Saltwater by Katy Hays is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that unfolds on the beautiful yet sinister cliffs of Capri. The story begins with the mysterious death of Sarah Lingate in 1992, whose tragic fall left her three-year-old daughter, Helen, to grow up with the haunting uncertainty surrounding her mother’s death. Despite suspicions that the old-money Lingate family might be involved, the case was closed as an accident, but the Lingates return to their villa every year to mark the anniversary and reinforce that truth.

However, on the thirtieth anniversary, a shocking discovery is made—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died is found, reopening old wounds and secrets. As tension builds within the family, Helen sees an opportunity to escape the suffocating grip of her overbearing relatives. She enlists Lorna, a trusted assistant, to help her escape, but when Lorna disappears and an investigation into Sarah's death is reignited, Helen finds herself facing a complex web of lies, betrayal, and long-buried truths.

Hays masterfully weaves suspense and mystery with compelling characters, all while setting the stage for a high-stakes drama where no one is who they seem. As the family’s facade crumbles, Saltwater explores themes of trust, power, and the dark forces that can haunt families. The story builds to an explosive and unpredictable climax, leaving readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and family dramas!

I was so excited to get an approval from the publisher for Saltwater, but unfortunately, it's just not for me. I've been trying to read it for a month and can barely get past 25%. For all of its promise - mystery, drama, rich family, beautiful setting on Capri - the characters are unlikeable and the story moves at a glacial pace. Hopefully the finished version is better than this galley. I have given it my bet shot but it's time to move onto something more readable.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC!
I’ll be honest, and say I spent a good majority of this novel prettyyyyy confused. It wasn’t until about 80% of the way in that things started to make sense and come together. I enjoyed it, thought it was a bit slow. It was kinda one of those “trust no one” deals, which I liked because it gave you the aspect of trying to build cases against each character and figure out who did it without being told outright until the end.
Despite being a bit confusing, it was a good read, and I would recommend to others.

I’d really give this book a 3.5 if it was an option. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns in the last 10%, but it felt like such a long, slow burn to get there. I found none of the characters likable, maybe with a little more development, but in the end I really didn’t care about any of them. The plot was fairly entertaining, and as mentioned earlier, the twists were pretty twisty…. I did not see hardly any coming, and believe me, there were many. If you’re looking for a book to keep you entertained and leave you guessing, this one should do

More of a family drama with mysterious elements than a thriller, <i>Saltwater</i>, read flat for the most part. I found myself struggling to stay interested. The writing style saved the experience along with a few intriguing twists. I honestly think I would've enjoyed the writing under different circumstances. Hence the three star rating.

The characters are a stereotypical wealthy family who act only to protect their reputation and money with zero regard for the well-being of those outside the family. I don't have an issue with unlikable characters, some of my favorite literary characters of all time are unlikable in the extreme. My issue is that these characters read like cardboard stand ins. There was a genuine lack of substance and development. The plot read like a million other novels out there. There wasn't an element that provided a unique spin to set it apart. I usually enjoy dual timelines, but here it reminded me of riding in a car with someone who's learning to shift gears. The changes felt jarring and had a negative impact on the momentum. The ending comes together in a manner that screams convenient.

I am probably an outlier so I would encourage checking out other reviews as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

This was not for me. I did not get along with the writing style or plot. I found it difficult to get into.

Entirely unbelievable but that was part of what spurred the story forward.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes March 25

The Lingate family returns to the island of Capri every year for their holiday, even though thirty years ago Sarah Lingate was found dead in the water below the cliffs. Helen Lingate was only three when her mother died and she has struggled to break free of her controlling family. Helen and Lorna, who is her Uncle Marcus’s assistant, have become friends and believe they have come up with a way for Helen to get away from the family. The necklace Sarah was wearing when she dies is sent to the villa where the Lingates are staying - this puts everyone on edge and begins setting th “escape plan” in motion. But then Lorna goes missing. I don’t want to give away what happens but I’ll say it is an interesting read for the most part. This dysfunctional family all have their flaws and secrets and Helen tries desperately to figure out the truth. I enjoyed the suspense of finding out the truth but I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Some things just didn’t sit right with me. The writing moved the plot along and went between chapters in the present to ones thirty years ago. I give the book 3.5 stars out of 5 so I’ll round up to 4.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published March 25, 2025.

