Really enjoyed this book! I’m so behind on my ARC’s but this was the PERFECT summer read. The couple of twists were exciting and well plotted. There was a small plot point I don’t think was ever fully resolved, but I still thought this was a really fun story and the perfect balance of thriller and mystery. If you’re into Rich Girl Summer, you’ll love this one!

Salt Water by Katie Hayes has a setting in Capri Italy a 30-year-old questionable accidental death and a daughter after receiving her mom‘s necklace is looking for answers. I really love books about rich people behaving badly and throughout the story I just found her writing style wasn’t a relaxed readable type riding but don’t get me wrong I still like the book. I thought the whole thing about her friend going missing in the past POV with what happened to her mom it really made for good reading and a book I definitely recommend. I just found some of the things we’re unbelievable but isn’t that the case in every good book.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #KatieHayes, #Saltwater,

I read Saltwater a few weeks back, wanting to sit with it before writing a review. The story's backdrop (aside from the gorgeous coast of Capri), is the suspicious and tragic death of Sarah Lingate, a playwright in her own right, and the wife of one of the brother's of the prestigious and wealthy Lingate family. The mystery surrounding her death continues to follow the family, and when Sarah's daughter Helen Lingate and her friend (and uncle's assistant) Lorna begin to look for answers, a new mystery unfolds.

I found the story intriguing, but the execution was very slow. It took a long time to pick up and I ended up not caring about any single character. The book really took off at the 80% mark, and with all the twist and turns you'd think I'd be more invested. While I was enraptured with all the turns it was taking, the payoff wasn't worth it to me. It made the little empathy I had for some character's completely dissolve. I'm usually able to enjoy the ride with a thriller/mystery type book and suspend some disbelief, but this was a long book, made longer by the pacing and the ending was somehow both satisfying and disappointing. You'll see what I mean if you read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of this book to review. 3/5 stars

The wealthy Lingate family always holidays on Capri, where they stay in a gorgeous villa near the Mediterranean Sea. Even after a tragedy befell the vacationing Lingates many years ago, they continued their annual visit to Capri. Three decades ago, in 1992, brothers Marcus and Richard Lingate were on Capri with their families. The members of the household were: Marcus and his wife Naomi; and Richard, his wife Sarah, and their 3-year-old daughter Helen.

One evening the adult Lingates went to a party, everyone got drunk, and Richard and Sarah were seen arguing. The next morning Sarah's battered body was found in the Mediterranean Sea, right below the Lingates' villa. Evidence was scarce and Sarah's death was called an accident or suicide. Nevertheless, the residents of Capri regarded the family askance, and suspicion continued to simmer over time.

It's now thirty years later and the Lingates, as usual, are vacationing on Capri. As is their habit, the Lingates flaunt their wealth, look down on 'the help', and make sure to see and be seen by their fellow glitterati. Things within the family are tense though. Marcus and Naomi remain childless, and Naomi drinks too much and takes prescription medicine. Naomi frequently seems befuddled, but Marcus is conspicuously caring, solicitous, and affectionate.

To help the family during the trip, Marcus has brought along his assistant Lorna - a recovering alcoholic who makes reservations, books activities, rents boats and cars, and takes care of all details related to the vacation. Marcus's wife Naomi seems to resent Lorna, who's young, pretty, intelligent and capable.

Widower Richard never remarried after his wife Sarah died. Over the years, Richard has become an ascetic who promotes meditation and thoughtful living. Richard and Sarah's daughter Helen, now 33-years-old, is accompanied to Capri by her boyfriend Freddy - a carefree young man from a rich family. The Lingates have sheltered Helen all her life, which Helen sees as being controlled. Moreover, Helen never got over the loss of her mother, whom the family NEVER talks about. The secrecy makes Helen skeptical about Sarah's death, and she wants to know the truth.

The book is narrated in the rotating voices of Lorna, Helen, and Sarah (before she died), and the story skips back and forth in time. Thus it takes some concentration to keep up with the tale.

To avoid spoilers, I'll be circumspect. Thirty-plus years ago, Richard and Sarah met in New York City. At that time Sarah was a successful playwright, Richard was an aspiring writer, and they 'clicked' and got married. When the family patriarch in Los Angeles became ill, Richard and Sarah visited the west coast and, to Sarah's dismay, got 'stuck' there. Little Helen was born and the marriage limped on, in part because Lingates don't divorce.

In Sarah's sections she talks about the decay of her marriage, the nosedive her career took when she had to stay in California, and the feeling that she's trapped. All this leads to the discord between Richard and Sarah on Capri in 1992.....and presumably to her death. When Sarah's corpse was found, her rings were on her fingers, but the gold serpent necklace she always wore was missing. Skip to 2022, and during the Lingates' holiday on Capri, a package arrives at their villa. When the box is opened, it contains Sarah's gold serpent necklace!!

