Thank you NetGalley! I loved the description for this book. However the story itself fell flat. It started out slow and continued that way. While their were a few twists later on, I was already checked out of the plot

While I loved the setting, ultimately this one was a little too much of a slow burn for me. I was bored in the beginning, and by the time the twists and turns started coming about 3/4 of the way through I was already somewhat disengaged.

The description made me think that this was going to be a great family drama/thriller but... I was bored. It started out slow and did not really pick up. I felt like there wasn't enough character development and it caused me not to really care about anyone. They were all awful in the end.

There were a few twists at the very end but at that point I just wasn't interested anymore.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

A slow burn with an unlikeable (yet fascinating) family, Salt Water follows the Lingates as they vacation in Capri, honoring Sarah Lingate, who died there in 1992. When their assistant, Lorna, goes missing, tensions rise.

The dual timeline adds intrigue but feels disjointed, and the pacing drags until the final 100 pages—where twists come in a rush. While the ending delivers, I wish the suspense had been more evenly spread. A good read for those who enjoy messy family drama and slow-building mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published March 25, 2025.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was completely bored and really had no interest in who killed who. It would have been a DNF if it wasn’t an ARC that I needed to read and review. Sadly cannot recommend.

The best part about it was the beautiful setting.

Sarah Lingate is found dead in 1992. Her family has never believed that it was an accident & everyday they come back to try & solve the mystery.. 30 years into the mystery, a surprise awaits them, the necklace that she was wearing the night she died. Will this help them find the answers that they need.

3.5 stars! I really enjoyed this book—rich people behaving badly, a beautiful Capri setting, and White Lotus vibes made for the perfect combination. I liked that while the mystery is certainly a heavy focus of the story, it also feels like a family drama at its core, making it a great fit for fans of both thrillers and domestic dramas! I could see this being a super popular beach read this summer. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the ARC.

thank you net galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

this story follows a few characters across different timelines. In 1992, Sarah Lingate was discovered dead beneath the cliffs of Capri, the cause of death ruled "accidental" despite the suspicious circumstances.

this story follows the lingate family trying to navigate a vacation gone bad. They visit the same island every year in honor of Sarah Lingate, the deceased family member. Everything seems to be going as planned, that is until Lorna, the assistant, goes missing.

The story flip flops between past and present which makes for a confusing time. Some of the characters were hard to track, and unfortunately i didn't connect to any one of them. These characters were so unlikeable, which is a plus for me, I love an unlikeable character, let alone an unlikeable entire family!

This book was slow until about 3/4 of the way through, then a bunch of twists and turns happened. I appreciated the twists at the end, but wish it wasn't all jumbled in the last 100 pages.

If you like white lotus, rich people drama, and european settings with a fun little mysetery, this is a book for you!

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Salt Water
Author: Katy Hays

Thank you so much Random House Publishing for this ARC! This releases on 3/25, and it was an amazing thriller read. How do I buy the movie rights to this? In the year of 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead and it is ruled an accident. Thirty years later, the Lingate family return to Italy for their annual trip and they find the necklace she was wearing on the night that she died. People were always suspicious that they were involved in her death. Helen is Sarah’s daughter that was three years old when she died. She is desperate to escape her family, and works with an assistant to plot a way out. The finding of the necklace throws a wrench in her plans. This book was super twisty and I will not lie.. I was shocked by a few things! It was a bit slower paced, but I loved how descriptive the author is, I loved the added newspaper clippings throughout the book, and the storyline was truly captivating. This really needs to be a movie.. 🎥 🍿. Highly recommend my thriller fiends add this to your TBRS!

The Lingates just can’t stay away from Capri, despite the fact that their dark past is tied to the beautiful island. Katy Hays describes the scenery so well that you can almost smell the salt in the warm, Mediterranean Sea breeze.

The point of view goes back and forth between Lorna & Helen, and neither one of them seem like they’re forthcoming with their intentions despite the fact that they’re friends, sort of. Lorna is the « help » but is supposed to be enjoying the vacation. Helen is the daughter of Sarah Lingate, who tragically died in Capri in 1992 under mysterious circumstances.

Are Lorna & Helen working together, conspiring for a greater plan? It seems to be the case. Lorna goes missing. The story is told from Lorna’s perspective before her disappearance & Helen’s perspective after. Do you ever know who the people around you are? Who can you trust?

Could not put Saltwater down. The twists and turns kept coming all the way to the end. It’s a must read from me!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”Saltwater” in exchange for my honest opinion. I was definitely hooked from the very beginning. There’s nothing like a full cast of unreliable narrators to keep the plot moving. Every time you think you have something figured out there is a twist - some of them expected. Unfortunately there was just one twist too many near the end to make it very believable. While this was an enjoyable read and I was ready to give it four stars most of the way, the last few chapters made it a three for me. That being said, I would definitely read more books by this author.

I was so excited to get an arc of Katy Hays’ newest novel after really enjoying her first, The Cloisters. This new dual timeline thriller felt perfect for a summer beach read!

While vacationing with friends and her boss, Lorna goes missing from the island of Capri…. Or has she? What makes this even odder, her friend Helen’s mother was found dead years before off the cliffs of this same island. Are the two mysteries linked?

