#ad many thanks for the advance copy @simon + @lavenderpublicrelations #partner
& @prhaudio #partner for the ALC

4 hour read at 1.8x

Mixed review // Pub: April 15, 2025

Ohhhh hop in but you better buckle-up because you’re in for a treat with this one! Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaupman is a fast-paced thriller that you won’t be able to put down. It’s also a hilarious read. Seriously giggled so much.

But then the story took a really disgusting turn. (See below it’s kind of spoil-ish but not - but is part of the twist - I’d say?!)

With super short chapters, this was a fast read/listen - besides all of that. Ruth and Thom are on the run. Ruth had found a bug and has been stealing money from banks digitally. She should have quit while ahead. She had plenty of millions, all set to retire.

But who is after Ruth and Thom? She had set up precautions, before anyone was on to her she would be eons ahead of them. But these people got to her apartment way too quick. Something isn’t right here.

This was a fun one. While some of the lingo went over my head, and while other parts were just ehhhhh - I feel the author did a great job of explaining all the tech and how things worked. It was kept to simple terms. I also enjoyed the beginning way more than the middle and end but meh.

You’ll be cheering for Ruth throughout. Thom was ready to turn himself in but Ruth talked him out of that. He’s also a character you will cheer for. But I did have to side-eye him for a bit. But he’s also not a major character in this story.

Mostly enjoyed this one. It’s a solid fun read. Will absolutely be reading this author again. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Having alternating narrators with the alternating POV’s made the audio absolutely perfect.

Recommend both reading or listening to this one. I did go back and forth between loving this and being bored, but I mostly loved it.

Can loyalty be bought?

This book was edge of your seat exciting I loved it and read it in one sitting I will recommend to all my book friends it’s a page turner for real story. And together very well

Ruth is able to design a microchip that can slip into products without anyone knowing. She uses this to siphon money from banks into off shore accounts. She thinks she is a genius. However, someone has been watching her every move. When an alarm she sets is triggered, she realizes that someone is on her trail. So Ruth Runs.
This story has two points of view. One is Ruth as she is on the run and the other is the agent following her. What has she missed that the authorities are so close? This is a quick paced fun read. You will be rooting for Ruth all the way.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ElizabethKaufman, and #PeguinPress for a copy of this book.
#RuthRun

I could not put down this book! It was addicting knowing what was going to happen to the characters and how they developed throughout the police chase.

A really fun read with an engaging main character! When 26-year-old cybercriminal Ruth's crimes catch up with her, she realizes it's time to hit the road. Her (somewhat) careful plans for escape quickly go awry, but her resourcefulness (and a little luck) come to the rescue. We switch back and forth between Ruth and Mike, who has been basically stalking Ruth for years. He thinks he's "protecting" her, but is he?? Lots of twists and turns that keep you turning the pages!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth says she loves food and wants money for food (?) so she hacks a microchip, gets a job where she can integrate her chip into a "product" (that part was a little hand-wavey) and then is able to siphon off money and stash it in off-shore accounts. She sets up a trip wire to warn her if the authorities are onto her. After that, the party is over and she's got to run. Run, Ruth!!!

I struggled to understand what motivated Ruth. (Food, really??? I think not.) I felt like she just stole money because she could. But my lack of insight into her was a huge stumbling block for me.

Then, there's Mike. He's creepily watching Ruth, but why? Is he law enforcement? Another grifter trying to steal from a fellow grifter?

I think my main problem with this book is that no one's motivation was clear or compelling to me, making it hard for me to care.

I am very much a tech nerd so I was excited for this one!

When it comes to thrillers and mysteries, the writing style, stakes, and plot are really important to me.

I think there was humor intended in this book that just didn’t hit for me. I made it to 10% in and felt like I was reading a lot of telling over showing, if that makes sense. I wanted to be more invested. My guess is this book has a slower start to it and I just need to go for thrillers that are shorter. This seems like a personal preference.

The cover is quite cool and I did like the addition of tech in it. I just don’t think I’m the right reader for this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to leave voluntary honest feedback! I received an eARC of this book.

A cybercrime, a lot of money, and Ruth behind it all - she needs to run, hide, and get away so she can be rich.

Holy complex plot. Ruth stole a staggering amount of money and has been slipping it around to off-shore accounts, trying to amass as much as she can before she gets caught. We're pulled in right at that moment, when somethin in her intricate network has been tripped.

From there, I struggled. I never felt like we got to know Ruth - sure, she wanted money. She just wanted to be rich. She was good at moving around and running, but I never got the sense we knew her (and I struggled, honestly, to like her.)

Then we have this weird POV of this creepy guy who's been watching her. I felt so uncomfortable in his POV as he preened and gushed and just obsessed over her. As the plot got deeper and he was even more embedded, I got the ick every time we got his input and, although we needed that part of the details to know just how hunted Ruth was, he was just gross.

The rest was a rush. Because I didn't feel a huge pull to Ruth, I didn't quite feel the pull of the non-stop rush of the plot. It's an interesting story, one different than I'd normally read. If you like high action, pulse pounding reads - then you should definitely give this a try!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I really liked this book,a fast read. It was interesting,had sarcastic humor,educational and a unique storyline all rolled into one. Ruth,comes from a poor background,leaves home at 16 and her adventure starts.She’s in her 20’s and has found a way to become very rich by becoming a computer expert. She’ creates computer chips and steals money from banks w/o getting caught until…….she does.She’s on the run from the FBI and Homeland Security and it turns into a cat and mouse game of sorts. Characters are all unique and mostly likable.I found the inner works of computer info educational to say the least.
Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman published by Penguin Group
On Sale. April 15,2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Press for the ARC of Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Ruth has committed a cybercrime of jaw-dropping proportions, and now she’s on the run. But who is she on the run from, and who is the true criminal? These were the questions I asked myself repeatedly as I rapidly turned the pages of this new tech thriller meets road trip novel. Most of my questions were left unanswered by the end of the book, but it was still a fun read. My favorite character was the dog, and I wish he’d entered the narrative earlier in the story.

Ruth Run was entertaining, but for me to have a complete reading experience I needed more character building and backstory. I feel like I was plopped down within the middle of a story that someone was telling, and missed out on the important early details needed to understand the somewhat intricate plot. The ending left me with just as many questions as when I started, and made me wonder if Ruth Run will be the first in a new series.

Ruth Run, is a short read which can be completed in just a few sittings. Fans of contemporary cyber and tech thrillers, especially with a smart female protagonist, might enjoy traveling along with Ruth in Elizabeth Kaufman’s new novel Ruth Run.

Ruth Run releases on April 15, 2025.

This was an odd book. I really enjoyed the first half of this title. I felt like Ruth and Mike were going to be two interesting characters, one running and one chasing. Yet about halfway through the book I just stopped being engaged by the story. What Ruth was doing was really muddled. Was she a good guy or a bad guy just was never truly clear. What was clear was that Ruth is exceedingly smart, and she finally was trying to get back some power for herself in this crazy situation.
Thank you to Penguin Group The Penguin Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

My first Elizabeth Kaufman novel but definitely not my last. Fresh new take on cyber criminals. Totally great characters that hooked me early on and did not let go until acknowledgments. Really fun thrill ride. Enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Elizabeth Kaufman and Penguin Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman is a highly recommended cross-country pursuit following a cybercriminal on the run and the government agency looking for her.

Ruth, 26, designed a hacked firewall microchip that is used in many banking systems that allows her to skim money from the banks. She has amassed more than $250 million when an alarm goes off one night alerting her that someone has accessed part of her system. She goes on the run with a bag full of cash as Mike along with others, all agents with an unnamed government agency, chase her. Along the way she meets an eccentric cast of characters.

The narrative is presented from two points-of-view, Ruth and Mike. Ruth is an interesting character. Obviously she's intelligent, but she also grew up poor and will do whatever it takes to get by, including forgoing any gratification right now for future benefits. She is obsessed with good food and fantasizes about what she will be able to enjoy in the future. Never having money, not really knowing how much she would need, and now on the run, she reflects that perhaps she should have been satisfied with less money and left her life of crime earlier.

Mike thinks he has a connection with Ruth. He has been stalking her for seven years, but there are others who are also obsessed with her. Her pursuers from the agency are all of dubious integrity.

Ruth Run moves at a fast-paced throughout. It is a compelling and sometimes humorous novel with an interesting plot. I was engrossed right to the end and cheering Ruth on as she eluded capture. The actual ending, however, was a problem for me. No spoilers, but it involves a bad choice that almost knocked two stars off my rating.

Thanks to Penguin for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Another day, another ARC. This one is called "Ruth Run" by Elizabeth Kaufman and is set to be released on the 29th of April.

This ones genre is general fiction, it's also labeled as mystery / thriller but I didn't really find it mysterious or thrilling.

The story is about Ruth, who designed a micro chip that is implanted in a lot of government organisations. Over the years she skimmed a lot of money from bank accounts, not investigative worthy amounts but petty cash from huuuuge accounts. But now, trouble begins.

Her old workplace wants to know how to access those chips, why? She doesn't really know. But she doesn't want to give it to them. That's why Ruth has to run.

There are some obstacles along the way, which keeps the read interesting.

It wasn't really a story I loved, that's why it's getting 3 stars from me.

Ruth Run, yes....run far!! Ruth is obviously a criminal but when she is so much more likeable than the government folks chasing her, I was rooting for Ruth. Ruth created a chip with a backdoor that allowed her to skim multi millions from banks and then into government computers. I really don't understand all the techie parts, or how believable they are, but I understood enough to get that she was set up from a young age and that Mike, who thought he was grooming her, was a sleezeball.

Ruth's view of the world is very different from someone who grew up middle class. She was poor and needed to survive, that fact made her very difficult to find. She is cagey and VERY smart, the way she works situations to her advantage was really fun to read and picture in my mind. There were also cringe moments, but being out West with nothing in site for miles is very different from being in the middle of a city where you can easily got lost in a crowd.

I really enjoyed the book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ruth is a lady on the run as she has a program (?) that has allowed her to steal multi millions of dollars from banks. At least I think that is what the deal was. It was a little hard for me to follow what she actually did and it seems like the feds were after her for that program that was reportedly in numerous of the federal programs but hadn't actually done anything in regard to that?? I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters but the plot did keep me engaged enough to want to see it to the end.

Ruth is ready to cash in. She has been stashing money she has spirited out of banks and into hidden offshore accounts, exploiting a flaw in a microchip used in bank computers and code written by a collaborator. But things go badly wrong and she has to run for it.

On her tail is Mike, an agent who has been watching Ruth, unseen, for years. He's persuaded himself he is her protector, and he's not being upfront with the others who are after her, with more federal agencies involved as Ruth hitches a ride with a trucker who is a deeply Christian man who is collecting sacks of suspicious fertilizer from various remote places. That ride goes badly wrong, too.

The events are told from two perspectives, Ruth's and Mike's. Ruth is flawed but appealing; Mike is a sad sack who doesn't have a clue about how deeply creepy he is. The trucker is a wild invention, and there are other characters who pepper the short chapters with vignettes that are often funny. There's something about the plot that feels as unplanned and improvisational as Ruth's picaresque flight, but it's pacy and original enough to keep the pages turning. There's a twist at the end that was a bit of an emotional "huh?" moment for me, but Ruth is nothing if not unpredictable.

Ruth Run takes you through the story from the perspectives of Ruth and Mike. I don’t always love a dual POV, but the character’s voices were different enough that I didn’t mind. The plot is fast-paced already, and the short chapters keep you hooked. Heist stories aren’t new by any means, but the cyber crime focus and threads of tech brought fresh elements to this thriller. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Press for the e-ARC!

The short chapters and the fast pace feel made it a quick read. The dual POVs were interesting and kept it engaging. However, I felt the middle was slow and unnecessary to the plot. Overall, not a bad book for a cyber criminal twist.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group-The Penguin Press for the digital ARC.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. Ruth is complex, funny, smart and fascinating. It was fun to read of her adventures while she was on the run. I didn't really find Mike that compelling at all. I found the middle of the book a real slog to get through. I wish that Mike had pursuing Ruth more on the ground instead of from afar. The ending wasn't bad.