Saltwater is full of mystery, murder, and dark family secrets, all the makings of an excellent read. For me, I found the depth of the characters to be slightly lackluster. While their lives and stories are clearly intertwined, their seems to be a disconnect that never allowed me to fully develop a vested interest in either of them. However, the many twists and turns the mystery took compelled me enough to keep reading to the end.

Saltwater was a nice slow burn I didn't know I needed! Told from the alternating perspective of 3 women, from 1992 and present day, Helen Lingate is filthy rich and ready to spread her wings. After the death of her mother in 1992, Helen lived with her father and assorted nannies, out of the public eye. On their annual trip to Capri, the place of her mother's death, Helen is motivated to get out of the smothering nature of her close-knit family and solve her mother's murder at the same time. With unlikely accomplices, this novel had me guessing to the end!

The past and present collide in this vacation thriller when the prolific Lingate family is linked once again to another dead body.
Helen is 33 and has never experienced a life that wasn’t under complete control of her father Richard, or her Uncle Marcus and his wife Naomi. No one discusses the death or life of her mom Sarah who tragically fell off a cliff in Capri when she was three-years-old.
Helen has grown up with strangers telling her that her father is a murderer and she is unsure who to believe.
When Helen meets Lorna, her uncle’s assistant, they develop the closest thing to a friendship that Helen has ever been allowed to have.
But on a return trip to Capri, Lorna is met with the same fate as her mother.
Helen is convinced that her family not only killed her mom, but Lorna, to keep her quiet.
This story had a lot of twists that I didn’t see coming and while I’m not sure how realistic it would be, I still enjoyed the ride.
Katy Hays has a great knack for character building and description that easily puts the reader right into setting, taking in the details that make up this gorgeous island.
I look forward to reading more from Katy in the future.

I have been on an Italy reading kick this summer as my niece is there for school and it reminds me of when I lived there as a teenager. Katy Hay’s’ writing brought me right back there with this suspense story and I was able to imagine being in the story. Saltwater is a must read and will keep you entertained from start to finish.

This book is about a rich family's drama and murder. It's multiple viewpoints and timelines and set in Capri. Sarah was killed 30 years ago in Capri and her family has always been suspected of killing her. Helen, her daughter, is stuck living in her families expectations and has limited access to freedom. Lorna, the family assistant, is going to help her gain her freedom in Capri.

Saltwater by Katy Hays. SO GOOD. This is the best, most twisty and surprising thriller I have read this year. I immensely enjoyed this one and really did not see some of the twists coming. This book will keep you hooked until the last page. The secrets, the money, the one percenters, the glittering locale of Capri. WOW. What a wild ride. It won’t be published until March 2025, but definitely put it on your list.

I read and enjoyed the author's first book, The Cloisters, and there's been so much buzz about Saltwater before it's close to being published. Initially, I was having difficulty following all the characters. It wasn't until 30% in when we are given more information about Sarah and Richard's relationship in NYC vs LA that I started connecting with the characters. I was much more invested in Part 2 of the book. Helen and Naomi shopping at Ferragamo and Hermes was my favorite part of the book. The author does a wonderful job describing Capri. I encourage readers of family dramas to push past the first half of the book.

I really enjoyed the author's first book The Cloisters, and it's summer time--the perfect time for a thriller in a vacation setting. As one character expresses, "it's amazing how easy it is to untether yourself from solid ground," truly one of the joys of a good thriller.

But the other component of a successful thriller is having a protagonist to care for, to follow through the twists of the untethering. That's where this book falls short for me. The author's incessant, bordering on tedious, plot-twists took away the most interesting character, and then with the severe action slow-down slump of the middle, I no longer cared.

This genre teaches us not to trust anything going on or the reliability of any point of view. I'm glad I stuck with it to the end, even as it felt like work instead of vacation. But stay tuned, this one promises a cinematic comeback.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, Netgalley!

4.5 stars. I enjoyed the storyline . I appreciate a well- written story with a female protagonist. This story takes place in Capri, which is the perfect location. I felt as though I was in Capri sitting by the water. I also enjoyed switching up my regular reading- this read more like a family drama than a true thriller, but it was exactly what I was looking for!

My only negative with the book was some of the characters. They were stuck up and snotty. I didn’t feel like it was a true representation of people who share similar fortune. Overall, a great read!

Told in different POV and flashing back and forth in time, this story tells of a controlling family, the women who marry into it, and what some people will do for reputation and money.
When Helen was 3, her mother, Sarah, is found washed up on the cliffs of Capri. Every year since, the family returns to spend a week on the island. Now, 30 years later, secrets are revealed, Sarah's case is reopened, and another death occurs. Who is responsible?

