This book will be the perfect spring break read!! Throw it in your bag and get lost in this twisted family story!

" 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.. it’s now the 30th anniversary and Helen is wanting answers about her mothers death so she and the families assistant Lorna began to dig. When the Lingates arrive in Capri they find a surprise waiting for them—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died." With each chapter in the book each has one of several narrators: Helen , Lorna Sarah, Naomi, whose married to Marcus. Marcus is the brother to Helen's father Richard. Soon the story takes a turn when Lorna disappears, and the thirty-year-old death investigation is reopened. Could the killer be one of the family members how many dark secrets can one family keep?? A slow burn with many twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving me with an e-arc!!

If you’re looking for a mystery thriller set on a beautiful island to help kick off your spring or summer reading, this is the one for you!! With a rich, powerful family, dark secrets, and a luxurious vacation, this is a good read for fans of White Lotus!!

Every year, the Lingate family vacations at the island of Capri, always on the anniversary of Sara Lingate’s 1992 death. The circumstances around Sara’s death are very mysterious… although her untimely demise was ruled a suicide, multiple witnesses said they had seen her and her husband fighting the very same night she died. There were obvious issues in the relationship, but Richard was cleared of wrongdoing. However, was that due to money, or because he was truly innocent?

Present day, Helen, (daughter of Richard and Sara) is determined to find out more about her mother’s life. She’s suspicious that the family was involved in her mom’s death, but she’s never been as concerned about Sara’s death, instead wanting to focus on her life. When Helen starts a friendship with her uncle’s assistant, Lorna, she quickly is able to learn more information about her mother as Lorna feeds her information. Helen wants out of the constraints of the family, but knows she needs money- which is when Helen and Lorna concoct a plan to help Helen leave.

However, plans go awry when Lorna disappears one night. Her vanishing causes the past to be dredged up, and now everyone is wondering if Sara was actually murdered, and if Lorna may have faced the same fate. The Lingates seem to have connections and money to cover up anything, but were they truly involved at all?

I really enjoyed this one! I definitely didn’t expect the twist, and I think anyone that enjoys mysteries/thrillers/suspense will want to pick this one up!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately I had to DNF this pretty early on. I found the writing style very dry and nothing about the story hooked me. I vaguely remember not loving this author’s other book that I’ve read (though I finished that one), so I suspect her writing may just not be a good fit for me.

The setting for this book is fantastic. I love that it takes place on Capri. Makes it feel like “White Lotus” with all the drama between the family and some of the islanders. This book is one heck of a slow burn though. It dragged for me and by the time it got to the end, I was ready for it to be over, hence the three-star rating. The twists at the end were one after another and they surprised me. 

The characters are not very exciting, but I did like seeing them interact with each other and learning about their histories. There are quite a few key characters, so make sure you pay attention to who they are and who they are with. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and alternate timelines. I feel like that brought this book to life. 

Overall, this is a decent slow-burn mystery. Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own. This is available on March 25, 2025. 

Read if you like:
🔥 Slow Burn Mystery
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼 Family Drama
👓 Multiple POV
🕰️ Alternate Timelines

Capri is sun-drenched, and this family's secrets are about to face the disinfectant of sunlight. This is wonderful character study that offers us more than just twists and turns--it offers insights into the dark hearts some of us harbor.

This was a character study thriller. I enjoyed it but really loved the setting of Capri. I would have liked more shocking twists.

I thought a book this heavily marketed would be more of a thriller than a literary mystery. It was written well but other than consistently talking about the family’s wealth and secrets… what was there?

A terrific sophomore novel that centers on an ultra "old money" wealthy family hiding from their past mistakes - including the death of the never-truly-accepted-but-highly-accomplished daughter-in law, Sarah. Each year the Lingates return to the beautiful island of Capri to prove to themselves and the gossip-mongers that suffocate them that Sarah's death on Capri was a terrible accident, not murder. The sensory and beautiful descriptions of the island make Capri the perfect setting for what feels like a "locked island" mystery.

Although the beginning was a bit slow, it set the stage for this page-turning drama, told from multiple perspectives past and present. With most of the characters being deeply flawed and more than a little unlikeable, the novel felt like a cross between Succession and White Lotus. I would nott be surprised if this is adapted for Netflix in short order.. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A wealthy family's annual trip to Capri takes a dark turn when a mysterious necklace resurfaces, reopening questions about a decades-old death. With dual timelines, shocking twists, and a stunning Italian backdrop, this is a gripping tale of privilege, secrets, and deception.

This book was a little slower in the middle but wow it made up for it by the end! I wasn't expecting the twists at the end but I'm so glad for this book!

