By the end of this book, my head was spinning from all the twists and turns, and that's a good thing. But most of them crossed the credibility line, and besides that, I really didn't like any of the characters enough to care much about how things turned out for them.

Despite those misgivings, though, I did enjoy the book. It's got all the right (write??) stuff in it, and I admire anyone who can come up with a plot this complex in the first place and then keep all the details straight.

The focus is on the uber-wealthy Lingate family and the death of Sarah Lingate, a relatively new mother of Helen, in 1992. From that point on, the case of Sarah's body being found at the bottom of a cliff was long since closed by local police, but suspicions lingered. The most common belief is that she was murdered by Richard, her husband and Helen's father. But over the years, the family closed ranks as only the snobby rich can do (and this bunch is as snobby as they come), so the rumors have remained, well, rumors.

Today, Helen is a grown-up, and she's returned to the island of Capri with the family, for what I guess is summer R&R. This time, they're accompanied by Richard's "assistant," Lorna, who has the role of rich-boss gopher honed to a fare-thee-well (but clearly has an agenda of her own). Soon after the return to Capri, they get a surprise welcome back gift that's less than welcome: a box containing the necklace Sarah was wearing when she died - and a demand for a huge sum of money.

The rest of the book follows the events on Capri - complete with another disappearance - and glimpses of what led up to Sarah's death (chapters shift among characters and time frames). The end, of course, pulls it all together, and readers learn the truth about what happened all those years ago. Now that all those loose ends have been tied up, I'm ready for the next book by this talented author - and thanking the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Salt Water by Katy Hays, (author of NYT best-seller The Cloisters) takes us to the luxe and gorgeous island of Capri, where we are immersed in the mysterious death of Sarah Lingate, which occurred 30 years prior. When history starts to repeat and another member of the wealthy-behaving-poorly Lingate family + entourage disappears, Sarah’s death is re-examined along with the recent disappearance. Add in controlling family members, quirky personalities, and dysfunctional dynamics swirling within the lives of this old moneyed family and you have a twisty, turny thriller.

The story is told via duo timeline and multi-point-of-view narration, mostly through the experiences of three young women: Sarah Lingate, her daughter Helen, and Helen’s close friend Lorna. Their personalities are written to reflect various levels of strength and this variation provides added interest as we learn about their backstories and watch them navigate the goings-on within the famous family. The tale flips between present day and 30-years past, the narraration intermingled with snippets of newspaper articles that provide an engaging context for the flashback scenes.

This novel is a solid choice for mystery and thriller fans who are looking to appease the Winter doldrums. The setting of Capri is described so crisply that the reader can feel the breeze blowing along the cliffs and the sun shining on their faces. It isn’t the first book to combine a dreamy locale with dramatic happenings, but Hays does it uniquely, starting her story with a knotted ball of storylines that she continues to weave in interesting and unexpected ways.

Salt Water certainly had me entertained but it was not without its flaws. Hays kept the plot twists plentiful, but at times it became downright convoluted. One of the twists had me scratching my head as Hays invites the reader to step almost beyond suspension of belief to near implausibility. The fun of anticipating the tale loses some of its luster when part of it seem nearly impossible.

If you are a mystery or thriller lover, Salt Water will satisfy the itch for a tricky domestic thriller novel with the added bonus of an enviable, lush setting. Readers may also enjoy the themes Katy Hays explores such as family legacy, wealth, privilege, and power while working to unravel this mystery. But when all is said and read, Salt Water was fine but I think there are better options on offer in this popular genre.

I loved this book! The atmospheric writing had me hooked from the beginning. This will be a perfect beach read this summer.!

I love a slow burn mystery, unfortunately this one was hindered by undeveloped characters that I could not compact with and too many plot twists that didn’t seem to really relate to the story as while. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

So, I will say up front that I strongly disliked The Cloisters so I was very unsure if I wanted to read this. Thankfully, I enjoyed this one more. This was a pretty good twisty mystery of rich people behaving (very) badly. I loved the setting - Capri! The author used lots of descriptive language in regard to the character’s surroundings, which I appreciated, but it definitely took away from the action. I found this to be a (very) slow burn and the time shifts & narrators were difficult to keep track of at times. However, I really enjoyed the twists at the end - 3/4 of the book read as predictable and pretty black and white - and I was getting annoyed with how it slogged along when I already “knew” what happened. But oh!! Then the twists came! Though pretty unbelievable I LOVED the biggest one! The book did leave a loose thread hanging, which is driving me NUTS. (Maybe I missed it?!) If you’ve read this, message me!! I’d definitely recommend Saltwater for all my mystery loving friends - this comes out 3/25/25 but would be a great beach/summer read. Thanks to NetGalley & Kathleen Quinlan at Random House for the pre-approved digital copy!!

