Wow I enjoyed this! The multiple POV narration style really had me hooked, and I was dying (ha) to know what happened with every twist and turn. I will say I was surprised by some of the twists, which doesn't happen to me very often, and was therefore a pleasant surprise. This was a fun, compulsive read, perfect for fans of White Lotus.

This was soo good!! I loved the atmosphere, the layers, and the twists! I do feel as if you stay on the surface of most of these characters, and that that’s intentional, due to the suspense and the potential of unreliable narrators, but I wish I knew more about certain characters at the end. I absolutely dove into this book and couldn’t stop until I knew what had happened…it was such a a statisfying mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley, Ballentine Books, and author Katy Hays for advanced copy for honest review

Happy Pub Day to this very anticipated thriller! I've seen this book, Saltwater, everywhere! A must read for book clubs,
4 stars, recommend!

Thank you for the advanced copy of Saltwater! This book was full of family drama; lies, infidelity, and mystery. I loved the setting of Capri with the description of the sights and smells. I was guessing throughout the entire book about what was going on and who betrayed who. The plot twist at the end was unexpected! Definitely will recommend this book.

This book wasn't for me, unfortunately. The cover is super cute, and the premise seemed interesting, but the writing style made me quickly lose interest in the story.

The jumping from past to present came off as confusing, and the characters got a bit jumbled for me. I found it hard to follow and I felt like there could have been more suspense to make it more interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really like Katy Hays’ style of writing. She weaves a thriller in such a twisty way that your theories have theories. I particularly enjoyed the non-linear and multiple perspectives of Saltwater. The island setting and the family drama also really added to the overall story. This did have a slightly slow start but picked up quickly and had me hooked hard for that last half of the book. 4 stars!

I want to travel to Capri immediately...
And be rich...
And not work...
And travel nonstop...

But I can't, so that's neither here nor there, unfortunately. As a consolation, though, I feel as though Katy Hays transported me to the Italian Island of Capri with her book. "Saltwater" baths you in luxury (and linen), hands you an aperitif, and invites you into the hottest and most vibrant beaches, clubs, and restaurants—through the pages, of course.

From page one, I was ready to stab an umbrella in the sand, plop down on my blue and white striped towel, and take in the vibes. Immediately, we meet the Lingates, a wealthy yet private family, steeped in old money and yearly trips to Aspen, Cannes, Majorca, the Maldives, wherever rich folks go. In 1992, on one such trip to Capri, Sarah Lingate's body is discovered below the famous cliffs of the island, unleashing suspicion and notoriety upon the Lingate name. Thirty years later, buried secrets resurface, blurring the lines between past and present.

"Saltwater" is an opulent whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the bitter end. I was mesmerized by the island of Capri and the abundance of evil surrounded by so much beauty. Like a car crash, I couldn't look away from the soulless actions of the lingates, motivated by greed and preservation. I found myself craving a come down for these damaged aristocrats and fall they will. You can't outrun the past forever. No spoilers! All I'm saying is there's an embarrassment of riches...literally riches...and motives.

"Saltwater" examines the meaning of family and begs the question: Is wealth, privilege, and reputation worth more than a human life? Some folks seem to think so.

I couldn't put this novel down, and I hope you have the same experience. It's escapism at it's finest. And remember, you're not supposed to like everyone. A little Schadenfreude never killed anyone...

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books, & Katy Hays for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.

This feels like a perfect summer beach read for thriller lovers.
First thoughts. That cover is BEAUTIFUL. So many thriller covers are dark and spooky. I love how bright this one is. I think I might need a physical copy for my thriller shelves to brighten things up.

Synopsis: When Sarah Lingate dies on an Italian family vacation, her daughter tries to solve the case 32 years later.

The family drama was so entertaining and so were the plot twists. I am usually pretty good at figuring out a twist but I can honestly say there were a few that got me in this one.

Anyone wanting a summery thriller, this might be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Saltwater by Katy Hays
Narrators: Allyson Ryan, Cassandra Campbell, Carlotta Brentan
Rating: 3 stars
Pub date: 3/25

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced copy and to PRH for my complimentary audiobook.

This is a twisty family drama with a bit of mystery, set on the gorgeous cliffs of Capri. It follows Helen Lingate, whose mother, Sarah, died there in 1992 under suspicious circumstances. Thirty years later, Helen and her wealthy, secretive family return to the island, only to find a strange surprise—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died has mysteriously turned up. With the help of Lorna, the family assistant, Helen tries to escape her controlling family and uncover the truth.

The premise is intriguing, and the setting is atmospheric, but the story didn’t fully hook me. The Lingates are a cold, dysfunctional bunch, and none of the characters are particularly likable. Helen is in her thirties but still treated like a teenager, which gets frustrating. Lorna’s backstory is barely explored, making her motivations feel flimsy. And some characters, like Freddy, seem to exist without much purpose.

There are a few good twists, but the slow pace and lack of emotional connection made it hard to care about the outcome. It’s an okay read if you enjoy slow-burn mysteries with rich family drama, but it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me.