30 years ago, Helen Lingate's mother was found dead in Capri. Now back in Capri, Helen is gifted the necklace her mother was wearing the night she died. Did the Lingates kill Helen's mother? Who sent Helen the necklace? Why does the family keep returning to Capri year after year?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the different POVs as they kept me on my toes and involved with the story. I don't normally read this type of book, so I never make any assumptions about "who done it." I'd never get it right anyhow. Someone much smarter than me may have been able to guess but not me.

I really liked the twists and turns of this book, and though it's all a little unbelievable, nothing was ever too over the top. The only thing I didn't love about the whole book was Freddy. His version of optimism (whether naive or just fake) grated on my every nerve. And there was an additional *small* storyline about Ciro that I don't think was ever resolved or was given an sort of answer for. If it was just to plant the seed of doubt, that could have been explained.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this book!

SPOILERS AHEAD

It took me much longer than I had originally hoped to get through "Saltwater" by Katy Hayes. The premise was so good that I had really high hopes for this book. A member of a rich family turns up dead on their annual vacation to Capri, her husband is implicated but ultimately cleared of involvement in her death, and the family continues to return to Capri for vacation years afterward. Helen, the daughter of the deceased, is attempting to escape from under the thumb of her family while simultaneously attempting to investigate her mother's death without discovery. While the idea was compelling, the execution ultimately fell flat. The one word I can think to sum up this book is "hollow."

To begin with, the characters are so out of touch with reality that it's infuriating. Maybe that's the point - the Lingates are so rich that even the reader can't reach them. However, if an author wants to connect with a reader, they have to leave some bridge, however small. Perhaps Lorna was supposed to be that bridge, but for one, her voice is absent for much of the narrative. And more importantly, Lorna is also incredibly out of touch and unreachable. There is not one likable character, and the only one who is mildly understandable is Naomi. Yet her voice is also noticeably absent for 90% of "Saltwater."

As the story gets deeper and the twists keep coming, there is some confusing language that leaves the reader confused as to what character is being discussed. I can see, due to the nature of the plot, how this might be on purpose, so I won't let that count against the author too much. However, I did get annoyed at the fact that nearly every other paragraph, there was some punchy one-liner that are supposed to mean something but ultimately, they really don't.

Additionally, a lot of the plot and themes feel fake deep. Like... am I supposed to feel sorry for the rich that they might lose their vacations? Is your money - or worse, your empty pride - worth more than someone else's life? Lorna is a false martyr (and honestly, so is Sarah), because all anyone is after is money that doesn't exist in the first place. The entire plot was meaningless, because everyone commits desperate actions to protect the sanctity of the Lingate name - a name that is entirely hollow to begin with! They have nothing! There was one line from the book that actually sums this up perfectly: "But what have they been preserving? This thing that has rotted from the inside out?" It could be argued that Richard, Marcus and Naomi were protecting the Lingate name, but everyone thought they were involved in Sarah's death anyway, so what reputation do they even have to uphold?

At the end, because of the Lingate's lack of money and even of good reputation, all i could think was: WHAT WAS THE POINT!!! It renders the Lingates' actions unbelievable and without true motive. Also, by the end of the book, I found myself thinking, "Is the theme of this book that you can murder and destroy your entire family and still end up happy and rich?" Like girl what? And the author wants me to believe Helen is oppressed by her rich family, but does nothing to actually show me that oppression. I will say, one redeeming factor in this book is the way that Helen begins to notice the decay in her family's vacation home right as everything starts falling apart. But... even as the Lingates are under suspicion of not one, but TWO murders, they continue to go to parties and get drunk and act normal? Lorna is missing and you're just vibing? Make it make sense. ALSO there are so many twists and so much misdirection that even the characters themselves are not quite sure what they did or did not do.

I truthfully have no idea why anything happens in this book, at all. All motives are hollow and empty. Sarah and Lorna are the exact same person with the exact same plot but like not in a cool way. Nothing is what you think, but in a way that's annoying rather than in a way that's satisfying. I hated to be so disappointed by something so highly anticipated.

Rich people, dark secrets, and a decades old mystery in the famous and beautiful Capri?

This starts with a mysterious death of Sarah that happens in 1992. Her body was found below the cliffs and her family insists it was just an accident. He

Thirty years later her daughter Helen returns home to Capri and finds the necklace her mother was wearing when she died.

The setting was really beautiful and eerie. The island was practically a side character.


I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. The multiple timelines and different POVs made the story hard to follow and hard to understand.

The characters didn’t hold my interest and were all kinda just there. If I had to choose my favorite it would be Helen but I really didn’t connect with any of them.

It was a good concept just not executed properly.

Saltwater by Katy Hays is a psychological thriller that puts readers on edge with every page and with all of the characters! Absolutely a vibe.

This was a fun, twisty thriller set in the lovely Capri. Told from various POVs and timelines, Saltwater is the story of Lorna and Helen who partner in a blackmail scheme against Helen’s family, both desperate for financial independence. Intertwined is the story of Helen’s mother Sarah, who died in Capri 30 years prior.

