I was very taken with this book for several reasons. First, I absolutely loved the setting. Capri definitely becomes a character here. The clothes, the scents, the venues--I was utterly seduced! Too, I really liked the story. I was very moved by Helen, the daughter of the Sarah, who died under mysterious circumstances when Helen was just three years old. There was something so compelling about that, especially since many chapters were narrated by Sarah in the run-up to her death. I found myself so sad that she was not around to raise her daughter. I also liked the mood--so much danger, so many characters I knew i couldn't trust! This was a compelling story with twists and emotion. I would definitely read more by this author!

A wealthy family has secrets....and a lot to lose

The Lingate family is wealthy thanks to an ancestor's serendipitous foray into oil (or so legend has it), the type of wealthy that funds an opulent lifestyle. They have come to be known as much for a scandalous tragedy in their past as much as for their money ever since Sarah, an accomplished playwright who was married to one of the two Lingate sons, was discovered dead at the foot of the cliffs on Capri during the family's annual vacation at a villa there. It has always been rumored that her husband Richard, with whom she had been experiencing marital difficulties, was resposible for Sarah's death but it was officially ruled either an accident or suicide. Richard was left to raise their then three year old daughter Helen back in California. Now three decades later, it is time yet again for the family to make their annual pilgrimage to Capri (even after Sarah's death, they faithfully returned to the same villa each year). In addition to Richard and Helen, Richard's brother Marcus (after the death of their father, the titular head of the family as well as the family business), Marcus's wife Naomi, and Marcus's assistant Lorna all make the trip. Lorna and Helen have become friends, not an easy thing for Helen who has been kept on a very short leash and taught to trust no one. Helen thinks that this is the time for her to break away, and she and Lorna have come up with a plan that will give each of them the funds to escape the suffocating life they currently endure. Before they can fully execute their scheme, though, Lorna disappears, just like Sarah had so many years earlier. Is history repeating itself and, if so, what is the truth of what happened to Sarah thirty years earlier? And who will survive once the family secrets come to light?
A taut and twisty thriller set in an exotic locale, Saltwater is a deftly plotted story of suspense where characters' secrets, motivations and identities unfurl as the tale progresses. The characters are not particularly likable, not even Helen whose play for independence is certainly understandable given the family's machinations over the years. Lorna is not exactly who or what she appears to be, and Richard, Marcus and Naomi are definitely not to be trusted. There is a lot of drinking and other excesses fueled by the family's money, and those who facilitate the Lingates' lives are treated pretty callously by the family members. Themes of the dark side of wealth, absent mothers, and the shifting nature of identity are woven through the narrative as it alternates. from 1992 with Sarah as narrator to the present day with Helen and Lorna the primary voices. The reader is left guessing until the very end about what happened to Sarah back in 1992, and how much of what Helen has been told about those events is actually true. Fans of author Katy Hays' first book as well as readers who enjoy Lucy Foley, Andrea Bartz and Katherine Wood should give this whodunnit full of glamour, control and dangerous secrets a try. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for allowing me access in exchange for my honest review.

“‘The person who loves and the person who does terrible things.’ We are always both people.”

Secrets? Mysterious death? Wealthy People? An island? Multiple points of views?

Saltwater by Katy Hays has all of the above and more. The mother in the story, Sarah died mysteriously on the island of Capri 30 years ago when her daughter, Helen was 3. Helen’s family goes back every year to the same place. Is it out of normalcy, nostalgia, or secrecy? Helen befriends Lorna and enlists her to find out. She discovers that everyone is hiding something and she might not have been good at hiding her own private matters.

This book was a great, fast read and got me out of a minor reading slump. It had so many twists and even when you think you’ve got everything figured out, there’s another one up to the very end. I’d recommend to anyone who loves discovering cold cases, thrillers, and juicy gossip.

Saltwater
by Katy Hays
Pub Date: Mar 25 2025

Saltwater a twisty mystery, set on the island of Capri, Italy. Rich people, dark secrets, and a decades-old mystery in glamorous Capri including lots of family drama and tension. This story has it all! A definitely must read for 2025!

Synopsis: In 1992 Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter, Helen. Despite suspicions that the old-money Lingates are involved, Sarah’s death is ruled an accident, and every year the family returns to prove it’s true. But on the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s death, the Lingates arrive at the villa to find a surprise waiting for them—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died.

