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Salty
A hilarious page-turner from the bestselling author of Excavations, Salty takes us to a tropical marina where two estranged sisters reunite to work on a luxury yacht and take down the owner who destroyed their childhood home—and might have something to do with the dead body found next door.
Captain Denise is more comfortable facing down a stingray than a party guest, though she’s punched both in recent memory. She’s been at the helm of these boats for half her life, back and forth across the Caribbean, and risen the ranks thanks to one never, ever mix with the owners.
Her sister Helen is a walking HR violation, one of many reasons the two haven’t seen each other in years. Helen just got fired for the dozenth time for hooking up with a client and with every bridge burned, retreats home to work for Denise.
The clashing sisters are immediately thrown into the deep—their first charter is the Falcon family, shady real estate developers who mowed down Helen and Denise’s childhood home to build condos along the beautiful peninsula here. The Falcons treat everyone like pawns—from their future daughter-in-law, gullible Poppy, who has no idea what she’s marrying into, to the uptight yacht concierge, Geoff, who’s looking for love in very wrong places.
When the latest Falcon building collapses—and a dead body turns up beside it—Helen and Denise comb through the boat, marina, and beyond to uncover just how low the Falcons will sink in order to stay afloat—before the big storm wipes out the evidence.
Captain Denise is more comfortable facing down a stingray than a party guest, though she’s punched both in recent memory. She’s been at the helm of these boats for half her life, back and forth across the Caribbean, and risen the ranks thanks to one never, ever mix with the owners.
Her sister Helen is a walking HR violation, one of many reasons the two haven’t seen each other in years. Helen just got fired for the dozenth time for hooking up with a client and with every bridge burned, retreats home to work for Denise.
The clashing sisters are immediately thrown into the deep—their first charter is the Falcon family, shady real estate developers who mowed down Helen and Denise’s childhood home to build condos along the beautiful peninsula here. The Falcons treat everyone like pawns—from their future daughter-in-law, gullible Poppy, who has no idea what she’s marrying into, to the uptight yacht concierge, Geoff, who’s looking for love in very wrong places.
When the latest Falcon building collapses—and a dead body turns up beside it—Helen and Denise comb through the boat, marina, and beyond to uncover just how low the Falcons will sink in order to stay afloat—before the big storm wipes out the evidence.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published June 24, 2025
About the author
Kate Myers
5 books99 followersKate Myers is the bestselling author of Salty and Excavations, which is now being turned into the TV series DIG on Peacock, starring Amy Poehler. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with her husband, daughters and dog.
You can find her on Instagram @frontdoorsofannapolis.
You can find her on Instagram @frontdoorsofannapolis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
August 12, 2025
I started reading this on vacation at the beach; (Down the shore for NJ natives.) 😎 and really got engrossed. I would have finished it quicker but I can’t use my Kindle in the sunshine. (Jealous of all those with new Paperwhite Kindles.)
Definitely a page turner with fantastic satirical humor running through it. The two groups I assigned to the characters were your basic good guys and bad guys.
Good Guys: Christine and her younger sister by ten years, Helen were my favorite characters. Christine was all business and had focused on her career as a boat/ yacht Captain, working her way through the ranks. Helen, very obviously younger and a bit immature (but not dumb at all), was hilarious on her views of everything. She left home at 18 and traveled the world by islands working on various boats. She may have been ‘on the spectrum’ since her interactions and logic were sometimes a bit off. She was great though. They now both worked for Ahoy Co. whose clients were yacht owners.
The women’s mother and her partner were on their side, as well as Randy, Christine’s boyfriend.
Bad guys: The Falcon Family and their pursuit of real estate and building condos with ‘lagoons’ with little regard for their ecological impact. Linnie the mother and her oldest son, Alden were the worst. Tim, younger son, was just a privileged ass. And Raul, millionaire running the soil testing company in cahoots with the Falcons.
Middle guys: Poppy, beautiful, gullible and a bit spacey, was engaged to Tim but was initially blind to the family’s deviousness. She was trying to do the right thing. Geoff, the concierge of the Ahoy Co. fell for Poppy but had set his sights on the money.
