*3-3.5 stars.

Jacinta 'Jack' Cross and her husband Gabriel Medway run a company called Crossway Security. They conduct physical and digital penetration tests for businesses to test their security and make recommendations for how they could do better. Gabe runs the computer diagnostics while Jack does the on-site attacks.

On one such job, Jack is caught red-handed and gets arrested until she can prove she was hired to run a pen test. Finally released and returning home in the wee hours of the night, she finds Gabe brutally murdered. Because she does some inexplicable things before calling 999, she quickly becomes the #1 suspect of London's Metropolitan police. All that is needed is the motive...and then an email provides that too.

It looks like Gabe's murder was a hit and that Jack has been set up to take the fall. Realizing that she's about to be arrested, Jack makes a desperate run for it. She needs to prove her innocence and find the killer but where to begin?

I found this story to be predictable and repetitive. The 'who' is fairly easy to guess although the 'why' is interesting. Jack spends most of her time running and hiding and very little time investigating. After she receives a very bad, self-inflicted wound, it's hard to believe that she can still do the physical stunts she carries out. Most of us would be passed out or hospitalized. The story has too many details and not enough thrills or twists this time around--an entertaining-enough beach read but not one of Ware's best.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I've been a fan of Ruth Ware since In a Dark, Dark Wood from 2015, which was my favorite until The Death of Mrs. Westaway in 2018. I may now have to reconsider my choice for best Ruth Ware book because Zero Days grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until I had read all the way through, panting with exhaustion from the heroine's exploits. Ruth Ware is the master of page-turning suspense and this book lived up to all my expectations and then some. Great characters, fast paced plot, and enough twists to keep the suspense heightened. Highly recommended (as are all of her books)

Thanks to Net Galley and Gallery/Scout Press for an advanced reader copy.

Gabe and Jacintha, aka Jack, are the Mr. and Mrs. Smith like team of "pen testers" hired by companies to test their security systems. Gabe is the hacker, talking through her earpiece while Jack does the actual breaking in. Returning home late at night after a job, Jack finds her husband brutally murdered... and all the clues point to her. Knowing she's been framed, Jack won't quit running until she finds the truth.
This book was an action packed heart pounding thriller and I raced to the end to find out what happened. The tech part was very well explained so the tech illiterate (like me) can still understand. I found myself cheering Jack on through her highs and lows and I really enjoyed how it was all tied up in the ending.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My new favorite Ruth Ware book! I loved the work they did. Scouting out companies for flaws in their security. Jack and Gabe are a perfect team. When Gabe is murdered, Jack becomes the number one suspect. I was intrigued how she was able to find out the truth. I kinda guessed who, but still had others in my thoughts, too!
Thank you Ruth Ware and NetGalley for keeping me up to finish this book!

This was my first Ruth Ware thriller, and I am very certain that it won’t be my last. After reading the book description it was clear that Ware has extreme creativity, and I couldn’t wait to dive into Zero Days. I certainly hope that his one grabs you and allows you to be amazed just like I was.

Jack Cross and Gabe Medway are one of the most unique husband-wife combos you’ll ever read about. The duo form one of the more formidable penetration testing companies in the greater London area. Gabe handles the digital (hacking) portions of the company while Jack is what would emulate the grease man from Ocean’s Eleven. That is until one test leaves her world shattered with nowhere to turn but into herself.

Battling demons from the past and dodging new dangers from the present, Jack is on the hunt for the truth in what must be the single worst moment of her life. On the run from the police, as their lead suspect, Jack turns to her sister Helena for a cold shoulder and a listening ear. Piecing together the facts and slowly succumbing to injuries sustained in a high stakes escape, Jack is in for the most heartbreaking ride of her life.

Zero Days is filled with perilous intensity as one woman tries to find truth in a world full of lies. Ware has found something mesmerizing in Jack Cross using her creativity and ability to deliver some of the most traumatizing scenes with compassion. The twists and turns are top-notch as she lays out the obstacle course of danger Cross must navigate to find the truth. The career field that Ware puts both Cross and Medway in is one of the most interesting things I’ve ever read about and something I was never aware of. One of my favorite things about this one is the opening sequence as Ware lays out the foundation for the story but easily sets the standard as high as possible.

Another winner from Ruth Ware! I really appreciate smart characters like Jack, who in this story is on the run, being framed for her husband’s murder, while trying to figure out who killed him. The big reveal wasn’t terribly surprising, but everything gets resolved in a satisfying way. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. I wasn't expected a techno-thriller from Ruth Ware but she pulled it off pretty well.

If this isn’t adapted to film I will go feral. 🙃

Ruth Ware, girrrrrl, you knocked it out of the park with this. I’ve read pretty much every single one of her books and they can be hit or miss for me, but I can say without a doubt this is her best novel she has written. At least in my humble opinion. This might be one of my favorite thrillers I’ve read in a long time.

I refuse to spoil anything so check the comment section for the market synopsis but just know that this was on par for Gone Girl for me. I didn’t want to put it down. I lost sleep over it (which is saying a lot because I love sleep) I was gripped by the story from the very first sentence…you get the picture. It’s a must read for crime thriller fans.

The only thing keeping this from being a full 5 stars was that it became repetitive at points and some of the redundancies in it could have been edited down to make it more impactful and streamlines. Other than that, it was awesome!

4.5/5 stars rounded up for this review

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. Overall, this book was fine. I liked Jack quite a bit and the story moved along at a good pace. I could see it being made into a movie. The issue for me is that I figured out the villain pretty much the moment the character was introduced. There were no twists to speak of after that, which was kind of a let down.

This is another winner from Ruth Ware. I love how we follow Jack as she tries to investigate what happened to her husband even as she's a suspect herself. The world of corporate security is fascinating, and I enjoyed the sophisticated setting and details. The narrative moves at a good clip, and the ending provides a satisfying conclusion. Run, don't walk to grab this new thriller!

As a Ruth Ware superfan I was very excited to be granted an early release copy of her latest book through Netgalley. Unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations. The characters were shallow, the big plot reveal was predictable and the story itself, even the writing, was very repetitive. Over and over the reader is told how Jack wishes she could cry, how she has to keep going, blah blah blah. Hoping that Ruth Ware returns to her psychological suspense style for her next book.

Ruth Ware is back with another fast-paced and suspenseful thriller set in the timely field of corporate security.

Zero Days tells the story of Jack and her husband, Gabe, who are penetration experts working together to help companies determine their security vulnerabilities. Jack handles the physical security tests and Gabe is the cyber expert. When a routine assignment goes wrong, Jack returns home late at night to discover her husband has been murdered and the police suspect her as the primary suspect.

Written with excellent pacing, Zero Days is impossible to put down. I appreciated the unique setting and background for this latest novel. The lead character is a strong, tough, smart woman that reader’s will be rooting for.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

I love Ruth Ware and consider myself a big fan, but this was not my favorite. Still - I think many will enjoy this fast-paced, easy read.

I just finished Zero Days by Ruth Ware. Ruth Ware is always a go-to choice for me and while this one had a slightly different vibe than her past books, I was not disappointed.

The book focused on Jacintha "Jack" Cross and her run from police and attempt to solve her husband's murder in order to clear her name. I found Jack and her husband's profession of "pen testers" and hackers who assist companies find their own security weaknesses as very interesting. This was a very fast paced mystery that kept me reading and eager to finish it. I would have liked a little more explanation and detail at the end, but it was still nicely wrapped up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced reader copy!

Zero Days by Ruth Ware
Pub Date: 6/20/2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley & Scout Press for the advanced reader copy of this much anticipated thriller! Ruth Ware is one of the authors that got me back into reading and I love a good summer thriller!

Jack & her husband Gabe have a pretty interesting occupation that leads to Jack working very late one night. When she finally gets home around 4, she finds her husband brutally murdered and somehow becomes the police’s main suspect. I mean, statistically it’s usually the partner right?

Jack goes on the run to try to find the truth behind her husbands murder and things get messier and messier. Mainly, the hole in her side from an injury she sustained running from the cops, gets messier and messier. And Ruth does not let us forget. It was pretty gross after a while and incredibly distracting.

Besides the gross and insistent graphic descriptions of this puncture wound, I really loved the premise of this book. It was different and it really did have me hooked from the jump. I was rooting for Jack bc on top of the fact we’re obviously club ACAB here, she was tough as heck and pretty badass.

Unfortunately, this novel suffered from some serious pacing issues and felt very long for what actually happens throughout. I felt the length didn’t add tension or suspense and just made me eager to be done.

I still give it 3 stars for being a bit of a different approach to the woman on the run trope, but the execution fell flat for me.

#zerodays #bookstagram #bookreview #netgalley

Early reviews seem decidedly mixed on this one, and I understand that as Ruth Ware is definitely a hit or miss author for me as well. But, this one is definitely more on the "hit" side, as I found Jack's story fascinating as she pieces together what happened to her husband- while being a wanted woman for his murder. I found this story to be fairly well paced (a complaint I've had about some of Ware's other books), though there is a tiny bit of a lagging section in the second half. This one is a little different from most of Ruth Ware's books, and I think it's a solid departure.

The queen of psychological thrillers, Ruth Ware, returns following The It Girl with her latest action-packed tech thriller—ZERO DAYS, a security expert is murdered, and his wife is a suspect. She will stop at nothing to track down the killer.

Married couple Jacintha Cross and Gabriel Medway operate Crossways Security, a London firm that stress-tests security systems.

Jacintha "Jack" Cross is a penetration tester (or pentester) cybersecurity professional who executes targeted, authorized attacks on IT infrastructure, applications, or forms of physical security to determine vulnerabilities.

Gabe, her husband, does the same for cybersecurity. They are the best in the business. She checks for penetration, and he hacks computer systems.

One night after a routine assignment, Jack finds her husband murdered. She is distraught and does not report it immediately but does so. Then she goes to stay with her sister. The cops suspect her as their #1 suspect. So she goes on the run while trying to find her husband's killer.

How can you hide when the enemy is everywhere?

Gabe had found a back door vulnerability in a popular app that would be worth a lot of money to governments.

Often this is called "Zero-day." A broad term that describes recently discovered security vulnerabilities that hackers can use to attack systems. The term "zero-day" refers to the fact that the vendor or developer has only just learned of the flaw, which means they have "zero days" to fix it. A zero-day attack takes place when hackers exploit the flaw before developers have a chance to address it.

Zero-day is often written as 0-day. The words vulnerability, exploit, and attack are typically used alongside zero-day, and it's helpful to understand the difference:

With the help of her sister and Gabe's oldest friend, she is able to escape capture and begin her investigation, determined to find her husband's killer. Shocked, she receives an email that Gabe recently took out a million pounds life insurance policy, and she was the named beneficiary.

Jack does not care for the police or trust them after she was in a previous abusive relationship with a cop. But who would want to hurt Gabe? And who in her life can she trust? Motive?

Jack is tenacious, clever, tough, and a fearless heroine. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced action spy-vibe thriller.

ZERO DAYS is a bit of a departure for Ruth with her usual Gothic atmospheric locked-roomed settings; however, the well-developed characters are there, with plenty of twists, turns, and suspense—for fans of David Baldacci, Greg Hurwitz, and Harlan Coben.

If you enjoyed The Fugitive, Duplicity, or Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you will like Zero Days.

Thank you to #GalleryBooks and #Netgalley for my ARC of this book—opinions are my own.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 20, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books

True to all Ruth Ware books, this one takes you on a slippery sliding thrilling ride. This one seemed a bit different from her other ones that I've read. A little bit more thriller and less gothic, but it was still a fantastic read! I loved trying to figure out who was behind it all and I did at one point take a guess at it and was correct, but there was still so much more to discover that I really enjoyed it.
Side note if bad language offends you, this may not be your cup of tea.

Zero Days follows Jack as she tries to clear herself from her husbands murder and find the true culprit. I found this novel really interesting and intense. I found myself racing through it to reach the end. I would definitely recommend.

this is not at all like ruth's previous books. Different vibe completely and I don't think Ware fans will be very happy... New readers might enjoy though