This story takes place on capri, Italy where 40 years ago, Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs. The family returns to their villa every year for a week. Although her husband, Richard was a suspect in her death, no evidence to prove it ever surfaced and her death was ruled accidental. This year, however, the necklace that Sarah was wearing turns up at the villa.
The family members are richly described, totally unlikable. They are old money, entitled people who are ruthless. This year, they bring along Lorna, who is friends with Sarah and Richard's daughter, Helen, who was 3 when her mother died and Helen and Lorna are determined to discover the truth about Sarah's death.
This book was a twisty tale with red herrings, secrets, and tension reminiscent of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Nearly every character could have killed Sarah, although the most likely person was ruled out. It was a little long and there were a few chapters which I thought were filler, and didn't do much to move the plot along. The last few chapters had my head spinning!
I received the ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, and am leaving my opinions voluntarily.

An extremely well done thriller that left me wondering, guessing, and, ultimately, satisfied. This book is about a rich family that had a hard past and a murder allegation, and that’s about all you need to know going in. It’s a story of fighting for independence and freedom. The characters were all compelling and some a bit shady. There’s a really solid mystery that had the perfect amount of tension to make me want to keep reading at every available minute. I was hooked from beginning to end.

This is a twisty, sleek novel containing two mysteries: an unsolved murder from the past and a missing person in the present. It revolves around a rich, power hungry family who will stop at nothing to protect their prestige and the daughter who is desperate to escape their grasp. Set on the beautiful island of Capri, it’s full of family secrets, devious ploys, and hidden motives.
After a bit a slow start, I did find myself tearing through the last half! I was pretty surprised by the many twists- though I found some to be a bit of a stretch. You will enjoy if you like a slow burn and are okay suspending disbelief!

Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller highlighting the pitfalls of wealth. Set in the Italian island of Capri amidst the rich and famous, family dysfunction is on full display. Told from multiple perspectives, this book was a roller coaster. Ultimately we read about the impact of wealth on the individual and the family and to decide whether the impacts are worth it. Fun read with lots of twists!

Saltwater is another novel set on the coast of the Mediterranean and involving a murder, or in this case, two. Katy Hays has woven a tangled story of the wealthy and their lifestyles, where they will stop at nothing to maintain their status and power. The two Lingate brothers and their wives summer each year on the isle of Capri. Theirs is a false lifestyle of drinking, partying, and protecting what is theirs—at all costs.
A murder occurred 30 years ago, another in the present.
I found the story rather hard to believe, particularly concerning the murders and the assumed identities. The plot is confusing in the beginning, and the characters are duplicitous and mostly unlikeable.
Hays’s writing style was fine, her depictions of Capri were beautifully done. My objections are for the twisty storyline that felt unbelievable to me.
Due to the hype around this book, it will most likely be a popular beach read this summer.
My thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Katy Hays is a new author for me and I enjoyed this book. I just love discovering new authors to enjoy.

Description:
In 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs of 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. And every year, the family returns to prove it’s true. But 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.

Haunted by the specter of that night, the legendary Lingate family unity is pushed to a breaking point, and Helen seizes the opportunity. Enlisting the help of Lorna Moreno, a family assistant, the two 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 Not everyone will leave the island alive.

My Thoughts:
Love the beautiful setting in Capri; a perfect backdrop for this mystery/thriller. I felt sorry for Helen - she was so controlled and boxed in. Did her mother commit suicide or was she murdered? The wealthy family returns to Capri every year. You would think they would avoid it since someone they supposedly loved had such a deadly accident there, but they go once per year. Helen is suspicious not only of the family but a few other people on the island. The story has some surprises which is always good for me. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will like this book.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.

“...that’s the funny thing about family stories. They are so rarely the truth.”

Meet the Lingates. Obscenely rich, putting on a show for the people of Capri, doing their best to maintain appearances. Because, thirty years ago, Sarah Lingate was found dead, her body battered from a fall from the cliffs. A tragic accident? Murder? Every year the family goes back to Capri for a week at the same villa, to show that they have nothing to hide.

Sarah's daughter Helen never really knew her mother. She's grown up very sheltered and protected in this family. We meet her as an adult with the family on Capri, the Lingates back for their annual show.

The novel switches perspectives between Sarah from thirty years ago and Helen in the present, and Lorna, assistant to Helen's uncle. Helen and Lorna are up to something. Actually, everybody's up to something.

Hays writing evokes the summer sultry heat, the cool waters of the Mediterranean, the lavish, boozy parties. The aging, slowly decaying villa:

"The interior of the villa feels suddenly stale, suffocating. When I look at the wall across from us, I can see a place where a bloom of pink mold is spreading near the front door, where the water has seeped in, and I wonder how long everything around us has been slowly disintegrating. The spoiled fruit in the kitchen, collecting flies. This entire island, crumbling into the sea."

We're in the dark as the crazy plot twists keep coming, leading us to (many) wild conclusions. Very White Lotus-y.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 3/25/2025)

I had high hopes for Saltwater and the premise was certainly interesting - the suspicious death of Sarah Lingate in Capri and her family's annual return to the scene, only to find her necklace mysteriously reappear 30 years later. The story initially appears to be following Lorna, a family assistant who accompanies the Lingates to their annual Capri trip. We're led to believe she's helping Helen Lingate escape her controlling family, but then Helen becomes more central to the narrative. But nothing is really what it seems, and by the end, I wasn't quite sure whose story it was meant to be. This narrative misdirection could have been intriguing, but the twists that followed were wildly implausible and stupidly unbelievable. I was intrigued enough to keep reading so I could find out what they were, and then mad at myself and the author once they were revealed. Capri makes for an interesting setting - steep cliffs, luxury villas, and the isolation of island life all contribute to the mystery. The Lingates themselves are a properly toxic bunch, which helps maintain interest even as the plot becomes increasingly far-fetched. I kept turning pages to see what happened, drawn into the mystery despite my growing skepticism. By the time the final twists arrived, I felt more frustrated than satisfied with where the story had gone. Without spoiling anything, the revelations require such stretches of logic that they undermined what could have been a compelling family mystery.

Family first, ha, this family really doesn't have the best interests of its members at the forefront. Katy Hays twists and turns through this novel like freefalling down a cliff. Saltwater turns beautiful Capri into a dangerous trap. Beware you don't slip and fall yourself.

I loved The Cloisters so I was anxious to read this book. What I love most about this book is just when you think you've figured out something, there's a twist and you realize you're wrong. I flew through this because I needed to know what had happened to the two women. The timelines coming together were well done and one event at the end lead me to know something else, it still wasn't quite what I had expected. HIGHLY recommend!

🌊 Arc Review 🌊

Saltwater
By: Katy Hays
Published: 3/25/25
Genre: thriller

This was an enjoyable read. I loved the Italian setting and the twists and turns throughout. There was a classic theme of the rich behaving badly, which was fun, but maybe a little predictable. It will have you wondering where and why loyalties lie and how deep those loyalties should run. Boundaries and relationships can get blurry. The ending was slightly off for me, but I still really liked it. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the opportunity to read this digital arc!

#saltwater #italianthriller #thrillerbook #newbook #arcreview #bookreview #bookrecommendation #netgalley #bookreader #thrillerreader #islandbook #bookstagram

Sarah Lingate died below the cliffs of Capri in 1992, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter Helen. The death was ruled accidental, and the family continued to gather on Capri every year. On the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s death, the Lingates arrive and find the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died. Helen uses the opportunity to investigate her paranoid family with the help fo the family assistant Lorna Moreno. When Lorna disappears and the investigation into Sarah’s death is reopened, Helen is faced with the uncomfortable truth that everyone who was on Capri thirty years ago is a suspect and even Lorna might not be who she seems. Secrets are now coming to light, and it's unlikely that everyone will leave the island alive.

The story has different parts, with different timelines meeting to inform the reader. There's Lorna's POV prior to her disappearance, complete with countdown, Helen's POV, and we occasionally get a glimpse of Sarah prior to her death. Money isn't all it's cracked up to be; Helen for years was controlled, isolated, monitored, and expressly told what she was allowed to do in order to keep her family name and legacy clean. Even her boyfriend is vetted ahead of time and presented to her. The trust fund her mother set up in order to protect her with an independent income was kept from her and raided, making her wholly dependent on the family. She met Lorna and introduced her to her uncle, and her uncle invited Lorna along on a whim; even this friendship gets folded into family affairs.