I really enjoyed the tale but was slightly disappointed with the ending. It came upon me quickly and I wasn’t ready; I wanted to know more. It seemed a bit rushed. Overall a fun read on vacation!
Definitely a page turner with fantastic satirical humor running through it. The two groups I assigned to the characters were your basic good guys and bad guys.
Good Guys: Christine and her younger sister by ten years, Helen were my favorite characters. Christine was all business and had focused on her career as a boat/ yacht Captain, working her way through the ranks. Helen, very obviously younger and a bit immature (but not dumb at all), was hilarious on her views of everything. She left home at 18 and traveled the world by islands working on various boats. She may have been ‘on the spectrum’ since her interactions and logic were sometimes a bit off. She was great though. They now both worked for Ahoy Co. whose clients were yacht owners.
The women’s mother and her partner were on their side, as well as Randy, Christine’s boyfriend.
Bad guys: The Falcon Family and their pursuit of real estate and building condos with ‘lagoons’ with little regard for their ecological impact. Linnie the mother and her oldest son, Alden were the worst. Tim, younger son, was just a privileged ass. And Raul, millionaire running the soil testing company in cahoots with the Falcons.
Middle guys: Poppy, beautiful, gullible and a bit spacey, was engaged to Tim but was initially blind to the family’s deviousness. She was trying to do the right thing. Geoff, the concierge of the Ahoy Co. fell for Poppy but had set his sights on the money.
I really enjoyed the tale but was slightly disappointed with the ending. It came upon me quickly and I wasn’t ready; I wanted to know more. It seemed a bit rushed. Overall a fun read on vacation!
July 31, 2025
I was very bored. This was an ensemble with the sisters’ storyline being the core. Felt like too many players, I lost track of who was who. I read most of the book through audio and tbh while I missed details here and there, it really didn’t take away from the ongoing plot. I can see the book being more compelling as an tv adaptation. Didn’t find it particularly funny as was claimed.
June 12, 2025
I really enjoyed Kate Myers debut Excavations and was beyond excited to get an early copy of her latest release Salty… the perfect summer read for fans of Below Deck, yacht/destination vlogs and rich people behaving badly.
Two estranged sisters…Denise a Captain on a yacht, Helen a free spirit who returns home to work with Denise. Their first charter… the wealthy Falcon family…who are shady real estate developers, the same ones who are planning to build condos where the sister’s childhood home once was. Full of shenanigans and humor. A slim novel that if I had all the time in the world I could have easily read in one day! Making it perfect to pack in your beach bag. One that gives all the #summervibes
Thank you Harper Via for the gifted copy!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
Two estranged sisters…Denise a Captain on a yacht, Helen a free spirit who returns home to work with Denise. Their first charter… the wealthy Falcon family…who are shady real estate developers, the same ones who are planning to build condos where the sister’s childhood home once was. Full of shenanigans and humor. A slim novel that if I had all the time in the world I could have easily read in one day! Making it perfect to pack in your beach bag. One that gives all the #summervibes
Thank you Harper Via for the gifted copy!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
April 2, 2025
If you like Below Deck and White Lotus, you’ll love Salty. The story follows two sisters, Helen and Denise, as they work together for the first time to charter a yacht for the Falcon Family who coincidently mowed down their childhood home to build condos with a a problematic lagoon. The Falcons shady real estate dealings, and own personal gains, come to the surface and culminate with showing just how far they’ll go to keep their secrets.
This book was a like, not love for me. There are a variety of characters in the book and often times it was difficult to discern who was narrating a chapter. Helen was undoubtably my favorite character and I did find myself laughing out loud during points of the book. It felt a little long in the middle and then a rushed ending where it jumped to an unspecified time in the future with a snapshot of where everyone is now. I would have loved to hear more about the drama and fall out after the storm and what transpired.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a like, not love for me. There are a variety of characters in the book and often times it was difficult to discern who was narrating a chapter. Helen was undoubtably my favorite character and I did find myself laughing out loud during points of the book. It felt a little long in the middle and then a rushed ending where it jumped to an unspecified time in the future with a snapshot of where everyone is now. I would have loved to hear more about the drama and fall out after the storm and what transpired.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 24, 2025
I can see "Salty" being a popular summer read this season! It follows two sisters, Denise and Helen, as they work to repair their estranged relationship while taking down a wealthy family working to develop condos on their childhood property. Is there a murder involved? Yes. Is there a big takedown plot? Also, yes. Are the events always believable? Eh...probably not, but it did not make this any less enjoyable to read.
