I'm sorry I did not read this book. I thought that It was something else. So, no offense to the book I'm sure it's great I think I may have requested it by mistake... But I Hope for everyone to read this book. Support our creators.....this has to be 100 characters Long everybody GO out and buy SALTWATER by Katy Hays

Since I have to leave a star review for a book I am not going to read and I requested it by mistake, I have to err on the side of 5 stars!

Love, love, loved this book. I really enjoyed Katy Hays book the Cloisters and had high hopes for Saltwater and it didn't disappoint. Katy is so good at weaving the story lines and keeping you guessing with her thrillers. In Saltwater you have Helen who's mother passed when she was young. Helen has lived a very protected and sheltered life until she meets Lorna. Everyone has an agenda as Helen, Lorna, and the rest of the family head to Capri. Every time I thought I had it figured - it took another turn. Totally recommend!

Hays is a literary thriller master. The way the relationships in this story mix and mingle in such a tangled web is *chef’s kiss* 👌🏻 I couldn’t put it down.

Chapters alternative between two timelines and multiple POVs and I was kept guessing the whole way through. The twist at the end was unforeseen and incredible. Highly recommend going in blind to this one!

Saltwater is a tough one for me to review because it started out really strong, and I couldn't put it down at first. Then towards the middle, it slowed way down and became just tedious. It really dragged for me. I almost didn't finish it, but I'm glad I did because it picked back up and there were twists that I didn't see coming. I was pleasantly surprised. But it's still not without its flaws. There's one character, whose name I won't say so it won't spoil anything, that started out as an interesting character and then just sort of disappeared. The resolution to that wasn't satisfying for me. But I did enjoy the book overall and look forward to reading more by Katy Hays. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

What a tangled web we weave when we first practice to decieve...this book was everything and more. The story is told from Sara, Helen, Naomi, Lorna and Renata and what a tale they tell. Secrets, murder, money and a great location. Like an opera...it starts off soft and slowly builds into a crescendo ...and what an ending.
Thanks to Netgalley for the approval to read and review.

Sarah the main character becomes like a friend as you read this book and you're pulling for her all the way. Lots of twists and turns and you're never sure who is who.

I liked the Capri setting and the wealthy people behaving badly aspects of this book, and it was a page-turner. I did enjoy the read.

But in the end I was left unconvinced.

Spoiler alert:

It was hard to fathom that such inconsequential secrets would lead to murder, that so many women (and it was always the women) would kill others so ruthlessly, and that not one but two corpses would be misidentified..

I felt also in the end that I was being told the story rather than living it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for allowing me the early read.

Read if you like: family dramas, old money, class relations, shady pasts, multiple POVs and timelines.

I enjoyed this book for the writing and the atmosphere. It had a number of twists as well that were (mostly) well executed, if not entirely believable or shocking.

However, I felt the pacing was really slow and a lot of unnecessary detail was given. I also had a hard time with all the jumps back and forth between timelines and characters. There were also parts where the characters reflect on the past for a paragraph or two in the middle of a regular chapter that always threw me for a loop.

All the characters are quite unlikeable but that is the point. This book shows flawed characters with sometimes the best intentions. The family dynamics were interesting. The way the codependency on one another was explained was both sad but seemed authentic in their reasoning.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book but that may be because I was expecting a thriller and this is really more a drama about a family.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was more family drama than a mystery/thriller. Set on Capri, the Lingate family is once again vacationing at the home where Sarah Lingate died in 1992. Her death was ruled a suicide but many people disagreed with that verdict. Now in the present another disappearance has occurred and events seem to be repeating themselves. Told from several different points of view the reader is left wondering what really happened to Sarah, and Lorna.

I enjoyed reading about the picturesque setting however in terms of keeping my interest this book failed. The book was a little slow and predictable at points. I also ended up not liking any of the characters. All of them were selfish and money hungry. It is hard to be invested in a book when you really don't like the characters. There were a couple of twists at the end but I am left with several questions. Overall, this book was only ok for me.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

For me this book was a slow start making it hard for me to stick with it. I felt there were too many. Characters, which made it confusing. At times, the plot was hard to follow. This was a no for me. Sorry.

1992 Capri: While on a week vacation, there is a suspicious death of a member of the Lingate family Thirty years later, the Lingate family is continuing their annual vacations to Capri only this year there is another death and the past resurfaces. There are 2 sides to everyone and both sides begin to come out of the family members.
This is a twisted story told by alternating characters in 1992 and now. It deals with family and wealth and how family will stick together under any circumstance to save themselves and the family.

Thank you Random House

I absolutely loved The Cloisters!! Hands down a phenomenal book. I didn't feel the same about Saltwater. It may just be me but the beginning was very confusing, I kept having to go back and get refreshed. I don't like to ding an author and it's not impossible the problem was this reader. I'll come back to it later a read again and see how it hits me. There are many other very positive reviews.

#Saltwater #NetGalley.

*"Saltwater" by Katy Hays is an enthralling and atmospheric novel that immerses you in a world filled with mystery, tension, and richly developed characters. Hays masterfully captures the raw beauty and unpredictability of the coastal setting, making it almost a character in itself. The protagonist's journey is compelling, filled with twists and secrets that keep you turning the pages.