I enjoyed the over all plot and found the story to be a bit intriguing. I did have a hard time keeping my interest at times because I felt as if the story was dragging. The book did have a satisfying ending so it was worth it to me to finish the book.

3.5/5


Thank you @ballantinebooks #partner for the gifted eARC of this book!

📖What it’s about:
Loved this jaunt to the Isle of Capri where this family mystery of a dead woman named Sarah who was found at the bottom of the cliffs is long overdue to be solved. Each year her family returns to prove it wasn’t an accident and on the 30th year they are surprised to find the necklace she was wearing the night she died.

💭My thoughts:
I loved the setting of it being on the Isle of Capri. It’s not every day that I read about Italy so I love to be transported there. The author does a great job creating an atmospheric story that seemed isolated but beautiful at the same time.

I am a fan of rich people behaving badly and this definitely fulfilled that checkbox. Katy did a great job creating tension with all of the family drama and I certainly was left wondering who did it! I feel like this was a slow burn mystery with some twists at the end but definitely leaned more towards mystery than thriller. I did appreciate the dual timelines and of course love that this one was filled with unlikeable characters. Thank you Katy for taking me away to Italy! I can’t wait to see what Katy writes next!

I read like, 10% and was bored. This didn't feel particularly fresh or re-inventive, I've read several "rich people behaving badly" stories and this one just wasn't holding my interest.

The twists in this had my head reeling. And this one really made me want to go on vacation it really set the scene.

The best character in this book is the Isle of Capri …would book a trip there right now!
Saltwater is a slow burn of a mystery … it took a long time to really get anywhere.
It was the last part of the book where the story line finally began to pick up.
There was twist upon twist.
They ranged from predictable to unrealistic.
In the end there was no character that was redeemable … all there outrageous actions were self serving and criminal (both literally and figuratively )
Thanks to net galley for the chance to read this book before publication in return for an honest review.

In 1992, Sarah Lingate’s body was found below the cliffs of Capri. Despite the vast wealth of the Lingate family, her death was never solved, but suspicion has always lingered that it wasn’t the accident it was ruled. Now thirty years later, the Lingate family returns for their annual summer on Capri, and Sarah’s daughter Helen is determined to finally find out what really happened to her mother all those years ago.

I was immediately pulled in by the premise and the lush setting. Juicy family drama, a decades-old mystery, and plenty of secrets, lies, and betrayals all lie ahead. The island of Capri is so vividly drawn, I felt immersed in the Italian beauty and glamour, with the dangerous cliffs lending an ever-present edge of danger. I also loved how the author skillfully wove the title theme of Saltwater throughout the narrative in both subtle and overt ways. The story is told from three perspectives and timelines (Sarah in the past, Helen and Lorna at two different points in the present), and the suspense is quite a slow burn. At times the plot unfolds as languidly as I imagine a day on Capri to be, but when the twists start dropping in the last 25% or so, things get truly shocking!

If you love “rich people behaving badly” stories as much as I do, add this one to your TBR! Perfect for fans of Succession, White Lotus, The Fury by Alex Michaelides, and Kaira Rouda’s books Beneath the Surface and Under the Palms.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for the advance copy!

3.5 stars

The prose was well written. I enjoyed the style of writing presented by the author. The narration went back and forth between a few different character points of view and also different time periods. It was easy to follow and I enjoyed the variation.

I was expecting a bit more of a thriller but this leaned far more towards "drama" than thriller. Very centered around family secrets and lies. Unreliable narrators - never knowing who you can trust. I did not find any of the characters were super relatable or memorable and that made it difficult to follow the storyline. The plot was good just drawn out and predictable, in my opinion. No major surprises.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC and chance to give my honest opinion.

