Saltwater by Katy Hays is a mystery drama with some thriller elements. This is a busy thriller about a rich and dysfunctional family with so much happening. Many twists after twists. But in the same book felt incredibly slow.

This story was presented from the past and present and some parts felt repetitive, too many incredibly similar characters to keep track off. I found it hard to seperate who was who.

Oh well, this wasn't my sort of book. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book, there is so much happening that you can get a head spin but I couldn't connect with the story or characters.
I had no interest in who and why someone was kiIIed and every twist came as "Oh well who cares". I tried really hard but it didn't work for me.

At the same time, I know there will be a lot of readers who will love it! As I said there is so much happening! You will love the gorgeous setting! Just beautiful! You will have a feeling that you have been there!

I definitely recommend giving it a go!

In 1992 Sarah Lingate was found dead below the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter, Helen. Every year the family returns to prove they have nothing to hide. On the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s death mysterious things start to happen. Someone knows something but who and what?

I loved the Cloisters by Katy Hays so I was so excited to read this. Unfortunately it fell flat and I gave up around 30%. The multiple POVs across multiple timelines got confusing. And I didn’t feel engaged with any of the characters. Thanks Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

“There’s something romantic about the way Capri seems to be constantly falling into the sea. And perhaps something a little threatening about it, too. The ground always shifting.”

On glittering Capri, anything can be a mirage. And no one holds a grudge like family.

Italy and the island of Capri are some of my favorite places on earth, and reading this book was like revisiting it at times. But, unfortunately, that’s where the enjoyment ended. I pushed through but I could have dnf’d at about 30%.

The mystery only really grabbed my interest at the very end. For the majority of the book I wasn’t really connecting with the characters and thus I wasn’t rooting for them or even really concerned about what was happening.

Thank you anyway to Netgalley, Random House, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A captivating, atmospheric, and suspenseful thriller! I did not want to put this down. Set on the beautiful and luxurious island of Capri, this book touches on the realities and dangers of family loyalty and wealth. For fans of Succession or White Lotus.

This is a well written story, but there isn't one character that wasn't conniving, and each had their own agenda. None of them were likeable. It is a dark story set on the island of Capri. There is a 30-year-old murder, and the family keeps coming back to the island just to show everyone that they were not responsible for the murder. This time they bring an assistant with them that has a few secrets of her own. It was a bit too dark for my taste, but like I said, it is well written.

Katy Hays’s latest novel, Saltwater, is a story about the Lingate family – they are rich, powerful, and manipulative family, and house a lot of dark secrets. Every year the Lingate family spend a summer holiday on the Isle of Capri but in 1992 tragedy happens, Sarah Lingate is found dead at the bottom of the cliffs leaving behind her three year old daughter Helen and husband Richard. Was it suicide or murder? On the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s death the Lingate family along with Marcus Lingate’s assistant, Lorna, arrives on Capri and find a surprise waiting for them – Sarah’s missing necklace that she was wearing the night she died. In an attempt to resolve the mystery, surrounding her mother’s death, Helen engages Lorna to help but then Lorna goes missing guaranteeing another investigation .. on both Sarah’s death and Lorna disappearance.

Saltwater had a great premise; Katy Hays’s creates an interesting and atmospheric feel. What’s not to love - the Isle of Capri and what’s not to hate but a rich, pretentious and highly dramatic family where someone just might be a murder. What did not work for me were the multiple timelines – I found them hard to follow, very slow paced, making the first seventy percent of the book not entertaining. I did feel that Hays pulled off an ending not only I did not see coming but had multiple twist.

If you are someone that likes a slow paced murder mystery thriller with lots of family drama – you might enjoy this but it just was not my jam.

Thank you, Katy Hays, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on March 25, 2025.

Part family drama, part thriller, <i>Saltwater is a tale of rich people behaving badly. Set on the beautiful Isle of Capri, the Lingate family returns every summer to party. Underneath it all is a 30 year old mystery-what happened to Sarah Lingate? Her now 30 year old daughter would like to know. On this trip, she discovers the necklace her mother was wearing when she plunged to her death into the sea. Cue the mysterious music... it's too bad this wasn't as crisply written as it should have been. Instead, the narrative meanders through a word soup, taking its time to settle on a point. This has been a complaint of mine about a few books I've read this year! I loved the plot, the setting, and the twists. I didn't see that ending coming! It seems ready-made for a mini-series! 3.5 stars rounded up.

My first 5 star read of the year 🤩 SALTWATER is going to be the thriller of the summer! With its Italy setting on Capri, it’s got those summery vibes we all love 🫶🏻

Quick thoughts:
🇮🇹 Italy setting
🤯 completely unexpected ending
💰 wealthy family with unlikeable characters

I loved loved loved SALTWATER. I thought I had it all figured out & NOPE. Hays really left those twists until the very end. I always enjoy reading about the wealthy & this book was no exception for me. Thank you to Ballantine Books for the egalley! Highly recommend it for all my thriller lovers! 🏖️

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. It was highly atmospheric and I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Capri. I just wished there had been more action and that the characters were more interesting. The multiple POV/timelines also got somewhat confusing here. That's not usually the case for me. This one requires a little work.

Salt Water scratched the itch I had for a dark & twisty family drama. Helen Lingate is determined to find out how and why her mom was killed on the island of Capri, 30 years earlier. The rest of the Lingate’s are determined to keep that secret at any cost. Told using multiple POV’s and a dual timeline, Salt Water is the gift that keeps on giving with its secrets, family dysfunction and SO many twists! I thought I had it figured out multiple times but I was always wrong. I did find the first 15% a little slow, but I’m glad I stuck with it because it’s a wild ride!

OHHMMGGGEE!! With a vivid setting, multiple blind turns, and a deliciously dysfunctional family at the center of the action, Saltwater was one truly intoxicating tale. A slow burn exploration of many a dark secret, I quickly got sucked into the island of Capri. Thanks to evocative descriptions that brought the Italian locale to life, I felt as if I was a fly on the wall within a den of villains and supposed victims. But it was the plot itself that had me flying through the chapters. Peppered with foreboding cliffhangers that drew me in deep, I couldn’t put the book down until I reached the very last page.

While the build-up within the first half of the book was a definite slow burn, the last 160 pages took me on the ride of my life. After all, like a circling monster, the plot wound tighter and tighter until the explosive finale, which was filled with twist after twist. You see, just when I thought it was all over, there was an earth-shattering about face. Not only that, but it was followed by yet another—and another. Thanks to the perfect plotting, I didn’t foresee even a one and was left whispering “No f***ing way!” more than once as this claustrophobic tale gave way to a utterly flawless climax and conclusion.

As for the characters, it took me quite a while to get their mettle. Clouded by a multitude of secrets and lies, I had a hard time figuring out who was just suspicious and who was truly evil. A wide assortment of morally gray individuals, all but a few had my spidey-senses tingling. And let me tell you, when all was finally revealed, I was overcome with adoration for my dear Ms. Hays. Written with intensity and precision, this tale full of rich people behaving badly hit the nail on the head. After all, who can resist a low-key game of cat-and-mouse that is unguessable in the extreme?

All in all, I was beyond blown away. With an atmospheric setting, multiple distinct POVs as well as multiple timelines, and brilliant characterizations, this family drama/suspense/thriller was an out-and-out home run. From the taut, suspenseful scenes that triggered many side-eye glances from me to the deep background that built the multiple narrators into solid personas, I simply couldn’t have loved it more if I tried. So go grab your copy as soon as you can. I mean, who doesn’t love a family who oozes duplicitous deceit, rampant egotism, and unbridled greed? Rating of 5+ stars.

Thank you to Katy Hays, Random House — Ballantine, and NetGalley for my digital and physical copies. All opinions are my own.

Family drama, ultra rich people, vacations in capri, secrets galore

I feel like this had the potential to be unputdownable but unfortunately it was just slowwww burn in a way that was tiring. None of the characters were memorable… a little flat. I am glad I stuck it out just in realm of the final twists were kinda cool but overall it just fine.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

In 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead at the bottom of the cliffs in Capri, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter, Helen. Despite suspicions that the old-money Lingates are involved, Sarah’s death is ruled an accident. On the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s death, the Lingates arrive at the villa to find a surprise waiting for them—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died. Helen enlists the help of Lorna Moreno, a family assistant, to plot their escape from Helen’s paranoid, insular family. But when Lorna disappears and the investigation into Sarah’s death is reopened, Helen has to confront the fact that everyone who was on Capri thirty years ago remains a suspect—her controlling father, Richard; her rarely lucid aunt, Naomi; her distant uncle, Marcus; and their circle of friends, visitors, and staff. Even Lorna, her closest ally, may not be who she seems. As long-hidden secrets about that night boil to surface, one thing becomes clear: Not everyone will leave the island alive.

I read this author's debut novel and loved it, so I was looking forward to this one. It had gotten a lot of publicity, so I was sure I was in for a treat. Unfortunately, for me at least, it didn't live up to the hype. It was a slow burn for the entire book. I normally love mysteries set on islands, so I thought this would be perfect for me. However the characters all felt one-dimensional, and no one, not even Helen or Lorna, seemed likable. The best part (and this part was at the end) was where there was a plot twist I did not see coming. Overall it was a solid 3.5, but I will bump it up to a 4 for the plot twist.

What happens when a dysfunctional, rich, and obnoxious family goes on vacation to Italy; someone goes missing. Secrets and lies come to the surface as the vacation goes on, and true feelings are revealed. Money can’t buy you the truth.

How I love a good opening line. It’s the island of Capri and it’s only filled with lies. This gives me feelings of the characters of Succession vacationing on White Lotus, an intriguing mystery of mostly rich people. But if you do not want a story or rich people behaving badly, stay far, far, away.

There is one outsider on this rich people’s paradise, Lorna, an assistant and POV, someone described as being all ears and a listener, so you know which pov will have all the secrets the others are trying to hide. The other POV is Helen, a somewhat friendly acquaintance, maybe even friend, of Lorna, but Helen is still the rich girl on the inside who knew how to play the game. The two, tied together by their own mischievous plot and secrets; But then Lorna allegedly disappears.

Both pov were mostly enjoyable, with some charm and likability; Helen not quite so poor little rich girl, and in each pov, a slow unravel of secrets. A very by the formula type of book. The details would get too wordy at times, as a character would reach the point the reader was already at and would slow the pacing down. Because the point of views were similar, i almost didn’t want Sarah’s flashbacks, as they almost read the same as Helens but in a different timeline. I would have liked more flashbacks for Helen and Lorna, their interactions and supposed friendship development. Hints of darkness here and there but it took too long to feel like it was really doing anything. The pacing for this was just off.

And trying to feel sorry for rich people, isn’t my favorite storyline. A mostly written well thriller, with predictable twisty moments. Maybe not as predictable, if it wasn’t hinted at so much.

ooo, this was so satisfying. Gorgeous location, wealthy family, and possible murder, oh my! An annual trip to Capri on the date of Sarah Lingate's death is surrounded by suspicion of the cause of her untimely death. It was ruled that she committed suicide, but if you listen to local gossip, her husband Richard did it.

The Lingate family is very private about their affairs. A close look at all the members and staff on this last trip shows how compliant they are to make sure nothing about them goes public. Imagine Sarah as a talented writer, is about to publish a book, but the characters are eerily similar to the Lingates. She turns up dead and people close to the family are hell bent to uncover the truth and getting there is suspenseful that the book never left my side.

Katy Hays did an excellent job describing the beautiful island of Capri with its rugged landscape and sailing in sparkling waters. Along with the luxurious lifestyle of bottomless bottles of wine and afternoon Aperol Spritzes.

Read this for a good thriller and go on a vacation to Capri. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an early copy.

The vibes reminded me of white lotus and the drama reminded of the TV show Revenge with its twists and mysteries. It felt disjointed at times withe the multiple povs and the back and forth between past and present but i think it pays off in the end.

Would not be surprised if this ends up being adapted into a limited series.

As the author states in her acknowledgements, sophomore novels can be difficult to write, and as a reader, I find myself frequently less than impressed by an author's second published work. That is not the case for Saltwater by Katy Hays, as this novel absolutely blew me away from the first chapter! When Sarah Lingate's body is found beneath the cliffs in Capri in the summer of 1992, the police are quick to accept that her fall was a tragic accident, possibly a suicide. The family returns every summer to keep up appearances, and 30 years later things start to fall apart when Sarah's missing necklace is delivered to the house.

The story is told from multiple pov, and in a dual timeline format. The characters are, without exception, despicable people, which gives the entire novel a 'who can you trust, everyone is lying about something' vibe. I always enjoy a thriller with rich people behaving badly, and Saltwater has that in large doses. I also love a good twist, and this novel has several that absolutely shocked me and though they stretched the bounds of believability, it was so much fun I will forgive the author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the digital ARC of Saltwater by Katy Hays. The opinions in this review are my own

In 1992, Helen's mother plummeted to her death off the cliffs
of Capri. Her wealthy family was cleared of any wrongdoing in
the matter and defiantly return to the island each year for
vacation. Helen, desperate to get out from under her father's
control, hatches a plan with the family's assistant Lorna to snag
some of the family's millions for their own. But everyone, it
seems, has a secret of their own, and this summer in Capri, all
the lies begin to unravel.


This is no popcorn thriller, my book friends,; rather, it is a layered,
delicious tiramisu. The characters are well-developed, the
setting is brilliantly atmospheric, and the plot weaves in
unexpected directions. The final twist was a bit over the top, but
I swallowed it anyhow. The multiple narrators help distinguish
the different POVs well in the audioversion; sometimes, in the
book, their voices weren't quite distinct enough for me to keep
them straight.

Twisty, complex, layered. The plot revolves around the richer than rich Lingate family and wrestles with the question of what's more important, the truth or the family. The motto has always been to protect the family at all costs. The family is always greater than the sum of its parts. Then comes Helen who is not sure that's how it should be.

This is definitely a slow burn, a little lengthy at times but once it starts rolling, it really takes off. For me this is a reader's book. It's not for the casual book club attendee; it's for those that really love the rich and complicated stories that make you wait for the payout. I'd definitely recommend to my domestic suspense friends that are willing to hang in there and be rewarded in the end.