The Water Keeper by Charles Martin {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

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.

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.

Charles Martin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels. He and his wife, Christy, live in Jacksonville, Florida.

This is the first book that I have read by Charles Martin, but it certainly will not be the last. There are some stories that you know will just stick with you long after the final page, and this was certainly one of those. Simply put, the story was captivating.

Murph is a man with a definite air of mystery surrounding him. We figure out early on that he's let an interesting life--- but it's not until the story progresses that we really learn all the ins and outs of that life. As more and more of his life is revealed slowly throughout the story, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the events. The Water Keeper tackles the tough topic of human trafficking and slavery through an adventure story that reminded me of a timeless classic adventure--- complete with a rag tag group of characters, all broken in their own ways. As they set out in search of Summer's daughter Angel, I loved seeing how their stories would unfold...past and present. There are some twists and turns along the way...and while I admit that I did see some coming fairly early on, others took me by complete surprise and had me curious to go back and see where reality and fiction intersected and what I might have missed. The story truly was quite intriguing, with a beautiful message of love and it's ability to overcome all. Certainly not a typical romance novel, by any means... but a beautiful story of love nonetheless.

I will say that there was a lot of technical detail about the various boats and waterways traveled. For me, I must admit that it slowed the story down a bit in places and I personally could have done without it. Others may disagree if they are into that kind of thing. Still, it wasn't a big enough issue to keep me from thoroughly enjoying this story... while it might have kept it from being a 5 star from me, it was still very much a STRONG 4 stars.  It's beautifully written and one I'm certain I won't soon forget.