Lies, Lingates, Lorna, Oh My!

A family drama set on Capri, where the lush descriptions of the landscape mirror the lavish lifestyle our leading family lives.

Take aspects of knives out (a killer mystery) and saltburn (unreliable narrators) and mix them together with a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and you’ll have something that looks an awful lot like Saltwater!

A true trip from beginning to end. Multiple parts made my jaw drop and let out a ‘HUH?’ to my darkened apartment as I devoured this on my kindle. Surprisingly, it had taken me months to get to 40% as I hopped between books on my TBR. The last 60% took a matter of hours. Because I had caught the saltwater bug, and I needed to know how Sarah, Helen, and Lorna’s stories all ended.

I settled on a 4 star and the reasons it wasn’t at a 5 for me are very surface level. Predictability in some aspects, but more so some things done for plot convenience. It didn’t take away from my experience at all, though.

Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the 330-some pages of jaw dropping rich people drama that deserve a place on your TBR this coming March.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for a review :)

Enjoyable family drama/thriller set in the beautiful backdrop of Capri. I sometimes found the timelines confusing and it went on a bit long in my opinion but I can see many enjoying this perfect beach read.

Saltwater by Katy Hays had me on the edge of my seat! This thriller had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing throughout. I enjoyed the characters and all of the different dynamics involved. The appreciated how everything came together and the ending was perfect. 4.5/5 stars from me!

Saltwater is the story of the Lingate family, a wealthy family from LA who spends a week every year in Capri Italy. In 1992, Sarah Lingate died-suicide? Or murder? Either way, 30 years later her death is still unexplained. A playwright, her last play, Saltwater, tells all the family secrets-secrets maybe someone killed to keep.

Now, the Lingates have returned to Capri with an assistant, Lorna. Who ends up dead. Is history repeating itself?

This is a rich people behaving badly book. I really thought I had it figured out but then, TWIST! Didn’t see it coming!

I enjoyed Saltwater by Katy Hays. Thank you to #netgalley and #ballentinebooks for the advanced e-copy of #saltwater.

The Lingates return to the scene of the crime — the isle of Capri — every year, but this year will be different. Helen Lingate wants to know what happened to her mother on the cliffs 30 years ago, but she also wants to get away from the Lingate name and everything it holds. Her friend Lorna, who also happens to be her uncle’s assistant, is with them and wants to help. But can Helen, and readers, figure out what happened and what is happening with all the secrets and lies? Katy Hays second novel, Saltwater, brings twists and turns with a rotating time frame and narrative that needs close reading to follow, and an excellent feeling of the luxurious island and all of its wealthy visitors. She delivers a solid murder mystery and family saga that keeps readers guessing.

Capri 1992 Sarah Lingate is found dead - her death is ruled an accident - but was it really? The Lingates have always been a powerful rich family and when Sarah Lingate is found dead it is no exception - even though suspicion is cast on her husband Richard Lingate he is never charged with anything and the Lingate family continues to vacation on Capri each year to show that Sarah's death was an accident and they had nothing to do with it. Fast forward to present time - Helen Lingate the daughter of Sarah and Richard Lingate wants to unravel the mystery of her mother's death - was it really an accident? With the help of her Uncle Marcus's assistant Lorna she decides that this year's trip to Capri will be the time to finally to get answers - but what secrets will be revealed in the process?

I knew nothing about this book when I started it and was quickly engrossed in the Lingate family and the mystery of Sarah's death. Told from a couple of different viewpoints (mainly Helen, Lorna, & Sarah) the book goes between present time and Capri in 1992 when Sarah died. I felt like the story was well done and the characters were well written. The backdrop of Capri provided gorgeous scenery and it made me want to take a vacation there. I very much enjoyed the mystery of the book - what really happened to Sarah Lingate - and loved how it all unfolded - I won't say took much because I don't want to give anything away but when I got about 70% of the way through the book I had to finish it because I had to know what happened. If you enjoy a good mystery/thriller I recommend this - it's a nice easy read that kept me guessing. Thank you to Ballantine Books and Net Galley for an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

Rich people behaving badly is always entertaining. I did find this to be more of a family drama than a thriller. A cast of highly unlikeable characters though..goodness I didn’t like any of them.

What I did love was the setting of Capri. The authors writing absolutely transported me there with the rich and the beautiful scenery. The story was a little drawn out, very much a slow burn it does jump around in time and perspective a lot too so that keeps you on your toes.

Thanks to Random House Ballantine Books for my early copy to read. A book I might not have read otherwise.

The Lingate family thought their biggest problem was old money drama. Then the necklace appeared. 👀

If you are a fan of stories that contain family secrets, murder mysteries, and isolated settings as in the island of Capri for that extra level of suspense then you will eat this up.

I appreciated the vivid descriptions of Capri's landscape and luxury, which added to the fullness of our dysfunctional wealthy family, which is haunted by the decades-old mystery of Sarah Lingate's death. Everything takes a turn on the 13th anniversary of her death, the family finds a shocking clue left for them at the villa.

The pacing can be slow at first and at times this some confusion with the large cast of characters but overall this was an enjoyable read. Check it out.

Much love to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballanline, and of course, Katy Hays, for creating this piece. 🫶

A normal family might have stopped visiting Capri every year after one of them died horribly, but the Lingates are far from normal. Wealthy enough to shrug off the scandal, they have only become more insular in the thirty years since playwright Sarah “accidentally” fell off a cliff. Sarah's daughter Helen and her brother-in-law's assistant Lorna have a plan to finally drag the truth out of them and escape their suffocating grasp. But then Lorna vanishes. The narrative slowly reveals the full toxicity of the family as it alternates between the three women's POVs across the decades.

This book had me at 'set on the island of Capri', and as you sink into the lush setting you can almost imagine being there. The Lingates hold their annual summer vacation every year on the island, to commemorate the death of their mother, 30 years before. But this year, Helen, decides to find out what really happened to her mother as no one has talked about it and kept her at arms length since she was a child. She enlists her uncle's assistant to track down the truth. There were many twists and turns here and the book goes back and forth between the present and past. There's also multiple points of view, which not only gives you unique perspectives but makes you wonder who is telling the truth. All the characters are well developed and some with more to hide than others. Towards the end, I couldn't put it down, to find out what really happened. A great thriller, in a great setting, this is the author's 2nd book, so now I have to check out 'The Cloisters'!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down for goodreads!

I felt like the story started off a little slow which I kinda felt strange because we already knew the big event that happened. The second half of the book definitely picked up pace & I liked all the twists at the end.

If you're looking for the perfect family drama mystery this spring, here it is! Saltwater takes place on the beautiful island of Capri. The Lingates visit every year during the summer, which most can't understand why as Helen's mother Sarah, mysteriously died on the cliffs off the villa when Helen was just 3 years old. No one talks about her mother and Helen decides this is the year (30 years later) she's going to find out what really happened. The Lingates are rich and powerful and have kept a very short leash on Helen her whole life, to protect the family's reputation. With the help of her Uncle's assistant, Lorna, Helen and Lorna create a plan to discover the truth and help them both start anew. Phew, this book had so many twists and turns! It started off a little slow but it also felt intentional at the same time as there are many characters and jumping back and forth timeline wise. I loved that we got 3 POV's, (Helen, Lorna, and Sarah) it really helped build suspense throughout the novel. This was my first time reading Katy Hay's work and it was so entertaining. I breezed through this in just over 24 hours, thank you cold germs I caught from my kiddos. Thank you so much Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub Day is March 25th!