“On the glittering island of Capri, anything can be a mirage. But one thing is there’s nothing deadlier than a family with everything to lose . .”
Saltwater, Katy Hays
The premise of this book had me intrigued. A wealthy family suffers a death at their holiday retreat, but continues to return every year. Thirty years after the death, an object related to the death reappears, setting everyone on edge. Add in the White Lotus-esque background of a villa in Capri, Italy and I was ready for a dark but thrilling time.
Instead, the pacing of this book was drawn out, the characters were ambiguously rich and miserable, and the plot was barely worth the slow read. The storyline progresses from a dual-timeline mystery to a weak character study in the indulgently wealthy.
There are three main POVs: Sarah, the dead woman from 1992, Helen, Sarah’s daughter, and Lorna, Helen’s friend/uncle’s assistant. Sarah’s chapters describe the week of 1992 before her death. Helen and Lorna’s chapters detail the week of their trip to Capri, starting with the arrival of the necklace Sarah was wearing when she died. Unfortunately, all three characters are only moderately developed, and bring an absolute minimum of depth to the plot.
I think this is a great popcorn thriller, especially for a vacation trip (if you’re sure your in-laws aren’t trying to kill you). However, it’s a very surface-level thriller, with less-than-thrilling reveals that left me frustrated and underwhelmed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
(And if you’re interested in my opinions on the big reveals, check out my spoiler-filled rant here.)
Read with Fern 
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