I always eagerly anticipate Ruth Ware’s next book. I was intrigued first by the cover. It’s very ominous and spooky. Then I was drawn in by the adrenaline inducing first chapter. After that, I was held captive to the storytelling.

Gabe and his wife, Jack, are pen testers; they stress test security systems to make sure nobody can breach the system. Jack does the physical job of breaking into buildings to see how secure they are, and Gabe does the tech side of things. During one such pen test, Jack gets caught and ends up at the police station. After many hours of interrogation, she is allowed to return home. She finds her husband dead and becomes the prime suspect. She makes the rash decision to run so she can clear her name and find the real killer. Why would anyone want to kill Gabe?

There are many clever plot twists and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I definitely give this 5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery books for the advanced copy.

Wow! Couldn't put this one down!
The story certainly had the typical elements of a who-dun-it when the husband is brutally murdered and the overwhelming suspect is the wife. However, Ware puts her modern-day twist on the story, involving computers, hacking and the mysteries of the dark web.
Sure, you had to suspend belief that the main character was able to survive with what appeared to be insurmountable physical issues but that only added to excitement and thrill of the story. It was fast-paced and a whirlwind of actions that didn't disappoint. The author, once again, succeeded in keeping me going until I finished it, all in one sitting!

Talk about a propulsive read! I could not put this down. I wasn’t even *that* upset when my infant decided she would only sleep in my arms from 3-7am, because it meant I could keep reading this book! So that says a lot. I thought the premise was interesting, the stakes were high, and the pacing was on point. The characters were slightly less fleshed out than I’d like, and the writing sometimes felt flat/repetitive. Like, the main character kept describing the pain/wound in her side but somehow was able to complete near superhuman feats of athleticism (?) over and over. And her internal conversation with her husband was the same lines over and over as well. She didn’t have much of a personality to speak of, but I was interested to find out what would happen.

Unfortunately, I picked out the culprit from a mile away. It was way too obvious, the author dropped some major hints. The reasoning behind WHY the person did this was less obvious, but it wasn’t super interesting. Also, I find hacking/dark web explanations to be an easy out.

I’d call this a solid 3.5, rounding up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Book: Zero Days
Author: Ruth Ware
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pub Date: June 20, 2023

This did not seem like a Ruth Ware book at all to me. It was definitely not my favorite book by her but it was a very good book. Just a classic husband dies, wife is framed, wife runs to discover who the killer is. No surprises at all but it was well written and just a good solid read. No twists or surprises really. The end is all wrapped up with a pretty bow. But again it was just a standard story and you really didn’t expect any more than what you got. It sounds bad but it’s not. It is a very easy read.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is June 20, 2023.

A long-time fan of Ruth Ware, I decided to go into this one blind -- no synopsis! About 30% in, I almost considered not finishing it -- the main character was making irrational decisions (despite the already irrational situations she was, unfortunately, found in) and *stuff* didn't seem to be happening at a great pace. However, what saved me was the mysterious countdown to zero days. I had no clue what the countdown was to -- and that wonder of "what's going to happen at the end of all this?" had me hooked.

Overall, the book ended up taking a pretty wild ride. While a chunk of it was entirely expected from the outset (for me, anyway), much of it I couldn't possibly have deduced, not least for my lack of technological knowledge. I ended up really, really enjoying this book, and even shed a few tears at the end, which is unheard of for me and thrillers.

While I had high hopes for Ware's newest thriller, I was left underwhelmed. Some parts of the book were too technical and I skimmed through quickly. I kept waiting for a huge twist that just never came. It was a solid read, but let me wanting more.

I'm not sure this could be considered a thriller, as it didn't have a lot of twists & turns and it was obvious who the culprit was from the start. I did enjoy seeing how the main character was able to use social engineering to gain access to forbidden places and manipulate people into giving her information. Overall an okay read but not Ruth Ware's best.

I'm a fan of Ruth Ware's other books and thoroughly enjoyed Zero Days, too. It took a bit for me to really get into it, but once things picked up, it was nonstop suspense!

Jack and her husband, Gabe, are pen testers. They break into offices to test the company’s security systems. One night after job that ended badly, Jack was detained by the police for questioning - which was actually common in her line of work. When she was finally released and she made it home, she found her husband had been murdered. While being questioned by the police, Jack realizes that she is the most likely suspect, so she goes on the run. Her main objective is to find her husband's killer, knowing that if she can't prove that someone else killed him, she'll most likely end up in prison.

Once Jack goes on the run, it's really nonstop action with lots of nail-biting moments. Jack is super smart, and the details about hacking, the dark web and bitcoin made the story even more interesting. Lots of twists and turns - a great thriller!

This book had me completely hooked by the story of Jack and her abilities. Read in one night I couldn't put it down!! Zero Days was an excellent suspense that truly kept me guessing. The plot was executed so good, it was fast-paced the entire time, and it never slowed down.

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

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 from an author whose “propulsive prose keeps readers on the hook and refuses to let anyone off until all has been revealed”

This book kept me reading deep into the night. I was completely hooked by the story of Jack and her abilities. Zero Days was an excellent suspense that truly kept me guessing.

Published on June 20

Jack and her husband, Gabe, are pen testers. They break into offices to test the company’s physical and computer security. After a job went awry, Jack was detained by the police for questioning. They reluctantly released her, and she found her husband dead at home. The police asked her to come back and answer some more questions. She feared being targeted as a suspect and would be detained, so she decided to run. She is determined to find out who murdered her husband, but she is afraid that she is already familiar with the killer.

Ruth Ware is one of those authors I auto-read even though we have a complicated relationship where her books are either a hit or miss for me. Her last two books were nothing spectacular, but this book was so good! The setup was fun, and the inclusion of computer hacking and the dark web were fun additions. The plot was fast-paced the entire time, and it never slowed down. I was captivated by the high stakes from the start, and I was surprised by how quickly I read the book. Jack was the perfect main character. She was emotionally intelligent and fearless. I do not know how she survived the things that she endured while on the run. Zero Days is a cops and robbers (fugitive) theme nail-biter with plenty of twists and action.


Thank you to Netgallery and to Gallery Books for giving me a copy of the book.

Jack and her husband Gabe are "Pen testers" they are hired by companies to check their computer security. When their assignment doesn't go well, Jack finds herself in for a long night at the police station. When she's finally let go and arrives home, she finds her husband, Gabe, has been murdered. Of course, Jack is the number one suspect and she is brought in for questioning. When she realizes she is being set up, she flees the police station in hopes to find out who killed Gabe and to prove her innocence.

ZERO DAYS had me on the edge of my seat. I was fully anticipating a remarkable novel and that's what I got! Jack's determination to prove her own innocence blew me away. I've never really read anything about the dark web or the hacking world, so this was very interesting to me. The conclusion left me satisfied and I can highly recommend it to all Ruth Ware fans, such as myself.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I love Ware's books, but this one was not for me. I just found it too predictable - you figure out whodunit straightaway. And, the characters were boring. It was a definite departure for Ware, which I was excited about, but in the end it didn't live up to the hype.

Zero Days is a good addition to the Ruth Ware collection. Ms. Ware is able to weave a solid storyline and a good mystery. There were some slow parts for me, but overall, Zero Days is a good story about Jack and her husband, Gabe. They are the best penetration specialists in the business and are hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems. 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.

The story had solid characters and a strong female protagonist, which I enjoyed. There were many plots to uncover and good twists to keep my interest.

A solid 4 out of 5 stars.

#NetGalley @GalleryBooks @RuthWareWriter

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.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for sharing this brilliant page-turner's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Jack and Gabe are penetration testers, finding weak links in a company’s security, but one night she’s caught by police. By the time she arrives home someone has broken in and brutally murdered Gabe and police don’t think she’s innocent. Forced on the run, Jack has only one desire and that’s to find out who killed her husband. Badly injured, not sure whom to trust, she turns to Gabe’s best friend for help.
Ware creates great characters, especially Jack, and you feel her pain, determination and grit, rooting for her to succeed. Another thrilling ride from Ruth Ware!

Jack Cross and her husband Gabe are pen (penetration) testers. They break into buildings to test the company’s physical and computer security. After a test goes awry and Jack is detained by security and then the police, she arrives home exhausted and discovers Gabe’s dead body. The police assess the situation and decide there is one suspect - Jack. After all, there are no signs of a break-in. Her fingerprints are on the kitchen knife that killed him and, oh yes, there’s that million dollar life insurance policy that was just issued. Jack decides not to wait for her imminent arrest and goes on the run, knowing she has to solve her husband’s murder before the police find her.

Zero Days is another surefire best seller for the talented Ruth Ware. Thriller barely begins to describe this impossible to put down mystery. Jack eludes the police, uncovers possible plots and finds that some friends are suspects and some suspects are friends. This happens when she is also dealing with hiding on the streets with little access to money or shelter. Ruth Ware also makes computer hacking, bitcoin, the dark web and a lot of strange terminology understandable. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Ruth Ware for this ARC.

As expected this is yet another page-turner from this author. The main character is very courageous and admirable and the book beautifully captures the emotions and the pain - physical and emotional that she endures to achieve the goal of getting justice. The scenes where she is fleeing reminded be of similar scenes in 'The Woman in cabin 10'. Overall a great read.

among the Books of Ruth her latest is decidedly of the second tier. The good news is that it's still pretty gripping an\d hard to leave. The plot is interesting but ill is burdened with way too much angst on the part of the protagonist. And one of the villains is an easy ID early on. It's high concept and low credibility for some of the time. Call it baby Ruth

Jack and Gabe are an excellent team. They break into buildings to test the security of them. Jack is out on a job when she gets picked up by the cops, nothing new, she's had this happen before, it's a good thing. Jack can't reach Gabe though, that's unusual. When she finally arrives home, she sees blood. A lot of it. Gabe has been murdered. The police suspect Jack immediately, her timeline doesn't add up. Jack must put herself in harms way, evade the cops, and figure out who murdered her husband.
Jack not only runs and hides, but also has to figure out who she can trust until she can find out the truth. She can't put her sister in harms way but who can she turn to? Jack will fight for her life each day until she knows. She puts herself in danger all along the way and is helped by strangers' kindness.
Ruth Ware has done a great job with this book. Not only is Jack a great main character, the scenes are also portrayed so well. Pick this one up once it releases, add it to your list. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of Zero Days.