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.

I got to the 40% mark and I gave up. The synopsis sounded so promising but the delivery was flat. The characters were so one-dimensional that I realized at this point that I didn't care who was murdered or missing. It's a miss for me.

Love this one! Get ready for all the wanderlust vibes because this was such a perfectly set thirller! Would 100% rec!

I was SO excited to read this one - murder, island life, wealthy families, secrets and betrayal - sounds like FUN! Unfortunately, the story fell incredibly flat for me. The setting was incredible and well described. I thought the plot set-up was done well. My attention was captured - what happened to Sarah on the Island of Capri? And why does the family return every year? I lost interest pretty quickly though - there were too many perspectives and timelines. Unfortunately the characters were not well developed enough making it difficult to remember who was actually talking. The transition between characters and timelines was not smooth, which also added to the confusion and the struggle that I had to connect. It did not keep me on the edge of my seat, I found that I was too confused at times and not excited. It started out quick, but the pace slowed down. I wish I loved this one, but the pieces just did not work for me.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Personally my review is more of a 3.5 stars than 4 but I rounded up because even though parts of this book fell a little flat for me, I still really enjoyed it. I would recommend this to someone looking for what I like to call a volatile plot. It was up and down and left and right at all times.

I liked the drama and big, rich family secrets. I do think the twists towards the end were not my favorite. One would have been fine but both… meh 🤷🏻‍♀️

Overall, not bad! I would read it again.

Really enjoyed this one— especially Part II where the plot really picks up! Similar to THE CLOISTERS, SALTWATER reads as more of a literary suspense.

The combination of secrets, drama, and alternating POVs/timelines complimented each other well and kept me invested. I wouldn’t go into this thinking the characters are too relatable or likable, but I think that can be deduced from the synopsis. They are flawed, privileged, and private but also had some depth as things went on.

I loved how Hays kept it interesting until the very end. And SALTWATER really had me ready for an Italian vaca too!!!!

Saltwater had all the ingredients for a gripping mystery—family secrets, multiple timelines, and a moody coastal setting—but it never fully delivered. The writing style didn’t work for me, and the shifting perspectives felt more confusing than compelling. Instead of building tension, I kept flipping back to figure out who was narrating.

For a story with such a juicy premise, the suspense was lacking. I expected twists, betrayals, and shocking reveals, but the pacing dragged, and much of it felt like filler. And while Helen had potential as a lead, the characters felt distant, making it hard to stay invested in their unraveling secrets.

Overall, Saltwater had promise, but the execution fell flat. If you like slow-burn mysteries with atmospheric writing, it might work for you—but I wanted more tension, more depth, and more payoff.

Saltwater by Kathy Hays is the perfect read to add to your summer TBR. Family drama set on an idyllic island? Sign me up. Of course, the circumstances are anything but idyllic. I have been to Italy before, but I have never been to Capri; it is on my list of places that I want to visit. Hays does a good job of creating the atmosphere and setting the stage for the Lingate family. There is a lot of juicy drama and mystery surrounding the Lingate family. This is a story of rich people behaving badly (very badly) and almost reminded me of a modern day take on The Great Gatsby. Being rich seems like all fun and games until you realize that they have a lot of secrets and their family has more dysfunction than most see on the outside. I was hooked and invested in the story from the beginning, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. This one is sure to be a hit after its publication date later this month, and I'm sure people will be talking about this one for the rest of 2025.Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of this book.

I enjoy Katy Hays writing, but for some reason this book fell a little flat for me. There wasn’t enough suspense for me and there were times where I wanted to put it down and leave it be. I was a little confused by the back and forth timelines. Just didn’t really mesh well with me. I’ll still read anything Katy Hays puts out! Thank you NetGalley, Katy Hays and Ballantine Books for this digital arc.

Mix of digital & audio - 2.5 rounded up. Whomp whomp. Sadly, this one didn’t really work for me. I started it two different times and got more into the second go around because I was hoping for some White Lotus vibes. Which I did kind of get! But all in all, I couldn’t connected to any of the characters (they felt like caricatures of actual characters), felt like it all was a bit dragged out, and just wanted to get to the conclusion to see how it all wrapped up. Obviously I read the whole thing but part of me wishes I DNFed. It was bad, it just wasn’t for me.