Saltwater by Katy Hays (Ballantine Books (March 25, 2025)) will take readers on a good, long and fascinating journey and not just on the Isle of Capri where it is set, but into the heads of two complex women, Helen and Lorna. These two on one hand have little in common—but on the other hand they share everything important in common. The novel will also take readers a good long while and a good bit of attention to follow the twisting plot and layered mysteries—but that’s true of all great mystery/thrillers, isn’t it? And, if you like your thriller/mystery with a helping heap of gothic, all the better as Saltwater is atmospheric and gothic around nearly every bend of it plot line.

Those two women—Lorna and Helen—are excellent creations from the mind of the author, who exposes them in ever deepening revelations in such nuanced and skilled fashion that readers will feel they know them—yet can still be surprised by what they do. These two take turns telling most of the story in their own distinctive voice.

Money, lies, and a long dead woman open the story on Capri as a hungover Helen Lingate, the daughter of a filthy rich family with its own tragic mystery, discovers her friend and apparent co-conspirator Lorna is missing. The Lingate family is not only super rich, but private to a level of paranoia—with, as will soon be revealed, is not without good reason. The family money came from a morally bankrupt cheat on a grand scale which of course the Lingates recast more favorably in their own mythology. Then there’s the continuing question of whether one of two Lingate brothers killed his beautiful, glamorous wife by shoving her off a cliff.

The very first sentence sets a tone—“Money is my phantom limb.” And there in the first paragraph, the initial foreshadowing occurs with her further observation that “I saw how heavy the bag was when Lorna lifted it. Bulky with our cash.”
The second voice readers encounter is Lorna’s. If Helen’s opening didn’t sweep readers in, Lorna’s will. When Lorna realizes in the opening pages of Saltwater that she is at sea, she says: “The realization is accompanied by a familiar bland horror. The kind that always seems to whisper, Is This how I die?”

It turns out that Lorna is the assistant to Marcus Lingate, who is Helen’s uncle. Helen helped Lorna get the position after they had become unlikely friends. Helen, who has no money of her own and is essentially a prisoner of her ever controlling family and its wealth, seeks her freedom. Lorna has somewhat of a checkered past in which there are no riches but no one controls her—or even care about her. She notes her life before Marcus involved “Odd jobs and no jobs, jobs that never made it onto my generously padded resume.” They both believe if they can get enough money, by whatever means, they can both finally be free to live happier lives.

Helen and Lorna travel to Capri with Marcus, Helen’s father, and other assorted fellow travelers because once a year the Lingates return to Capri in a kind of twisted way of establishing their innocence in the death of Helen’s mother. Her mother, Sarah, was “famously found dead” beneath one of the cliffs of Capri thirty years before the novel opens. Helen is haunted by the question of whether her father got away with murdering her mother. That question is the primary and underlying mystery in the story but far from the only one.

Although there are many other characters, including the sinister and mysterious Stan Markowitz, with his long, sharp canines and his air of danger, Freddy who is Helen’s boyfriend but with a history with Lorna, and the ever intriguing all but ghost like Ramata, it’s Helen and Lorna who dominate this story.

All in all, an excellent read. Cynical, yes. Sprinkled with some implausibility, yes—but who cares when the story and characters are this good?
Katy Hays, who lives with her husband and dog in Olympic Valley, California, is the New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters

Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the invite to read this ARC!

Synopsis -

The opulent and powerful Lingate family are regular yearly visitors to the Italian island of Capri. Their vacations are shadowed by the dark event of 1992, when Sarah Lingate was found dead below the cliffs near their home, leaving behind her 3 year old daughter, Helen. Now, 3 decades later on their present family vacation, a surprise mail that arrives in the form of Sarah’s necklace is set to change all of their plans.

Review -

What really works in Saltwater is undoubtedly the gorgeous exotic setting in the island of Capri. The backdrop of the dangerous sheer cliffs, the Faraglioni rocks and the countless inlets adds the ominous and foreboding sense that the plot relies heavily on. It has catapulted Italy to my top European bucket list!

The other highlight is how Hays spins the rich and old moneyed family angle into the storyline. Her writing describes their arrogance, unrealistic privilege and caustic behaviour exploring the toxicity and dysfunctional dynamics. It also delves into how these affect Helen’s childhood and her personality as an adult - the isolation, confinement she suffers, her primal need for personal and financial freedom.

This then sets the stage for Helen’s quest for independence, which in turn acts as the catalyst for the unraveling of the Lingates - decades old buried secrets, the unimaginable selfishness, the classic consequences of jealousy, intolerance and infidelity surface.

The narratives alternate characters and timelines creating a high level of intrigue for us to keep the pages turning, despite the pace being slow burn. The twists are plenty towards the end. But it all becomes overly ambitious in the finale which somehow dragged on and required suspension of disbelief, to accept the far fetched super human type of revelations which for me didn’t work well.

Overall, this is a juicy, entertaining read that is perfect for a day at the beach/sun lounger.

This book was so slow in the first 25% that I almost gave up on it, which I rarely do. After that it finally picked up speed and started to cook.

This is about a rich entitled family that returns to the island every year where one of their own died. It was ruled suicide, but there are those that suspect murder. There are so many secrets and twists and turns in this book, that even the characters involved didn't know what had happened or what has happened since. There is suicide/murder, a disappearance, cheating and lies galore.

It ended up a pretty good read, but you really have to pay attention or you will miss things.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ebook. All thoughts are my own.

I thought this was pretty well written, but it did take me awhile to get into. But once I was into it, I was INTO it. Twisty, with a fun setting. My review summed up in 3 words and an emoji: rich people, man. 🤯

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I found this book difficult to get into but It picked up as I went through. Solid mystery story with good reveal. I found there were too many shifts in storyline to really get hooked in the beginning. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC.

This has been pretty poorly rated for how addicting, twisty, and honestly well written it was... especially for a mystery/thriller. I loved it. White lotus/ murder mystery vibes = 10/10. The cover is the cherry on top 🔥 thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC! Out today! (Ok yesterday... I slacked a bit)

Take a trip to the island of Capri with this dark and twisted family as their family secrets unravel. Big shout out to Katy, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC!

What to Expect:
⭐ Twisty windy story about family
⭐ Dual Timelines
⭐ Dual POVs
⭐ Rich people + money
⭐ Decades old murder mystery restarted
⭐ A secondary murder case occurs tied to the first
⭐ How one decision changes the trajectory of many peoples lives
⭐ Set in Capri Italy which everyone should get a chance to visit!

My Thoughts:
The setting is 100% ON POINT when describing Capri! The vibe, the smells, the lushness of the island and yes even the wealthy bits and pieces. It is a delightful place all time of the year! You ABSOLUTELY must get a lemon sorbet made with lemons from the island! All that to say the author does an excellent job putting you on the island.

The story as a whole is full of dark, twisty storylines all twisted together. While the dual POV is easy to understand and depicts a clear story of the original murder, the events leading up to it and the players involved. While the second part of the POV deals with the now of the storyline, how the past folds in to the present and the new storyline that weaves in. It's all well written, but there is a lot of the story that felt messy. Keeping track of a lot of it. The overlapping of the stories and who is involved with what part of the case. More than that there is so much abuse of money, family members and people involved. More than that there is so many lies It becomes hard to keep them all straight!

There were also times in the story I wasn't entirely clear on what was happening. It does all come together and the ending is a bomb shell, it is twisted to get there. Its definitely a slowwww burn of a story so try to hang in to the end!



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.
Haunted by the specter of that night, the legendary Lingate family unity is pushed to a breaking point, and Helen seizes the opportunity. Enlisting the help of Lorna Moreno, a family assistant, the two plot their escape from Helen’s paranoid, insular family. But when Lorna disappears and the investigation into Sarah’s death is reopened, Helen has to confront the fact that everyone who was on Capri thirty years ago remains a suspect—her controlling father, Richard; her rarely lucid aunt, Naomi; her distant uncle, Marcus; and their circle of friends, visitors, and staff. Even Lorna, her closest ally, may not be who she seems.

As long-hidden secrets about that night boil to surface, one thing becomes clear: Not everyone will leave the island alive.

This was a slow-burn mystery with immaculate world building and shocking twists done in the best of ways. There was a lot to keep track of going in, so if you aren't in the right mindspace for that, maybe wait until you are, and you will enjoy this as much as I did. While many people are stating this is the perfect beach read, it needs a little more concentration than that, which is in no way a bad thing. This author did a wonderful job of setting the atmosphere, lining all her characters up, and crafting an excellent story. While some twists may shock you, they won't feel so out of left field that they feel cheap, this will make you stop and think of how brilliant it was in the end. Those who love the drama of the rich and a great story will love this one. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

oh how I love reading about ridiculously rich people! This was a very good slow burn thriller mystery that kept me on my toes. Typically thriller/mysteries aren’t my favorite so it surprised me that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Kept me guessing!

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.