Charles Martin Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Awakening Books
| The Dead Don't Dance | (2004) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Maggie | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Murphy Shepherd Books
| The Water Keeper | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Letter Keeper | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Record Keeper | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Keeper | (2025) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Wrapped in Rain | (2005) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| When Crickets Cry | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Chasing Fireflies | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Where the River Ends | (2008) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Mountain Between Us | (2010) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Thunder and Rain | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Unwritten | (2013) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Life Intercepted | (2014) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Water from My Heart | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Long Way Gone | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Send Down the Rain | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Last Exchange | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Religious Books
| What If It's True? | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| They Turned the World Upside Down | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| If the Tomb Is Empty: Why the Resurrection Means Anything Is Possible | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Son of Man: Retelling the Stories of Jesus | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Anything Is Possible: How Nine Miracles of Jesus Reveal God’s Love for You | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| It Is Finished | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Run Over By the Grace Train: How the Unstoppable Love of God Transforms Everything | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Anthologies
Charles Martin married his wife Christy in 1993, with whom he has three sons with; the family of five live in Jacksonville, Florida together. Charles has known and loved Christy for over half of his life. Hobbies of Martin’s include, working out (this includes different things such as Fight Fit- which is a kind of martial art, and a mix of different old school type stuff), bow hunting, and Tae Kwon Do. Martin also likes to fish with his sons, works in his yard with his wife, coach T-ball, and prays with his sons at their beds before they go to sleep. In 2012, he earned his black belt despite not being very flexible, and his sons are all better at it. Martin believes however, that he enjoys it much more than they do.
He earned a B.A. in English from Flordia State University, and also has an M.A. in Journalism, and a Ph.d. in Communications that he received from Regent Universtity. For one year, he was an adjunct professor at Hampton University in the English Department, and was a doctoral fellow at Regent.
At the turn of the century, he left his career in business to become a novelist. He has written nine novels, and has written his autobiography that is a self-published ebook called “River Road”. He has also written a non-fiction story about Bill Frist, who is a senate majority leader and heart transplant surgeon. The work on the story helped give him research on a novel that he was writing at the time called, “When Crickets Cry”, something that he does not think is a coincidence. Martin’s work has been mentioned by fellow writers Robert Whitlow and Frank Peretti for being inspirational. Martin’s work has been compared to William Faulkner, Leif Eiger, as well as Nicholas Sparks. He is considered faith based fiction. He feels the same way about his novels that he does about his sons. He does not have a favorite of either. Like C.S. Lewis, Martin sees pictures of something flash before his eyes, and sort of backs into his stories. For one novel, he was daydreaming one day and saw a little girl in a yellow dress, and saw some of what he would later write about in the novel.
“The Dead Don’t Dance” was released in 2004 and is Charles Martin’s first novel. Taking place in a sleepy rural town in South Carolina, there is a baby about to born at the end of summer. Dylan Styles, a college English teacher, experiences a tragedy that he did not expect to, at a time when he was supposed to be celebrating and must face all that he has lost. He also has friends around him that help him through his problems.
Some readers were impressed by this book, feeling that the characters and the writing were both very realistic.Fans of the book found it to be very lifelike, the characters to be vivid and developed very well. The novel features characters that have a broad spectrum of emotion. Readers of the book have found it to be an experience rather than a story. Martin makes the readers feel like they are there in South Carolina. Fans of the novel liked that the writer’s main message for the book was to keep on going even though you have been struck with tragedy. They even liked the way that this novel is not like most faith based novels, but has real people that have flaws too.
Some of the readers of this book did not like it. They found the characters to be variations of the prostitute who has a heart of gold stereotype. They found the way the narrator talks about who the characters are as a inability on the author’s part to characterize. Some found the writing to be terrible, no organization, no continuity, and is simplistic. Some similes were found to be forced. Some even found the book to be boring and unfinishable.
“Wrapped in Rain” was released in 2005 is Martin’s second novel. Tucker deals in tragedy and pain. He is a photographer, who is internationally famous; has been around the world and seen it all. In his pictures, he captures things that other people do not see. He was raised in a large estate in the South with his brother Mutt, by their housekeeper Miss Ella Rain. She loved the pair of motherless kids like they were her own. The only good thing that their father ever did was hire her to take care of the boys and the estate. When his brother escapes from the mental hospital and one of his old girlfriends (named Katie) comes to him with a black eye and her son (Jase), Tucker must go back home and face his past. She has grown up and is now married to an abusive husband. Even though she has been gone for many years, he still remembers the lessons she taught him all those years ago. Through her, he realizes that he can either continue to hate his father for all that he did to them, or turn to the harder path of forgiveness and love.
Fans of the book liked the way it was written; saying that it was written beautifully. They also liked the way it shows how humans can be good and evil. The way Martin uses the Southern backdrop has a cinematic quality to it, and features strong and real characters. Some fans like the way the author was able to integrate into the novel faith themes into the novel; as well as a moving plot that gives the reader a powerful story that stays with them well after the end of the novel.
Some of the readers did not like this book and could not get into it. They could not connect with any one except the nanny character; they did not care what happened to any one of the characters in the book. Some felt that the story takes too long getting going, and some people just couldn’t stand the wait. To the point that they actually skipped whole chapters worth of the book. Readers also felt that as the book went on, the book started to get more and more preachy and religious.
Book Series In Order » Authors »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I discovered Charles Martin years ago through his book “The Mountain Between Us.” What a beautiful story! The movie sooo paled in comparison, this completely missed the essence of the book, especially the final chapter! (My daughter saw the movie first and recently read the book. She “LOVED it! It was nothing like the movie!”) I’m now about to finish “Chasing Fireflies” – such heart-pounding intrigue and suspense that I read thru twelve chapters before realizing it was 5am!l Sensational writer with sensational stories!! Thank you, thank you, Charles Martin!!
I have read When Crickets ry and about halfway through The Water Keeper. Both are excellent and am so excited that I have lots more Charles Martin books to read.
I think I just found my new favorite author. After reading Why Crickets Cry, I am now reading Chasing Fireflies.
I have read all but a couple of your books. My only concern is who is like you that I can read now?!
Jan Karon books are also wonderful!
And Francine Rivers!
Good reading to you❤️
Like another, I lost a lot of sleep reading these excellent, heart warming, eye watering stories that encourage, give hope, expose reality and develop the humanity of characters as well as the spirituality.
Thank God you quit your job and began writing. You are the one author I tell others about and I read a LOT of authors.
God bless you and those you love.
Have read the complete list of Charles Martin books!! ( except the non fiction) and am looking for them!!! He’s amazing. His characters could be your neighbor’s or friends. So believable.
Please don’t stop writing!! So hard to find books that are Christian based.
I am losing sleep! I am 8o plus years, and have read almost every published best selling author, and now, I have an author, Charles Martin, new to me, that has opened feelings thru his words that are near and dear to my heart. I can absolutely say once you read his first book, you will agree with my comments.
I have read 9 books, and awaiting the 3rd book, THE RECORD KEEPER in THE MURPHY SHEPHERD novels. I have lived in the areas that he writes about, especially the waterways thru Florida. I know that I have over the years met some of his written characters.
Thank you Charles
I found Charles Martin not too long ago and have read 4 of his books so far. I have never read an author like him. It is hard to read anything else because they just are not as good as Charlies Martin’s books. I don’t know how he does it. But I consider him the best ever in writing novels. I love it that he writes faith based books which is the only fiction I read. But now, the other books are boring to me compared to his! I can’t give enough praise for his works. He is the best!
I too have just discovered Charles Martin. Love his books. I have read 3 and heading to the library today praying they have more of his titles! Thank you Charles! Keep writing Fiction!
Thanks
Brenda
I love his books! In The Dead Don’t Dance and Maggie, he has a character named Bryce Kai McGregor. I loved him and I think he needs his story told. He needs his own book. When Crickets Cry introduced Charlie. I loved him. He also needs his own book.
So Charles Martin, get busy writing a book on Bryce and Charlie!
I read for of Charles Martin’s novel and loved them. Now I will have to read them all. So happy to have found a new faith based author. I’m spreading the word to my reader friends.
I just finished Send Down the Rain … wow what a great story I loved it have read most of his books and I’m never disappointed
Same here – I can’t get enough of his books. He finds places where a rhythm takes over his words and, hence you and I, The words just flow like a river, fast moving at times and other times slowly meandering.
I waited weeks to get the book “The Water Keeper” from the library. I had in hand the sequel “The Letter Keeper” and was holding on to it until I could read the first book. The wait was worth it.
I read both books in three days. Heart wrenching, happy and sad tears, so many emotions! Can’t wait for the next Murphy Shepherd book! In the meantime, I will be reading his previous books.
I just finished this series. I read them in 2 days. As you can imagine, I hardly put either of them down. They are the firstI’ve read by Charles Martin. I hope that he will write several more in this series.
I’ve read ALL his books and now have started re-reading some of them. None out there any better!
Just discovered this author a few days ago! Totally devoured Chasing Fireflies. Was hooked on the first page! Now ready to start looking for the books, I want to read them in order.
Have used your book lists before for other authors. A great service to the reading public. Thank you!
Your books are wonderful and well written. Can’t wait to read all of them. I am hooked. Write on please.
After reading “When Crickets Cry,” I was hooked on the novels of Charles Martin. I have read ten, and it looks like I have five left to read. It’s 1:30 am, and I just finished reading Send Down the Rain. I cannot get enough of these characters, the themes of love, loss, redemption, faith, prodigals, I could go on and on. Please, keep writing Mr. Charles Martin! God bless you, and your vision for storytelling with a purpose for God’s kingdom!
After reading “When Crickets Cry,” I was hooked on the novels of Charles Martin. I have read nine, and it looks like I have at least four left to read. It’s 1:30 am, and I just finished reading Send Down the Rain. I cannot get enough of these characters, the themes of love, loss, redemption, faith, prodigals, I could go on and on. Please, keep writing Mr. Charles Martin! God bless you, and your vision for storytelling with a purpose for God’s kingdom!
I have read every fiction book he has written to date.
My 1st was Where the River Ends. I was hooked and the next was The Mountain Between Us. The movie was coming out soon and the book is always better….and from there I searched out his other novels. I have yet to be disappointed in his novels.
Keep writing Charles Martin!
I’ve read three of Charles Martin’s books this week, and am delighted with poignancy and wonderful characterization. Average time has been 6 to 7 hours per book, because, once started, I have found it difficult to put them down!
I can’t wait for the 2 I have on order to come through.
I find Me. Martin’s books to be up lifting and realistic. I plan to read all o his work. It’s wonderful to have a good faith-based author. GOD WINS!