Zero Days is a fast-paced thriller, featuring Jack, a fugitive on the run from the law. She and her husband Gabe are verified Penetration Specialists, paid to break into companies to assess their security vulnerabilities. When Gabe is brutally murdered and Jack is framed as his killer, she goes on the run in order to avoid capture from the police and investigate who was behind the hit. However, she acquires a life threatening injury along the way, time is running out, and she doesn’t know who to trust. Who killed Gabe? Will Jack discover the truth before it’s too late?

Ruth Ware is definitely a hit or miss author for me, I really enjoyed The It Girl, her last thriller. However, while Zero Days began at lightning speed, my interest soon waned. And I was left disappointed. Why?

1. The list of suspects is overwhelmingly SHORT and it is TOO OBVIOUS who is behind the hit.
2. As a Pen Specialist, Jack’s impressive skills at hacking and breaking in should immediately be used to formulate a plan. She appears to not realize this as an option until 3/4 of the way through the book. Huh?
3. The long lengthy paragraphs contain too many unnecessary details. I found myself skimming the pages by the 50% mark.
4. The plot wrapped up too neatly in the end!

While this fugitive thriller deviates from Ware’s more Gothic sensibility, it is an enjoyable, quick read if you don’t mind that it lacks any real twist or turn to the plot.

I am still a fan of Ware and hope that her next thriller returns to the Gothic thriller genre. I will definitely be looking for her next offering!

Trigger warning: Domestic abuse

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Expected publication date: 6/20/23

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of Zero Days in exchange for an honest review.

Zero Days is a fast-paced thriller. Ruth Ware always delivers a satisfying story with plenty of twists and turns. I highly recommend.

This is by far my favorite Ruth Ware book! I've liked most of her others, usually feeling like they had a slow start. This one starts off right away and is full of action throughout. Jack is a great character, smart & brave. I felt like the story was easy to follow, but not so simple that I guessed the ending right away. Overall, it felt much different from past Ware novels, this was more of a Jason Bourne type thriller than a spooky mystery or psychological thriller.

Wow! I am a Ruth Ware super fan so I read this book simply because she wrote it - I had no idea what it was about. Once I started reading, I was surprised at how different this book is from her others. Very Oceans 11ish. And then all the Ruth Ware kind of things started happening and I was hooked! Well done!

Ruth Ware NEVER disappoints! If you are looking for another dark Victorian mystery or horror-adjacent thriller, this is not it. However, I actually liked that! With the timely news stories all about AI, deep fakes, and technology ever-looming, Ruth created a unique and interesting plot line with this one! I was riveted the whole time trying to figure out whether Jack would get caught! If you are a person that works in tech or cyber security, I think you will really enjoy all the nods to working in that profession, and if you aren't, you will learn some neat things! I can always expect to enjoy Ruth's books, and they normally do not take me very long because I'm so interested in what happens. I think this is another success from this author!

Whew! I devoured this fast-paced thriller in a day, riveted by the story of Jacintha (“Jack”), on the run and trying to find out who murdered her husband Gabe. Was it easy to figure out the whodunit? Yes. Did it matter? Not to me, it didn’t. The characters are vividly drawn and compelling, and it’s interesting and entertaining to see how Jack manages to both evade capture and conduct an effective investigation over the course of a week.

Jack, penetration specialist is testing the security of a building site when things go awry. When she finally arrives home she finds something horrifying. She goes on the run and tries to solve the mystery herself. I found this book to be a little confusing as to what was happening and why. It did have a nice twist that I didn't see coming.

Jack and her husband Gabe are security experts, hired to break into buildings and hack security systems. When a routine assignment goes awry, Jack returns to find her husband dead. Now Jack is the prime suspect and, on the run, she must decide who she can trust while hunting the real killer.

