This was my first read by the author. I really enjoyed the plot of this one. I highly recommend the audio if you can get your hands on this one. The narration was great!!

Read if you like:
Rich People Drama
Murder Mystery Dual Timeline
Slow Burn Suspense
Family Secrets & Betrayals

The Saltwater is a haunting, lyrical exploration of grief, identity, and the fierce pull of the sea. Katy Hayes weaves a quiet, powerful narrative that unfolds like a tide—slow, deliberate, and deeply affecting. Her prose is lush and poetic, filled with aching beauty and emotional undercurrents that linger long after the final page.

Set on Ireland’s wild coast, the story pulses with atmosphere and quiet intensity. Hayes captures the rawness of loss and the complexity of motherhood and memory with an almost elemental force. It’s not just a novel you read—it’s one you feel, bone-deep.

Meditative, mournful, and mesmerizing, The Saltwater is a stunning debut that leaves a lasting impression. Hayes is a writer to watch.

This was definitely a slow burn. Slower than I liked but the twists and the revelations at the end were fabulous. The final truths were actually mind blowing and didn’t see them coming.

I wasnt able to read this before the publishing date but now that I have read it I give it 3.5 stars.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so twisty! Every time you thought you had figured out the twist there was another twist you weren't expecting. It's another novel about rich people being messy (and murderous) and I'm here for it. I also love that it has an open-ish ending. We got some answers but we are left curious about our character's future. It was a bit slow paced at times but I took my time and enjoyed reading it.

If a dreamy Italian setting, wealthy people acting like fools, and mind-boggling, if not coincidental twists are your thing, you will not be disappointed with Saltwater. The three different timelines and slow pace dragged me down a bit and were somewhat confusing, but the saga-like storyline still stands on its own. There are lots of characters to keep track of, and you may not end up liking any of them. I read an independent reviewer's synopsis after I finished and still wasn't sure if we agreed on some of the finer points of the plot. I often found myself saying, wait...did that just happen?! But it is entertaining even if some of the twists and turns were a bit far-fetched.
Overall, this is one I'll continue to think about for awhile and that makes a good read to me.
Now I'm intrigued to pick up Cloisters as a future read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

The glamorous setting of Capri is the star of Saltwater. I struggled to care about the characters' sense of life-and-death stakes regarding their wealth and social status, so I never felt very invested in the story or the unraveling of the mysteries within it.

Thirty years ago, Sarah Lingate was found dead under suspicious circumstances below the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind her young daughter Helen--and a host of relatives who might have wanted Sarah dead. Each year, the wealthy, powerful Lingate family returns to Capri as though to quash rumors about Sarah's mysterious death. (Their yearly return was never explained to my satisfaction; it felt like a gruesome disconnect from emotion, responsibility, and respect for the dead.)

But this year, the family arrives at the villa to find a mysterious, haunting relic from the past waiting for them: the necklace Sarah was wearing when she died.

Young adult Helen, determined to get to the bottom of her mother's death, along with her uncle's assistant, begins to dig into the truth. The two become determined to enact a risky plan to manipulate the family into telling the truth about Sarah's demise. But they uncover layers of danger and begin to fear that not everyone in her family may leave Capri alive.

Saltwater characters are by and large shallow and uninteresting, money-hungry, image-driven, insufferably selfish, and dangerously avoidant of social shaming at any cost.

In alternating points of view, Saltwater tracks from present day back in time. After reading multiple character's viewpoints of key events, much of what was subsequently revealed seemed already evident. The denouements were positioned as emotional and dramatic, but I felt no connection to the characters, so the revelations didn't feel as powerful as they could have been--and the protagonists, in shallow fashion, quickly moved on from life-and-death considerations to superficial concerns such as money and retaining social standing.

Some of the characters repeatedly bemoan the power of money and the lack of freedom associated with being beholden to one's wealthy family, but none learn a lesson about living with integrity or eschewing wealth. In fact, those who finish telling the story are as deeply tied to preserving the family fortune at any cost as ever. I found that I just wasn't invested in any of the characters or their unrelatable issues, which seemed blown out of proportion as life-and-death stakes, so I struggled to finish the story.

However, at the very end of this book, there is a Twist that I did not anticipate, which is intriguing and flips much of the book on its head, and it is followed by another Twist that does it again. For me, these didn't balance out the largely unsatisfying characters and interactions that preceded them, but I did enjoy them.

I received a prepublication edition of this title courtesy of Ballantine Books and NetGalley.

To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Saltwater.

Saltwater by Katy Hays was so good!! If you like murder mystery, dual timeline, drama, suspense, family secrets, betrayals, in an Italian setting then you will love this book!!

Saltwater is a story about the very wealthy Lingate family. Thirty years ago, Sarah Lingate was a successful playwright, married to Richard and a mother to a 3yo named Helen, when she was found dead on the cliffs of Capri. It was ruled a suicide, although there were suspicions that her family was involved. They still keep up the facade of an innocent family by making it a point to visit Capri every year. On a recent visit Helen gets a necklace that belonged to her mom and then Lorna is missing. This leads to us down a rabbit hole of twists and turns…nothing is what it seems!! This story is told in multiple POV’s and timelines. I love that I got to experience Capri in this book!! I think Hays did an amazing job with the storyline, plot, backstories, and characters. I enjoyed this book so much!! I hope to read more from Hays this book had me hooked from the first page. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for letting me read the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. I also purchased the audiobook which was done so well and the narrators brought this book to life!!