Twisty thriller/mystery that kept me guessing. While I didn't really connect with the main characters or particularly like them I thought the story was interesting and really enjoyed the authors description of the island Capri. The setting almost felt like another main character in the story. I liked this story and was surprised by the ending 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Random House, Ballantine, for the opportunity of this arc. It pains me to say I could bot finish it. Read through the first five chapters, and unfortunately, I was not hooked in. I wanted to keep trying, but I could not connect with the story.

I don’t like rating books I don’t finish, but for Netgalley purposes, I will rate 1 star.

This book has already cracked the top 5 of my 2025 reads!

The Lingate family is infamous after Sarah Lingate is murdered one night while the family is vacationing in Italy. 32 years later her all grown up daughter Helen hair wants to know: what happened? And what was her mothers like?

This story has EVERYTHING! Family drama, greed, jealousy, love, angst, and so many twists. I really thought I knew where this book was headed and I still would have enjoyed it. However, the last 25% had my mouth on the floor.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Random House Publishing for this E-Arc!

⭐️: 3 / 5

Publication Date: March 25, 2025

I want to thank Ballantine and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The first chapter does a great job of setting the scene and the minds of each of the characters surrounding the events which took place in Capri 30 years earlier.

Some of the coolest aspects of this story, were the article snippets that were sprinkled into the story. Adding even further context as the story developed. The setting was very romantic despite this being a mystery for 2 women’s disappearances.

As for my issues with the story, all the characters are unlikable. I didn’t really feel bad for any of these people even the victims with their rich people and party girl problems. One of the major plot points is never resolved by the time the end rolls around. Additionally, one of the big reveals at the end is heavily alluded to throughout the story which made it feel pretty obvious once it was confirmed.

Overall I think this book was okay. The unlikable characters work for a family drama story centered around an ‘old money’ family. While this is the perfect combination for some juicy drama, it took me out of the story. I recommend people give this book a try even though it didn’t work for me.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Nonlinear timelines
- Capri setting
- Beach-y read
- Character driven narrative

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This likely would have been a 4-star read but the ending was disappointing. I could have believed one dead body's mistaken identity, but not two!! Overall, Hays is a good writer and she nailed the setting and the messy, wealthy family perfectly. I just wish the ending had been handled differently.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

This book was exactly what I expected White Lotus to be before I realized that while it's a great show, there's just drama and not much thriller. This instead was a perfect balance. It's full on rich people drama with a ton of thriller.

The twists and turns were a lot of fun, I did have a suspicion they could happen but there were still parts I did not expect.

I really enjoyed all the POV in the book as well. We're the characters likeable? No but they weren't supposed to be.

This really is a great read for summer vacations, to dream of vacation in Italy, with maybe a few less missing people though.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair review. The Island of Capri was an ideal setting for this novel so I started reading it with high hopes, which were soon dashed. There are many reasons why I didn't care for this book even though it started off on a positive note. The timeframe jumped from chapter to chapter and character to character, which made it hard to follow--at least for me. And, believe it or not, there were just too many twists and turns until the story became not only monotonous, but unbelievable. The rich folks were not likeable or sympathetic (including Helen Lingate, the main character) while the working class folks were even less so. Murders, affairs, illegitimate children, and other such mayhem ensued. Everyone seemed to wear a mask and were not who they appeared to be. Sadly, this story was not my cup of tea.

Wow. This book is filled with murder, mystery, suspense, and set on Capri, Italy. It follows Lorna who is an assistant to Marcus Lingate, a family who is wealthy with old money. She follows the Linagtes on vacation to Italy, where they return to every year despite their family member, Sara Lingate's, tragic death. Sara's death haunts the family and still remains a mystery if she was murdered.
This book is multiple POV, Lorna, Helen, Sara, and Naomi. I personally would have liked it more if there was less of Helen's POV and more of Sara's POV, which is why I gave it 4 stars.
The plot was very well thought out, suspense filling, and kept me at the edge of my seat. I didn't want to put it down. It's a story within a story and finding out why the book is called Saltwater is genius!
I had multiple theories of how the ending could play out and who killed Sara; but the twist at the end I did not see coming. If you love a summer setting filled with murder mystery then you'll love this.
Thank you to Amy Jackson and Random House Publishing Group for providing me an eARC through NetGalley.

What do you get when you take a 30 year old murde, an island and a wealthy family with serious secrets. Well when the murder victim wants answers it all crashes together for a great read. The characters are amazing but some of the chapters felt unnecessary. But over all I loved the twist, found myself second guessing my own conclusions and floored by what was really happening.

I didn't realize until very recently that this author also wrote The Cloisters so perhaps this is my fault. I shouldn't have requested it. Just like with The Cloisters, I don't think this book is bad. But it is just not for me. Hays strength is definitely her settings. I think she does a great job with that.

This book kept me engaged with its unpredictable plot, which I really appreciated. I also enjoyed the authors writing style, and the beautiful imagery of Capri. However, I was disappointed by the way women were treated as throwaway characters, often in ways that made no real sense. The main characters lacked depth and had no redeeming qualities, making it hard to connect with or care about their journey. While the story had its strengths, these aspects made it difficult to fully enjoy.