Helen's caught in this trap, and the people around her aren't nice to each other or to people they consider lesser. Asking about the past doesn't yield answers until the second half of the book when we finally discover the secrets her parents have kept. Even then, when we see what everyone is capable of and what they have done, we still get shocked at the end with other POV chapters. People aren't what they seem to be, and the final chapters truly bear that out.

Rich setting and lots of fun twists and turns. Really enjoyed the multi pov here! Would read more from this author.

Saltwater by Katy Hays was a good mystery riddled with family drama and tension! I felt the setting and overall atmosphere within the novel was excellently written. I felt like I could truly picture the surroundings, the beauty and danger of the island of Capri. The Cliffhangers had be on the edge of my seat throughout the novel and I was constantly questioning what happened? And what is there to come?

This book does feature multiple timelines, and I have to be honest that I am not the biggest fan of multi-timeline stories. That being said, I do feel like it did add to the story as it keeps you on your toes as you try to unravel the story and mystery. I would describe this as a slow burn, but once the twists began to be revealed I was hooked to every line! The plot is tense and mysterious. I was questioning everything and everyone! I did not see the ending coming at all and I thought the overall conclusion of the story was fantastic!

I definitely didn’t see the ending coming, I kept thinking I figured it out but I was so wrong! But even so, I feel like I wasn’t super invested in the story or any of the characters. I was initially sucked into the secrets, deception & lies of the Lingate family and thought it was going to be a captivating fast-paced read all the way through. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me & started dragging about half way through.

There were a lot of different POVS & flashback chapters, which usually I love, but in this case I didn’t really feel like it added much to the story. While this was not my favorite, I’d still say it was a solid 3 star thriller overall!

Money, lies, drugs, deceit, murders.. this book has it all! Saltwater follows a wealthy family that will stop at nothing to keep their name and reputation "clean," even if it means lying, cheating, and murdering. This book is everything you would expect from a scandalous, manipulative family that doesn't care who they step on to make their way to the top.
I really enjoyed this book. It is very compelling and consumed me from the very beginning. I loved the amount of secrets and how the intensity of them kept building as the story progressed. At some point, however, I did feel like the author was doing too much. The revelation towards the end felt over the top and unbelievable. I found myself having to stop and look around for the camera, because what?! Lol. Aside from that, this book is a great read! It is messy, and if you love rich folk family drama, you'd definitely love this one!
Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine, and Katy Hays for this ARC!

With a gorgeous cover and promise of murderous intrigue in an exotic locale, I was excited to dive deep into Saltwater.

The foundation of the novel is told through alternating points of view of the women in the novel However, the timelines and the information parsed out in each chapter is all over the place and I had a difficult time keeping track of what everyone was up to and when. Relationships between characters were confusing, especially when it came to Lorna and others were barely explained, but the reader was just supposed to accept them. While I overall enjoyed the thriller/mystery plot and was able to only guess at part of it by the 40% mark, I did not particularly care for any of the characters and I had trouble accepting the fact that so many of them were able to commit such heinous crimes. In essence, I think the author overplayed the "rich people are evil" card to almost an absurd point.

I think better editing as to the chapter/timeline placement and a bit more polish explaining Lorna's relationship with everyone would have made this a truly enjoyable thriller. For me, though it was entertaining, it was a bit too frustrating trying to piece details together that should not have required such effort.

Recommended for fans of rich family dramas with unreliable narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Katy Hays for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This ended being a dnf for me. I tried multiple attempts to get into it, but if never peaked my interest enough to want to continue.

I loved the suspense of this book, the secrets glittering under the surface that threaten the family is so intense!

You know those really popular, seem to be everywhere books? A few years ago, that books was Hays’s The Cloisters… but I never read it. 😬 it’s on my never-ending TBR list, but I didn’t get to it before I was sent a copy of her sophomore novel, Saltwater.

This felt a lot like The White Lotus (maybe because I was watching the show concurrently). Saltwater takes place in two periods of time, the present and the 1990s. It’s the story of a wealthy family and a wife who dies under suspicious circumstances. Now, her daughter returns to Capri with questions about her death and her family’s involvement.

This is very twisty and fast paced. As more things were revealed, I really couldn’t discern where it was headed, and it kept me guessing until the very last page. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend if you’re a White Lotus fan!