I absolutely loved Katy Hays’s debut, The Cloisters, so I was very excited to read Saltwater. The Cloisters felt like such a breath of fresh air, and I was hoping for that similar feeling with this. I was a little let down. This was just fine. It wasn’t poorly written, but there was nothing exceptional or memorable about it. It felt like any standard thriller. My biggest gripe was the lack of atmosphere, which I found very surprising. I’ll still keep an eye on what Katy Hays is working on, but this one just didn’t hit for me.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I really liked "The Cloisters" and was looking forward to this book by the same author. It is a very different story, of course, but with a great sense of atmosphere -- the book is set on Capri. Helen's mother died when she was a child on Capri, and her life as part of a very wealthy family has been very regulated. When she goes to Capri with the family, she has a plan with her Uncle's assistant, Lorna to rectify that. But when Lorna disappears, the family secrets unwind. There are some really good twists in this book, and I really felt like I was in Capri. It's a good book!

I was immediately drawn in by the synopsis and the book did not disappoint. Rich people acting weird, having secrets, and an unresolved death? Sign me up. I did find myself wishing there was more to it in a way, more description, more suspense, more twists. But it was a fun read nonetheless. I really enjoyed the characters, the ones I liked and the ones I couldn’t stand- which always makes for a better read.

This was a great thriller: rich people with secrets, a missing woman, a 30-year old death left unresolved, all set on the Italian coast. A thriller for people who, like me, devour thrillers. There were some good twists and turns as the story played out, and when I thought I had figured things out, the author turned it back again. I appreciated the writing and plot lines so much for this.

I was surprised by how much I liked both Helen and Lorna. They were such different characters, but both had me rooting for them.

Richard, Freddy, Marcus, and Naomi were gross and awful and I loved to hate them all.

This hit my TBR at just the right time, and I opened it up immediately. Yes, this is exactly what the description says - a fun summer read about rich people behaving badly. Weirdly, though, you will find yourself actually liking many of the characters. If you've been to this area of Italy, Capri, Sorrento, Naples, etc, you'll enjoy the descriptions of the location a bit more. I do think the author could have expounded on the background characters and scenery a bit more to set the stage and to add a bit more fuel to the readers imagination. As it is, it's a fun, straightforward, quick read with no real surprises or twists.

I loved this book and found the premise to be super interesting and relatable to my life. I could see this being a smash hit of the year and I think the author did a great job both setting up and executing the story!