Saltwater

(Hardback, Large Print Edition)

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Description

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, Sarahs death is ruled an accident. And every year, the family returns to prove its true. But on the thirtieth anniversary of Sarahs death, the Lingates arrive at the villa to find a surprise waiting for themthe 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 Helens paranoid, insular family. But when Lorna disappears and the investigation into Sarahs death is reopened, Helen has to confront the fact that everyone who was on Capri thirty years ago remains a suspecther 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.

Reviews

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 Highsmiths cunningly and sympathetically flawed characters to deliver an absorbing read.Booklist, starred review

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 feisty storm of Greek tragedy headlined by three very modern women.Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

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.