The Vipers is, as expected, utterly magnificent.

The novel plunges us into the world of the Lingates, as they travel to the island of Capri in both the 90s and present. As the book unravels we find ourselves learning more about the events surrounding Sarah Lingate’s death, until everything unravels in a fantastic chaos 30 years later.

Katy Hays’ first book immersed us in the gothic darkness of The Cloisters, and The Vipers immerses us just as well in the sunshine of the Mediterranean.

I loved the previous book written by this author and i was super excited to receive a copy of this one. The premise sounded excellent and up my alley, however it failed in the execution and the characters for me as i was not able to keep glued to the page. The author can write beautiful prose and dialogue, incredible description of scenery, however this did not work for me and it makes me so sad! There are positives in the way in which she writes the prose and the interesting mystery of what has happened which made it quite enjoyable in the end.
I had to give it 2.5 and rounded it up to 3.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/03/10/review-the-vipers-by-katy-hays/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Yes, She DId It Again

I very much enjoyed The Cloisters by Katy Hays and so when I was offered a review copy of The Vipers I was only to happy to snatch a copy with indecent haste. And, I’m glad I did because once again Hays has created a family drama/murder mystery packed with atmosphere, a delicious setting and a bunch of characters behaving badly.

The premise of The Vipers (known as Saltwater in the US) is a mystery surrounding the Lingate family. The Lingates are rich, and I do mean filthy rich, but even this much money can’t wash off some of the gossip that follows them. Thirty years ago, Sarah Lingate (wife to Richard, one of the two Lingate brothers) died mysteriously on the Island of Capri. Witnesses say she was seen arguing with her husband that evening and her body was later discovered in the waters surrounding the Island but the Lingates are found innocent of any crime and they return to the Island every year just to show the naysayers that they have nothing to hide. As the book begins they once again return to Capri but this year a surprise is awaiting their arrival, something that is about to shake them up and set in motion a series of drastic events.

What I really liked about this.

Well, firstly, the writing. I think I mentioned that the writing in The Cloisters was beautiful and a delight to read and The Vipers is no different. The island is described to perfection, you can feel the sun sparkling off the sea, smell the figs and simply goggle at the decadent lifestyles on display. At first, I found myself meandering a little, I don’t think I was really sure where everything was going but, as soon as I got a grip on the narrator’s and the jumps back and forth I became really absorbed and pretty soon I was flipping around like a fish out of water jumping to all sorts of ridiculous conclusions as the author cast threw out her red herrings. This is one of those stories that when you eventually come to the final twist not only have you not seen it coming but it’s an absolute cracker. Well, to be fair, more than one surprise actually. I confess that I’m a bit useless at sleuthing and reading so others might have more luck at second guessing some of the outcomes but I never try too hard to figure things out because I enjoy the suspense.

Let’s discuss characters. The Lingates are, as you might imagine with a family with so much wealth, very insular, even more so since the death of Sarah and the ensuing gossip. Sarah and her husband had one child, a daughter called Helen who was only three at the time but is now in her thirties and is one of the narrators. The family itself – the brothers Richard (married to Sarah before her accident) and Marcus and his wife Naomi. There is also Helen and her companion Freddy and the hired assistant. Now the thing is, none of these characters are particularly nice people. Although, to be fair I felt for Helen and I did become attached to her as the story progresses. Basically, Helen is trapped. She is literally kept like a prisoner, a very well kept prisoner, but nonetheless she has no freedom and a gilded cage is still a cage.

The thing about all the characters is that they’re all keeping secrets. Some of this becomes obvious as you read along what with the changes in narrative voice and the jumps back in time – but even as you begin to realise that not everything is rosy in the Lingate abode it’s still difficult to pin down what’s really going on and I advise you to really pay attention to everything because looking back I could see that the author was throwing out a little trail of breadcrumbs.

The setting is, with only a few exceptions, Capri. What a glittering place for this story to take place. It really was the perfect setting and felt so natural for this particular family.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, apart from a slightly slow start, once I was pulled into the Lingate family dynamics and the whole ‘did he or didn’t he’ dilema, not to mention a whole new murder mystery – well, I was totally compelled and found myself reading the whole book in two days. I loved the twists, I didn’t second guess everything although I do congratulate myself on one aspect of the mystery – even though it turned out slightly different to that which I’d imagined. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

