I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. When I received this book, I didn’t realize it was going to be about tech and hacking. I’m not really a huge fan of it just because I don’t understand it. I’m going to be honest here, I still don’t understand what zero days is. I enjoyed the premise of the book and liked the journey we took with Jack.

This was a fast paced thriller, that was short, but sadly I did not enjoy this as much as some of her other work. I do appreciate that she branched out, and tried something new though.

I'd recommend for people who have an interest in techno thrillers, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

Add this to your beach read list!!

When Jack’s husband is murdered, she finds herself on the run. This one was giving me all the fugitive vibes and I loved it!

It is a fast paced thriller, that I really enjoyed with its own twists and turns. It’s the perfect beach read and you won’t want to put it down.

I have to admit that the only book I have read by Ruth Ware was “The It Girl’, which I totally love. I was very excited to read ‘Zero Days’. Totally a seat gripping thriller.

The story is about Jack Cross and her husband Gabe. They are pen testers which means they break into companies to see where their security weaknesses are. Jack is the computer genius and Gabe does the breaking in to the locations. After one of their jobs, Jack gets picked up by the police. They taker her to the station where she goes through hours of interrogation. When she returns home, she finds Gabe dead. The police don't believe her story and she become the main suspect. She runs from the police trying to discover who murdered Gabe. So much happens to Jack in a weeks’ time, and can she really trust anyone.

I am looking forward to reading more books by Ruth Ware. Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, Gallery/Scott Press, and Ruth Ware for the ARC for my review.

2.75 ⭐️

I used to love Ruth Ware..but lately her books have just been very meh to me and unfortunately that kept true with this one, which was a miss for me.

The first chapter was slow and I could not get into it. Did not care of the dialogue. Felt the author was trying too hard. I also didn’t find any of the characters overly likable.

Let’s start with Jack. Jack and her husband are PEN testers…which means they get hired by companies to break in and try to steal their data in order to determine how good their security system is. When Jack returns home from their latest gig, she finds that her husband has been murdered and she quickly becomes suspect #1. She does herself no favors by running away from the police station. Although she is very intelligent, she has to rely on her sister to be the voice of reason and Hel amazingly comes up with every correct theory.

If you’re a fan of Jason Bourne movies, this might be the book for you! Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a winner in my book.

From my blog: Always With a Book

I have been a fan of Ruth Ware ever since reading her debut novel, In a Dark, Dark Wood. I’ve since read every single book she’s written and have enjoyed them all immensely, including this latest one. I love that I can count on her to deliver an engaging, binge-worthy thriller and we definitely get that with this new one and then some!

This is one adrenaline-fueled page-turner that really kept me on edge the entire time. At first, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go and I fully admit, I had to reread the first few chapters to really grasp what was happening, but then once I did…it really pulled me in. That was totally a me issue – I wasn’t home when I started it and there was too much going on around me. Definitely poor planning on my part, because once I was totally in the zone, I was all in!

This is one of those books that, just like our main protagonist, Jack, you are not going to be able to do much eating or sleeping while reading this one – it will totally consume you – and even if you do manage to put it down, you will be thinking about it. It’s intense and I found myself wondering if I would last half as long on the run as Jack did, trying to outsmart those who were after her as she tried to figure out who was behind everything.

I loved that I got to learn a bit about a new-to-me profession. The whole world of security is pretty foreign to me, as are most things tech, but don’t let that sway you from reading this. The author gives us the pieces we need in an accessible way, making you feel just as vulnerable as the characters even if you still don’t fully understand the exact nature of it all.

While this book is a bit of a departure for Ruth Ware in some ways, it still has many of her typical trademarks we’ve come to love. The suspense and twists are all there, as well as the fantastic character development. And the pacing – it really was like an action movie right from the get-go, which was just so fun!

I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend adding it to your summer reading list…it’s sure to be a fast read, which I find perfect for those hot, lazy summer days!

This book felt like a more modern, technological version of a classic mystery with a conspiracy. There were definitely elements of the technology or systems that I didn't know a lot about, but for the most part, that didn't stop you from figuring out the mystery or guessing who was responsible or what might happen next, so it didn't feel like science fiction or too technological. Plus, it was fun to learn about something new.

Some of the characters were better developed than others. The person who ended up being responsible (or at least involved) seemed a little bit like following a script or a caricature of a villain (or at least someone gone astray), while other characters like the protagonist and her sister felt authentic.

In general, this was a fun thriller with a new twist and definitely a great read!

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was a little different than a typical Ruth Ware book and not quite as "thrilling", but the story still totally held my attention and kept me turning page after page.

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Zero Days" is Ruth Ware’s 8th novel for adults. Just like her previous books, there’s plenty of suspense to go around. "Zero Hour" tells the story of Jacintha “Jack” Cross, a penetration testing expert along with her computer-geek husband, who monitors Jack’s movements and guides her via headset around the facility from the comforts of their home while Jack is onsite. After one test’s completion, Jack comes home to find her husband dead, murdered by someone who left no trail. Jack soon realizes that the cops have zeroed in on her and, to prove her innocence, she will need to keep one step ahead of them if she is to find out who murdered her husband and why.

I have read all of Ware’s books, and while this book shares the same suspenseful elements that all her other books share, such as the protagonist experiencing feelings of dread, paranoia, and the need to stay alive at all costs while trying to figure out some mystery. All her books have been page turners that, if I could, I’d finish in one sitting, and "Zero Days" was no exception. Jack’s plight is something that everyone can fear: What happens when you come home from work, you find your spouse dead, and the police think you did it? Who can you trust to help you? Who will not turn you in? How can you prove you didn’t do it even when everything points to you? The suspense is palpable.

The book focuses on a span of one week, and sometimes I wondered how Jack could do everything she did while suffering from a serious lack of sleep and food, as well as losing blood from a wound. I needed a serious leap of faith to believe that someone could suffer so much yet continue to fight for her survival and find out who killed her husband. Adrenaline is one thing, but that can only take a person so far. In addition, there was a lot of tech-speak contained in the explanation as to what “zero hour” means and why Jack’s husband was targeted. Not being well versed in some of the inner workings of computer systems and apps, this left me a little confused. Most of the time, however, I was able to ignore those few issues and still enjoy the book.

While I would not rate this book as one of Ware’s best, I would recommend readers pick this one up, sit back, and enjoy the ride, trying not to put yourself in Jack’s shoes.

I have been a Ruth Ware fan since the publication of her first book! Ruth Ware has never written a bad book, in my opinion! This one is just as great and perfect for fans of thrillers.

I admit I haven’t read much by this author but I did enjoy the premise and very much was interested in this story. I feel like everything I want to say or mention could be a spoiler so I will just say go into the story without knowing anything and you will enjoy the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Ruth Ware is an author where I will always scramble to read her latest book. This novel follows Jack, who arrives home to find her husband murdered. They own a company that tests security at businesses, so Jack has a few tricks up her sleeve. She goes on the run after police start to hint that she is the murderer.

I loved the writing, but got a bit bored with Jack being on her own and taking awhile to make progress. I would say the solution to the mystery can be anticipated by readers.

I am breathless! This book is a heart-throbbing, action-packed thriller with Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Fugitive vibes! The tempo escalates every second, pumping up the adrenaline and leaving you sweaty.
It hooks you from the beginning with an adventurous start, drawing you into a murder mystery and chanting for Jack to run faster! The book is more entertaining than poorly written, big-budgeted action movies featuring A-list stars on Netflix. In my opinion, readers should ignore those movies on streaming services and instead invest their time in reading more thrillers written by brilliant authors like Ruth Ware.
The plot revolves around Jack and her husband, Gabe, who make an excellent team as pen testers, requiring them to break into the buildings of companies to test their computers and physical security by finding the weak links. Unfortunately, one of their tests does not go as planned. Jack finds herself being dragged out of the building by the security team of the company, unable to reach her husband during their job.
When she returns home, she finds her husband drenched in a pool of blood. There are no signs of breaking in, and the murder weapon, a knife, has only Jack's fingerprints on it, making her a person of interest. Before she can be convicted by officers, she hits the road, starting her escape to find the perpetrator of the murder and prove her own innocence.
With limited access to money and no proper shelter to sleep in, the streets become her only home until someone finds her trace.
But she is determined to clear her name and avenge her husband's death by conducting her own investigation, confronting their colleagues, friends, and anyone who could have benefited from Gabe's murder.
Although the identity of the killer is a little obvious, I still enjoyed the last twist, which was played smartly. This may not be my favorite work by the author, but I still enjoyed the riveting and captivating writing style. Jack was a tough, smart, and capable action heroine that I could easily connect with.

This was a fun thriller that I could see easily made into a movie! Jack and her husband Gabe work for a cybersecurity team and one night one of their operations goes wrong when Jack gets arrested. When she gets home, she's discovered that her husband has been killed and she's the number one suspect.

This was a crazy ride. Jack doesn't know who to trust and is trying to run from the police, while also trying to figure out what happened to her husband. I thought this was a really fun journey. I did at times have major anxiety for Jack. It was a book I couldn't put down because I wanted to find out what happened.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. 3.5 rounded up.

I think Ruth Ware is entering her formula era. Overall a passable book as a reader, but a most definite purchase for libraries.

Jack Cross and her husband Gabe are pen testers which means they break into companies to see where their security weaknesses are. Jack does the actual physical breaking in and Gabe does the hacking. After a job goes sideways, Jack returns home to find Gabe dead. The police don't seem to believe her story and she has doubts that the police will even look for another suspect since she has a history with one of the police detectives. Jack goes on the run to try and find out what happens to Gabe.
This is very different than Ruth Ware's other books. It is very character driven and the mystery is more in whether Jack will be able to prove her innocence and whether she can find out who is behind her husband's murder than it is a whodunit. Some may find this disappointing but I quite liked the action and adventure.

15 Second Summary: Jack and her husband, Gabe, have unique careers breaking into corporations and finding security flaws. One night, Jack returns home from a job to find Gabe sitting at his computer with his throat slashed. Jack quickly becomes the prime suspect in her husband's murder and decides her only choice is to go on the run and not only prove her innocence but find out who Gabe's real killer is.

15 Second Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I've read many Ruth Ware books but this one caught me a bit by surprise. At first glance, the summary isn't something I would normally gravitate to as it's less "thriller/suspense" and more crime thriller, BUT I was pretty impressed with this one. The beginning started off a bit slow and I almost put it down after reading some extremely cheesy / over the top banter between Jack and Gabe in the first chapter but once he was gone the cheese died down. The middle of the book is where the plot really started to pick up as Jack started to get more leads into who could be behind Gabe's death. Ultimately, it was a bit easy to figure out who did it, but the why was interesting to unravel.

Ruth Ware is a rare author who never disappoints but who also never recycles a plot formula. Every book is a completely unique story. She’s written everything from locked room mysteries to gothic suspense and Zero Days is Ware’s take on spy thriller. It has Ware’s skillful pacing and plotting, but what really separates this from an enjoyable but average, forgettable spy thriller is Ware’s talent for character development, which is what kept me engaged and invested. When her lead character made some terrible decisions, I understood her motivations and logic as well as her flaws well enough that I was able to enjoy the suspense and root for things to turn around, whereas in most books those same decisions would have annoyed me because few spy thrillers are this character driven. Ive read all of Ware’s novels and was so grateful to read this one early. This wasn’t my favorite Ware book but I still highly recommend it without hesitation for anyone who enjoys this genre, this author, or both!

Another thriller by Ruth Ware. Murder mystery that will have you rushing to find out how it all ends.

Jack and her husband Gabe are computer specialists who specialize in finding flaws in security systems. When Jack returns home from a job she finds Gabe murdered in their home and becomes the prime suspect. On the run, Jack quickly learns that she can’t trust anyone.

Pretty easy to guess the bad guy but I still enjoyed the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this early copy in exchange for an honest review.