This book starts with a bang, and doesn't let up for the entire story, very face paced, though character development is a bit scarce. Ruth had found an error in a microchip that allowed someone to access the system the chip was installed in, so Ruth hired a fellow to copy that error onto hundreds of chips then arranged for them to be sold to banks to safeguard their systems. Over time she has managed to syphon off $250 million, the burning question is why she would need that much and why she didn't quit earlier. A safety trigger alerted her that someone had discovered her scheme and were coming after her, so she goes on the run with the the fellow that had helped her develop the scheme, he not soon after, decides he wants to stay put in a city, thinking he'll be fine. Ruth continues on, this after she had realized her car and her were being tracked. She is very good at critical thinking always managing to stay one step ahead of a number of federal agents that are tracking her, one who she had met back when she first found the bug in the chip. The story is told from Ruth's perspective and that of the agent and it also covers their backstory, which ties everything together nicely. A wee bit of graphic violence I wasn't expecting, but not entirely out of place for the circumstances. I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Penguin Press for the ARC.

‘I was dreaming about a ginger cookie—soft-centered, crunch with sanding sugar—when the alarms went off.’

Meet Ruth. She is twenty-six years old and excels at microchip design. And Ruth’s excellence at design enables her to hack a firewall chip which she uses to siphon more than $250 million out of the banking system. Ruth may be the only person who knows how to access the chip, but others have been watching her. One night an alarm goes off and Ruth realises that she has been discovered. A few hours later, she is on the run.
One of those pursuing Ruth, Mike, is a government agent who is certain that Ruth and he have a future. Mike’s certainty leads him to make some questionable decisions and certainly ratchets up the tension. Meanwhile, Ruth teams up with a truck driver dealing with issues of his own.

Will the government agents catch Ruth, or can she outsmart them? While they are not all as deluded as Mike, all those individual agendas slow them down. Meanwhile, it occurs to at least one government official that Ruth could be an intelligence asset. Hmm.
The action and tension increase. What will Ruth do?

I kept reading, both unsure of where the story was going and how it would end. And damn, I was blindsided. Yes, I enjoyed this novel with its twists and turns. Ruth was not the only character whose moral ambiguity shaped her choices and decisions, but she was the only one I cared for.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I will start off by saying that this book took no time to get me hooked. I loved how fast paced this book was and the duel POVs really made it that much quicker to get through. I was literally at the edge of my seat at times with the cat and mouse game this book had going on. The only part that confused me were some of the tech terms, but it didn’t seem to really make a difference.

Thank you, @PenguinPress for my @NetGalley #ARC.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 295 / Genre: Technothriller
Release Date: April 15, 2025

Ruth is a microchip designer by day and a cyber hacker by night. She’s managed to steal more than $250 million from a banking system over five years. She’s been laying low all this time working a real job until one of her alarms goes off and she realizes she’s been discovered. She goes on the run, hitching a ride with a shady truck driver, who’s running from his own demons. Their worlds collide in a crazy series of events.

I liked how smart and practical Ruth is. Even when everyone around her is out to get her, she figures out her best move and refuses to get played. This is the perfect binge read when you’re in the mood for something fast and twisty.

Ruth Run is a shot of adrenaline in book form. Kaufman's prose is quick-witted and full of surprises at every turn. With some of the offbeat humor of FARGO and a zany on the run narrative that feels akin to Jason Pargin, this book is a must read.

Meh

This book is told from two perspectives: Ruth, who developed a computer chip that allowed her to steal a millions, and Mike, the government agent who has been following her and now that she is on the run he is trying to hunt her down--or is he? As various other agencies get involved in the cat and mouse chase, who will be victorious?

My main problem with this book is that I had no idea why on earth Mike was so invested in what was going on with Ruth. We're thrown right into the story as Ruth is trying to get away, and I never could garner up many reasons to support one side or the other. I felt no connection to either of them and by the end I just wanted it to be over, I didn't care if she ultimately got away or not.

My favorite parts were when Ruth came up with clever ways to slip out of their grasp, but it didn't happen very often. You definitely have to suspend disbelief through most of this book because some of the things that happen are so over the top unbelievable I was rolling my eyes.

Overall, I was not very entertained by this book. Maybe you'll have better luck. It is a quick read with very short chapters to keep things moving.

Occasionally, a reader has the need to sit down with an unputdownable fast-paced thriller that does not involve serial killers. That same reader welcomes an opportunity to immerse herself in a wholly unrealistic but also funny and suspenseful financial caper involving our clever protagonist Ruth on the run with millions of dollars from creepy shadowy government agents. If that reader is you, I highly recommend this gem. Well done Elizabeth Kaufman! Thanks to Penguin Press and NetGalley for the DRC.

It's not like the summary doesn't clarify this but it was a bit more action-y, heist-y than I wanted. But that's definitely a me issue.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Kaufman, and Penguin Group Press for the eARC! This was a fast-paced and funny read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters were well-developed and memorable, and the storyline was both intriguing and full of surprises. I couldn’t put it down!

What to say about this cat-and-mouse tale about cybercrime? Quite frankly by the end I still had more questions than answers.

Here are some things I liked:

🚙I love a good road trip and Ruth spends time in some of my favorite states, especially Idaho.

🐶Blobs, an old dog who joins the story far too late, was my favorite character. Hope he got the ending he deserved.

🏃‍♀️Ruth is on the run and we know more than she does due to the addition of the Mike POV. While our girl has some cyberskills, the guys on the hunt have some tricks up their sleeves as well. Who will prevail?

Two reasons I will not read more of this author:

💻The cybercrime capers in this book are above my pay grade. Did not especially enjoy reading about them.
🧾Author's disdain for Christians and scripture.

Happy Pub Week to this promising debut thriller. Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This was an interesting read especially in the age we are. It tells the story of Ruth who is a microchip designer who decides to use her skills for “Robin hood” activities and becomes a bank robber. One alarm changes her life and she goes on the run. Entertaining ,fast paced, thrilling and well written are the words that come to mind.

Ruth Run is a fast-paced and fun read. She needs money, discovers a way to break the system and starts stealing money from bank accounts. She's already rich, but greed makes her continue to steal till when she gets discovered and has to go on the run. The authorities must get her so her incredible secret is not discovered by others to avoid putting the whole of the banking system in danger. Well-written, with easy to understand explanations of the technical data, Ruth Run is an easy and enjoyable read.
I thank Ms. Kaufman, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Fast paced novel about a woman on the run and the people chasing her. Ruth created a microchip that she can hack and uses to siphon money from banks. When the government shows up, she goes on the run.

The premise of this book caught my eye - cybercrime and being on the run.

The reader gets multiple perspectives as the chapters alternate between characters. The chapters are short as well so the action moves along.

The main character is quirky and very independent - but at the same time shows empathy and compassion.

At times it was hard to follow what was happening. I would have liked more details on the hacking and how the investigators pulled the clues together.

If you are looking for a fun road trip adventure, this book is for you.

Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinpress for the advanced reader copy.

#ruthrun #elizabethkaufman

This was a clever, fast-paced psychological suspense debut that sees a young cyber criminal on the run from her government handler who has double crossed her. Witty, snarky and sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as Ruth outsmarts everyone who is trying to find and/or kill her. It was good on audio but I didn't love how abrupt the ending was. It would make for an amazing film and is perfect for fans of books like Lucky by Marissa Stapley! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Publishing April 15

I feel like this started out a little bit like Ruth took a page from Office Space - she's created a microchip that's well above my level of tech understanding, and is engaging in some moderate levels of criming when one of her accounts is triggered, letting her know that she's been found out.

Unfortunately for Ruth, she's partnered up with possibly the dumbest of co-workers in this heist. So she's got some very loose ends to wrap up before she skips town. And in this process, she discovers that a different moron from a previous job just might know about her thievery.

There are some truly weird moments in this one, like I almost felt as if the author wasn't sure what direction to go, because there are some awfully disturbing side characters and stories.

And then, abruptly, it ends. And I shouldn't have been surprised because there was WAY weirder stuff going on, but I did hope for some resolution at the end.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP The Penguin Press | Penguin Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty-six-year-old Ruth is a thief who excels at microchip design. She has spent the past five years siphoning more than $250 million out of the banking system by using a hacked firewall chip that only she knows how to access. Then one night an alarm goes off and she realizes she’s been discovered.

Five hours later she’s on the run, chased across California and the Mid West by a slew of government agents who see her as both a high-level national security threat and a potential intelligence asset. Teaming up with a dodgy truck driver who has secrets of his own, Ruth finds that she has stumbled into a dangerous web of corruption and terrorism.

Ruth Run is a really enjoyable crime novel that dives into the action from the first page and does not relinquish its grip on your attention until the surprising conclusion. There is not a lot of violence, but plenty of suspense, as Ruth manages to dodge authorities and play one side off against each other as she tries to stay alive and out of jail. The alternating viewpoint between Ruth and one of her pursuers, a Government agent who has been secretly watching her for years, works very well and keeps the tension at a high level. The plotting is clever, and Kaufman skilfully weaves in unexpected layers that add interest, and take the story in surprising directions.

I really liked the character of Ruth with her rough edges and flexible morality. She is not an admirable person, but Kaufman does well in making her sympathetic without underplaying the fact that she is a criminal. I also thought that the supporting characters were well developed and interesting.

My only slight reservation was the abrupt ending, which was a little unsatisfying and left some questions hanging. There is also one aspect to the ending that some may be uncomfortable with, but it is consistent with Ruth’s personality. Also some more action would not have gone astray, although the book is never dull.

In all, Ruth Run is a good quick crime read, with enough quirkiness and interest to raise it above the pack.

📚 ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Ruth Run By Elizabeth Kaufman
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Publisher: Penguin Group | The Penguin Press

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and The Penguin Press for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Ruth Run was a cat-and-mouse thriller with super short chapters and an immediate tension that pulled me right into its story.

26-year-old Ruth designs a microchip and uses it to become a cyber criminal, slowly siphoning off more than $250 million dollars from banks. When she receives an alert that she's been compromised, she immediately goes on the run. And the high-tension story continues from there.

This book had a great pacing and kept me on the edge of my seat. But the closer I got to the end of the book, the more I wondered how in the world everything was going to wrap up with so few pages left.

I really loved about 90% of this book! It was edgy, unpredictable, and intense with its suspense and intrigue. However, it almost felt like someone told the author she had to unexpectedly wrap it up, so she hurriedly threw together a rushed conclusion and called it a day. And the ending itself? Thumbs down. Like, really, thumbs down. I hated it. I liked Ruth's badass character for the entire book -- until the last page. Then I vehemently DISLIKED her.

Sigh. The last 10% of this book really tanked my overall enjoyment of it. This book had so much potential, but its haphazard and quick ending left me so disappointed. Maybe others will like the way this one ends, but it was definitely a miss for me. The first 90% would have gotten a 4⭐ rating, but that ending really knocked it down for me.

#RuthRun #ElizabethKaufman #PenguinGroup #ThePenguinPress #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARCs #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #catandmousethriller #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading through Ruth’s journey while running away from Hydrant Mike. I loved how she could think on her feet despite the seemingly endless challenges she had to face and the angels she met along the way. I wanted Nathan for her. I wonder if they’ll meet again. No, I want them to meet again!

I also admired how she handled the villains in her life. I hate Thom (for being weak) and Mike (for being creepy), but she gave them what they deserved. And, Gideon. What can I say about him except...ugh!

So, suffice it to say that I found the twists and ending of this book to be so satisfying. You absolutely need to read this right now. I mean, when it comes out on April 15. Yes! It’s going to be released by then and you’ll have the chance to meet Ruth yourself. I'd also want you to meet Mike, so you can judge him for yourself.

Synopsis from Netgalley:

Cybercrime leads to a cross-country pursuit as an ambitious, misfit young thief exploits a hacked microchip to rob banks, and learns too late that the wrong people have been watching her

Twenty-six-year-old Ruth excels at microchip design but decides to get rich the old-fashioned way: robbing banks. She becomes a cybercriminal and devotes five years to siphoning more than $250 million out of the banking system using a hacked firewall chip that she created and only she knows how to access. Then one night an alarm goes off and she realizes she’s been discovered.

Five hours later she’s on the run, chased across California and the West by a slew of government agents who see her as both a high-level national security threat and a potential intelligence asset. They’ll catch her dead or alive—whatever it takes to make sure no one else discovers what she knows. Each of these men is obsessed with the woman he’s hunting, certain he knows what makes her tick. But Ruth, always a step ahead, armed with her ironic wit and a reluctant dog, eludes their understanding; can she elude their capture, too?

A nonstop oddball thriller for the age of digital theft, Ruth Run introduces an irresistible new heroine and a fantastic new voice in contemporary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advanced reader copy of Ruth Run in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun game of cat & mouse! Looking forward to more from this author.