scijessreads

Saltwater is a fascinating entry into the realm of “rich people behaving badly.” No one is entirely likable (although some of the family has at least logical reasons for why they do what they do – even if the actions are highly questionable). Sarah Lingate died 30 years ago, and every year the Lingate family still returns to Capri, the island where it happened. They tightly control their image, and by the time we start the story, Helen Lingate is reaching a breaking point.

Brought into Helen’s plans is Lorna, the assistant to Marcus Lingate. We also have Naomi, Marcus’ wife, and Richard, Helen’s father and Sarah’s husband. We follow a few days of their lives, from arriving at the island to a culmination of years of secrets and lies and revelations. We also get flashbacks and moments from different points of view. As with any good thriller, nothing should be taken at face value.

I loved the atmosphere created here. It is a slice of life of the extremely wealthy, and everything that they will do do hold onto a tightly controlled image and narrative. No one wants to admit defeat or fault or failure. And in this mess of motives, we also see the darker side of this tight control. The unspoken parts of presenting an image and not caring who you have to ruin to keep your place among the echelons of the rich. I was constantly revising my opinions of who did what, and even at the end was engrossed in what the final outcome would be. It is best to go into this one without too many hints or spoilers, but I will say that the story holds your attention and even though no one is without fault, I truly enjoyed seeing how this family managed to slowly unravel themselves until all that was left were things that maybe should have been left unsaid.

I read this early as an ARC. All opinions are my own. This is one for fans of Lisa Jewel and Liane Moriarty. Or the TV show Succession. Publication date is March 25th, 2025.