“There’s nothing deadlier than a family with everything to lose...” Katy Hays returns with a twisting, dark, and brutal thriller set on the island of Capri. Historically best known for being the sordid pleasure palace of the Emperor Tiberius, Capri is once again host to the obscenely wealthy, paranoid, murderous, powerful, and secretive. Sarah Lingate died tragically at the Lingate’s holiday villa in 1992. But was it suicide or was it murder? 30 years later her daughter Helen, and Lorna - PA to Helen’s Uncle Marcus are on Capri for the summer - determined to break the grasp of her controlling family, Lorna and Helen set out to find the truth. As the family fractures, and the secrets slither out, will any of them survive the summer? I requested this like greased lightning when I saw it on @netgalley - massive thanks to @bantambooksuk for the approval - having absolutely devoured Katy’s debut The Cloisters. The Vipers is just as dark, layer, and twisting as Katy peels back the layers of her character’s exposing just how far they’re willing to go for truth, justice, and the luxury they’re so accustomed too. Helen and Lorna are brilliant, perfect contrasts in POV characters, the rich, sheltered, naive woman; and the recovering addict, with a difficult past. But both have complicated family, and enough dark secrets to fill the Mediterranean. It’s compared to The White Lotus and Succession which perfectly nail the languid setting, the brutal deaths, and the vicious manoeuvring and social games of the obscenely wealthy. Hays has crafted gripping drama full of secrets, betrayal, manipulation and shocking reveals that keep the reader gripped. Katy has cemented her position on my shelves with future books with this great second book!

Hmmm this is a 3.5 because there are definitely things I liked about this sun-drenched tale of the rich and entitled but some that I didn’t.

👍🏻Firstly, there is the stunning setting on the island of Capri. The descriptions make you want to grab your cossie and sunscreen and hop on a plane immediately.

👍🏻There are some interesting character dynamics and a central mystery that you want to unlock.

👍🏻It’s always fun to look behind the scenes at the lives of the obscenely wealthy and if we find out that it isn’t always as fun as it looks, that’s just a bonus! 😈

👎🏻What worked less well was that because of the multiple POV and timelines I never particularly invested in anyone.

👎🏻There were so many twists that it became too implausible for my liking and some of those twists stretched credulity too far.

👎🏻The US title for this book is Saltwater as that is the name of the property that the family rent in Capri. The similarity in name to Saltburn immediately stuck in my head, which is unfortunate because they deal with similar topics. However, Saltburn exploits the awfulness of its characters and satirises them, whereas The Vipers treats its awful cast list earnestly.

This would make a great holiday read but for me, personally, I’d cut a few of the twists and some of the less plausible events.

If you are inspired to go to Capri, don’t forget to watch out for the cliffs!

With thanks to NetGalley, Katy Hays and Bantam, Random House UK, Transworld for an arc of this book.

‘The Vipers’ is a novel told from different characters’ points of view, mostly those of Helen Lingate and her friend, her father’s personal assistant, Lorna. The novel begins as the Lingate family arrive in Capri for their annual holiday, the same location that Helen’s mother died in an apparent suicide years before. As cracks appear in her family’s wealthy, untouchable facade, Helen finally learns the truth of what happened to her mother.

I utterly adored this. It reminded me, a little, of ‘The Skeleton Key’ by Erin Kelly with the absolute laser-like focus on a family desperately trying to paper over any signs of dysfunction, headed by two quite different patriarchs, and the young people around them.

As a result of the focus on the family dynamics, I didn’t feel I got a full sense of the island of Capri. The island is used more of a status symbol, to show how wealthy the Lingate family are. Given how atmospheric the locations used in the author’s debut novel, ‘The Cloisters’, were, this is a little surprising, but as I say, the focus is very much on the characters here.

The end of the novel delivers some huge twists that I wasn’t expecting and, as long as I don’t think too deeply about them, quite enjoyed, but I do think they are a bit of a stretch. This might have meant a lower review score, but the writing and the plot leading up to this point are just so good. A juicy peach of a novel that will make an excellent summer read.

Very many thanks to the publisher for the advance copy on which this review is based.

Set on the Isalnd of Capri (which the author captured perfectly!) the super rich Lingates are taking an annual holiday. The story moves between the present day and 30 years ago when Sarah Lingate was found dead. Now her daughter Helen wants to know what happened to her mother and her discovering the truth may well bring the family down. When her friend Lorna goes missing from the Island another mystery is thrown into the mix.

Lots of mystery from the get go and though I thought it was well paced, there were possibly too many questions in the first third and I definitely got a bit frustrated waiting for answers though it does all come together at the end

A cast of pretty unlikeable characters too make it hard to root for any of them getting what they want.

All in all a decent read with layers of mystery and a definite White Lotus vibe of rich people in a gorgeous location doing bad things

Mystery thriller, superbly entertaining. I had read The Cloisters by Katy Hays, so was looking forward to reading this new book. I was not to be disappointed. There is tension from the start. Set mainly on the Island of Capri, the wealthy Lingate family have secrets to hide. A lot of secrets. Helen, young daughter, has been controlled all her life. But she’s woken up to the need to discover and expose what happened to her mother Sarah who was murdered, and to escape the family to live her own life. Plots within plots, lies within lies. Surprises to be revealed. Even the Epilogue has revelations. Thank you to Random House Uk, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.

Had I known that this was set in Capri I would have read it sooner. Katy Hays brilliantly portrays the island and the feel of the summer spent in Capri. There were the odd spots where I had to go back and read again but I think this was a problem with the formatting rather than this delightful novel. Just glad that they are not my family.

With turquoise sea, golden sand and opulent, frankly obscene, affluent lifestyles from the offset, one can't help but draw comparisons to the loathesome cast of White Lotus. This is a huge complement.