An enchanting but sinister look into how the 1% live. At first glance, all seems to be quite enviable, filled with exotic trips, famous people and every need and desire met with the click of your heel. As you look deeper, the cracks start to show. Maybe the money isn't what it once was, maybe the tightly controlled family dynamic is more focused on control than on safety.

The book switches to several different characters, Helen mainly, the daughter of the famous Lingate family. After tragically losing her mother at a young age, she has been tightly encased inside the family with little exposure to the outdoor world. After meeting a friend, Lorna, she starts to see things for what they really are and focuses on getting out.

So many dramatic twists and turns, enough to keep you up until you finish the very last page! Fantastic and captivating novel by Katy Hays, highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Salt Water.

This book takes place with the beautiful backdrop of the Mediterranean and the island of Capri. If they made this into a movie what a beautiful setting it would be!

I read this book so fast even though the second half kind of dragged. There were times where the plot was a bit confusing although I think that was intentional for the “mystery” vibe. I was never sure who knew who previously or knew certain secrets etc.. so it got a bit muddy in the middle.

I enjoy a good “who done it” every once in a while, although it’s not my typical read. Overall this one was worth it and I enjoyed the characters it focused on, flaws and all. I was able to figure out one of the reveals, but not the other. Although the “big” one felt very unlikely and also a little messed up but I don’t want to spoil anything. Overall, worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I think I found this to be a bit drab. I skimmed the pages to find out what happened. I didn't particularly like any of the characters. The twists did take me by surprise, especially with Renata. I did enjoy the twists, but other than that, I didn't really enjoy reading the book. I was bored.

I loved THE CLOISTERS, so I didn’t want to have overly high hopes for Hays’ second novel but I LOVED this book. I think I even like it better. Things aren’t overly surprising regarding the truth around the mysterious death from the 1990s, and I did suspect one big “twist” from the jump — but I audibly gasped at the other. It seems obvious now, but Hays did such a great job hiding the truth in plain sight. I also really appreciated the various red herrings and the gorgeous scenery. Manipulation in the best way and scandalously fun.

I received an email from the publisher with a suggestion that I read and review this book through NetGalley and as I love mysteries decided to give it a try. The writing was a little more sensationalized than I usually prefer, but I did enjoy the shifting narrator and the shifts in time. The multiple perspectives were conveyed convincingly without becoming confusing or overdramatic. There were multiple mysteries to solve and there was a twist which can completely out of nowhere for me.

I thought the very wealthy family seemed a little bit like a caricature and some of that dialogue and those relationships felt forced and unrealistic. But the mystery itself was well done with multiple levels of clues, deception, and discoveries.

Rounding up from 3.5 stars as it was a compelling read.

3.5 stars!

This book started off with so much promise-- Italian summer, old money, family secrets. I thought the characters and the plot were interesting but the pacing was a bit off. There were parts of the build-up that really dragged on while the ending seemed rather rushed. I wished the plot twist was more dragged out since I found it so interesting and wanted to know more. Similarly, I think it would have been interesting to follow the two characters at the end for a bit longer.

Overall, I enjoyed it and will definitely read another book by Katy Hays! The writing was really descriptive and made me feel like I was in Capri with the characters :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for this Advance Reader Copy.

It took me a while to get into this but it kept my attention! The author wrote in such a way that was almost like they kept interrupting their sentences with another thought, only to loop back around to the original thought. It was a bit distracting at first but you get used to it.

A few things were hard to believe…apparently everyone had face blindness and people could easily slip into someone else’s lives.

Overall, it was an interesting read. A glance into the lives of the 1%.

Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for my honest opinion.

This story follows the Lingate family, who returns to the island of Capri every summer because of or in spite of the fact that one of the daughter's in law fell to her death from the cliffs 30 years prior. Adult Helen is determined to untangle herself from her family but their grip on her is tight. She is monitored 24/7 and while coming from a very wealthy clan is controlled by the short leash and allowance they give her. For this year's pilgrimage back to Capri she enlists a confidant (Lorna) who also happens to be her uncle's assistant in the family "business" and they hatch a plan to escape the family with enough money to secure their freedom. This is a fun mystery as their plans develop.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ok so I was surprised by the twist at the end (even if I had kind of guessed at it)

However, this was a slow struggle to get through the initial 60%. I just wasn't gripped by the characters and there was a lot of surprise plot points given out before the characters knew them. I did like having the POV of the victims leading up to the crime interspersed.

Overall, just wasn't my jam but I can imagine it will be for others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC. A mystery involving money, jealousy, and family secrets. This is a beautifully written story about the lengths people will go to keep a certain status. I enjoyed getting to know every character and their experiences with multiple tragedies over 30 years, even if the majority of them were terrible humans.

I do think it could have been shorter, but I did feel myself wanting more.


I will be going back to read The Cloisters ASAP!