I liked that we got the perspectives of several characters. I was able to get the insights of minor characters and felt like I knew the mindsets of all of the major players. If you're going on a trip this summer, this would be a great book to take along with you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advanced copy of this book.
I liked that we got the perspectives of several characters. I was able to get the insights of minor characters and felt like I knew the mindsets of all of the major players. If you're going on a trip this summer, this would be a great book to take along with you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advanced copy of this book.
September 25, 2025
Don’t judge a book by its cover—this one hooked me with a gorgeous design and the promise of being a “hilarious page-turner.” It was not. The writing and settings are beautiful, but the story itself was flat as day-old champagne. There are a few shining moments, but overall the plot never rises above dull. I finished it only because the short chapters and atmosphere carried me through. Overall, though, it left me bored to salty tears. Trust the Goodreads reviews on this one.
July 11, 2025
2.5 Stars
The characters are ridiculous and hilarious. The whole situation is bizarre. I like that there are a lot of stories happening, but this is still a short quick read. The Falcon family - the Ahoy employees - Denise and Helen - Hernanes residents - all these characters groups have something going on in relation to the lagoon and it keeps the story interesting.
I giggled a bit especially reading Tim and Poppy, I can imagine how Myers felt writing Tim's dialogue, he is just so horrible. Poor Poppy is so innocent and dumb she can't help her ignorance and it leaves her win the same place she was before meeting Tim.
I don't think I am supposed to like any of the characters, and I love that about this book. But, this wasn't a book that impressed me, I appreciate book club for making me read another book I wouldn't have otherwise read! But the vibes weren't quite my reading preference ~vibes~.
The characters are ridiculous and hilarious. The whole situation is bizarre. I like that there are a lot of stories happening, but this is still a short quick read. The Falcon family - the Ahoy employees - Denise and Helen - Hernanes residents - all these characters groups have something going on in relation to the lagoon and it keeps the story interesting.
I giggled a bit especially reading Tim and Poppy, I can imagine how Myers felt writing Tim's dialogue, he is just so horrible. Poor Poppy is so innocent and dumb she can't help her ignorance and it leaves her win the same place she was before meeting Tim.
I don't think I am supposed to like any of the characters, and I love that about this book. But, this wasn't a book that impressed me, I appreciate book club for making me read another book I wouldn't have otherwise read! But the vibes weren't quite my reading preference ~vibes~.
June 30, 2025
Denise and Helen, sisters who grew up in a house that now is gone and the Falcon’s are developing. Poppy is about to marry one and is taking over ownership of their yacht. Geoff is a concierge who wants to climb the ranks. Denise and Helen want to stop the Falcons from continue their build.
That’s literally all I got from this book. It was painful to get though and I just couldn’t connect. I almost DNF but since it’s short, I pressed on hoping it would get better - it didn’t.
That’s literally all I got from this book. It was painful to get though and I just couldn’t connect. I almost DNF but since it’s short, I pressed on hoping it would get better - it didn’t.
September 20, 2025
Easy summer read that’s even more fun if you’re a fan of below deck. Now that my palate is sufficiently cleansed you’ll see me back in my dark corner of the library.
August 18, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Salty.
I was under the mistaken impression that this was a thriller.
It's not; its more of a Below Deck tale sprinkled with eco-terrorism featuring two very different sisters, Denise and Helen, and a privileged, entitled family, the Falcons.
I liked the rapport between the Denise and Helen; they're very different but loyal despite their estrangement.
On the other hand, character development is poor; the story begins with little exposition.
I liked the supporting characters, Denise's loyal and loving boyfriend, her crew, and how kind and loving the sisters' mom and wife is,
I couldn't stand the Falcons but I don't think readers are supposed to like them, especially Tim or Poppy.