Unfortunately this book wasn't really my style. I can understand the appeal for others with it's sexy locale for a vacation and the part mystery/part family drama motif. It will be a good summer read for many. However I found the novel to be a lot of long winded writing without actually saying anything. I do think the cover is a fabulous marketing tool to allow the book to jump off the shelves visually.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read this novel.

I really wanted to like this. I enjoy novels about rich people behaving badly, and this definitely falls into that category. But unfortunately, there were absolutely zero redeeming qualities about any of the characters and the structure felt disorganized with too many points of view, especially in the second half. The plot felt like nothing was happening until close to the end, when it finally went off the rails in an absolutely unhinged (and completely unbelievable) way. I wanted so much more from Saltwater.

So cleverly written, such a fun story. The author explores the prisons we get enclosed in emotionally … this one dealt with families, secrets hidden behind the closed walls, and complications of relationships … and what it would be like to find freedom to just be yourself.

If you’re looking for a fun read with lots of twists and an unpredictable outcome, this will satisfy you

If you’re looking for something deeper, you may find the inspiration you need to personally break free

Enjoy!

1992, Capri. Sarah Lingate is found dead. Ruled an accident, her family isn't convinced. .When Sarah's necklace mysteriously appears during the 30th anniversary trip, the family again begins to wonder: was it an accident?

This book was delightful. I felt transported to a chaise by a pool on an Italian countryside villa. It was dark and twisty, going from present day to now. I was absolutely hooked. About 75% of the way though, I started to catch on, and I tore through it to the end. Highly recommend if you love rich criminals in lavish locations.

Thank you Katy Hays and Netgalley for the e-arc. I am living this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

This book was SO promising but I for some reason just could't click with it. I loved the setting and the mystery of it all though.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was drawn to this book because of its lush italian setting and its central mystery around the death of a woman in a wealthy powerful family. This book did not disappoint and was a real page turner. As things unfolded, more threads and mini-mysteries appeared. Within some of these threads, I felt like some storylines were answered better than others. I still have some unresolved questions. I was most drawn to the character of Lorna and wish I got to know a little bit more around both her backstory and her perspective.

Set on the island of Capri this story was a page turner with murder and filled with secrets galore!

Helen’s mother, Sarah was found dead on the cliffs below their rental home when she was just a small child. Now 30 years later, Helen is questioning everything and so she conspires with her uncles assistant, Lorna to figure out the truth.

I enjoyed this story and felt like it was very fast paced. The descriptions kept the book feeling real and easily imaginable while the novel was very well written. Lust, jealousy and unhappiness are just a few of the elements in this story filled with intense suspense truly made for a great read! A good 4️⃣⭐️ read for me that would be a perfect beach read with summer arriving soon❗️

This books is a drama meets mystery tail of murder in the affluent town of Capri. Having visited, I lived the descriptions and reminiscence and if you haven't been it will feel like the most perfect travel ad. Yet the characters are a bit despicable so yay to the author for delivery on clear characters. Dual timeliness are not usually my thing and at times it felt like a distraction to the story but overall it will likely keep you interested ans entertained.

I was really looking forward to reading this novel, but I found it slow and difficult to keep track of the various characters and timelines. The book got better at the end when the reveals happened. However, it took too long to get to the heart of the matter.
The story follows the wealthy Lingate family, focusing mainly on Helen, the daughter of a woman murdered years earlier. It also features Lorna, a friend of Helen's and assistant to Helen's uncle. Finally, there are throwback chapters of Sarah, Helen's mother.
This is a story of rich people behaving badly.

Saltwater explores the death of Sarah Lingate - told from the perspective of her daughter, Helen, and Lorna, the family assistant. This atmospheric novel takes place in idyllic Capri at the family retreat.

While this novel was marketed as having The White Lotus vibes, which I definitely see, I struggled because of the slower pace of the novel which just couldn't quite grab on to my attention and ended up not finishing at 45%. I did really enjoy the news clippings scattered throughout the novel that tell the story of Sarah's death and thought that was a great way to tell the story in addition to Helen and Lorna's perspectives.

Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine and to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Slow burn satisfying mystery! I’m a sucker for dysfunctional wealthy families and this one hit all the marks. The setting of Capri felt immersive and lush and I enjoyed theorizing yet being surprised.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: mystery/ thriller 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This one felt like reading someone’s internal monologue. It was unique but I wanted more action

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Working class life
Coming of age/ self discovery
Mother-daughter dynamics
Atmospheric setting
Character driven stories
Emotional undertones

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The honesty in Lucy’s voice
There wasn’t a rush to get answers forcing the reader to sit in discomfort

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The fragmented format was a little hard to follow at times
It’s more of a vibes storyline than an action storyline

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “I felt confused by love; the way it could simultaneously trap you and set you free. How it could bring people impossibly close and then push them far away. How people who loved you could leave you when you needed them most.”
★ “I want a life that is full, which means dirty and delicious. Order seems to mean emptiness, or at least it does for me. I want coffee spilled on the carpet and stew slopped across the stove … I want to learn abundance; how to have things without fear.”
★ “I was an astronaut, the room was a galaxy, and gravity pulled everything towards the biggest and brightest planet, stardust caught in her hair and the moon reflected in her bottle of beer. I would forever be in her orbit, moving towards her and pulling away while she quietly controlled the tides, anchoring me to something as the universe expanded further and further away from us.”