From the chapters narrated by Helen and Lorna, we discover they've known each other for years, and have hatched a scheme to expose the truth about Sarah's death. Their plan involves the gold serpent necklace, blackmail, and 10 million dollars. Big money is often a dangerous thing, and another death occurs. This leads the Italian police to re-open the investigation into Sarah Lingate's death. The subsequent dual homicide inquiries make members of the Lingate family very nervous.

Many secrets are revealed in the course of the story, and the narrative leads to a surprising climax that - for some readers - will stretch credulity too much. That said, the ambiance of Capri is wonderful: the yachts; the techno music mixed with church bells; the Hermès, Gucci, and Ferragamo stores; the bougainvillea dripping off balconies; the visitors dressed in linens and straw hats; the champagne and bespoke cocktails; the gourmet pasta; the ancient cobblestone streets; and more. Capri is undoubtedly a lovely, but expensive, place to visit.

For me, the fractured style of the narrative was distracting, but all in all, I'd recommend the novel to readers who like destination mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley, Katy Hays, and Ballantine Books for a copy of the novel.

This was pretty Good! Not very unique on premise but entertaining nonetheless. We follow the wealthy Lingate family as they try to prove annually that they had nothing to do with a family suicide years before. As the daughter of the suicide victim starts to unravel what really happened, things get twisty. Id read this author again. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I received Saltwater as an ARC from NetGalley. I DNF'd at 10% Could not get into this story as hard as I tried.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the idea of it, the setting, and the twists that kept coming at the end. But, it felt extremely long. Longer than it actually was.

The majority of the book was very slow, to the point I wasn’t sure if I cared about the story anymore. I switched to the audio version, and that did help a little. But, if I hadn’t received this book as an ARC, I’m not sure I would have stuck it out until the end.

The last part, though, did pick up, and I enjoyed the multiple twists. I just wish it hadn’t taken so long to get to them. I hadn’t really guessed where the story was going, so that surprised me, and definitely made me enjoy the book more. 3.5 stars rounded up for NetGalley and Goodreads.

The wealthy really are a different breed. Saltwater centers around the wealthy Lingate family, their dark secrets, and the mysterious death of Sarah Lingate in 1992. In modern times, Sarah's daughter, Helen is seeking answers over her mother's death. During this inquiry, another disappearance happens-and a new body is found.

The luxurious backdrop of Capri is a character in and of itself. There were so many twists and turns, especially right at the end. I will say it was a little long, but it was so beautifully written, and the characterizations were perfect. Bravo.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Balantine Books for the access to the ALC of this one.

A perfect cinematic summer mystery. I still think this will shape up to be one of the most buzzed about thrillers this year!

Atmospheric family thriller set in Capri - great for a beach read. Primarily (at first) from the perspective of Lorna, executive assistant to the head of the wealthy Lingate family, as they set out on a family vacation to the island of Capri. The Lingates return to Capri every year, despite the looming suspicion over the family surrounding the death of Sarah Lingate decades before. But this year, everything is about to change. Upon arrival at the villa, Sarah's daughter Helen receives a mysterious envelope with the necklace her mother was wearing the night she died inside. Will the truth of Sarah Lingate's death finally come to light?

While not a bad read, and the concept was really intriguing, I just wish it had been a little bit more engaging for me. The dual timeline/multi POV made everything feel a little choppy. For a twisty thriller, I wasn't that invested and didn't care for any of the characters (but...I think they were all meant to be a bit unlikable) and wasn't rooting for any of them.

You might like this if you're into:
- vacation/island beach reads (with a side of murder)
- slow burn, but twisty domestic suspense
- rich people doing bad rich people things
- dual timeline/multi POV/touch of multimedia

Thank you to Scribner for the digital arc - all opinions are my own!

I loved the setting of this book, I loved the cover of this book, and I loved some of the twists of the book. However, the characters were just not quite there for me. I felt they were underdeveloped and the multiple POVs/Timelines had my head a mess.

I wanted to love it more, but kept finding myself finding other things to do rather than finish the book :(

Overall the premise is good.

Set in the beautiful Capri, this book was incredibly interesting! I really love a slow-burn thriller, and add in a psychological twist? Count. Me. In! While you don't particularly cheer for any character, you want to see how it is all resolved. Great read! Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley!

I am sorry to say that i tried to read this twice, and just could not get into it. I didn’t like the characters. It was hard to follow. And i did not like the plot.