While the plot is engaging and the writing is poetic, there are moments where the pacing feels slightly uneven, and some elements of the story could have been explored in more depth. However, the vivid descriptions and emotional intensity more than make up for these minor drawbacks. Hays excels at creating a hauntingly beautiful narrative that lingers with you long after you've finished reading. "Saltwater" is a captivating read that deftly balances mystery, emotion, and a deep connection to the natural world. A solid four-star novel that will resonate with fans of atmospheric, character-driven stories!

"Decades later, questions remain." Did Sarah Lingate's husband really kill her during a vacation to the Isle of Capri? And did she die because of a play she wrote about the family she married into?

Members of the Lingate family may not be very likable but they certainly make for compelling reading. They don't seem happy, despite inheriting a family fortune. And they seem to have more secrets than the average Joe.

Katy Hays has written a murder mystery with far more twists than most mysteries. "Saltwater" was such an enticing read. I just had to know who did it, and had the book read within 24 hours. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.

This story had me hooked right from the beginning. The author did an amazing job exploring the different connections the characters have. I also enjoyed the class differences and how they shaped the story. The suspense made me not want to put the book down once I had started. The ending was filled with twists that left me open mouthed. A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Wow! I’ve had Katy’s debut The Cloisters on my TBR shelf for so long, and you bet I’ll be picking it up immediately.

This book was a surprise ARC on NetGalley. I was in a rut, so I went to my shelf and picked the prettiest cover- boy, did it live up to its beauty!

I was hooked instantly. All the characters had me so intrigued. It’s hard to describe this book without spoilers. I loved Lorna and Helen. I loathed the other Lingates in such a great way- it made me root for Helen just that much more. Renata and Ciro were such great local secrets, and I’m so glad that Helen could rely on them.

I did get confused a few times, when they would jump into a flash back without any warning, but once you got used to it, they were a lot of fun.

So many twists and turns and I don’t think I saw a single one coming. So grateful for this book.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review., and it sure deserved a great one!

The Italian island of Capri is a playground for the rich, old money and tourists, while the locals who live year-round on the island often comprise the staff. The disparity was clearly portrayed by an author I had not read before. The family spending summer at their estate behind gates with service staff, linen suits, sporty cars and glitzy gowns was filled with secrets. A young woman is surrounded by her family, but missing the mother she never knew who died on the cliffs here. Her father and uncle are caught up in keeping up appearances, family expectations, being seen at charity events. Her mother’s antique gold necklace, never found after her death, has reappeared. What follows is a tangled knot of blackmail, murder, betrayal and so many lies my head spun. The vivid personalities, splendid setting and atmosphere had me immersed in discovering what really happened to the mother and why. The plot held many revelations I would’ve never guessed. The beginning was a slightly slow start for me. Then I got attached to the young lady, money didn’t do her any favors. I wanted her to get answers about her mother’s life and death. A very well written mystery, kept me engaged and searching for motives. I would certainly read the author again.
Thanks to Ballantine Books Penguin Random House (via NetGalley) for providing an Advance Reader Copy of Saltwater by Katy Hays, publication expected 03/25/2025. The honest, personal thoughts and opinions stated here are all my own given voluntarily without compensation.

I'd pitch this as "Succession meets murder mystery"; a rich oil family has been going back to the villa on the island where one of their own, Sarah, mysteriously died, every year since. On this, the 30th anniversary of her death, all the secrets kept carefully buried are unearthed.

From the get go, I knew I would adore this book. I love stories of messed up rich families, and I love a mystery thriller. I absolutely enjoyed how Hays' portrayal of the corruption wealth brings and the tension of an unsolved death. We learn of the mysteries in both the timeline of the past and the present, and the jumping around in time was very easy for me to follow. Usually in books with multiple perspectives or timelines, I find myself favoring one over another. In this book, I was excited about each narrator equally as they all had intrigue. It felt like every character had so much hidden for me to discover as I kept reading.

The writing felt casual and easy to read. There wasn't much prose and mostly was kept very narrative about characters' internal experiences and the perception of those around them. There were moments I physically had to put my Kindle down as the tension in conversations was so palpable.

If I had to give any criticism, I would say that there were some moments of repetition that stood out to me like the repeated dropping of designer brand names, and a degree of suspension of disbelief being needed. None of that stopped me from having a great time reading though.

Definitely picking up The Cloisters after this (especially as an art history major).

Saltwater by Katy Hays is a riveting thriller that weaves family secrets, suspense, and the beauty of Capri into an electrifying novel. The story revolves around the Lingate family, who return to their opulent villa every year to escape the shadows of a tragedy. But this year, on the 30th anniversary of Sarah’s mysterious death, the appearance of her missing necklace sets off a chain of events that threatens to unravel decades of carefully guarded lies. The novel explores the dark side of family loyalty and the corrosive effects of wealth. The plot is twisty, with revelations that will keep you guessing until the final pages!

Intrigue, family drama, murder and more had me hooked on this story. If you like a good murder mystery I recommend this one when it comes out in March 2025. No spoilers but the only knock I give it is the twist(s) that were slightly unbelievable. But it made me want to be super rich and go to Capri!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.