The Letter Keeper
By Charles Martin
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
2.5 Stars - After The Water Keeper surprised me by how much I enjoyed it, I was looking forward to this sequel, maybe a little too much. This picks up after its conclusion so don't read this out of order, but it didn't quite take the running start. Murphy, Bones, Ellie, and all the returning characters still have all their charm but the plot seemed bit lackluster to me.
Martin's writing style is very immersive, character driven, and vivid with settings. All of which I love about his work. But this novel seemed almost bogged down, not uncommon with the second book in a trilogy. Murphy's a fun hero, a very everyday guy even if his description at times reads like everything but the kitchen sink. Bones is a quirky semi-former priest with many talents and amazing people skills. He serves sort of as Murphy's handler as they try to save victims of human trafficking all over the world. Summer, Ellie, and some of the other girls nicely round out their little family.
In the beginning, we are sort of drifting, getting lots of flashbacks and they don't quite mesh. Surprisingly, I felt lost despite having read the first book, and I could have used a simpler refresher. Action flares through the first few chapters but then settles down quickly. More in depth looks at Murphy's past were interesting but not quite the progression of his adventures I expected to find. They felt more like a way to fill a transitional book in a series. Martin's less than subtle messaging I'll admit is engaging. He touches on a miriad of topics like second chances, trust, fulfillment, religion, guilt, and so many interpersonal relationships. But that's not my favorite part of his work. For example, he suggests that daughters need fathers to know who they are. I'm very close with my dad and do not for a minute discount his role in my life but that was overkill to me. Based on the blurb and the novel's length, I was expecting things to be hopping, and that's just not what I got. I'd have to recommend reading this directly in between The Water Keeper and the upcoming final book in the trilogy. Not just to help keep straight the characters and the stories but for a more exciting pace.
(NS)
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