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A Novel
by Katy Hays
On glittering Capri, anything can be a mirage. And no one holds a grudge like family.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters comes an electrifying thriller about an opulent family retreat to Italy that's shattered by the resurfacing of a decades-old crime.
In 1992, Sarah Lingate is found dead below the cliffs of Capri, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter, Helen. Despite suspicions that the old-money Lingates are involved, Sarah's death is ruled an accident. And every year, the family returns to prove it's true. But on the thirtieth anniversary of Sarah's death, the Lingates arrive at the villa to find a surprise waiting for them—the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died.
Haunted by the specter of that night, the legendary Lingate family unity is pushed to a breaking point, and Helen seizes the opportunity. Enlisting the help of Lorna Moreno, a family assistant, the two plot their escape from Helen's paranoid, insular family. But when Lorna disappears and the investigation into Sarah's death is reopened, Helen has to confront the fact that everyone who was on Capri thirty years ago remains a suspect—her controlling father, Richard; her rarely lucid aunt, Naomi; her distant uncle, Marcus; and their circle of friends, visitors, and staff. Even Lorna, her closest ally, may not be who she seems.
As long-hidden secrets about that night boil to surface, one thing becomes clear: Not everyone will leave the island alive.
"[A] powerful, surprise-packed study of family, wealth, and consequences...Hays uses the island setting to brilliantly exploit locked-room mystery tropes, and doles out jaw-dropping reveals at just the right moments. This masterful suspense story has all the momentum of a runaway train." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A ride as exhilarating as the ferries that transport the elites from villa to yacht. Sleuthing minds will cavort with acrobatic prowess, reeling from one unexpected twist to another...Hitchcockian in its film-noirish malevolence, Hays' second novel also deviously channels Patricia Highsmith's cunningly and sympathetically flawed characters to deliver an absorbing read." —Booklist (starred review)
"These strong, conniving women drive the drama and the narrative, and they are captivating enough that as twist after twist begins to unfurl, the novel still feels character-driven. The end—well, the end shocks. And it's well earned. By the time the sun sets on the gorgeous excess and rugged coast of Capri, lives will have been destroyed. A feisty storm of Greek tragedy headlined by three very modern women." —Kirkus Reviews
"The tension in this atmospheric novel builds like a drumbeat as Hays explores the secrets that lie within a privileged family and keeps readers guessing from one twist to the next. For fans of Lucy Foley and Lucinda Berry." —Library Journal
"Old money, high drama, and dark secrets—what's not to love? This is a riveting, atmospheric, elegantly written, and twist-packed tale...Brilliant!" —Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of The Club
"Engrossing and sinister, Katy Hays's second book, Saltwater, has all the elements thriller readers love: dead bodies, deception, and betrayal. But at its core, this multilayered story delves into the concepts of familial loyalty and generational trauma, making Saltwater a must-read for 2025." —Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight
"Saltwater is a masterful, riveting, and unsettling tale of privilege, greed, and lust. The Lingates are masters at protecting their own interests, until their polished veneer begins to tarnish on the beautiful but vicious island of Capri. I can't remember reading a book with as many deftly executed twists and revelations as Saltwater—I devoured it in what felt like seconds." —Ella Berman, author of Reese's Book Club pick Before We Were Innocent
This information about Saltwater was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katy Hays is the New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters. She is an art history adjunct professor and holds an MA in art history from Williams College and pursued her PhD at UC Berkeley. Having previously worked at major art institutions, including the Clark Art Institute and SFMOMA, she now lives with her husband and their dog in Olympic Valley, California.
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