I didn't understand all the unnecessary POVs; they were distracting and didn't move the narrative forward; Linnie is a ninny, Poppy is a silly twit, and all the sailing jargon went over my head.
But I'm not a fan of boats.
There's no urgency or suspense and the death mentioned in the synopsis happens more than midway through the narrative and is a minor footnote to the story of corporate greed, environmental destruction, and elitism.
I was under the mistaken impression that this was a thriller.
It's not; its more of a Below Deck tale sprinkled with eco-terrorism featuring two very different sisters, Denise and Helen, and a privileged, entitled family, the Falcons.
I liked the rapport between the Denise and Helen; they're very different but loyal despite their estrangement.
On the other hand, character development is poor; the story begins with little exposition.
I liked the supporting characters, Denise's loyal and loving boyfriend, her crew, and how kind and loving the sisters' mom and wife is,
I couldn't stand the Falcons but I don't think readers are supposed to like them, especially Tim or Poppy.
I didn't understand all the unnecessary POVs; they were distracting and didn't move the narrative forward; Linnie is a ninny, Poppy is a silly twit, and all the sailing jargon went over my head.
But I'm not a fan of boats.
There's no urgency or suspense and the death mentioned in the synopsis happens more than midway through the narrative and is a minor footnote to the story of corporate greed, environmental destruction, and elitism.
June 25, 2025
4.5 ✨
Thank you HarperVia and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Salty is a funny, ridiculous, enjoyable ride. I really enjoyed the hint of a mystery here and the whole vibe reminded me a lot of Carl Hiaasen. The characters are so over the top — I wouldn’t say you particularly love any of them but you also don’t hate them. The whole spectacle is unfolding and you’re just happy to be along for the ride. And the writing in general is hilarious while also being really smart and a satire all in one.
What a ride! 🛥️
Thank you HarperVia and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Salty is a funny, ridiculous, enjoyable ride. I really enjoyed the hint of a mystery here and the whole vibe reminded me a lot of Carl Hiaasen. The characters are so over the top — I wouldn’t say you particularly love any of them but you also don’t hate them. The whole spectacle is unfolding and you’re just happy to be along for the ride. And the writing in general is hilarious while also being really smart and a satire all in one.
What a ride! 🛥️
August 11, 2025
DNF at 44%
Did Not Finish
March 18, 2026DNF at 21%.
I could not get into this story. Nothing interesting was happening, and the characters weren't interesting.
I could not get into this story. Nothing interesting was happening, and the characters weren't interesting.
August 9, 2025
This was a light, quirky, and fun summer beach read! I’d highly recommend reading near water to set the vibes even more. It gave major Below Deck drama meets the satire elements of White Lotus.
There were plenty of witty characters and humorous moments. The eclectic cast of characters kept things interesting especially when it came to the ultra wealthy Falcon Family vs the hired Ahoy crew of the yacht that they charter. I’m always here for stories in which the reader gets to be a fly on the wall of the wealthy. In this case they are also shady real estate developers intent on destroying the local coastal ecology, so it was nice to watch justice served.
There is a bit of a mystery component involving a dead body but that doesn’t really take precedence. One character in particular, Poppy, kept me giggling. She reminded me of Molly from The Maid and I adored her innocence. I did enjoy the narration but sometimes found myself losing track of which character’s POV it was, as there are quite a few in this! I still think the narrator did a great job differentiating between them. Overall, I flew through this bingey beach read on audio and think it’s perfect addition to your summer reading line up!
•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ read if you watch Below Deck or White Lotus
+ luxury yacht setting
+ tropical marina locale
+ sister dynamic
+ rich people behaving badly
+ satire
+ female boss babe rep
(she’s the captain of the yacht)
+ witty characters and LOL moments
+ environmental vigilantes
+ revenge-ish
+ short chapters
+ wealthy vs the working class
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: June 24, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: General Fiction • Beach Read • Mystery
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Audio (8h 32m) 🎧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Kristine Hvam
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: I enjoyed it!
Thank you @harperaudio @netgalley @harperviabooks for my #gifted ALC!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNI21CER3...
