Book: Zero Days
Author: Ruth Ware
Format: Digital
Genre: Crime/Mystery, Thriller
Places Featured: London, England, United Kingdom
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Review: Ruth Ware is known for her psychological thrillers with imperfect, but real characters, twisted plot lines, and heart-pounding action. Zero Days has all of that, but not quite at the level I’m used to from this author. Jack (Jacintha) and her husband, Gabe, are “pen testers”—they are paid to test company’s security system by breaking into them and hacking. When Jack returns from a job, though, to find her husband murdered in front of his computer, she soon becomes the primary suspect and she knows she must prove her innocence. The characters aren’t as well developed as I would like (even though it is told from Jack’s perspective) and the plot is a bit repetitive, but it was enough to hold my attention and make me want to keep going.
*I was given a version of this book for free in exchange for an honest book review. (Thanks @NetGalley and @ssedlib!) The book will be released on 20 June 2023.

This was one of my more favorite books by Ruth Ware, I liked this one better than "It Girl" not by any means saying it was a bad book but this book flowed very nicely and the suspense was constructed better. Actually I correct my statement this is my favorite.

I loved the character of Jack (Jacintha Cross) well thought about story line and dialogue between every character. This book took time to write, usually I find plot holes rather fast and this book didn't have any glaring holes.

I enjoyed the flow of this book and the little twists taking you into the inner workings of the dark web. I also enjoyed the little surprise in the last two chapters that left a bit of hope and light at the end of the book.

Great action scenes, great family dynamic, great man vs man dynamic, while also being man vs nature.

Jack and her husband Gabe run a security firm. When returning home after a job Jack finds Gabe with his throat slit. The rest of the book is Jack trying to solve his murder while running from the police. I enjoyed the book and all Jack had to go through.

Perhaps I don't understand the crypto world. I'm a big fan of Ruth Ware and read all her books. I appreciate that she writes a different book every time - different setting, different time. Unfortunately this one just didn't grab me.

As a fan of Ruth Ware, I was eager to read this advanced copy of her new book. I initially found it interesting because of the main character, Jack's, short for Jacintha's, profession. She's a pen tester (penetration tester) for companies, which means she breaks into them to find weak spots in their security. She's assisted by her husband, Gabe, a computer software coder. After a tricky night in which she's caught entering a building and can't reach anyone including Gabe to vouch for her, Jack is released by the police and goes home to find her husband dead with his neck slashed.

Reading the rest of the book, in which Jack searches for her husband's killer, I was hoping for Ware's usual twist. I felt that there was a scarcity of characters. Jack first suspects her ex-boyfriend who is a police officer. She confides in her sister and her husband's best friend but then finds herself on the run as her alibi is seen as sketchy, and the police believe she murdered Gabe.

I didn't find the revelation of the person responsible for Gabe's death to be a surprise. The twist that does finally arrive at the book's end is one I considered earlier but didn't involve the killing and had only a minor impact on my overall impression of the story.

I would still recommend this book to Ruth Ware fans, even though I don't feel it's her best.

Having read almost every book that Ruth Ware has written, I couldn't wait to dive into "Zero Days'. I wish I could say that I enjoyed this thriller as much as I did her previous works but it simply was not for me. Jack and her husband Gabe are successful pen testers. Upon returning from their latest job, she finds him murdered. The rest of the book is Jack being chased by the police and real killer who is all to easy to identify early in the book. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the preview copy. I look forward to reading future books by Ruth Ware.

Thank you NetGalley, Ruth Ware, the Publishing company for the ARC of Zero Days.

Zero Days was an excellent read with descriptive writing. It was an edge of the seat kind of read where I couldn’t stop turning pages. At the end of each chapter you want to know what happens next and before you know it, it’s 1am and it’s beyond time for bed.

I highly recommend this book for people who love books by Ruth Ware and also love mystery thriller type books. Two thumbs up from me. 👍 ✌️

Really good! Kept me on the edge of my seat and up reading until 2am. Terrific writing, likable heroine, perfectly terrible foils. A couple plot items were pretty predictable but the action was so intense that it didn’t matter. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
Great title for fans of strong, female leads, fast paced action, with twists revealed in the storyline as it progresses. Protagonist, Jack, short for Jacintha and her husband Gabe work to penetrate security systems and reveal their weaknesses. The action begins when Jack is caught on the job and arrested. Jack is an endearing character who has a close relationship with her sister and seems willing to do what it takes to right injustices. There was a storyline that felt unnecessary, relating to a relationship in Jack’s past history. Overall highly enjoyable, and quick read.

Jack (Jacinta) and her husband Gabe, own and operate a cyber security firm. One night after working an assignment, Jack returns home to find that Gabe has been murdered. In shock and devasted, Jack does not inform the authorities immediately which sets her up for being a potential suspect. The police do not seem to believe her account and she thinks they are not doing enough to find the person who was responsible. Jack feels that she is the only one who truly wants to find out who killed her husband and sets out to do just that.



The novel is full of twists and turns and keeps the reader engaged and guessing. There are moments when you almost hold your breath waiting to see what happens. The relationship between Jack and Gabe is realistic and her loss is handled simply and realistically. Jack is a well-developed character; the settings are descriptive, and the pacing is just right. This is a bit of a departure from some of her other novels, but it also might be one of her best.

Terrific book! Love Ruth Ware! Felt like I was watching a movie.

Positives:
Jack and her husband Gabe's, jobs. Fascinating and the perfect background for the novel.
The action-packed pace. I read it in 2 days. Intense!
The detailed use of technology to help the main chracter's efforts and outsmart others
Jack as a tough, cever, and capable main character determined to prove her innocence
The theme of the kindness of strangers that ran throughout
Lots of moving parts of the plot

Negatives:
Sometimes too descriptive
As a reader you want Jack to get medical help the whole way through. That was frustrating as a reader and I wish she could have figured out how to work that into the plot. It was almost a distraction.

Really enjoyed this one. Ruth Ware will stay on my must read list.

Ruth ware does it again. I have no idea how she continues writing such amazing and compelling stories but here I am in awe once again.

Jack and her husband Gabe run a security business where they break into both the buildings and computers to look for weak areas. As the story opens she is on the job, guided by Gabe but when she gets home he has been murdered–his throat slit. She thinks she is being framed–the police question why it took her so long to call the police. The murder weapon is one of their knives, and somehow a mutli million dollar insurance policy was taken on their lives but she knew nothing about it. She goes on the run with the help of her sister and Gabe’s best friend. She gets help from strangers but she is in pain from a wound she got jumping a fence. Eventually she starts questioning Gabe’s friends involvement in his death. Gabe had been ready to turn in his company. After living outside she calls in the detective who was questioning her and they round up the friend and his role in the murder. It was very intense and I enjoyed it.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
This is an adrenaline filled ride of a story; there are new twists and turns at every chapter. While I enjoyed the action packed story it wasn’t as mystery/thriller as some of Ware’s other novels. I would have liked to see less action and more mystery but that is just my reading preference. This was was still a quick bingeable read.

Ware is an auto buy author for me so I will continue to read her books. Definitely pick this one up if you like crime fiction and action filled thriller books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruth Ware has been on a hot streak with her past two novels- the IT Girl and now Zero Days. While there was a stretch where it seemed that the author was writing a series of retellings of literary tropes, these past two novels were incredibly original. The fast pace of this novel matched the intensity of the plot, and I greatly enjoyed Jack's journey and ultimate triumph.

A ticking clock novel with an interesting background (not a spoiler to find out that the couple featured tests security for a living). But the plot felt drawn out and the turns were a little predictable. I've loved Ruth Ware in the past, but this wasn't for me. Others, I'm sure, will feel differently.

I’m so so so sad that I am rating this book so low but omg was I absolutely NOT A FAN.

There was literally no character development, if anything her choices just kept getting worse. Also, I found it so predictable and the twist happened at like 65% and then nothing else shocking happened?? The ending was so unsatisfying.

I also just don’t like that there was so few of substantial characters in this. I felt like there was really only two maybe three and I just needed more. We just followed the main character around while she made very questionable decisions with a huge gaping wound in her side that she kept ignoring beside putting a bandage over it.

Also the police procedure at the beginning of this was SO inaccurate. The police told our main character “if you leave this voluntary interview that means we have cause to arrest you” when that is the first thing people who becomes cops or study in that field learn is NOT the case or proof of guilt EVER.

I normally am not one to write bad reviews but since I got this ARC from NetGalley I needed to post a review somewhere and I will always be honest with my reviews.

Fabulously fun read! Brilliantly written!! Great plot!!! A Ruth Ware book is always worth reading, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The lead in prior to the husband’s mysterious death draws you in, and then the action continues. I really enjoyed the antagonist in this story—he was interesting, as well as the main character. Some of the supporting characters (husband for example) were a little less well rounded but it was still fun to read. I definitely recommend!

Synopsis: Jack has made a career out of breaking into buildings and hacking security systems but when a job goes horribly wrong, she realizes the police believe her to be the prime suspect. She has eight days to prove her innocence while on the run in London with no food or money and a battle wound that just won’t heal.

Review: This book had me hooked from the very beginning! It’s fast paced and I was super invested in Jack’s story (aka riddled with anxiety). After reading The It Girl and In a Dark, Dark Wood, I’m officially a Ruth Ware fan.

This was truly a heart racing book! I felt like I was watching an action movie. This isn't the type of book I typically pick up but I was so pleasantly surprised with this one. What I love most about Ruth Ware is that all her books are so different. They are always going to be a thriller, but this was much different than other books of hers I have read. I really felt like I was watching the Bourne identity. I stayed up way too late some nights reading this, with adrenaline pumping through me!

I received an advanced copy of the book sent to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest option. Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me this one!