Many thanks to #NetGalley #Saltwater #RandomHousePublishingGroup for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 star Mystery Thriller!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of many highly anticipated thriller books of this spring, and it wasn't too bad. The twists were fun and I enjoyed the multiple POVs from various characters, the flashbacks, and the news articles. This felt very much like a "whodunit" type of mystery, which kept me guessing till the end. There were lots of moving parts with a fairly large cast of (unlikable) characters.

However, I felt like this was a VERY slow burn. While I was interested, I did find my mind wandering at times. Even the ending, with all the twists, felt a tad drawn out. It also didn't seem to have anything really new or groundbreaking to make it stand out from other "eat the rich" type of novels, so unfortunately this one might be forgettable to me, even though it was fairly enjoyable in the moment.

Overall, this was a decent read. If you enjoy tales about horrible rich people getting what they deserve, and enjoyed the Glass Onion movies, then you'll likely have a fun time with this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Katy Hays. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

In 1992 Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter, Helen. Despite suspicions that the old-money Lingates are involved, Sarah’s death is ruled an accident, and every year the family returns to prove it’s true. But on the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s death, the Lingates arrive at the villa to find a surprise waiting for them—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died.

It might have been my own distractions while reading this, but I seemed to get confused with the different timelines and POV. The characters are pretty much all unlikeable, which didn’t help. That being said, this was an atmospheric, twisty mystery that I really enjoyed - I never saw that ending coming!

If you’re into rich families with dark secrets and mysterious deaths, then this book is for you!

This is definitely a slow-burn mystery which is why it wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel much suspense or thrill when reading this but the storyline was still good.

The beginning/middle was slow and hard for me to get into, but the last 25% was quite twisty. Some twists definitely predictable, and then the main twist was quite unbelievable. Actually I have a really hard time believing the person got away with it (keeping it spoiler free, but also confused why none of the other reviews I've seen have a problem with the ending😅). I also had a hard time keeping track of who was who and who was narrating each chapter, but once I got that straight, it did help the story become more interesting. Very classic rich people doing terrible things and getting away with it, but the setting was fun and makes me want to Capri.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

The Lingates are the kind of family you might see on the TV show White Lotus: rich, beautiful, a happy family from the outside. In Saltwater, you learn what is rotting them from the inside.
In 1992, Helen’s mother, Sarah Lingate, was found dead below the cliffs of Capri. Helen was only three. Sarah’s death was ruled an accident, but the whole island believes that Helen’s father, Marcus, killed his own wife. The family continue to visit Capri, and on the 30th anniversary of Sarah’s death, they bring along Lorna, Marcus’ assistant, and Helen’s friend. And Helen needs a friend because once they arrive, the family receives a present: the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died.
Katy Hays creates a twisted family, and each time you think you have a handle on them, you learn something new that changes your whole perception of the family. Hays gives voice to three women, allowing them to tell their tales while interlocked into the family’s charade. The first is Helen. The glass-entombed child, the only heir to the Lingate money, wants nothing but to have friends, go where she wants to, and have a job. Then there is Lorna. She works for Marcus and is Helen’s friend, but she absolutely has an ulterior motive. Then, like icing on a cake, we get the perspective of Sarah herself, and readers get to see the heart of it all.
In Lorna’s first appearance, Hays is upfront with the character’s disappearance with an hourly count down with each chapter. This technique builds such tension, I could feel the hum in my legs. I held each chapter with Lorna closer to me looking for clues to what happens to her. But this is what Hays wants you to do because you are so focused, you aren’t necessarily paying attention to other things she is telling you. The story twists and turns, and I was never quite sure where the family would land. I called one twist and was so focused on it that I didn’t question the other big twist that made way less sense.
In Saltwater, Katy Hays is a master of misdirection. You never know where to look. Except for the picture of the Capri cliff at the beginning of the book. That would truly hurt to be thrown down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Lingate accidentally dies off the cliffs on Capri in 1992. Despite her death, the wealthy Lingate family continues their yearly vacation to the island but on the 30th anniversary of Sarah's death, the necklace she was wearing the night she died is found in their villa.

This is a fast paced, domestic drama with the rich behaving badly and no really likable characters. The secrets that come pouring out are salacious. The scenery is breathtaking! While I did enjoy this story, I found I had to suspend reality to really buy into the plot. Its still a good story and recommend it!