I loved The Cloisters, despite hating everyone in it and I love this, despite hating almost everyone in it. It's a twisty turny thriller, steeped in mystery and it kept me second guessing.

The story is set on Capri and I felt transported there, and got a feel for the island, despite having never set foot in Italy. The food, the landscape, the sea, they all felt so real.

It wasn't perfect, there were definitely a few moments that annoyed me, but it's a great story and it will be a perfect accompaniment to someone's beach holiday.

This book was really difficult to follow, repetition, odd words and broken sentences. I got 5% through it and was totally confused. A shame as I really enjoyed the Cloisters.
Thank you Katy and NetGalley for this ARC.

Helen is a rich girl that is living in her own little bubble controlled by her family. That wouldn't be so sad except that she is in her 30s and has to ask for permission to do literally anything. No, her family isn't worried about her safety; that would be understandable. They are worried about their reputation. Especially since Helen's mom died while the family was on vacation 30 years ago and the world hasn't quite gotten over the suspision of her family's potential involvement.

Lorna has lived a life scraping by using everything at her disposal to keep moving forward, even her body. She finally lands a dream job as the assistant to Helen's uncle and earns Helen's friendship along the way. Things are finally looking up.

At some point along the way, neither woman is satisfied with her lot in life and scheme together to break away from the family and forge ahead on their own. But, of course, things go to absolute shit and what is uncovered along the way will rock the Lingates to the foundation.

I loved this! This book kept me invested. It took some getting started. About 30% in, my husband asked me what my book was about and all I could say was, "I don't really know, but I can't look away". This is a wild ride. The characters are so interesting and you truly have no idea who is good, bad, or both. But as Ciro says, "We are always both people". So maybe the answer is all of the above.

Whilst I really enjoyed the story and the setting for it in general, the writing in the ARC made it really difficult to get into, sentences randomly cut out and returned several lines later etc.

The phrase "lifestyles of the rich and the famous, they're always complaining" kept popping into my head as I read this book. The title is well suited, as you read and see how the Lingates are like vipers, willing to bite and kill to keep their power/money/lifestyle. It is a kind of slow burn thriller with lots of twists as secrets and lies come to light on this week on Capri (as well as a dead body or two).

The characters are nicely real, though not really easy to like, even Helen who, with Lorna's help tries to find out the truth about the death of her mother and extract herself from the grasp of her family so that she can live her own life, away from the dark shadows of the past. Though I do like her, and a bit Lorna as they are not quite as rotten to the core. This book, shows well, what lengths anyone could go to for riches and freedom.

Told in mostly three views (Lorna, Helen, and Sara), weaving the past and the present, so that the reader gets the whole story. I did not expect that twists but it added to the story nicely and really made the case that the Lingates were a pit of vipers, willing to do anything to stay on top with the power.

I did enjoy this novel and I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this!

Thirty years after her mother's death, the daughter of a rich family revisits the scene. She quickly learns that secrets will be revealed over a sweltering summer in Capri, and that nobody in the family can be trusted. Anyone who likes a twisting finale and an exciting route to get there should definitely read this book.

A slow start, and a deeply unappealing group of characters, but The Vipers was an absorbing story.
Our primary focus is the wealthy Lingate family and what happens on their annual retreat to Capri. While the story is exploring the disappearance of the family’s assistant, Lorna, integral to the plot is the much earlier mystery surrounding the suspicious death of Sarah Lingate.
It’s safe to say that nobody is quite what they first appear to be. Secrets aplenty, and some truly treacherous behaviour. We do, eventually, get answers to the many mysteries permeating the novel. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it will have its share of fans.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication.

Was really looking forward to being able to read this book but I can't properly review this book due to significant formatting issues on the copy on both my Kindle and in the NG App. Have contacted NG to advise of the issue and hopefully it will be resolved - will be happy read and review if that happens.

Fab read really enjoyed it ,good mystery with a cast of suspects and history of family dynamics come to the surface

I really enjoyed The Cloisters but I couldn't get to grips with the writing style in this book. I had to keep rereading passages. Unfortunately it was a rare DNF. I've given a neutral 3 star. Based on The Cloisters, I will definitely look out for future books by Hays.

While holidaying on Capri with her husband and family celebrated playwright Sarah Lingate goes missing. When she's discovered dead the police quickly absolve the Lingates of any blame, but many on the island aren't so sure of their innocence

Years later the Lingates return to the island for their now annual show of face, but this year things are going to be different. Sarah's daughter Helen is intent on escaping her family's overbearing control, even if that means long held secrets are revealed.

The title, The Vipers, is apt. The Lingates are a nest of snakes, obsessed with maintaining their status and fortune to the exclusion of all else. Unfortunately, every character that comes into their orbit is tainted by association and end up unsympathetic.

Another, much bigger, issue is that it's back loaded with twists. The final half dozen or so chapters seem to be packed with twist after twist after twist. To the point that I found myself not caring who, if anyone, had actually murdered Sarah.

Thanks to NetGalley, Transworld Publishers and the author for an advance copy