This book started out sooooooo slow but it’s definitely safe to say I did NOT see the ending coming. It did get me in a reading slump for a bit.

Honestly, this book was not a win for me. It was too slow and out there to be enjoyable to me. I found myself frequently bored and not wanting to pick the book back up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rich people, dead bodies, the Capri coastline, family secrets. What more could you ask for in a book? With that description, this is 100% something that would be right up my alley, but unfortunately this one was more contemporary fiction than it was twisty, mystery thriller.

30 years ago, Sarah Lingate was found dead below the cliffs of Capri while on a family vacation, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter. Her death was ruled an accident, but there have always been raised eyebrows over what really happened that night. Now, her daughter has returned to Capri, as she does every summer. But when her friend is found dead, fingers point right back at that fateful night for the Lingate family, raising questions of whether Sarah’s death was truly an accident.

Like I said – more character driven than plot driven, but if you enjoy that style of book you probably will still enjoy this story. What I will say? This was ranked much lower in my mind, but the last 50 pages shook me with a great twist that ended up having me bump my rating higher.

There’s definitely tension and drama found here – not necessarily the page turner I wanted it to be, but still a good intro-to-summer mystery to have on the shelf.

An EXCELLENT trashy, easy yet I could not put down read.
Loved the snark, the gossip feel, great twists!
Excellent summer/beach read!

This mystery is a whodunit that will keep you guessing until the end. There are so many tangled lies and plot twists in this story that will make you second guess what you think you know. No one can be trusted, and everyone may not be who you think they are. Murder, betrayal, secrets, and deception are rampant throughout the story.

Katy Hays is masterful at writing a page-turning thriller set in Capri. Told from multiple points of view, this one will keep you guessing until the very end. If you liked The Cloisters, you're going to want to read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

This book might have started slow, but it was so worth it for the pick-your-jaw-up-off-the-floor ending. This one is for anyone who enjoys a messy, wealthy family drama/thriller. I loved the blend of dark and twisty family secrets with the beautiful setting on the island of Capri.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley. This filled my white lotus craving with a mystery set in Capri! The book opens with the death of Sarah Lingate in 1992, now 30 years later her daughter (Helen) returns to Capri where she finds the necklace that Sarah was wearing the night she died. While the summary seemed to really grab my attention, the writing didn't work for me.

This felt very slow for me. Loved the setting and looked forward to the premise. But it wasn’t what I was looking for.

I messed up this isn't my type of book, so just gonna leave it at that and not rate it anywhere else

Unfortunately, Saltwater by Katy Hays was nearly a DNF for me.
I selected this book for an April book club based on positive journal reviews, an attractive cover, and a fun summertime backdrop. Between shallow characters and a shallow plot, the deepest thing in this book was the saltwater surrounding Capri. I found myself repeatedly lost in the choppy timeline and unable to tell characters apart.
I haven't met with my book club to discuss this book yet. As all of my participants are busy pleasure readers with a goal of easy escapism, they will most likely appreciate the twisty ending and pacing; this is a good pick for a book club, but not good for much else.

This is THE book for my family drama thriller lovers! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book! If you love to hate every single character, this is the one for you.

This story has dual timelines and multiple narrators and was such a good time! It's got the beautiful setting among the wealthiest of the wealthy, everyone absolutely sucks (even our MC, sorry!) and the twist absolutely got me, I didn't see it coming AT ALL.

This is such a great popcorn thriller and is going to be a perfect summer read!

It was difficult to pull to pull my head out of the fantasy novels but this one made it worth it!

I have heard others say it has White Lotus energy and while I haven’t seen it YET, the writing and pacing definitely reminded me of Big Little Lies. This story kept me guessing and I still ended up with the wrong theories, which I love! The intricately layered family drama was so enticing and the author’s attention to detail was so evident throughout the story. It was such a page turner and will make a great summer beach read! Thank you to Katy Hays, NetGalley, Random House and Ballantine Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts. Grab your copy today!!