Without giving too much away for the twists this novel takes, the reader is able to enjoy a dual timeline murder mystery in both time views. Although the setting is laid out beautifully and the characters all seem fun, I did find the plot of the book lacking. At many points the chapters tended to drag on, and too many POV made it hard to keep track of who was narrating.


Thank you Katy Hays, NetGalley, and Ballentine books for the advanced reader copy of this thriller, out March 25th!

Everything I wanted in a rich people behaving badly story. Loved the setting of Capri as a huge bonus since I’m not on vacation for spring break! This story delivers incredible twists if you are patient enough to wait until nearly the end. So explosive I didn’t see either of them coming which made for a wild ride. Perfect setting and perfect family to live to hate. Pack this one in your beach bag!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

Saltwater by Katy Hays is a gripping family drama and mystery set against a stunning coastal backdrop with a hauntingly dark past. The novel introduces a set of intriguing characters, each layered with complexity, which initially pulls the reader in with its rich atmosphere and promising twists. The beginning of the book is engaging, setting the stage for a suspenseful unraveling of family secrets and intrigue.

However, as the plot progresses, the story begins to slow down. The focus shifts more toward the intricacies of family drama rather than the unfolding mystery, which may leave some readers yearning for more of the suspense and tension that marked the opening chapters. While the character dynamics remain compelling, the pace becomes heavier, and the mystery feels somewhat overshadowed by the emotional conflicts.

Overall, Salt Water offers an engaging read with a beautiful setting and well-developed characters, though its shift toward family drama may not satisfy those seeking a continuous, fast-paced mystery.

Saltwater has a great premise. While I was initially pulled in, the pacing was a little slow for my liking, and I had trouble keeping track of the multiple POVs. That, and I was never really convinced on any one character. Which is to say, some parts of this are great, but other parts fell a kinda flat.

There are definitely some fun "big reveals", but I'm not entirely sure if this worked for me.

Very grateful for the opportunity to read a copy, and hope it finds its readers.

Saltwater
Katy Hays
March 25, 2025

Each year the Lingate family spend time in Capri. Their family own a villa where the large entourage stay. Helen is just 3 years old when her mother dies due to a fall from the cliffs. Despite suspicious circumstances, her death is ruled accidental. The child remains with her father living in Bel Air. The Lingates are exceptionally wealthy. Brothers Richard and Marcus see to the business after their father grew older. Daytime for Helen spent next door with her caregiver, Renata. She spent time with her son, Ciro. He was just beyond Helenś age and they enjoyed playtime together.
Saltwater will be published on March 25, 2025 by Ballantine Books. I was able to read and review Hays latest novel via NetGalley. Her plot line followed the Lingates business and heritage. For the most part they were contentious and combative. This journey appears to be the Lingates final outing to Italy. The cause of Sarahś's death is Helen´s one desire to discover. She spent most of her life without her mother and would like to know much more about her. It was interesting reading however at times a bit extensive. It is more than a mystery, details provide family dissent with each passing day of the excursion in Capri. An excellent work of fiction.

A great premise, that unfortunately falls flat. The cardboard, one- dimensional characters made this a struggle to finish.

In 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead. Thirty years later, her daughter Helen wants to know what really happened to her mother.

Alternately between past and present as well as several different unlikable narrators, this is a good mystery. Not a thriller necessarily, but a solid mystery with family drama. It started a little slow for me, but caught hold and kept my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available March 25, 2025.

Hays' sophomore novel takes a long time to say, ultimately, very little. The thriller follows a wealthy family vacationing on the Italian island of Capri, told in alternating POV chapters by the patriarch's assistant and carefully sequestered heiress. When a shocking tragedy strikes, long-buried secrets from a vacation nearly three decades before are unearthed.

Something I loved about The Cloisters, Hays' debut novel, was its breathtaking sense of place: I could easily picture myself in the hushed shadowed halls of the medieval museum. Despite being set among the dramatic cliffs and beaches of Capri, the setting remains disappointingly intangible. There is too much focus on the internal processing of the characters: we spend so much time in their heads that it is impossible to situate oneself in what should be a vivid environment. Typically for stories about rich people, the characters are all uniquely insufferable. For me, it is simply too difficult to sympathize with people living such an extravagant, impossible lifestyle, regardless of their personal struggles.

The twists are overall satisfying but arrive far too late. The first half of the story is an 150 page slog, overly occupied with setting up the central mystery and casting suspicion on a host of different characters. I was nearly ready to put the book down by the time answers began to surface. Though the twists are enjoyable they grow increasingly unbelievable, almost Shakespearen in their convoluted games of mistaken identity and almost comical miscommunication. The ending was especially far-fetched given the realities of criminal proceedings and modern deceptive work. Ultimately a decent thriller, but nothing that will linger in my mind.

In this summer mystery set in Italy, you get a comelling story with an interesting twist at the end. I have to say, I did find it fun and mysterious, I found the pacing a bit of a struggle, and the multiple pov's to be a little confusing, hard to follow. I had a hard time connecting to the characters at times as well. I quite enjoy the twist you get near the end of the book, though. The atmosphere was definitely there, I could practically see the places that were mentioned, and you could tell the author cared.