I loved that this was set in Capri, a beautiful island near Sorrento, Italy. The setting of the villa, which seemed so luxurious but later had signs of decay and moldering beneath the surface was a metaphor for Helen’s family. There were some good twists that I don’t even want to hint at.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I really wanted to like this one. It's possible that I go back to this book later in life and try again. What I will say my impression as a first read is I really struggled with it. I found it very confusing and therefore difficult to connect to the characters and their experiences. Part of the problem is that the story heavily relies on being layered. We are introduced to several characters and time periods. Usually this is a buzz word for me or something that I enjoy in books. However, I just could not figure this one out. I kept trying to keep the characters and their stories separate but was not able to. Because of that, I found myself getting frustrated and unable to enjoy my time reading. it.

I will give the PSA that family legacy stories are ones that can be hard for me to follow. So, if that's your thing, you want to add this to your TBR. I wanted to read this because I found the premise interesting and exciting. The writing is very good, that's not really the problem. You can tell the author took a lot of time to plan this story and I'm sure the ending would pay off. I just think my brain is not the right one for it. If you struggle to connect multiple characters and times, this may be challenging for you as well.

*3 stars given to be fair to the author

I was immediately drawn to this one by the beautiful cover and the setting on the Island of Capri! This has long been a dream destination for me and I am finally going to see it this year! The descriptive writing is beautiful and brings this island to life in such a gorgeous way. The story is about the famously wealthy family, The Lingates. In 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead beneath the cliffs of Capri. It is ruled an accident, but there has always been a shadow of doubt surrounding the family. The family returns to Capri every year to prove that it's true and have nothing to hide. We now arrive back to the island on the 30th anniversary of her death. The family gets a real surprise in the mail, the unusual snake necklace that she was wearing when she died. The book then toggles back and forth in time to try to solve the mystery of what really happened. There is also a current timeline mystery. This is definitely a "rich people behaving badly" book and it really delves into the lengths that the rich will go to to protect their privacy, their secrets and most of all their fortunes. This was super twisty and I did not see most of it coming. It was a a bit slow to take off, but once I was in, I was all in! I could not wait to see how it all unfolded, clear up until the shocking end. Overall, a fast paced mystery/thriller with a beautiful backdrop of Italy.

Thank you to @netgalley, @randomhousepublishing and @ballentinebooks for this gifted copy. Publishes on March 25, 2025. If you love a good thriller, put this one on your list!

I love a thriller about the rich. Have them behaving badly and I’m even more intrigued. I enjoyed this one because of the multiple POVs with multiple narrators which helps me keep my characters straight while listening. Dual timeline as well to set the scene was well done. I truly enjoyed this one even though I definitely predicted most of the twist! Also when can I book my trip to Capri?

Helen Lingate hopes to learn more about her murdered mother; Lorna hopes to just learn more about the secretive Lingates.

Saltwater sets up an interesting mystery, then in the last few chapters jerks you around. How many twists can you pack into a few pages? Capri sounds lovely; Katy Hays paints a beautiful picture. The rest--well, it's a fun read. Take it on vacation, but make sure you can read the last quarter of the book in one sitting.

4.5 stars, rounded up

So apparently I do this thing where if I go on a beach vacation I only read wealthy family drama/thrillers? Anyone else have a vacation go-to?

I genuinely loved *Saltwater* by Katy Hays. The setting was everything—set on the gorgeous island of Capri, but wrapped in the gritty world of drugs, booze, murder, and frenemy drama. The tension between the sun-soaked vacation vibes and the dark secrets brewing underneath kept me on my toes, and the sense of being trapped in this twisted family dynamic really came alive on the page.

There were so many characters to dislike, and each had a reason to be the mastermind behind it all. I was suspicious of *everyone* and totally hooked. I enjoyed how some of these unlikable characters still had redeeming qualities, making me root for them despite their flaws. I guessed half of the big twist; if you know me, you know that’s exactly what I want in a thriller - I need the *option* to guess, but I still want that element of surprise, without it being too far-fetched.

The only thing keeping this from a perfect 5 stars was the pacing. For the most part, it worked, but there were parts that felt either too slow or too rushed, which impacted the overall tension. If it were a bit shorter, I think the pacing would have been tighter, making the story even stronger. There’s also another aspect I didn’t *love* (but can’t share without spoiling), so DM me if you're curious! Let's just say I respect the parallel timelines (and understand that was a major point of this novel), but I think having a few more differences between the two could’ve made the plot even more thrilling.

This book is heavy on family drama (which I loved), but if you're after a fast-paced, light thriller, this might not be your vibe. However, if you're in the mood to dive deep into some juicy family dynamics among the 1% with some thrilling elements, I totally recommend it!

Big thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review!