I will read anything Hays writes. Her thriller plotting, immersive character building, and confident prose are an immediate sell, and this one did not disappoint. I loved the Capri setting, the intertwining timelines, and the themes of wealth and freedom—which don't always align in the ways one might think (and yet, sometimes they do in this story... not to be cryptic, but iykyk!). I devoured it in two sittings and can't wait for her next novel!

Such a good book, this was my first book from this author and I highly recommend. Thanks for the ARC!

I found the beginning a bit hard to get into, but about 30% it started to pick up the pace. There was a lot of mentioning the fact that the family is rich. Okay, we get it. I enjoyed most of the plot twists which I thought were well executed. This novel is narrated through several POV's that could be somewhat confusing, especially with all the affairs the characters were having. Overall a very entertaining book.

"Saltwater" by Katy Hays is a wonderful, twisted mystery novel, full of surprises in the plot. Loved the setting, characters and suspense. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Helen's mother died when she was three from an 'accident' on the isle of Capri, but her wealthy family still visits often, as one does after a rumored murder (not something I would do, but whatever). Helen is feeling stifled by her family keeping her well under the family thumb and she plots with her uncle's assistant to make off with millions. However, things go poorly, secrets are discovered and nothing goes to plan but everything works out in the end. The good part of this book are the descriptions of Capri and the surrounding areas and the absolutely louche-life of the family. The bad was the twists which were contrived and a bit to easily tied up. A decent beach read, but there are better out there.

Saltwater just didn’t work for me. Despite being a relatively short book, it felt like a slow read. The characters felt distant and unrelatable, with very little development throughout the story. The main character, in particular, came across as frustrating rather than compelling, which made it even harder to stay invested. Overall, it lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for and left me more annoyed than moved.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book.

The cover had me from first site! Saltwater” took me to the cliffs of Capri, Italy, a Mediterranean oasis one could only dream about.

30 years ago Sarah Lingate was found dead below the cliffs of Capri leaving behind her husband, Richard and their 3 year old daughter, Helen.
Elite, wealthy and the upper echelon, the Lingates are cleared of the murder, but keep coming back to Capri every year to make sure their secrets remain hidden. Drama, secrets and mystery drive this novel told in multiple POV’s.

Plot twists I didn’t see coming, characters you love to hate and the deepest of connections that only a lifetime of family theatrics could bring.
Upon the Lingates visit to Capri the necklace Sarah was wearing the night of her death reappears. The case is reopened, the family under scrutiny and the tumultuous drama is unending.

A perfect read this summer by the pool or on a sandy beach. A murder mystery will leave you guessing who’s who and who to believe….if you can.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine, Netgalley and Katy Hays for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was twisty! Set in the summer on the island of Capri, a toxic, wealthy family behaving very badly, all centered around multiple mysterious deaths and then some. Great beach read! Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

3.5 stars. Saltwater tells the story of a secretive, rich family with a tragic past who reunite in Capri, Italy, for their annual vacation. When the family assistant goes missing, invoking a similar disappearance thirty years ago, it is finally time for some old mysteries to be solved. Honestly, I was pretty sold on this description and enjoyed much of the beginning of this book as you meet the main characters and start to unpack some of the complicated family relationships.

Unfortunately, this ended up stalling out in the middle for me. Much too much of the plot happens just at the end in a way that felt a bit too rushed. I would have loved to spend some more time with some of the big reveals and see their impact on the characters. Overall, it was a pretty solid story with some big pacing issues.

Rich people with possibly deadly secrets. Lots of family dynamics that stem from the death of one of the wives 30 years ago on Capri. The family goes back every year to prove the ruling that it was just an accident is true. Descriptions of Capri are fantastic. Sadly, the twist in the story was too easy for me to figure out, dulling my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many mysteries in this book and I loved how we’ were only shown little bits of each one at a time. I enjoyed how unlikable the Linegates were and I could not wait to find out who done it. This was a well thought out novel that was full of twists and turns. I loved how the mystery from the 90’s was set up against a similar mystery in the present day.

