Saltwater was thrilling and completely unputdownable. I wish I could go back and reach this one all over again.

The book is ultimately led by the compelling character of Helen Lingate, the youngest of the Lingate family and daughter of the deceased Sarah Lingate (rumored to have been murdered by her husband, Helen's father.) Helen arrives in Capri for an annual family vacation and receives a concerning package containing the jewelry known to be worn by her mother on the night of her death 30 years prior. Helen is thrust into a 30 year investigation for the truth about her mother's death.

This story doesn't only cover the compulsory mystery of Sarah's death, but also the impact of many and status on a family unit.

I cannot recommend this one enough.

HOT DIGGITY DANG MAN!!! Once this got going, it got GOING. It was twisty enough to keep my brain guessing and whirring, and when the major plot points were revealed, they were done extremely well I felt.

Without spoiling too much, rich people with too much money try to get away with murder (or do they?) and other adventures in Capri, Italy 🇮🇹

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately this just was not a book for me. I had to DNF at 30%. I couldn't get into the story and it was hard to me to follow the timelines. I also thought that there were just too many characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OK OK OK this book is totally giving me white lotus vibes anyone else? I really enjoyed this emotional roller coaster this book has so many layers to it a lot of character depths and explanations. I love when an author does this because I am able to understand the dynamic more.
it was complex but not misunderstood a quick and interesting read highly recommend! Thank you publisher and Net Galley for this ARC!

Not wholly believable but a fun ride as the reader tries to figure out what happened to Sarah Lindgate on the night she died.

This was a solid read, but not a favorite. The beginning felt pretty slow, and I wasn’t totally hooked until around the halfway point. Once the story found its momentum though, I was definitely more invested.

I really liked the alternating timelines—it kept things interesting and gave the story some needed depth. The twist was mostly predictable (I had a good sense of where it was going), but I’ll admit the very end caught me by surprise (but also...how 👀)

Overall: a good pick if you enjoy slow-burn mysteries perfect for summer. Just know you’ll need a little patience to get there.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A slow burn thriller that will satisfy thriller lovers and those who like domestic fiction alike. This is book club material for sure.

The beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea. A wonderful island, Capri. A wealthy family with dark secrets. Murder for nearly 30 years ago. And it all crashes together with the daughter of the victim wants answers. To start with, the plot was superb and the ending was so twisty I could never have guessed all the things going on. Readers just accept what they hear - never believe until you have proof. Mostly, it was 20% too long, and I only say this because there were chapters where nothing much happened and it felt slow and repetitive. But the writing was solid, and the characters had some spunk to them. I'd read more by the author in the future.

I found this book engaging. The setting offered a refreshing change of pace, and while the characters were largely unlikeable, that actually added to the intrigue. Even those who initially seemed sympathetic revealed themselves to be self-serving survivalists. The twist at the end wasn’t particularly shocking—it felt more like the natural result of each character’s personality and choices. Their actions left me questioning whether any of them were truly capable of caring about anyone but themselves. Still, despite their flaws, I was drawn into their world—perhaps because it was so starkly different from my own.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine, and Katy Hayes for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When she was three, Helen Lingate’s mother, Sarah, was found dead at the bottom of a cliff in Capri, her death ruled an accident. On the 30th anniversary of Sarah’s death, Helen finds herself back in Capri at her family’s exclusive villa with her controlling father, Richard; her addicted aunt, Naomi; her cold uncle, Marcus; and Lorna, the family’s assistant. When Helen finds the necklace Sara was wearing the night of her death, she becomes more determined than ever to know exactly what happened to her mother.

Katy Hayes’ Saltwater has all the qualities of a great mystery. From the Lingate family property to the ocean around Capri to opulent parties, Saltwater’s setting is stunning. At the same time, Saltwater’s characters are despicable, as one would expect from a ridiculously wealthy family with a big secret to hide. Like a good mystery, Saltwater is filled with unexpected twists and turns. There’s even a bit of a love story. My only regret is that I read Saltwater during cold and dark March; it would make a great beach read.

🍝 This is a fun summer thriller that sweeps you off to the island of Capri off the coast of Italy. Thanks to @randomhouse for my #gifted copy. This came out back in March— but I’m just getting to it!