What a tangled web …

Katy Hays has plotted one of the most intricate novels I’ve read in recent memory, with two timelines, multiple points of view, and numerous people who aren’t what they seem. Does it all hang together in the end? Eh, I’m not completely sure. There’s more mystery than thriller in this book, all set against the luxury vacation retreats of Capri. While a little slow to get going and start to coalesce, by midway through the book Saltwater turns into a wild ride that kept me engaged and guessing straight through to the finish line.

1992: Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind a 3-year-old daughter, Helen. Though ruled an accident, many still suspect her wealthy, paranoid family murdered her.

2022: On the 30th anniversary of Sarah’s death, the family returns to their vacation home on Capri as they have every year, determined to put the rumors to rest. But this year, a surprise arrival proves not everyone is as innocent as they claim.

I love a good slow-burn psychological thriller, and this one enticed me with its premise and captured me with its cover and setting. I mean, it’s CAPRI, of course I’m going to read it!

If you’re intrigued by unlikable characters, you’ll find plenty to choose from here. I always need at least one I can root for, however, and I struggled to find anyone I really wanted to win in the end.

The story skipped between timelines, which is something I love. Unfortunately, the skips in this storyline were often vague and didn’t connect enough dots for me. The result was a slow-burn thriller that was bit too slow.

This book has good reviews by many readers, so if you enjoy less-than-lovable characters and intense family drama with a twist (or several!), give this one a try – especially if you love discovering those twists in beautiful Italy!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and author Katy Hays for the complimentary advance copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

4.5 stars. Thanks to Penguin Random House for the widget. This was a fast read that alternated POV. The main one was of Helen (MMC) in the now and Lorna the assistant in the past 2 days or something like that. Helen's mom dies a tragic death when she was 3 and the family (dad, uncle, and aunt) still go to the same place every year even though everyone thinks they are the killers. This story had me fooled let me tell you I was completely blindsided and I totally loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book was absolutely wild and I loved it. So many twists that I did not see coming. Most of the characters were severely unlikable which is obviously the point. I enjoyed the different timelines and hearing from each of the FMCs in turn. Definitely a must read!

(I got an ARC of this from Netgalley and Ballantine Books – it will be out on March 25.) This is kind of a slow-burn thriller and family saga combined, set against the beautiful backdrop of Capri. The Lingates are a very wealthy and well-known family, who had to deal with the tragic death of Sarah, mother to three-year-old Helen, in the early 90s while on vacation on the island. 30 years later, back on the island, the necklace Sarah was wearing the night of her death is mysteriously delivered to the family’s villa, and Helen is determined to solve the mystery around her mother’s murder. The book flips back and forth between Sarah and Helen’s stories, unraveling more and more of the Lingate family secrets. The ending was a bit unrealistic for me, but it was a fun ride overall, and it would be great to read while on the beach in the summer.

These characters were so very difficult to like, but I love Katy Hays so I will try her next one! Gorgeous cover and great for a vacation book stack!

Saltwater is an atmospheric and intriguing novel that weaves family secrets, ambition, and suspense into a layered summer mystery. Katy Hays crafts a compelling story full of tension, shifting alliances, and unexpected twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.

The book opens with a clipped newspaper article from Capri about a beautiful, wealthy missing woman — an immediate spark of mystery that hints at foul play. From there, we’re introduced to the powerful Lingate family, whose wealth and influence trace back to a long legacy of outwitting and manipulating others. It quickly becomes clear that power and control are core to this family’s identity.

One of the central plotlines follows the daughter of one of the Lingate brothers, who seems to be using her mother’s death to further a plan involving money. But her partner in this scheme suddenly goes missing. The chapters shift perspectives between various family members and key people in their lives, each one adding depth and tension to the unfolding story.

I found the characters complex and interesting, though I didn’t fall in love or hate any of them — aside from one I definitely leaned toward disliking. What drew me in most was the setting and the layered mystery. The story is thrilling, occasionally chilling, and full of reveals that genuinely surprised me. I couldn’t stop reading.

That said, the ending lost a bit of its momentum. The final stretch included one twist too many — and one, in particular, felt unnecessary and a bit over-the-top. That moment kept it from being a perfect 5-star read for me.

Still, Saltwater is a standout summer read. Hays brings Capri to life — the food, the heat, the coastline, the air of indulgence and decay — it’s all vividly rendered. I recommend reading this book by the pool or beach in your most scandalous attire, with an Aperol spritz in hand and a Caprese salad close by. It’s the perfect blend of mystery, tension, and escape.

Thank you random house / ballantine & netgalley for allowing me to review his book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review by @bookslug_ on instagram @ goodreads