I didn’t feel much sympathy for Helen until the truth was revealed at the end of the story however then Helen became the villain and not the victim. The author lays the ground work in the first part of the story and then turns all hypocrisies upside down with at least two if not three unexpected twists in the second part. The back drop of Capri and the Italian coast is beautiful and adds to the story while the characters are all rich and filled with self-importance that doesn’t make you like or admire them. It was an interesting story that got better and better as it went along.

Great mystery about a family member’s death & how the family continues to return to where it happened every year. Then it happens again. An extremely rich, dysfunctional family, a mystery, & set in Capri, Italy? Sign me up! Twists & turns throughout, but definitely wasn’t expecting the ending. I loved the detail going into the setting of Capri, you felt you were there. Good summer mystery read!

I wound up enjoying this more than I expected after a rough first half. Part One flits between so many different perspectives and points on the timeline as you're just starting to become acquainted with the complex spiderweb of relationships and secrets among the cast.

Fortunately, by Part Two, things settle into a more straightforward mystery, though I still struggled to feel much connection to any of the characters. The late book revelations are a mixed bag -- to some degree compelling, certainly high stakes enough, but also a bit ridiculous and hard to believe, even if believing would feel good.

I think knowing each final twist, in retrospect, I really appreciate what the book turned out to have at its core. But this wasn't clear enough during the bulk of the narrative.

The setting on Capri almost has the kind of wanderlust-inducing immersion I was craving, but not quite. (One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle remains my top pick for "Dear god why am I not on the Amalfi Coast" vibes.)

Close but no cigar for a hot summer thriller.

To me, this book was just a drag. I think they bouncing timeline made it difficult to follow. I'm also a little burnout on reading about rich people struggles, and I know this book makes fun of that in a way, but it is a lot. It was a rough finish for me, I cannot lie.

This is a very slow burn with deep character development and lots of mysterious stuff happening with very rich people.

I really liked this. Dark, elegant, and slow-burning in the best way. Saltwater is less about a big twist and more about the unraveling. The Lingates are every bit as paranoid and morally gray as you'd hope from a crumbling dynasty, and watching them crack under the weight of a decades-old crime was incredibly satisfying. I loved how Katy Hays wove in themes of generational wealth, secrecy and performative grief. This leans more literary thriller than paperback mystery, so get ready for a slow burn rather than twists and turns. But it's gorgeously written throughout and worth the slow burn.

Sarah Lingate is found date in Italy under the cliffs and leaves behind her daughter. Suspicion arises due to money in the family but the death is ruled an accident. But that doesn't keep the Lingates from being suspected continuously. Every year the Lingate family returns to the coast of Italy to prove they are innocent. But on the 30th anniversary of Sarah death her necklace appears in the house and everything is thrown into madness. Helen decides to help Lorna their family assistant once the death of Sarah is brought up but then Lorna disappears and the Sarah Lingate death investigation is reopened. The Lingate family is determined to show they are innocent but as the investigation continues the cracks start to show and everyone is out for themselves.

This was a book that really delved into the world of the uber rich and wealthy and the steps they will take to keep their secrets hidden. I was truly appalled at some of the things they do in the book but the truth is this happens in the world today. I thought it was very well written and well done and would highly recommend this book.

God I love rich people drama. This had me intrigued the whole time and the twists and turns just kept coming. I love a good family with secrets!!

Title: Saltwater
Author: Katy Hays
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t fully work for me.

The premise was intriguing, a woman grieving her mother, drawn to a remote coastal town with a mysterious pull, but the execution felt a bit off for me. The writing had moments of beauty, but overall it came across as scattered and sometimes trying a little too hard to be profound or atmospheric. I found myself re-reading passages, not because they were deep, but because I wasn’t sure what had actually happened.

There’s definitely a unique mood to the book, moody, eerie, kind of haunting, but the lack of clarity made it hard to stay emotionally connected. I never felt fully grounded in the story or in the main character’s experience. I think it was trying to be literary and unsettling, but instead it left me feeling mostly detached and, honestly, kind of bored at times.

That said, I wouldn’t call it a bad book, just not for me. I just didn’t find myself enjoying the reading experience the way I’d hoped, but that's the beauty of reading, what doesn't work out for me may be perfect for someone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.