Destination thriller: subgenre rich people doing bad things. Set on the island of Capri, this thriller gets off to a slow start, but picks up the pace and drama in the second half. The first of dual timelines takes place in 1992, when young mother Sarah Lingate is found dead on the cliffs below the Lingate villa. Was it murder or suicide or an accident? Thirty years later, Sarah's daughter Helen, with help from her uncle's assistant Lorna, is in Capri with a plan to to finally find out what happened to her mother once and for all. The twists at the end were surprising and unexpected, which bumped this book up to four stars.

Thank you to the publisher Random House/Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed reading Saltwater through the lens of various different main characters in both the past and present, I felt like the characters were not very well developed. As a result, I didn't feel particularly attached to any of them. Typically a mystery will keep me interested to see what happened, and I think this was true for the first half or so of the book. But then right when things should have amped up and really had me speeding to the end, I just didn't feel motivated to finish. Perhaps it's as a result of not feeling attached to any of the characters - not really sure. I did enjoy the twists and turns at the very end (i.e. last 2-3 short chapters), but overall, I just feel fairly indifferent after finishing the book.

This was an overall good mystery read. I read somewhere that it had Succession vibes with a twist. I couldn't agree more with that statement because one thing they had in common I couldn't find myself rooting for any of these characters. They were all slimy and out for themselves. They had different expectations for themselves and thought they were above the law. We have a family who has OLD wealth money. They are surrounded by the scandal of one of the brother's (Richard) wife (Sarah) dying under mysterious circumstances back in the 90s. We have multiple POVs in the now including Helen (Richard and Sarah's daughter) and Lorna, the other's brother's assistance. In the present, the whole family is on their way to Capri for their annual summer vacation. What we learn in the process of this story is Helen's wish to get out from under this family's thumb. She wants to know the truth. She plots with Lorna to help her with this. But then everything starts to unravel on this vacation. Lorna goes missing after a money demand is delivered. Helen doesn't know who to trust. She knows that she has to figure out what happened and she has to get out.

The characters were diabolical in this one. It was just so crazy the lengths this family and these people were willing to go to save face to the world. I felt like the book had good pacing but I did find myself wandering to other books midway through. It was just a slow build. And then I felt like the last 6 or so chapters there were so many twists and turns, it was a little overwhelming. While I liked the twists and found myself trying to unravel this book the whole time, I did not see EITHER of the twists happening. I do feel like they could have come earlier and spread out a little more. But that being said this would be a great summer mystery read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 43%. I really gave this one a shot, but my god these people are tedious. This book does a great job capturing the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in the clutches of a terrible family and also literally trapped on an island. The wealth and glamour come through, but in the Succession way where the tradeoff is the consuming misery of existence. But like, imagine Succession except nobody tells a joke ever or seems to be having a good time and there's never a single moment where you like somebody even despite yourself. But also even the people who are trying to take them down from the inside are annoying so you don't root for them either. Life's too short, man. Next!

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Saltwater by Katy Hays. Entitled Family, Murder, and Tense.

I rated this 4 stars.

In 1992 Sarah Lingate is found dead at the bottom of the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind her 3 year old daughter, Helen, and her husband. It was ruled an accident but people believe someone in the family did it. Years later the family returns to the villa for the annual family trip, only to receive a package of the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died. Helen then decides to have Lorna, the family employee help, but then she disappears as well.

Katy did a wonderful job of bringing the atmosphere to life, will definitely be a great beach or poolside read for the summer.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Balantine for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Ohhhh Capri!! The descriptions of the place made this one a joy to move through. The twist at the very end was pretty fun, though the actual plotting of mystery(s) beforehand were paced a bit slowly for me.

Saltwater by Katy Hays is a really good read. Helen returns to the Isle of Capri with her family and a friend thirty years after her mother’s death hoping for answers but what follows is more mystery and deceit. This story has murder, mystery, intrigue and a lot of twists and turns throughout. I was hooked from the beginning however there were a few slow spots here and there but the finale made up for those! I recommend for an angsty, drama filled family murder mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an eARC.

I enjoyed reading it, author did an amazing job but unfortunately it was not for me.

This is a literary thriller, a slower moving book full of vivid descriptions and strong portrayals. It is insightful, psychological and philosophical. It is both the story of a very wealthy family, their legacy and the damage they do to each other and to everyone around them. It is a story of lies, of control, of escape plans, of Family, jealousy. Told in three voices, three women, Sarah who dies, probably killed by the family, her daughter, Helen who longs to escape and Lorna her friend, on the outskirt of all that wealth and what men will buy. Slow to start but absorbing and a lot to think about.

A murder mystery set on the dreamy island of Capri. In 1992 Helen’s mother was found dead at the bottom of a cliff, with the police ultimately ruling that it was an accident. We follow Helen Lingate and the rest of the Lingate family as they navigate social dynamics inside their family and the extravagant scene on Capri as they return for their annual vacation.

These characters were so interesting to follow with time cuts back to 1992 and forward to present day. An interesting juxtaposition on how the past affects the present, and money controls nothing and everything. I totally thought I had the end guessed based on dialogue between Helen and Renata halfway through but boy, was I WRONG. The ending was great and well told. You will love this if you like a good slow burn.

A wonderful sophomore novel filled with angst, mystery, entangled family drama and a look into this family’s past while trying to figure out their current repeat of a situation. This read started off a little slow and the past to present could be jarring to follow but once you settle into the flow of the story it really engages you and gets you bought into to what really happened.

The story of what really happened to Sarah was good, but I did not enjoy the dual timeline. During a lot of the story Helen thinks she knows who killed her mom. Her mom died when she was a little girl, and it’s always been a mystery to her. She never accepted her family’s story of what happened. So now on the 30th anniversary of Sarah’s death they all go back to Capri where eventually Helen learns the truth about what happened to her mom and the truth about her family.

Who wouldn’t like to vacation on the Isle of Capri, the playground of the rich and famous.
In 1992, Sarah Lingate disappears. She’s found dead below the cliffs. Her death is ruled an accident. What really happened that night?
Thirty years later as the family vacations once again on the island., Helen, Sarah’s daughter has her suspicions of what really happened to her mother.
This is a wonderful mystery thriller. It is filled with twists and turns and ending I didn’t see coming.
The cover of this book just drew me in. The writing was superb. Katy Hays captured the sights and sounds of a summer in Capri. The characters were well drawn out, some not so like able. It is a perfect mystery thriller filled with family drama.
A perfect beach read
.Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

Travel abroad, family dynamics, a truth to discover...this book has it all. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one!

For a thriller, this book struggled to thrill me. I couldn’t get into it. I’m also not in the right headspace for rich people politics and drama right now.

That said, I liked the narration style— although I wish we could have heard more from Sarah.

The author left a lot of vague hints throughout, dropping breadcrumbs for us to come back to later but in real time, I hated it. They reeked of “I know something you don’t know!” And because I kept setting the book down, i missed a lot.


Many people will enjoy this one but it’s not really for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an early copy for review!

Saltwater by Katy Hays is such a juicy and atmospheric read—it’s got everything: a mysterious death, old-money drama, and a setting on the gorgeous Isle of Capri that’s just chef’s kiss. The story hooks you right away with Helen Lingate returning to her family’s villa, where her mother died years ago under shady circumstances, and things only spiral from there. The twists kept me guessing, and the rich descriptions made me feel like I was right there, sipping cocktails while the drama unfolded.

Some parts got a little confusing with the back-and-forth timelines, but honestly, I didn’t care because the suspense and secrets had me flipping pages like crazy. If you’re into glamorous thrillers with dysfunctional families and dark secrets, this one’s a must-read! Can’t wait for more from Katy Hays! 👏 Rating: 4 stars.

I won't say Saltwater is the next greatest murder mystery in the publishing world but it's definitely a fun ride!

The characters are stereotypical rich people and if you like reading about rich people getting their day in court, like I do, you will greatly appreciate the twists and turns of this book.

I think there are quite a lot of good takeaways in reference to money, power and being a human but overall, If you are looking for an easy read with somewhat surprising twists throughout then I would definitely recommend picking this novel up!

This was a compelling mystery. I found the twists twisty and the characters - interesting, if not sympathetic. I really wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next and felt I needed to keep reading. If you'd like a mystery with many twists and turns, this would be a good choice.

Rich people behaving badly, on an island. An old, unsolved murder and a young woman trapped in a family intent on optics over everything else. This novel is slow and deliberate in laying everything out step by step. It was fun to get lost in its pages. Thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

The Lingates are a prominent, wealthy family that had tragedy strike thirty years ago in Italy. Sarah Lingate was found dead at the bottom of the cliffs of Capri. She left behind a young daughter, Helen, who is now thirty years older and curious as to what really happened to her mother. She brings along her friend/assistant, Lorna, to investigate what happened to her mother so long ago.

Coincidentally, another tragedy occurs and Lorna goes missing. Helen is now on her own when trying to break through the thick secret blanket that covers her rich, privileged family. She is sick of the performance the rich put on to show the world their status. She knows money talks and she is determined to get to the bottom of the secrets of this opulent family. Something just isn’t right. Slowly, secret by secret, she learns more and more, and the zigzagging plot continues to give!

Finishing up with a great, surprising conclusion, it is very satisfying. Great book; well written and thought out. The characters were well built but not likable although, they really aren’t supposed to be! So that being said, they are great characters but horrible, entitled human beings. I will definitely recommend this book to others and look forward to Katy Hay’s next book.