2.5 rounded up to 3.

While I didn’t care for the story, I must commend Ruth Ware on her writing. That is what draws me back time and time again. The writing style is absolutely mesmerizing. I am always excited to see what is coming next in her stories.

However, this story was really basic. It felt like a simple cat and mouse chase with no real wow factor. I was waiting for a big twist or something really shocking to happen and it never did. The characters were really well written and I felt for the situation but was confused at so many decisions that Jack made. If it weren’t for the writing, I most definitely would have DNF’d this book early on.

After only a few chapters, I regrettably chose to DNF Ruth Ware’s latest—which feels like a crime in itself.

Unfortunately, the Ware who penned some of my all time favorites including “The Woman in Cabin 10” and “The Death of Mrs. Westaway” seems to be gone for good, readers. The writing that once kept me on the edge of my seat for hours on end has faded into yawn-inducing chapters that span for hundreds of pages, and I fear this may be the last of her novels I try for some time.

Marketed as a “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” retelling, this book hardly jumps right into action. Rather, it read (for me) like a lifeless meditation on grief for the first several chapters, and I found myself falling asleep mid-page. There just wasn’t enough of a hook to keep me invested, and in a year with so many promising titles on the to-be-read shelf, I didn’t too much of a hard time setting this one aside for good.

I found the pacing of this book to be a little slow in light of the premise--it was setup like it was going to feel urgent and the passage of time crucial (as we near zero day, even before we know what that is) but then all of the action dragged out. Ruth Ware always does a good job of establishing motivations for her characters, and that held true here. The way everything came together was compelling and well plotted. Readers that enjoy a "quest to prove innocence" plot will enjoy this, I think it just wasn't for me.

Ruth Ware has created a fast, fun summer read in Zero Days, a techno thriller that you will not want to put down.

Jack and her husband, Gabe, are hired by companies to test their security measures – both physical and cyber. Jack handles the on-site tasks (breaking and entering). Gabe, speaking to her through an earpiece, does the electronic work from their home base. When the novel opens, a job goes awry and Jack is detained by the police. She eventually persuades them to release her, hours later. Returning home, she finds Gabe murdered.

It soon becomes clear the the police consider Jack their primary suspect. In fact, things have been arranged to make her look very, very guilty of her husband's murder. Jack goes on the run in a frantic effort to discover the true killer.

You may guess the villain's identity early on – I did. But that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. I read it all in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting this digital ARC. Unfortunately I found this book predictable and unevenly paced.

I've enjoyed many of Ware's books, but this missed the mark for me. The twist was a bit predictable early on, so it made it hard for me to stay engaged. . Some of the plot points about society depending too much on the internet and those implications is definitely something for the reader to consider. While this one didn't work for me, I'm likely to check out her future books.

Jacintha "Jack" and her husband Gabe are "pen testers," meaning companies hire them to hack/break into their security systems to identify weaknesses. When Gabe is murdered, Jack becomes the prime suspect and is nearing arrest. She goes on the run to find the real killer.

This is a departure from Ware's gothic mysteries/suspense. It's more of a suspense cyber-thriller with a fugitive trope. While it's not my favorite Ware book, I appreciate that she tried something different, and this book has a very interesting premise. I am not very familiar with hacking or cybercrime, and Ware obviously did a great deal of research into the topic, but she managed to make it easy to grasp and fascinating.

Things started fast-paced and exciting and then became uneven, but I still flew through this quickly. Ware is a terrific writer, and I appreciated how many different settings she brought to life as Jack is on the run. I saw that this had been optioned for film, and it will make for an exciting adaptation, as it does read a lot like a tense, action-packed movie. And it was fun to see a female protagonist be the one with the physicality to pull off multiple stunts and action sequences. With its unique and adrenaline-fueled set-up, this fits the bill for someone looking for a popcorn thriller summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for the opportunity to review this ARC.

*3.5 rounded up

What a wild ride! With non-stop action, we follow Jack and her husband, Gabe, work in a risky industry. They break into buildings to test the company’s physical and computer security. You'd think it'd be no surprise that Gabe turns up dead. What is surprising, Jack is the number one suspect. Follow along with her journey to prove her innocence. This was an entertaining and intriguing read that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys a great mystery and a phenomenal thrill ride. Ruth Ware has done it again!


Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This felt very emotionless for a book about the death of the main character’s spouse. The “reveal” too was too obvious, no real red herrings established to make it a surprise at all. The POV shift during the arrest was a cheap way to work a twist into an otherwise boring scene and frankly felt like a cheap trick rather than anything interesting.

Ruth Ware is always a go to author for me for a good thriller/mystery. This was a very fast paced read and kept me wanting to read to find out what would happen next. Only thing is I wish there was more explanation with the ending.

The first person POV is never my favorite and this one was just a lot of excessive verbiage and being all up in the characters head. Yeah, I get she is on the run for a reason and yeah, she is injured, but this is just not the style of book that grabs me. I did really enjoy how she worked it all through and the information and background concerning tech security was very interesting.

Jack and her husband, Gabe, are successful penetration specialists. They are hired by companies to penetrate their security, finding weak spots in the system. The actual breaking and entering is a thrill for Jack. Gabe handles the computer systems and guides her remotely. The goal is in and out without being caught. Unfortunately, this job ended with Jack arrested. When she finally gets home, she finds her husband murdered and she is a suspect. With the cops looking at her they aren't looking for the killer, so Jack runs.

She is one step ahead of the cops when she is injured and staying off the radar in the London area isn't easy. Hiding isn't going to solve Gabe's murder but being in jail isn't going to either. With her options limited, Jack has to trust someone, but until she knows why Gabe was killed, who to trust could be just as dangerous.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

*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.