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Salty (Nomad Edition): A Novel
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.
544 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Kate Myers
2 books108 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 327 reviews
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.
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!
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...
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.
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.
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.
February 24, 2026
I hate to say this but honestly the worst book I’ve ever read - I don’t like giving up on things so I plowed on and sped read, but it was terrible from the first chapter and I was so relieved to be finished. The characters were not set up well - it started really fast without much development - and there was just endless amounts of dialogue between characters we did not care about. No idea how this was deemed hilarious or White Lotus-like, sorry.
July 29, 2026
Denise and Helen, somewhat estranged sisters, are reunited when Helen comes back to down looking for a job on the luxury yacht that Denise captains. Helen is more free-spirited while Denise is more hard-lined. Their latest charter is for the Falcons, a rich family that’s had some questionable dealings in real estate, one of them being connected to the sisters’ family home. They decide it’s a good opportunity to do some undercover digging into that family’s shady business practices.
Told in multiple POVs the story flits from one to another which sometimes felt chaotic to me. Everyone has an agenda, and not necessarily nefarious, but there are several plates spinning in the air and who knows who is in charge. There are definitely some amusing moments. The Falcons reminded me of the Bluths from Arrested Development. Denise and Helen’s dynamic is tense and does ease up.
Basically this is a clash between the haves and have-nots, and the consequences of secrets, maneuvering, and bad decision-making. It’s entertaining overall!
Thank you @harperviabooks for my Nomad Edition copy in exchange for an honest review.
Told in multiple POVs the story flits from one to another which sometimes felt chaotic to me. Everyone has an agenda, and not necessarily nefarious, but there are several plates spinning in the air and who knows who is in charge. There are definitely some amusing moments. The Falcons reminded me of the Bluths from Arrested Development. Denise and Helen’s dynamic is tense and does ease up.
Basically this is a clash between the haves and have-nots, and the consequences of secrets, maneuvering, and bad decision-making. It’s entertaining overall!
Thank you @harperviabooks for my Nomad Edition copy in exchange for an 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.
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, 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.
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.
July 15, 2026
“you wanna join the ‘Goon Squad” made me laugh out loud
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.
July 20, 2026
I enjoyed reading this book at the beach this summer.
July 12, 2026
It was fine. I would actually recommend it to someone going on vacation as it’s a fun beach read. I didn’t really love the characters and thought it was a pretty shallow book but it didn’t feel like a waste of time and that’s good enough for me
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.
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.
July 1, 2026
The number of plot diversions and red herrings in this book made it one of the most difficult stories to follow, the unfinished character threads were confusing, and the implausible ending was not only unbelievable, but extremely disappointing. I thought this would be a light-hearted, funny summer read, but instead, it just made my head hurt. SPOILER: It only took a few minutes to Google that dead Lionfish venom cannot leech into water and kill a human.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2025
This book overall was entertaining and a good story, with a side of justice. However, it was a bit painful to get there. It’s written from many different points of view and one of them isn’t chronological. So it felt a bit erratic and abstract to read and piece it all together - almost like a giant riddle. I probably had the most difficulty reading because none of the characters are exactly likable. Some are quieter horrible people, others are just free spirited or incredibly rigid. A bit of an odd cast all together. Somehow I feel like it could have been easier to read and follow in print version rather than digital - but that’s probably my own personal issue really. At the end everything comes together and wraps up nicely though.
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! 🛥️
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…
May 3, 2026
Good idea for a book, adorable cover, but the actual story need a little more twist/suspense. It was wildly predictable.
May 11, 2026
I finished it but I’m still confused…
May 28, 2026
The pace of this book was too slow to keep me interested for long periods of time.
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...
August 2, 2026
3.5⭐️ this book was quick & fun summer mystery/comedy that I really enjoyed! It had a super unique concept and I definitely was intrigued and always wanted to read more. I loved the sibling relationship between Denise and Helen and how it evolved and grew throughout the book they were so precious to me and I really enjoyed them. However, the ending of the book felt so rushed to me and I would’ve liked less buildup to it and more explaining of what really happened. I thought the “plot twist” was really good, but I wanted to read more about what went down!! I feel like I wanted every plot point to be more in depth a lot of the chapters just felt pointless and surface level. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you want a quick, funny, & witty mystery/comedy!
August 1, 2026
This is a great vacation book, especially if you’re in the Caribbean. 3 1/2 rounded up. I feel like it could’ve been some more to the ploy and the ending was confusing although I think I understand what happened. I thought some of the characters are really ridiculous and the dialogue was very funny. The mystery was fun, Helen and Denise were an interesting combination, but I don’t necessarily think that I would use the term rivalry to describe what was happening between them. Easy read, I don’t think it deserves all the hate it seems to have gotten on Goodreads.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews