The Water Keeper

Murphy Shepherd lives alone on a small island near Jacksonville, Florida, tending an empty church and hiding a lifetime of pain. His quiet work is anything but ordinary. He tracks and rescues women and girls trapped in the world of modern human trafficking. When he pulls Summer, a desperate mother, from Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, his plan to honor his late mentor shifts into a high-stakes search for her missing daughter. Set largely along the waterways and coast of Florida, this Christian romantic suspense novel blends danger with a gentle, slow-building love story. The third-person storytelling keeps the focus on Murphy’s secrets, Summer’s fierce hope, and the worth of every life they’re trying to save. Readers who want a clean, faith-tinged romance wrapped in an intense, purposeful plot will find this a powerful and emotionally rich read.