This book had a nice twist at the end that I just did not see coming or think of it as an option to happen. So it was refreshing to read that. It definitely kept my interest throughout with all the secrets going on. I did have a little trouble trying to keep some of the characters and timeline straight as it bounced from past to present and had multiple people to keep track of. But once you start to have that down with who is who then it is good.

This book. was. phenomenal!! I enjoyed every part of it!

If you like The White Lotus, you will like this book! They’re similar in that on the surface it’s a murder mystery but when you dig deeper, it’s actually about wealth and relationships and secrets. It’s also slow paced like the show, but definitely not boring, and it keeps you engaged!

I thought the writing was fantastic, as well as all of the characters. I love a book that makes you look up what words mean & has characters that are complicated and messy!
I also loved the setting of the imposing Italian villa, the yachts, the ocean, the restaurants.. all of it! Again, major White Lotus vibes!

If you love murder mysteries, rich people problems/secrets, and addictive writing, I highly recommend Saltwater!! It’s out now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy! ✨

The synopsis and cover led me to request this book on NetGalley, and I'm so glad I did!

I absolutely loved the setting (Capri) and how it almost felt like a character itself. The actual characters were on point as well. The book focuses on power, money, and how far people will go to achieve those things. I'm a big fan of 'rich people problems' type of books and this hit the mark.

Some parts dragged on a bit; I would say this is more of a slow burn thriller than a fast-paced thriller (not a bad thing!). Pacing really picked up around the 60% mark and that's when I felt 'pulled in' like I do with thrillers.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a bit to really get into it, maybe halfway. But once I got there, it was a wild ride! Twisted rich people and family drama at it's max! Loved it and did not see the ending coming AT ALL. 4 stars! Thanks to Netgalley and Randomhouse Ballantine for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I'm very torn about this one: I really enjoyed the plot and the cast of characters. It's a large cast but Hays did an excellent job of making everyone distinguishable and believable as the mystery progressed. The island of Capri became it's own character, the setting for some crazy twists and turns. The worldbuilding was great.

However, it's so incredibly repetitive. The book isn't that long to be that repetitive. It's one thing to hear about the same events from multiple POVs - that wasn't much of an issue, because each POV revealed some new clue or context - but the inner monologue of the characters was frustrating. Helen in particular, who complains that she's always one step behind everyone else, is overwhelmingly repetitive with her constant questioning of herself and complaining about her injustices (which were very much warranted but didn't really need to be harped on so much).

Overall I enjoyed the mystery but wish the overall book was streamlined a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katy Hays, and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Out now!

I was interested with this book by its cover but it was really slow. I had a really hard time getting into this book.

SALTWATER is going to be the perfect beach read. I think this book is a case of "right book, wrong time." I just wasn't in the proper headspace for this type of book and I think that led to me not fully loving it.

I really want to pick this back up at a better time because on paper it is 100% something I'd enjoy! There were just too many moving parts for me to keep track of and I want to make sure I get the best reading experience.

Katy Hays does not disappoint with her new twisty thriller. This is going to be great for your beach reading list this summer.

The Lingate family returns to Capri year after year for vacation. They are returning to the place where one of their family members lost their life. I was so baffled that they would continue to go back. This book is full of great twists and turns.

I thought this thriller would be for me with its captivating Capri setting and twisty plot points. However, I thought this one got too convoluted and could’ve been condensed for a more enjoyable reading experience. There were a lot of storylines and some of the characters seemed to be lacking discernible characteristics that left me confused as to who was who and their motivations. The ending is so twisty that I’ve since forgotten who did what.

I was so excited about this, but ultimately felt let down by the execution. The premise was incredibly appealing-- mystery in Capri, a little bit of suspense with the necklace waiting for them. I really had high hopes. But on the whole, I couldn't really get that "knot in the stomach" investment that I would like from books with a mystery/suspense element. I expected to feel a bit of a chill when they necklace was revealed at the beginning, but even that I felt lacked in the drama that I required to draw me into the story. Further I know the whole cast is horrible people-- and normally that doesn't prevent me from liking a story-- but a likeable character might have helped draw me in. To lack both the suspenseful feeling and a likeable character meant I was just waiting for the plot to pick up the whole time and I was ultimately left disappointed and I ended up not even able to finish the novel before it's publishing date (I was actively avoiding picking up my kindle, which is very unlike me).

This might be right for someone who desires an INCREDIBLY slow burn.

I really appreciate the opportunity to review the ARC and read it ahead. I will not request ARCs from this author in the future.