In Zero Days, Ruth Ware forgoes her trademark gothic psychological thriller for a straight-up action thriller that sorely missed the mark. With just a few chapters, the reader finds Jack on the run for murder, never stopping until the end of the book. Instead of setting a thrilling pace, the plot felt repetitive, with bursts of movement interspersed with Jack's thoughts as she grieves. With very few characters, it wasn't difficult to figure out whodunit which always spools the fun of any mystery. Having read all of her books, Zero Days is my least favorite Ruth Ware book.

This is an action packed thriller- great for the small screen. I found myself rooting for Jack and her quest for justice. Her sheer determination to keep moving forward despite all the obstacles in her way was a true testament of grit. Figuring out why Gabe died was the impetus to keep reading the next chapter. I found the ending satisfying and a way to continue the series, whether by book or tv. Definitely recommended! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Most of Ruth Ware’s books are total page-turners, but Zero Days takes it up several notches. This is the kind of book that will have your heart racing from start to end. It’s fast-paced, the stakes are high, and our main character Jack has to endure a lot to find the truth behind her husband’s murder.

One of my favorite things about Zero Days is how tough, capable, and determined Jack is. Through her years of working as a pen tester, she’s developed the skills she’ll need to unravel this complicated mystery. Seeing her break out of a police station, sneak into a giant company during working hours, and break into a rather secure home demonstrate her out-of-the-box thinking and dexterity. I certainly couldn’t do half of what she does!

There aren’t many suspects to work with at first, leaving Jack at a loss for next steps. She also has more to think about than simply finding the real culprit: First of all, she’s a fugitive and doing what she can to not get caught by the police—everything from disguising herself to getting around without access to her credit cards. These constraints get in the way and force her to get creative. On top of that, Jack is injured throughout all of this, not only slowing her down, but putting her life at greater risk with each passing day.

Zero Days, as the name might suggest, is very technological and modern. This gets into the dark web, hackers, and more. I thought I wouldn’t like this, and worried it might go over my head. But in Ruth Ware’s capable hands, this actually turned out to be a fascinating and engrossing novel! It was still easy to follow (though I am a “digital native,” so most of these terms and concepts were familiar, even if my web skills aren’t quite up to Gabe’s levels).

This book gets rather emotional, as Jack is actively grieving the loss of her husband. But it also shows how complete strangers can be kind and justice can be served. There’s a certain desperation in Jack throughout the book, and a nothing-left-to-lose attitude starts to seep in, but she’s tenacious.

I did suspect certain people and events, and I was proven right about at least a few of them, but I enjoyed the whole journey to get there. I also loved the pen tester angle (super original!) and how it gave Jack a unique strength during the whole nightmarish ordeal.

Zero Days is smart, emotional, and super fast-paced. I was rooting for Jack the whole time and loved watching her work with what she had despite the odds stacked against her. This is a thriller not to be missed, and as much as I love all of Ruth Ware’s books, this is certainly among her best.

Thanks NetGalley,

I want to start by stating that this was not what I expected from Ware. I have read everything she has ever written, and this was a bit different. I'm not going to lie I didn't even read the description because I love the author and I wasn't sure I would like it from the beginning because techy espionage is not really my jam but I am so glad I stuck with it. I would definitely recommend this to my patrons and friends.

Hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems, Jack and her husband, Gabe, are the best penetration specialists in the business. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their suspect—her.

Suddenly on the run and quickly running out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the real killer in this unputdownable and heart-pounding mystery.

I appreciated getting an ARC for this book by Ruth Ware.

Unfortunately, this just didn't feel like Ware wrote it. It didn't have the same descriptions and characters I've grown to enjoy. I expected an atmospheric book with unique twists and turns. This felt way too straight forward and too "on the run" for me. I didn't need the vivid descriptions to be about Jack's gross injuries. I would have preferred it being about gothic places or characters. Also it's pretty easy to figure out the end when you only meet or hear about a few characters throughout the story.

Fast paced thriller set in the security world. Jack and Gabe are a married couple that have worked well together since day 1. Then their worlds are shattered and the wrong person is accused. Who can be trusted and who is really working on the other side?

Not among Ware’s best, but it’s very reliably what you want from her. Tense, twisty, and kept me glued to the pages right up to the end.