If you enjoy books about wealthy families behaving badly in luxurious destinations during the summer, this one is for you. At its heart, this is a mystery/thriller about several woman and the lengths they go to to ensure their own happiness. The book follows 2 timelines (1992 and present) and multiple viewpoints. I loved the setting- I’ve never visited Capri, but the descriptions were gorgeous. Lots of entitled, flawed, and dare I say greedy characters- I personally love that in a book. The book was more of a slow burn for me than a quick read, and I didn’t predict all of the twists (always a plus!). Really enjoyed the writing style and want to go back and read more by this author!

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I mean seriously, just look at that cover! Add in stunning Capri, a two-for-one mystery, rich people behaving badly, and dual timelines and how can you go wrong?

I'm still asking myself the same thing and while this didn't go "wrong", it didn't exactly go right either. I struggled to get invested in the story and kept confusing characters and relationships. The help turned friends turned family was confusing and disorienting, especially because it only seemed at play when convenient. I also wanted more about the gorgeous backdrop but I felt like Capri was a sidebar and the snippets of the setting weren't nearly enough.

I'm always a fan of two-for-one-mysteries and I definitely appreciated that here. I couldn't decide if Sarah's death had been a tragic accident, a murder, or a suicide but nothing felt right about it. Unfortunately for the current mystery, I was completely disinterested and felt like it came on too late and added too little to the story overall.

The writing was good, the ending was wild (way over the top for me), and this definitely had a lot of potential. I'm definitely eager to see what else Hays puts out because this had great bones, it just didn't quite make the mark for me.

Thank you to Ballantine for the advanced copy.

Helen’s mother died in Capri thirty years previously and she is determined to find out what happened the day her mother, Sarah, died. Her death was deemed an accident but many people think her family had something to do with it. The family is wealthy and can cover up anything. A good read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“I don’t think about the rich as individuals, but as a category. After all, that’s how they think of us.”

From the moment I started Saltwater and entered Capri, I was completely hooked. This book is more than just a decades old murder —it’s a chilling, beautifully written story about family secrets, privilege, and the past refusing to stay buried. The dual timelines blend seamlessly, the setting is stunning, and the tension keeps building The twists? Unforgettable. My jaw dropppppped at the end.
If you love atmospheric thrillers with family drama, jaw-dropping reveals, and characters you aren’t sure you can trust, this is a must-read!

This will be a perfect summer or vacation read, it’s got the picturesque setting and the juicy storyline with a lighter style of suspense. There are two timelines and several POVs, so definitely quite a bit going on but everything is easy to follow. I would say this is a slow burn for the most part, there are definitely some sections where things drag a bit but the payoff was worth it in the end for me. I would even say it’s more of a family drama than a real thriller but there is a strong mystery too, so maybe a bit of both. Have some patience with this one, watch these rich people behave terribly and prepare for some major reveals in the end!

Saltwater by Katy Hays
Holy twists! This was a wild ride, taking us between the past and the present.

You know the saying, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” That is this book. Who can be trusted? Who is telling the truth? Honesty is not the best policy for this family.

Hats weaves a beautiful, deceitful tale encompassing time and location, interwoven with art and money. She takes lies and scandal and adorns the pages with prose that captivates you.

Several moments throughout this novel left me speechless, but the last two chapters were deviously delightful. The insidious nature of humanity is captured brilliantly.

This is the perfect read of you like mystery, mixed with intrigue.
Publication date: March 25, 2025
Publisher: Ballantine Books

"Saltwater" promised an intoxicating blend of elements—the glittering backdrop of Capri, a wealthy family's decades-old secrets, and the mysterious death that haunts them—but ultimately fails to deliver on its potential. While the atmospheric Italian setting and initial mystery setup create genuine intrigue, the novel stumbles with confusing timeline shifts, underdeveloped characters, and pacing issues that drain tension rather than build it. What could have been a sharp, suspenseful exploration of family dynamics and long-buried crimes instead becomes a meandering story where revelations lack impact and the compelling protagonist we glimpse in Helen never fully materializes, leaving readers who crave psychological depth and satisfying twists wanting more.

This took a little time to really get into but once I was interested it held my attention. Didn't want to put it down. Fun read. Very interesting.