Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful ARC.

This book drew me in from the first page. This twisted thriller weaving the beauty of Italy with a rich, entitled, dysfunctional family was a definite page turner.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to more by this author.

If you like a convoluted mystery set in a beautiful European destination then definitely dive into this novel. I was lucky to read this thru NetGalley and it is a page turner. The characters are well written and the family dysfunction is entertaining and frightening. Capri is like another character in this book too! Will definitely read the authors previous novel now

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for my ARC of Saltwater.

Saltwater is a twisty thriller about the Lingates, an old money family full of secrets. Set on the island of Capri, told from the point of view of a few different characters, and mixed with alternating timelines, we learn that nobody and nothing is what it seems.

This book hooked me from the first page and was a quick read. In the beginning it was a little confusing to follow but the author slowly pulls it all together in a fascinating way. What I loved most was that throughout the book you’re trying to figure out more about the death of Sarah Lingate, why Helen Lingate wants to be free of her family, and what happens to Lorna and it keeps you guessing until the very end. I like to think that when I read thrillers, I’m able to guess the twist or twists coming, but for this book, everytime I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong and the ending ended up shocking me.

It was such a fun ride to reveal the thought process and motives of the different characters. The author was able to show that people are complex and that when pushed far enough, you might end up meeting a side of yourself that you never realized was there.

I would definitely recommend this as a quick summer read and I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

I am a big fan of the author's first novel, Cloisters, and was intrigued by the premise of this one. I would have read this book, ARC or no ARC. However, in the end it did not hit as hard as Cloisters did for me.

The good: First half of the book was intriguing, if a bit slow. But as I like slow burns that take their time to build, I was enjoying myself. I was learning about the Lindgates and their relationships with each other and people around them. The tone was similar to the Cloisters, which I also enjoyed, even though I don't think real people ever talk like this.

The bad: at about half way mark it became clear who the main antagonist was, even if I didn't know exactly how everything would unfold. The second half as a result felt very drawn out, and Helen occasionally felt really stupid. However, my real issue with the book is the mess that this ending was. In the attempt, I can only assume, to shock the reader and provide a twist that most would not expect, the ending is amazingly unbelievable. To be fair, there are some breadcrumbs that would have allowed for one of the big twists to feel logical, but the suspension of disbelief required for some of these was a bit too much for me.

A slow burn family drama mystery. When I say slow burn, I mean slow burn. The family drama takes up most of the plot but between the writing and the secrets that unfolded, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The ending has a few twists that make you suspend your disbelief, but at the end of the day, this was a good time.

I read “Saltwater” at the beach and it was absolutely perfect, except I wasn’t in Capri, sadly.
The psychological thriller is told from the POV of Lorna, Helen, and Sarah and it addresses the mysterious death of Sarah in 1992 who was found at the bottom of the cliffs in their villa in Capri. The story had many interesting twists.

I got an ARC of Saltwater by Katy Hays, which is coming out on March 25th, 2025. This book is such a suspenseful ride! It keeps you guessing about what’s happening, who’s who, and who did what. The story jumps between different perspectives and time periods, diving into the family’s history and the dark cloud of an untimely death. Set on the beautiful Amalfi Coast, specifically the island of Capri, the book includes cool newspaper artifacts that give you extra bits of the story. If you love solving mysteries and enjoy atmospheric settings, you’ll really like this book! I’m hoping the final version will have a smoother flow to the events.

Playwright Sarah Lingate is vacationing with her husband on Capri, an island off the Italian coast, when she goes missing. Her body is eventually found and the death was ruled an accident or suicide. Thirty years later, her daughter Helen is on Capri with her family and the family's assistant Lorna. They travel to Capri every year on the anniversary of Sarah's death. During this vacation, Lorna goes missing. The Lingate family is very secretive and will do anything to keep their affairs/secrets private, especially by keeping Helen on a short leash. The book follows Helen, Lorna and Sarah. I love books that chapters have the point of view of a certain character.

I really loved this book. Having visited the island, I loved the description of Capri. It is spot on and it took me back there. I liked that the mystery was a slow burn, and at times I thought I had "figured it out" but in the end, it was a great twist on so many levels.

My only criticism and it is very minor, I did not like the Mediterranean was sometimes called 'the Med".

3.5 stars. My favorite part of this book was undoubtedly the setting. Hays's writing is atmospheric and creates such a strong sense of place in Capri, it definitely made me want to visit!

Though I mostly enjoyed the book, other elements didn't work quite as well for me. I didn't care much for the characters, and while I found the plot interesting enough to keep reading, it did drag in the middle, and the amount of twists toward the end got a bit unwieldy. Without spoiling anything, this is actually the third recent or upcoming mystery/thriller I've read in the last month or so with nearly the exact same twist about each book's contemporary protagonist's relative's past murder. As a result, I was able to predict the main twist here at around the 15% mark, though I don't think I would have called it so early if I hadn't just read two other books with similar storylines.