Dear Saltwater,
You felt so much like a season of White Lotus to me. The Lingate family is so twisted and each person has their own secrets that they don't want out there. i loved the intrigue and darkness that you had, and all the different perspectives brought an interesting pacing to your story. You were well written with characters I could get lost in. Everything that Helen suffered because of her twisted family made me feel for her and I wanted justice. I loved watching her muddle her way through your world of intrigue and betrayal.

Slow burn but I enjoyed the back and forth between the POVs. And the setting was absolutely fantastic. This gave me big White Lotus vibes and this will be a fantastic beach read for trips this summer. I wish the ebook ARC was split up into the actual chapters time instead of the whole parts, but other than that the set up made for an easy read

A wealthy family shrouded in secrets. A murder that has remained unsolved for nearly 30 years. It all comes to a head when the victim's daughter begins her quest for answers.

The plot was masterful, with an ending full of unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end. It serves as a reminder: never take what you hear at face value—always seek proof. That said, the book felt a bit overly lengthy, with about 20% of the chapters dragging due to repetitive or slow-moving content. Despite this, the author’s writing style was strong, and the characters had an undeniable spark to them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC!

As a huge fan of Katy Hays’ first novel The Cloisters, I couldn’t wait to read Saltwater. A perfect choice for fans of Alex Michaelides’ The Fury or Rachel Hawkins’ The Heiress.

Set on the beautiful and luxurious island of Capri, a thirty year old murder threatens to ruin the bonds between the wealthy Lingate family. When the necklace Sarah Lingate was wearing upon her death resurfaces, the family is pushed to the breaking point. When secrets about the night are revealed, not everyone will leave the island alive.

Hays atmospheric and immersive writing creates a tense and gripping novel full of dark family secrets and intrigue. Told through multiple points of view, the story builds in suspense as the reader learns about the past murder and each family member’s secrets. Saltwater’s intricate plot and twisty ending create a fast paced and suspenseful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in return for my review.

Thank you to Random House publishing and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. Saltwater tells the story of an extremely wealthy family that travels to the island of Capri every year for vacation even though 30 years before one of their own died there under mysterious circumstances. This is very a much a rich people behaving badly story that reminded me of a cross between Succession and White Lotus.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I thought it was well paced and blended plot and exposition/back story well. However, as the story progressed I found myself falling out of it a little. The story dragged on a little bit and I found myself counting how many pages I had left. The end did really pick up with plenty of twist and turns (albeit some more believable than others). I enjoyed this book and I loved the setting, I just don’t know that I loved it. 3.5 stars.

I love stories about rich people behainvg bad. This one was a doozy! Holy cow. So many twists and turns. It's a bit of a slow burn, never boring, that starts to ramp up halfway through. The third act? WHOA! Really enjoyed this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lingates are old money, and with old money comes deep, dark, buried secrets. Their biggest secret is what happened to Sarah Lingate, one of the Lingate brothers’ wives. Her death on a vacation in Italy seemed to point to the Lingates themselves, but the police could never prove it. Now, years later, the daughter Helen and her friend Lorna set out to find the truth and extort the heirs to gain a little financial escape. While their plans are anything but sound, the dominos that fall in their wake are irreparable, and no one’s life will ever be the same.

This novel is one that will sit with me for some time. Its structure is crafty, offering parallel plot elements and surprising twists until the end. The characters are, for the most part, loathsome—nearly all of them for one reason or another. They are extremely flawed and demonstrate the way in which greed and money can drive people into total insanity or self perseveration. While their cast is despicable, the riveting questions keep you reeled in, wanting more information. Never knowing who to trust or how half truths will equate to real insights into the past, it’s only too easy to keep turning pages to find the truth and whatever justice may prevail, even in a world full of corruption. I would recommend that anyone looking to enjoy a mysterious thriller, along for a ride on an Italian vacation, pick this up!