolf and Martin shows us that even the most evil of characters needs rescuing。 You can't help but be reflective in the most humbling way after reading this series。 Martin takes some very important lessons from the Bible and crafts them in a way that leads the reader on a journey of understanding。 He paints pictures with his words better than any other author I've read。 "From the beginning of time， light has shone into the darkness， and since that first spark， darkness - no matter how hard it tries， no matter what sword it wields or scheme it penetrates - has not been able to overcome it。 ever。"This series is awe-inspiring， gut wrenching， emotional， moving， powerful。 This is some of Charles Martin's best work， in my opinion。 This is a story you don't want to miss out on。 And while he has said this is the final book in this series， I pray he will continue on。 The world needs more of Murphy and the team。 Charles Martin is a phenomenal story teller。 And the world needs more of Charles Martin's writing and insights。 Every book of his I read， I walk away having not only learned a way to strengthen my faith， but be a better person。 "You can't know who you are until you've settled whose you are。"While this series is Christian fiction and Charles Martin's books have strong religious undertones， I encourage you to read these books even if this isn't your normal genre。 I promise you won't feel like you're sitting in church listening to a sermon， but you'll walk away just as refreshed。 And who doesn't like to read a book about the good guys chasing after the bad guys？ Check out Charles Martin's books， I promise you won't be disappointed！！My thanks to Charles Martin， Thomas Nelson Publishing and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Stephanie Eastman
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Water Keeper was my first Charles Martin book， and I have since read several of his。 I love how he draws you into the characters and makes you feel a personal connection。 While I was sad to read the culmination of the Murphy Shepherd story， it was so beautifully written and touching。 I loved the picture of leaving the 99 to search for the 1， which is throughout the whole series。 This book has its tense moments， and a few chapters that were a little wordy and slow。 But the main action of the book Water Keeper was my first Charles Martin book， and I have since read several of his。 I love how he draws you into the characters and makes you feel a personal connection。 While I was sad to read the culmination of the Murphy Shepherd story， it was so beautifully written and touching。 I loved the picture of leaving the 99 to search for the 1， which is throughout the whole series。 This book has its tense moments， and a few chapters that were a little wordy and slow。 But the main action of the book is compelling and made me stay up way too late to finish。 Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC！ 。。。more
Staci
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