Overall, though Saltwater didn't completely work for me, it's an engaging mystery/thriller with a great setting that I think many readers will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this twisty mystery/ thriller and didn’t see the plot twists coming. The ending was a complete surprise and I never would have guessed who the killer was! The setting was amazing… I felt like I was in Capri- I’m a sucker for an Italian vacation! The book takes place in two separate timelines- now and in 1992. Thirty years ago Sarah is found dead at the base of the cliffs of Capri. She left behind a baby daughter Helen. At the time it’s ruled an accident, even though any of the wealthy Lingates could have been suspects. Each year the family gathers for a reunion but on the 30 year anniversary of Sarah’s death her necklace suddenly appears- the one she was wearing when she died. Now, Sarah’s daughter Helen is trying to uncover what really happened to her mother with the family assistant Lorna. Then Lorna goes missing and the case is reopened. Now it seems like everyone has a secret. Did one of them have something to do with Lorna’s disappearance or Sarah’s death? And if so who? No one is really who they seem to be and as Helen starts to unravel the mystery she sets off events that could leave someone else dead! I really enjoyed the cloisters and this new book didn’t disappoint! Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy.

I really liked this as a summer read! A wealthy family’s drama plays out in Capri and it was riveting.
All of the characters were flawed in realistic and three-dimensional. The setting of Capri itself felt like a character too.
This felt very different from the author’s last work but it was still a very good mystery

In the novel, Saltwater, a seemingly perfect vacation to the enchanting island of Capri, unearths a dark past of murder, complex family dynamics, and long-buried secrets. This gripping thriller navigates through a series of unexpected twists and turns, leading to a startling conclusion.

Helen Lingate is determined to find out why her mother Sarah was murdered over thirty years ago on Capri, rumored to be an accident. She discovers her mother’s manuscript that exposes family feuds, lies, and affairs with the help of her assistant, Lorna. The rich and seductive life of the Lingates is not as it seems.

Saltwater shifts between multiple timeframes and points of view, which can sometimes be confusing and hard to follow. However, it wraps up with a shocking ending. Readers will enjoy the family dynamics and descriptions of Capri.

I have very mixed feelings on Saltwater. I really wanted to love it, but found the first 25-30% very confusing trying to keep track of characters, the back and forth timeline and how the families wove together. It did start coming together towards the 50% mark, but it was a chore piecing together the first half. The end was good with lots of twists and turns.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

A rich family with a dark history come to Capri for a vacation. This books is full of family secrets, betrayals and twists that I didn’t not see coming. This book had a good story line ins beautiful location!

Saltwater was my first book that I've read by Katy hays.
I picked this up purely down to the premise and the cover, it sounded intriguing.

This book was so atmospheric I felt like I was in Italy and could picture it so clearly. Then tension and suspense was perfect.

The storyline kept me reading and then a number ( won't say how many) twists at end that I didn't see coming. I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend.

The writing itself was beautiful, I would definitely read more from this author, in fact I may just have a look and see if they have a backlist.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Saltwater was a delicious summer read with White Lotus and Big Little Lies vibes. The plot started slow but ramped up into a tense family drama.

Great read.
Couldn't put down.
Lost myself in the pages.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
Thank you publisher for letting me read the ARC copy.

In 1992 Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs of Capri. Left behind is her three year old daughter, Helen. Sarah’s death is ruled an accident but lots of rumors swirl around the wealthy Lingate family. Even though it has been thirty years, Helen becomes determined to uncover the real truth behind her mother’s death with the help of Lorna Moreno, a family assistant. When a necklace that Sarah was wearing the night she died, is mysteriously sent to the Lingate family the drama and intrigue begins. Lorna then disappears. Did she run off or was she killed? This book kept my jaw dropping with so many twists and turns one after another. You definitely will not see them all coming so buckle up and read this exciting page turner. I enthusiastically recommend this book.

My unpopular opinion on this book may come as a surprise, but I just didn't love it. The story was extremely slow up until about the 80% mark when the reveal started to unfold. The pacing did pick up at this point, and the reveal was a definite doozy, but not redeeming enough for me to care. I found myself confused during Part 1, as the author kept switching between past and present tense within some of the chapters. I wasn't sure what was happening now or beforehand. Maybe it was a lack of concentration on my end, but the writing just didn't seem to flow very well. Also, the newsprint sections were so miniscule that they were extremely hard to read. Even increasing the font on my Kindle didn't help. I actually had to break out a magnifying glass, which was just too much work. I would recommend increasing the size of these during final print so that readers don't have the same trouble that I had. Despite all of my negativity, I didn't hate the book. I was intrigued by the mystery and can't say that I was ever bored. The story just dragged. Would I read this again? No. But I do appreciate it for what it is. I know that many readers will probably really enjoy this one, so I would still recommend. It just wasn't my particular cup of tea.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for granting me early digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This was a great suspense story - an old money family drama set in Capri as secrets from the past catch up. I did not see the twists in the end of the book coming. Hays does a great job setting the time and place and building characters through story line that alternates between a mysterious death 19 years prior. Despite a relatively small list of characters, this felt like a bigger book and maybe due to the narrator and time/place changing through the book. It almost reads like a screenplay - I am getting Big Little Lies vibes, but set in Capri. Naomi could easily be played by Nicole Kidman. Thanks to Netgalley for advance copy in exchange for a review.