Thanks to @randomhouse (Ballantine Books) and @netgalley for the gifted e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the ALC!

Told in multiple timelines and with multiple POVs, this book is a slow burn mystery that tells the story of two murders, 30 years apart, that interrupt a wealthy American family’s yearly trip to Capri, Italy.

This is one of those books that seems straightforward at first. The characters all hate each other. But they’re family. And they’re rich. So they spend their vacation together and keep up appearances. None of them are particularly likable. Helen is the sheltered daughter who longs to break free of the family’s control. Her boyfriend, Freddy, handpicked was by the family. Her father Richard is the grieving widower whose wife committed suicide on this island 30 years ago. Marcus, Richard’s brother, holds the family together. Helen, Marcus’s wife, is too zoned out on pills and alcohol to know what is going on. And Lorna, Marcus’s new assistant, despises all of them. These six people spend a week on Capri, just like they always do. But this year, everything changes.

It took me a while to figure out who everyone was, and at first the plot was hard to follow. But the beauty of the writing is in how it slowly unfolds. And as it does, more and more things come out. The way I gasped out loud at some of those twists!

The multiple narrators read the chapters for their characters and did a great job matching each other’s voices for the minor characters.

The setting was gorgeous. I’ve now added Capri to my bucket list!

I really enjoyed this mystery and highly recommend both the print and audiobook.

When I read what this was about, I thought I had found a book that would be just what I was looking for. A murder that after 30 years still haunted a family.
The more I read the more I knew that this just did not fill in the blanks of why things happened. I did not like the characters enough to find out why things happened. I am sure this book will have fans and enjoy reading it but for me it was an OK book but one that did not stay in my mind for very long after finishing it.
Thank you NetGalley, Katy Hays and Random House Publishing Group for the arc of Saltwater. This is my personal honest review.

I really wanted to love this one. As far as tropes go, I love juicy family dramas, rich people behaving badly, and twisty thriller/ mysteries. I especially love a scenic and atmospheric setting, and I was soo excited to be whisked away to the beautiful island of Capri. Unfortunately, everything fell flat. The “twists” were all predictable and/or spoon fed to us. So many things were unnecessarily repetitive. I feel the story could’ve taken place on any island or remote location, none of the scenery or food/drink mentioned screamed Capri to me. Any book that takes 75%+ to get anywhere in the neighborhood of interesting is immediately on my shit list. Sorry!!!! :(

This was a fantastic read. I loved the twist and turns. The characters were well written and the fast pace kept me reading. Loved the twist at the end.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. The concept was interesting but the writing style was boring and confusing, and all the characters were annoying. It’s hard to read a book with no one to root for.

Absolutely loved this twisty mystery set in Capri, Italy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the author, in exchange for an honest review. The author, Katy Hays, wove in a fascinating dual timeline across 30 years with continuing plot twists throughout the book, in the setting of extreme opulence and wealth, with have and have-not distinctions between staff and the family on a beautiful Estate used once a year for vacation (specifically, a vacation on the anniversary of the murder of one of the family members). When another individual goes missing and the initial murder is reexamined, everyone is a suspect. Ms. Hays did a wonderful job of developing all of her characters in this very conflicted family and several close friends/staff, but leaving just enough out of the story to allow the reader to wonder what was next or how they were actually involved. Overall, I really enjoyed the journey on the book. The only slight downside was the ending of the book felt a bit rushed, and less developed than the rest of the story.

Unfortunately, I DNF this around the 30% mark. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style and wasn’t hooked with the characters and the storyline. I did like the description of Capri. I think this one just wasn’t for me, as I’ve seen others like it.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

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.