There were plenty of witty characters and humorous moments. The eclectic cast of characters kept things interesting especially when it came to the ultra wealthy Falcon Family vs the hired Ahoy crew of the yacht that they charter. I’m always here for stories in which the reader gets to be a fly on the wall of the wealthy. In this case they are also shady real estate developers intent on destroying the local coastal ecology, so it was nice to watch justice served.
There is a bit of a mystery component involving a dead body but that doesn’t really take precedence. One character in particular, Poppy, kept me giggling. She reminded me of Molly from The Maid and I adored her innocence. I did enjoy the narration but sometimes found myself losing track of which character’s POV it was, as there are quite a few in this! I still think the narrator did a great job differentiating between them. Overall, I flew through this bingey beach read on audio and think it’s perfect addition to your summer reading line up!
•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ read if you watch Below Deck or White Lotus
+ luxury yacht setting
+ tropical marina locale
+ sister dynamic
+ rich people behaving badly
+ satire
+ female boss babe rep
(she’s the captain of the yacht)
+ witty characters and LOL moments
+ environmental vigilantes
+ revenge-ish
+ short chapters
+ wealthy vs the working class
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: June 24, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: General Fiction • Beach Read • Mystery
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Audio (8h 32m) 🎧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Kristine Hvam
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: I enjoyed it!
Thank you @harperaudio @netgalley @harperviabooks for my #gifted ALC!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNI21CER3...
July 6, 2026
3.0⭐️ This was a light, fun read with a touch of humor as two sisters team up to take down a corporation—and quite literally a $60 million yacht. The story highlights the importance of taking a stand against an environmental crisis, giving the adventure a meaningful purpose without becoming overly heavy. It was entertaining and easy to get through, and I enjoyed the sibling dynamic throughout. There wasn’t anything wrong with the story, but it also wasn’t especially deep or memorable. Overall, it was an enjoyable palate cleanser.
July 6, 2025
What an underrated gem! I picked up this book at an indie book store as it was on the shelf with the staff's picks. So happy I took a chance on it - how more people aren't reading it I don't know. I love a book with true quirky characters but if I had a dime for every book I purchased that made the quirky claim but then ended up being anything but, I'd be rich. This one truly was quirky and weird and so much fun. It gave me Kevin Kwan vibes- upstairs / downstairs plot on a yacht with rich people behaving very badly and hilarious sisters working as their captain and crew. Someone else in a previous review said it reminded them of White Lotus, I agree with that comparison too, I loved all the side characters too. This is the perfect summer / beach read if you aren't one for romance or whatever book is currently hot on Tik Tok. I hadn't even finished Salty before ordering the author's previous novel Excavations and was a little sad there was only the one. Can't wait to read what comes next. I hope more people read this book - I know I plan to recommend it to others. It's rare for me to laugh out loud while reading a book but I pretty much laughed the whole way through at the sheer weirdness of Salty. Read it! You won't be sorry.
April 18, 2026
Truthfully, I was confused a majority of the time, but I really loved the characters. I do know what happened, but I’m not 100% clear on why or how, and some of the who of it all is also a bit fuzzy. Was this whole book a fever dream? Possibly. I did this as a buddy read with Kristin, and I actually don’t know if she finished, but I don’t think this review will ruin the ending for her or anyone…
March 20, 2025
loved this rival siblings turned partners in “taking down crime” type story. it was a quick read, loved her writing style which was funny and easy, and has some Mary Kay Andrews vibes with the coastal setting. loved the plot and the way it wrapped up!!
July 10, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
August 2, 2025
A fun summer story, with a few twists and turns along the way. Bon Voyage and happy reading.
September 1, 2025
Highly entertaining
February 1, 2026
really obsessed with the level of chaos in this one right up to the final page
May 30, 2026
3.75! Maaajor white lotus season 1 vibes for these characters which I loved.
June 18, 2026
really excited to speak with this author for Banner book club!
June 30, 2026
Blech. I have nothing good to say about this book, I’m mostly upset that the cover looked so cute and appealing and it was so dumb.
March 8, 2026
Three and a half, often hilarious
May 28, 2026
The pace of this book was too slow to keep me interested for long periods of time.
August 30, 2025
Cute but I’d rather watch below deck
May 11, 2026
I finished it but I’m still confused…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews