The Morning Brew With Kristen Ness

Meet us at the bookshop for coffee and conversation with author Kristen Ness! Your ticket includes coffee and light breakfast refreshments. At Loggerheads will be available for purchase.

RSVP

About the Book

“I came for the sea turtles and stayed for the mystery and intrigue! At Loggerheads is a delightful debut that deftly shifts from twisty to tender, delivering a page-turning murder mystery while examining the complicated relationship between humans and the incredible creatures we share this world with. I loved this book!”

—SHELBY VAN PELT, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

Murder on a South Carolina barrier island brings together a sea turtle biologist and a local detective to unravel a mystery that might impact the race for the White House. 

In late May, loggerhead sea turtles should be nesting on Anders Isle and scientist Brooke Edens should feel more at home on the island where she grew up. But something is amiss. When a dead body surfaces along with other big crimes, Brooke finds herself entangled in a homicide investigation with detective Drew Young, her closest friend (and sometimes love interest). At the same time, a favorite candidate is emerging for the upcoming US presidential election, and he happens to be the father of Brooke’s ex-fiancé, who just complicates matters with each visit to the island. While Brooke’s knowledge of sea turtles helps Drew discover and decipher evidence, the many revelations, betrayals, and secrets threaten not only the investigation but also Brooke’s closest relationships and her beloved turtles. 

Will they be able to untangle the web of crimes and catch the killer before it’s too late?

Captivating, clever, and timely, At Loggerheads is a love letter to the barrier islands and coastal towns of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where the often-opposing forces of Mother Nature and human nature influence what people will do for money, for power, and for love. 

About the Author

Kristen Ness grew up mostly in South Carolina, spending countless days with nature and falling in love with the ocean and its creatures on Isle of Palms, where, for the past ten years, she's walked the beach at sunrise each summer in search of sea turtle nests as a volunteer for the Island Turtle Team. While practicing immigration law for twenty years, Ness has been moonlighting in pursuit of my lifelong passion for writing and my obsession with marine biology. Writing, real estate, politics, and even publishing run in her blood as the daughter of an English teacher and a land developer, and the great-granddaughter of the 14th Governor of North Dakota whose family owned and published The Bismarck Tribune. Ness has a BA in English from Duke University, a JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and serves as an appointed member of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Coral Advisory Panel. Kristen lives in Charleston, SC, with her husband, two children, and a cat.

At Loggerheads is her first novel.