Drama, mystery, family secrets… all set in beautiful, exotic Capris!! This was an immersive, dark thriller that had me hooked. Definitely recommend!!!

30 years ago, 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead off the cliffs of Capri, Italy. Now, 30 years later, her daughter Helen who is haunted by what happened to her mother that night, has returned to Capri where yet another person connected to the Lingates disappears and the investigation into her mother's death is officially reopened. No one is who they seem and Helen doesn't know who to trust when long buried secrets finally surface.

Great destination thriller and one that I think is going to be a perfect beach read for the summer of 2025! This book was filled with family drama, layers and layers of secrets and neverending twists and turns. The book is told from multiple points of view and is a dual timeline story. I felt that the timelines transitioned smoothly and was a dark and tense and mysterious thriller. I truly enjoyed this one!

Expected release date: March 25th 2025.

My reviews can also be found on my GoodReads profile.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely loved this mystery/thriller. I loved the family angst aspect and I did not guess a single thing right which is fantastic

This started slow but oh my. Family drama at its best. It is suspenseful and a little dark. The light of the book was the setting in Capri. I loved the descriptions of the location. The ending was good.

While the book started a little slow, it definitely kept me wanting to read more to find out about the mystery. It definitely picked up later on! The family drama and mystery/thriller aspects of this book made for an intense edge of your seat type of read. Sarah Lingate’s mysterious death in 1992 led to so many questions to follow for decades to come. When the family returns to Capri for their annual vacation decades later, so many more questions arise. A family employee’s disappearance spurs chaos and the escalation of a years long mystery. This book will keep you hooked and overall it is worth a read!

Saltwater was a great murder/mystery book. However the pace of the book was sooooo slow. It was a relatively short book but seemed to take forever. The characters were great and the ending phenomenal!

This is definitely a twisty thriller that is set in Italy. It was a slow read for me although I did enjoy the family aspect of it. Would read from this author again.

I went in thinking it was going to be a mystery/thriller, fast paced read. In reality it is much more of a family drama, in my opinion. While the setting was explained in a very detailed way, that I really loved, the storyline was somewhat boring, and felt a little slow at times. I enjoyed this book, but did not love it. Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Ballantine books for this eArc.

Salt Water” by Katy Hays, and I’d say it’s about a 3.5-star read for me. It was definitely an interesting book, with some moments that really stood out!

The story is set against the backdrop of a small coastal town, and it captures that dreamy, sometimes eerie vibe really well. I loved the atmosphere Hays created—there’s something about the ocean and its mysteries that just pulls you in. The characters are intriguing, especially the protagonist, who’s trying to find her place in this quirky town filled with secrets.

One of the things I appreciated was the exploration of themes like grief, friendship, and the struggle to connect with others. There are some heartfelt moments that really hit home, and I found myself connecting with the characters’ journeys. However, I felt like some parts of the plot could have been a bit tighter. There were moments that dragged on a little, which made it hard to stay fully engaged at times.

The writing style is poetic and descriptive, which I enjoyed, but I think the pacing could have been improved to keep the momentum going. Still, there are definitely some beautiful lines that made me pause and reflect, so that was a plus!

Overall, “Salt Water” is a solid read if you’re in the mood for something atmospheric and contemplative. It may not have blown me away completely, but there’s a lot to enjoy, and I think many readers will find something to relate to.

Set to be released March 25, 2025

I ended up DNF’ing this because I didn’t like the writing AT ALL. Author tries to be too descriptive but on stuff that truly doesn’t matter. Lots of weird grammatical choices. Sentences that are hugely run on but is deemed okay because of the use of multiple commas.

Saltwater
By: Katy Hays
Pub Date: March 25, 2025
Publisher: Ballantine Books

This novel is action packed and the setting is in Capri. In 1992 Sarah Lingate was found dead below the cliffs. She left behind a husband and three-year-old daughter, Helen. The death was ruled an accident although suspicious ran high as her and her husband had a fight. Some secrets cannot stay buried.
On the thirtieth anniversary of their yearly trip to the isle of Capri, something of Sarah’s is found and then the really mystery begins. Will they discovery more about that fateful night? Was it suicide, murder or something else?
Get ready for a fun read. Thank you, Ballantine books, for this e-ARC. I will be looking for more of this authors’ work.

When I read the comparison of this book to the TV show “White Lotus”, I was intrigued and that comparison did not disappoint. The only disappointment was that I finished this book in two sittings because I could not put it down. The suspense and the twists and turns leave you wanting for more. The main character, Helen, is likable, as is her mother, and you root for them throughout. The setting on the island of Capri adds to the glamour of the family. A very enjoyable book and I will be looking for more by Katy Hays. This one is a winner.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

This is a blend of thriller and family drama, my two favorite things. The characters in this book stressed me out from start to finish (in a good way), I wanted to scream at the pages of the book at certain reveals and points. This is a fast paced book that you can tear through quickly and thoroughly entertaining. Also, the setting is Italy and the author does an amazing job at setting the atmosphere.

Thirty years after Helen’s mother fell to her death in Capri, the family receives her necklace in the mail that she was wearing the night she died. I enjoyed the atmosphere and family drama of this one and was wondering what would happen next as the story unfolded. It was twisty, it was dark, and it was fun.

I enjoyed this novel. The twists were fairly predictable, but not all of them and there were several. 5 starts for the plot, but just 4 for the prose which was pretty average.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I could not get into the story, mainly because the writing felt very stunted. It did not flow and I wasn't enjoying it. Maybe it is a case of trying to read it at another time when I am in a different head space.

Saltwater was an intriguing read but I I still struggled a bit to get through this it. While I enjoyed the past and present timelines and dysfunctional family dynamics, I think that this book was longer than it needed to be—or it certainly felt like it. This book will win over huge with thriller-lovers who enjoy the "rich people drama" trope.

this just wasn’t a favorite for me. it wasn’t hard to finish and i never considered dnf-ing, but there wasn’t a lot of excitement or suspense. got an extra star for the surprise at the end (i had hunches that were close but didn’t get everything right)

This read was fine, not the most enjoyable for me. The behavior of the characters was strange and somewhat off putting (probably the author’s intent but not enjoyable), and the back and forth between timelines is a fine plot device but this one was executed in a somewhat confusing way.

Saltwater, by Katy Hays, is an interesting book. It’s a mystery, a “who dun it” tale of murder and intrigue. Saltwater is a story within a story, told through the members of a rich family. While the story takes place in the present, there is also a story from 30 years earlier that sets in motion a series of family secrets and lies. Hounded by reporters wanting to know the details of her mother’s death 30 years earlier, Helen Lingate has lived her entire life sheltered from prying eyes and ears while constantly being warned that the family must be protected at all costs. Her only friendship sets her on a path to break free from the confines of her family. However, as things develop Helen realizes the people she thought she knew, thought she could trust, have secrets of their own. I thought I had it figured out but there were some surprising twists. #Saltwater #netgalley