I’ll admit that while the cover is what drew me to this book, Katy Hays masterful writing is what kept me hooked through the very last page. SALTWATER is kind of perfect. Set in idyllic Capri, the book flashes back between past and present in a deliciously ethereal way, all culminating in one dramatic and devastating reveal. Be it spring, winter or fall, SALTWATER will send you through time and place, submerging you in the allure of summer and unsolved mysteries.

To what great lengths would the Lingate family go to protect their name and public image? The family includes Helen and her father, Richard, along with Richard's brother, Marcus and his wife Naomi. When the story begins, the Lingates are traveling to Capri with Freddy, Helen's boyfriend and Lorna, Marcus's assistant. Every year the family travels to Capri on the anniversary of the death of Helen's mother, Sarah. As the story unfolds we begin to learn secrets about the characters: Sarah's death remains a mystery, Helen is basically being held hostage by her family, Naomi drinks and does drugs, Lorna and Freddy have secrets, and the list goes on and on. The book was a bit slow to build and it took some time for me to really get into it, but once I did, I had to hold on tight for the ride! I couldn't put it down. There were so many amazing plot twists. And even after I thought it was all wrapped up, there was one more HUGE secret that I never saw coming!! Wow! Can't wait to read more books from by Katy Hays! Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a an ACR.

30 years after the death of her mother Sarah Helen returns to Caprio Island with her family. Now 33 she is trying to find out a little bit what happened to her. She’s lived a very sheltered life and she brings her friend Lorna who now works for her uncle Marcus on the trip. However, Lorna ends up disappearing very similarly to how her mother did. This book has multiple POV‘s and multiple timelines to figure out what happened in each situation. I enjoyed it. It took a while to get into especially with all the back-and-forth, but it does pick up in the latter half of the book..

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

While I liked The Cloisters, this one I just really couldn’t get into. I don’t love rich, spoiled family dramas because they’re always pretty predictable - it’s the family name over everything else. The characters aren’t likable either so there isn’t anything to really root for. The ending was slightly unpredictable, but by the time I got to that point, I was just too uninterested in the story.

Would not recommend. I think there are better books out there.

This one started out slow for me, it was definitely a slow burn. But, once it started picking up, I was hooked on finding out about this families past and present. Money, relationships, betrayal, it had all the things! The twists at the end had me with my mouth wide open!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC!

#NetGalley #Saltwater #KatyHays #RandomHouse

I liked the alternating perspectives and timelines in this thriller but I guessed the twists pretty early on and the pacing felt off to me. It was just okay. I am sure others will enjoy it, it just wasn’t one of my favorites.

Thanks for the advanced reader copy netgalley and
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books.

We think we know how the ultra wealthy live (and are even envious of their lifestyle). Sarah and Richard Lingate, his brother Marcus and his wife Naomi - and then there is Sarah's baby, Helen.

While the story often centers around Helen, it is divided into chapters about each of them narrating events.

I was totally engrossed in this book with all its twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I was settled in and enjoying a new storyline, it flipped and changed my thinking entirely.

I highly recommend this book for everyone who loves a good book. I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Setting is beautiful, but this was more rich people family drama than a thriller. Of course, you like family drama, and all the layers this has, then you'll probably enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the ARC for this book.

Short snappy thriller. Just okay for me. Some twists but nothing out of ordinary

4.5 out of 5 stars.

A story of how wealth doesn’t buy you happiness and the twists and turns of navigating family, greed, and jealousy.

The beautiful descriptions of Capri made me feel like I was there again. Making the book feel plausible, and not just a work of fiction.

If you like suspense, murder mysteries, cold cases, and travel - specifically Capri - this is for you!

Was it murder on the idyllic island of Capri all those years ago? Sarah Lingate, married into the fabulously wealthy Lingate dynasty, is found dead at the bottom of the cliffs of Capri in 1992. She left behind a three year old daughter, Helen. This arrogant family returns every year but, on the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah’s tragic and untimely death, a surprise is waiting for them. A surprise that will open a Pandora’s Box of lies, sinister secrets, and betrayals.

This is a juicy family saga with dark secrets to unravel. If you love rich people behaving badly and need a vicarious vacation to beautiful Capri, then add this one to your TBR!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on March 25, 2025

This book was just okay for me. I’ve come to realize that I don’t love mystery/thriller books about rich people so this wasn’t a great book for me but I do think it was intriguing and mostly fast paced with a lot of drama so I think people who like books like this will love this one! It just didn’t work for me but I know who I would recommend this to!

Drama, intrigue, mystery, and murder. This rich family has it all going on. It started off slow for me put I loved the different points of view. In the end it made this a real page turner.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. The premise of this book was pretty outlandish, and at first the character switches made the story hard to follow. That said, it was a solid thriller with some twists and surprises along the way. I also enjoyed reading about a beautiful and very foreign setting.

Oh my goodness! This novel was jam packed with buried information, twists and turns and surprises. Just when I thought I had it figured out, things would shift and I would realize how wrong I was...

Helen is the daughter of an old money California family whose life has been over-shadowed by her mother's tragic death in Capri thirty years ago. Helen's life is small - her family does not allow her much freedom and she is anxious to get out. Lorna, her uncle's assistant, provides her with a possible escape and it is on the annual trip to Capri that everything falls apart...or falls together?

Read this pretty much straight through over two days - a great suspense novel to escape in!

What a page turner! The jump between character’s point of view really creates the suspense and intensity throughout the story. At some points I thought I had it all figured out only to realize I really didn’t. 5/5 stars! Can’t wait to recommend to others once it comes out. Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy!

I am between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one.

I loved the setting of Capri, especially currently being in the freezing Northeast. I know this was the advanced copy, but the format of the ebook made it really hard to get into. Since I could not go back to the beginning of the POV it took me a while to get into the characters and to figure out who was who. Towards the end, I got sucked it and could not put it down.

This book reminded me how much I like books about rich people behaving badly! Set in beautiful Capri, I enjoyed this story! The family drama, and the mystery of Sarah's death were throughout the book so that it kept me wanting to read more! I didn't know who to trust and I loved the variety of viewpoints. Thank you Random House Publishing-Ballentine and Netgalley for an early copy of this book! It will be out March 25th and would make a great spring break or summer pool side read!

I received a digital review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure where to begin with this review, as providing a full synopsis might reveal too much. This story is set in Capri and follows the Lingate family, an old-money household, through multiple timelines and points of view. Sarah Lingate was found dead on the cliffs of Capri in 1992, and there are lingering suspicions surrounding her death. In the present day, her daughter, Helen, seizes the opportunity to gather information about Sarah's death when her missing necklace is delivered to the family villa. The family assistant, Lorna, helps Helen try to escape from her family but then goes missing herself. As a result, the case surrounding Sarah's death is reopened, and Lingate family secrets begin to emerge.

I genuinely loved this book. I typically don't enjoy creepy thrillers, but this one was perfect for me. The story is filled with constant twists and turns; just when you think you've figured it all out, a new secret comes to light. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and highly recommend this book.

This book had me questioning everything! I really enjoyed the multi POV, especially over a long time frame and I think this was done very well. I loved the setting of the book as well, a family on vacation that goes horribly wrong.

The book was a little slow and did feel a bit repetitive as time went on, but I think the ending was executed really well. The characters were well developed and felt like people you would meet in real life. I loved the perspective of this book also.