Saltwater
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.
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Katy Hays
Katy Hays’s writing is as intricate and compelling as the art history she spent years studying. A California native, Katy’s fascination with the past, particularly the worlds captured in art and museums, ignited her journey into storytelling. But it wasn't just the past that called to her—it was the unspoken mysteries, the secrets hidden between the layers of time, and the shadows lurking behind academia that truly inspired her.
Before becoming a novelist, Katy earned an MA in Art History from Williams College and pursued doctoral studies at UC Berkeley. Her professional path took her through some of the most renowned art institutions, including The Clark Art Institute and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA). These years of academic immersion shaped her perspective on storytelling, infusing her writing with a deep understanding of human nature, ambition, and the complexities of belief.