🍝 Ok, so for most of this book I was super entertained. Loved the setting, was into the plot, the characters all had me guessing. Then about 75% in, the twists just kept coming and each was more unbelievable than the last. I know we have to suspend belief to be entertained— but this went a little too far for me.

🍝 Read this one if you love:
- rich people misbehaving
- old secrets coming back to haunt
- thrillers that surround family drama
- never ending twists
- atmospheric settings

And if you’re ok with a pretty out-there end to it all.

🍝 Overall, it was an entertaining listen— but I’m not going to be shouting about it from the rooftops.

🍝 Ok, love it or hate it question. How do you feel when the twists continue until the very last page. Like you think you know everything and then the prologue changes it all??

🍝 For me, if an author does this, that last twist needs to blow me away: audible gasps, jaw dropped, the works. Otherwise, I’m just annoyed and feel like they did it because their editor told them they had to. 🤣

Saltwater is a dark, atmospheric thriller set on the cliffs of Capri, where a wealthy family’s secrets slowly unravel. The story moves between past and present, following three different women whose lives are tangled in a decades-old mystery. The setting is vivid and almost feels like a character itself—beautiful but unsettling. I liked how the book explores themes like privilege, guilt, and how people rewrite the past to protect themselves. Some parts felt a little slow or overly complex, but the twists kept me turning the pages. Overall, it’s a moody, character-driven mystery that stays with you after the final page.

Saltwater has everything I usually love in a book: a beautiful Italian setting, family secrets and twists. However, I thought this book was confusing and hard to follow with many unlikeable characters. Not my favorite but others will probably like it better than I did. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

I loved the location of this story. I could really feel like I was in Capri and immersed in the setting. It's a slow burn that explores the power of family and privilege. There were plenty of morally complex characters. I found it occasionally confusing, especially since characters reappear in different timelines. Overall, I thought it was a decent read.

30 years after Sarah Lingate was found dead below the cliffs of Capri, Italy, the wealthy Lingates continue to return every summer to the villa where many believe they murdered her. Helen, Sarah's daughter, is determined to make this the year she escapes the family's restraints and she's working with her uncle's assistant, Lorna, to make it happen. But everyone has secrets and nothing is as it seems on the surface. The more Helen digs into the past death, the more it is likely that not everyone will leave the island alive this time.

Even though it can be summed up as rich people with rich people's problems, there's something about the slow unraveling of secrets and their dire consequences that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. A couple of things were obvious from the beginning. Still, Hays gets really creative and drops some unexpected bombs that elevate this from the pack of forgettable rich people vacationing in Europe thrillers.

Jumping around in time and between characters can become a bit tiresome when the chapters are short, but it provides a well-rounded view of everything that happened in the past and the consequences in the present, which is why I understand why Hays chose to write it this way.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the twisty read!

It took me a while to get into this book. The idea was there, but the story is told through multiple timelines and multiple perspectives, so it was hard to keep up with when I was first getting into it and trying to remember who everyone was. That, paired with the fact that nothing really happened for most of the book, it was just a slow-burn that had a little spark at the end with the big reveal. I will say though, I didn't expect the ending, but unfortunately, by the time I got to that point, I didn't really care as much.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Katy Hays, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

s a slow-burning, atmospheric thriller set on a glamorous Mediterranean island with family secrets and sharp twists. The mood and setting were stunning, but the pacing dragged and the characters felt a bit distant.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐

The sense of Italy this book provided was lovely, and parts of it were compelling, but the final twists were a bit too much for me. Fun enough read.

I really tried to read and enjoy this title but ultimately tapped out about a third of the way into it out of sheer boredom. Maybe one day I’ll go back but not anytime soon

Thank you to Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for my advanced physical and digital copies in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! The dysfunctional family dynamics, the dreamy Italy scenes, the slow burn tension, the early 90’s setting, and the web of secrets and lies had me hooked from page one. Add in a cast of morally grey characters and you have another fantastic murder mystery perfect for an end-of-summer binge or a sunny beach read.

The multiple timelines and multiple POVs kept me completely intrigued — though if that’s not your cup of tea, you might need a little extra focus. Personally, I thought it added layers to the mystery and made the game of cat and mouse even more thrilling.

It’s White Lotus meets The Guest List / Midnight Feast meets Succession. You’ll want to book a trip to Capri ASAP after reading this.