Ruth is a brilliant computer scientist with a specialty in microchips. While she could have worked for years in the industry, when she sees a way to hack a microchip in order to siphon money from banks and become a millionaire, she jumps on it (reminiscent of Office Space without the red stapler). After five years of her scheme working seamlessly, a hidden alarm in the system is triggered, forcing her to go on the run. While she planned for this eventuality, nothing seems to go to plan. Ruth is being tracked by the FBI as well as another computer expert. No one is a good guy here, but you will be hoping that Ruth gets away and finds happiness. If you like thrillers, tales of escape, or the workings of computer science, you will like this one!

I found the beginning of the story too jargon-y and the protagonist hard to relate to, I put the book aside as ‘not for me’, but then decided to give it another chance and am so glad I did, for the story picked up considerably once Ruth was on the road, in flight from her tormentors. The book was very hard to put down at this point, and I began pulling for the previously unlikable heroine, as she became better known to me. In the end the book was enterprising, energizing, and witty.

In Ruth Run, Elizabeth Kaufman delivers a gripping and fast-paced thriller that plunges readers into the world of cybercrime and deception. The story follows twenty-six-year-old Ruth, a brilliant microchip designer who opts for a life of crime, using her expertise to rob banks and siphon over $250 million from the banking system with a hacked firewall chip that only she can access.
However, when an alarm signals her discovery, Ruth's carefully constructed operation begins to crumble. Suddenly on the run, she finds herself pursued across California and the West by government agents who view her as both a high-level national security threat and a potential intelligence asset. As they chase her, they become obsessed with understanding the woman they are hunting, convinced they know her motives and psyche.
Armed with her sharp wit and accompanied by a reluctant dog, Ruth cleverly maneuvers to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, turning the hunt into a thrilling game of cat and mouse. Kaufman's writing combines humor with suspense, making Ruth Run an exhilarating read that not only highlights the perils of the digital age but also introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine. This nonstop oddball thriller is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction, offering a fresh voice and a unique perspective on the intricacies of cybercrime and survival.

Had to DNF at about 15% in. Too much tech jargon for the average person to get through. Unfortunately it killed the flow of the story for me and I just could not see past it.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.


Ruth Run is a solid debut.

This book follows a hacker (Ruth) and a delusional spy (Mike) in a cat and mouse game where the spy tries to catch Ruth.

It's a quick and fun and light read. Although I dislike the new trend of 2 3 page chapters!

The only con I would say apart from the very short chapters is little to no character development but that does not affect the fun of reading the book

I was SO excited for this one - I love a good heist! But it was more computer/techie than heist-y and I found myself skimming because I wasn't interested. I think I might have enjoyed more if didn't start with her getting caught and running - yes, the book is called Ruth Run but it could have benefitted from some backstory in the beginning and a little more character development.

I had high hopes for this one but it just did not work for me. I found it slow and not as compelling as I expected it to be.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman. Ruth is a 26 year old cybercriminal skimming millions of dollars from banks seemingly unnoticed via a hacked microchip for years. She has millions safely stashed in off-shore accounts. In the wrong hands this microchip could prove dangerous. Someone is watching! An alert sends Ruth on the run within hours. There is a cross country pursuit with a mix of characters including government agents, a long haul truck driver, and a few others met on the road. Can she trust anyone, even those in her very small inner circle? She has a likeable yet rather inept partner working in the background. Can he help her or will he ruin everything? There is the truck driver she hitches a ride from. What is his story? Everyone has secrets that eventually work their way to the surface and pull the plot together. Ruth works to stay a step ahead of those in pursuit. Loved the fast paced plot. I could not put the book down. There were a lot of unexpected twists & turns. Looking forward to reading other works by Elizabeth Kaufman.

Started out very strong with an interesting and idiosyncratic main character but the momentum of the story got lost in the weeds for me. Too much jumping around between POVs and a chase narrative somehow evolved into a somewhat static plot.

What an absolutely unique and exciting plot! The main character, Ruth, is brilliant, sassy and on the run. She has stolen millions of dollars and stashed it all in offshore accounts, but she must outwit those who aim to bring her down in order to keep it.

This book is thoroughly addictive and brilliantly written. I hope there will be a sequel because there is plenty of low hanging fruit to make that work. Five stars for this binge-worthy read. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced reader copy.

This book was a wild, unforgettable ride. After stealing millions, Ruth is on the run. Will she get away with it or will they catch her? I won't spoil it for you!

A fun and thrilling premise that is very timely. This book had me in suspense with every turn! I really enjoyed it.

4.5 ⭐

"I reminded myself that life was about more than money; what money could buy also mattered."

Brilliant!

A well-written cat and mouse game of high stakes and colourful characters. Short chapters. Easy to read.
Sometimes a bit jargon heavy. But not too much that it distracts from the story.
While Ruth is a good (morally, a bit grey) character, I find it impressive just how absolutely detestable Mike is. He is a creepy, delusional, vain, very vain man who thinks of himself as some sort of a genius. I mean, Bravo! I haven't detested and enjoyed a delusional character in power like that since Cersei Lannister in A Feast for Crows.

[-------------SPOILERS-------------]
The story starts off as chaos. Ruth running away (or trying to, anyway) from the Agency for stealing millions from banks. Then comes Mike. Our second POV character. Mike is forty. Works for the Agency. Mike is one fucking creepy ass dude. He is also delusional. Fuck Mike.
Anyway, the story progresses at a nice pace as Ruth tries to dodge Agency's many attempts to capture her. Then comes Big John, the explosives truck, Idaho, and his family. Things take a dark turn from there as Ruth contemplates her life choices and becomes melancholic. Mike is going insane in this part of the story. Still delusional (maybe slightly less than before).
Third act is really satisfying. Ruth gets a dog and keeps moving in her van from this place to that place as she plays multiple people working for the Agency (Mike, Gideon, LuAnn). Mike's delusions are at an all time high.
Ruth's story ends at a bittersweet note. Mike gets what he deserves.
[-------------SPOILERS-------------]

Recommended. 👍

Omg, this book was awesome! I could not put it down! The story took so many twists and turns I thought I was doing a salsa! I lost track of why the protagonist was heading out west, but it didn’t matter because it was just so exciting to see what happened next. I rooted for her the entire time and at the same time didn’t understand her one bit. This book was so well written and held me captive for the past 150 pages. It didn’t take long to become the unputdownable page turner. The ending surprised me. I was hoping for the happy ending, and it was, just not the one of a hopeless romantic. It ended realistically though, so I guess there’s that. Very well written! The author did a fantastic job and I can’t wait to read their next one!

I really liked this book! I love a good thriller and I really enjoy how this is about cybercrime, a bit newer and more relevant to the future of theft. I think that this book was well written, and kept me entertained from the very beginning! I enjoyed it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Very interesting book. The twists and turns it took were surprising. Some of the turns were completely unexpected and I had to stay up very late to finish it. I had to see how everything wrapped up. I admittedly had a little trouble getting started with the manner in which characters were introduced, but as soon as I figured out the cast, I couldn't put it down. Watching Ruth get chased across the country and watching her outsmart the agents chasing her was incredibly entertaining. This was a fun read and I thank the publishers and authors for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman

This book was easy to put down. The plot was interesting – Ruth running from being caught having stolen money; however, for me, there was too much technical detail about how she was able to hack into the banks to steal from them. Given that I’m not a techie, I wondered if that is even possible. It didn’t help that I also didn’t really like any of the characters.

On the positive side – without providing details (no spoilers) - I did like the resolution to the story. This is fun read, but probably more so for those interested in the technology.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Kaufman, and Penguin Group

I feel ambivalent about this book. After reading the first 12 chapters I was going to put it down. But I decided to read further to see if I could get into it. And I was able to get into it, but I wasn't terribly impressed. It was about a woman named Ruth who created a microchip that allowed her to rob banks. And Rob them. She did. She had millions upon millions of dollars. There was a man named Mike who had her in his sights for many years. He prided himself on keeping her safe. He worked for Homeland Security. And then there was Gideon, who also worked for Homeland Security. He led her to believe that he was on her side, but it turns out he really wasn't. Anyway, the whole book is about her being on the run. There were times when I felt like the author did a pretty decent job with her flight. All in all, I'll say that I wasn't terribly impressed with the book, but I was able to get through it and feel okay about it. I gave it two stars.

When 26 year old cybercriminal Ruth, who has skimmed millions of dollars from different banks realizes the authorities are closing in, she flees, but finds even more trouble on the road. Ruth Run is an aptly named, thoroughly enjoyable chase novel, propelled by the title character whose wit, intelligence and likability are off the charts. This off-beat, zany and unique story gets off to a quick start, and the frantic pace matches the pursuit by federal agents who have their own plans for Ruth. Some of the techie terms were a mystery, but that doesn’t distract from the straightforward plot, which kept getting better as the pages flew by. Loved every minute of this one, highly recommended!! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Run was a blast to read—fast-paced, engaging, and packed with that unique humor only someone in their twenties can deliver. The ending definitely left me curious about a sequel and what other wild things Ruth might get up to next.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ARC.