Where to Start Reading Christine Kling's Books
If you are new to Christine Kling’s nautical thrillers, the absolute best place to start is with her debut novel, Surface Tension (2002). This book introduces Seychelle Sullivan, a fierce tugboat captain navigating the waters and crime scenes of Fort Lauderdale. Starting here allows you to experience the character growth and ongoing story arcs in her signature series as they were originally written.
Alternatively, if you prefer action-adventure thrillers focused on maritime archaeology and lost treasure rather than detective-style mystery, you should start with Circle of Bones (2013). This is the first book in her Shipwreck Adventures series, featuring former Marine Maggie Riley and archaeologist Cole Thatcher.
For readers interested in historical fiction, the best entry point is Whiskey Creek (2026), the opening book of her Florida Chronicles trilogy, which shifts focus to World War II civilian patrols hunting for German U-boats along the Florida coast.
Seychelle Sullivan Series in Reading Order
The Seychelle Sullivan series is Christine Kling's most famous work. It features a female salvage marine captain who constantly finds herself entangled in murders, human trafficking, and international conspiracies in South Florida and the Caribbean. While the mystery in each book is resolved, the personal lives and relationships of the recurring cast develop significantly over time. Reading them in order is highly recommended.
- Surface Tension (2002): Seychelle Sullivan is working the waters of Fort Lauderdale when she answers a distress call, only to find a yacht containing a dead client and a web of corruption.
- Cross Current (2004): Seychelle rescues a Haitian girl from a sinking boat, pulling her into a dangerous investigation surrounding human trafficking.
- Bitter End (2005): When Seychelle takes on a salvage job, she finds herself in the crosshairs of Russian mobsters operating in South Florida.
- Wreckers' Key (2007): A search for a missing friend takes Seychelle to Key West, where she uncovers historical secrets and modern-day greed.
- Mourning Tide (2017): Returning after a decade-long hiatus, this novel finds Seychelle dealing with family secrets and a mystery surrounding her father's past.
The Shipwreck Adventures (Riley & Cole Series) in Reading Order
This series moves away from the local salvage scenes of Fort Lauderdale to deliver international, high-octane archaeological thrillers. The stories follow Maggie Riley, a solo sailor and former Marine, and Cole Thatcher, a determined maritime archaeologist, as they search for historical relics and treasures while outrunning dangerous adversaries.
- Circle of Bones (2013): Maggie Riley's quiet sailing life is disrupted in the Caribbean when she meets Cole Thatcher and becomes involved in a hunt for a lost World War II French submarine.
- Dragon's Triangle (2014): The duo travels to the dangerous waters of the Western Pacific to search for a legendary lost ship carrying treasure, navigating modern pirates and ancient secrets.
- Knight's Cross (2015): Riley and Cole investigate the mysteries of the Knights Templar, tracking a relic across Malta and the Mediterranean.
The Florida Chronicles
With this series, Kling explores historical fiction. The books focus on Florida's maritime history during critical historical eras.
- Whiskey Creek (2026): Set during World War II, the story follows a young woman who joins civilian coastal patrols to spot German U-boats lurking in Florida's coastal waters. This book serves as the first installment of a planned historical trilogy.
Short Stories and Anthologies
For readers who want to explore every corner of Kling's universe, her short fiction offers valuable backstory, particularly for the Seychelle Sullivan series.
- Miami Noir (2006): This anthology features Kling's short story "Dead Storage," which delves into the darker side of South Florida.
- Florida Heat Wave (2010): A crime fiction anthology edited by Michael Lister that includes a contribution from Kling.
- Sea Bitch: Four Tales of Nautical Noir (2015): This collection includes four short stories, most notably "The Night Watchman"—a prequel story that depicts Seychelle Sullivan's very first salvage case before the events of Surface Tension. It also reprints "Dead Storage."
Chronological Order Caveats
While the publication order is the most straightforward way to read Christine Kling's books, purists who want a strict chronological experience for the Seychelle Sullivan series should start with the short story "The Night Watchman" (found in the Sea Bitch collection) before reading Surface Tension. Otherwise, both the Seychelle Sullivan and Shipwreck Adventures series can be read directly in the order they were published without any timeline confusion.