I am a long time fan of Ruth Ware, reading almost all of her novels, and this one just didn't throw the same kind of punch as most of the others. Her writing in the past has been so engaging that I flew through her books not being able to stand to wait to see what happens. Gobbling up the details that build to the big finish is what sent me straight to NetGalley when I heard she had a new novel coming out.
Zero Days though, this one just didn't have the pull for me. A madly in love couple, a murder, a false accusation...there is your first chapter. A woman on the run, determined to find answers and gets hurt in an escape, there is your second chapter. Then the rest of the book is running running running, change the bandage, it hurts, it's infected, gasp! This is harsh I know, but the repetitive narrative was too much. The last chapter or two did wrap up in some new excitement which I appreciated, and the epilogue was a pleasant surprise.
Overall, it's a three star for me, and I thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this pre-publication edition in exchange for an honest review!

What a great ride!

I think this book works best if you don't know anything about it going in, that way the first few twists really reel you in. I was immediately team Jack all the way, and wondering how she was going to figure everything out. The amount of near misses certainly kept me turning the pages. I think who is behind things was a bit predictable, but only because of the low number of characters you really are introduced to. I liked that it reads completely different than some of Ware's other thrillers, and from most I've read. I will go to town for a smart female MC skirting the law and bad guys every time.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3/5. This was a fast paced thriller that was enjoyable as long as you didn’t think too terribly hard. Fans of Ruth Ware will enjoy, but this in my opinion was not one of her strongest works.

This was a fast paced novel that didn't get bogged down in minute details. I enjoyed this page turner and its ultimate resolution. Any computer or hacking terminology was explained in a way that felt very natural. And the love story of Jack and Gabe felt very genuine. Overall a fun read.

⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙈𝙧. 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙧𝙨. 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙’𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧.

📍 Read if you like:
• Whodunit Stories
• Quick Reads
• Spy Books
• Fugitive Vibes

I am extremely disappointed by Ruth Ware’s upcoming release. It was one of my most anticipated reads, but unfortunately, I didn’t love this book. It kills me to give a Ware book a two-star, but this is my least favorite of her books.

This follows a “Fugitive” kind of vibe to it. It follows Jacintha/Jack and her husband, Gabe, who are both pen testers (hackers). While one of her jobs fails, Jack is removed from the building by security. Unfortunately, she has no idea where her husband is.

When she returns home, she finds her husband murdered. The murder weapon, a knife, only has Jack’s fingerprints so she becomes the primary suspect.

Jack is determined to clear her name and solve her husband’s murder, but unfortunately, she must be on the run at the moment - hence The Fugitive.

I didn’t really read the synopsis of this book beforehand. I just wanted to read it because it was Ruth Ware.

This definitely was a fast-paced thriller. I flew through it, regardless if I wasn’t enjoying it. There’s sort of a spy aspect to it, which I didn’t particularly love.

However, the story got so repetitive and I honestly didn’t care too much to see where it would go. Usually, I’m terrible at guessing endings, but it was quite obvious who the killer was from very early on.

Jack’s character was very frustrating at times. Some of the decisions she made were avoidable. I understood she was grieving from her husband’s death, but there was never a point in the story where I related to her.

The ending wasn’t very satisfying. After reading the entire story I felt a bit underwhelmed with the direction the book went.

As of now, I’ve seen so many great things about this book. It is Ruth Ware so I’m not too surprised, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. I wish I could’ve loved it, but the story just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Gallery/Scout for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

It isn’t my favorite Ruth Ware. It feels like a different genre altogether than her other books. Less thriller, almost all action.

That being said, I felt the writing wasn’t her best. The amount of times she referred to her husband being dead or describing the wound she had, it got to be repetitive. I wasn’t invested in the main character or the plot. The reveal was somewhat early but I had to push on to finish the book.

Luckily it wasn’t too long in length so it didn’t take a great deal of time to finish. All in all, it was a clever idea but it didn’t quite pan out.