What a page-turning, breathless, romp Zero Days is! Although I figured out fairly early who the villain was, I just kept reading and reading and reading until I could breathe again!

Jacintha, or Jack as she is known, certainly has the most unusual career I have ever read about. She is the partner, with her husband, Gabe, in a company that tests security systems. She does the dirty work in the middle of the night penetrating on site a company’s cybersecurity, while Gabe manages the computer work at his desk. After one very hazardous night where she is picked up by the police, she returns home to find Gabe dead with his throat slit.

Jack is absolutely grief stricken, but when she realizes that the police consider her the prime suspect, she uses her best skillset to escape from the police station. Injured and full of grief, with a phone that keeps alerting people to her whereabouts, Jack sets out to pursue her leads and to try to piece together her husband’s murder. The only person she trusts is her sister, Helena, but even Hel’s phone and house may be compromised by the police.

For eight days, Jack is on the run, and the reader is running right along with her. The Booklist reviewer calls her a “very original and very real protagonist.” I was fascinated by everything Jack knew how to do to get into and out of all the places she was exploring. She was seriously injured climbing out of one building, but she continues to persist. Using several burner phones and a variety of tools she continued to solve every problem that came her way. “Solve the next problem. And then the next one after that. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Until you can’t walk any further.” And just when the reader thinks that she will finally be captured, she escapes yet again.

When I finally had some time to reflect on my feelings about the book, I had to be impressed in two ways. I loved the protagonist that Ware created. Although she is headstrong, she has an amazing will to succeed and persist. And frankly, she is incredibly smart. And so is the author Ruth Ware. I can only imagine how much research Ware had to put into the cyber-verse and cyber crime to be able to put this novel together.

Oh my gosh, I was looking up reviews of the book, and I discovered that Zero Days has a definition beyond the number of days Jack had to solve the crime that killed Gabe. According to the Kaspersky website, zero-day is a broad term that describes recently discovered security vulnerabilities that hackers can use to attack systems. The developer just has “zero days” to fix the system. Whoo! That gives the book’s title a much deeper meaning, and gives me even more to admire Ruth Ware for!
Don’t get too worried about not understanding the terminology in the book. The plot moves so quickly and Jack is so amazing, the reader is able to navigate the cyber terminology and run right along with Jack.

Loved this book!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was exactly what I look for in a thriller...fast-paced, keeping me guessing, with a bad-ass lead female!

ZERO DAYS is a wonderfully conceived high-octane thriller keeping the reader wanting more as they delve further into a murder investigation. Ware has written a novel with action, duplicity, and grit without sacrificing the heart our leading lady brings to the page.

This fast-paced story throws you in the thick of it from the beginning. Jack is a formidable character but is tested emotionally and physically throughout. It is this humanity that levels out and balances all the carefully crafted maneuvers she has to take to find a killer.

In many ways, the author did what she does best. She constructed a physiological thriller that pulls her reader into an all-consuming world tantalizing them with well-placed reveals. However, with this book, she wove in a more dynamic espionage element which perfectly blended with her style. This is not a hardcore spy novel. It is a thriller with twists, turns, and impossible decisions. And if there is a bit of breaking and entering on the side for justice, then so be it.

I love this author. Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. Hopefully next time.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to preface this review by saying that I adore Ruth Ware and have loved so many of her previous novels, however I am sad to say that Zero Days was not one of my personal favorites. I know that the theme of this one was already something I was not as interested in, hackers are not my favorite plot line when looking at thrillers so I understand why I felt this way. I did not feel much of a connection with the main character and found myself very frustrated with her choices, which may have added to my lack of enjoyment. I also guessed the plot twist fairly early on, which I am not sure if it has to do with the book itself or just a trope I have grown accustomed to seeing in thrillers. With all this being said, I will highly anticipate Ruth Ware's next book and will continue to be a fan of hers, I hope others were able to enjoy this book!

Zero Days is suspenseful, mysterious, and a captivating read. Ware never lets me down and always keeps me guessing!

Ruth Ware, yet again, produces a book that I devoured! I read this in just a few days, mainly as I wanted to see what happened to Jack. Jack is the female half of a penetration testing duo that includes her husband, Gabe. They routinely check and break into companies to help them identify security risks. Until one job goes wrong and Jack comes home to find the murdered body of Gabe. What ensues is a wild ride as Jack tries to put all the pieces together and solve the crime before the police arrest her. Fast paced and chilling - a good read when you want to be immersed!

The story was predictable, but it was very well written. Perfect for a quick beach read. 3.75 stars.

What a ride! This book kept me engaged from the first page. Jack & Gabe have an unusual business that comes with some danger, but the danger turned out to be in their home. Jack’s devotion to her husband and determination to find out the truth for his murder felt honest & true to life. She is able to use her unusual skill set to conduct her own investigation while keeping hidden from the police but is she trusting the wrong people for help?

I finished this book within 24 hours - it is a must read for any thriller fans.

I always enjoy a Ruth Ware thriller and this one was no different. A woman whose job it is to break into businesses and find weaknesses in their security returns from a long night on the job to find her husband and business partner has been murdered—and naturally she's the top suspect. While I could see where it was heading quite early in the novel—partly because unlike many of her previous works there is just a few supporting characters—but I don't think it necessarily took away from my read. Still, those who are looking for something with a few more twists may be disappointed.

Ruth Ware is one of my favorite authors. I know when I start reading a Ruth Ware book I will accomplish little else until I am finished. Sadly this was not the case with Zero Days. I began it with anticipation but it waned fairly soon. I pressed on because after all it is Ruth Ware, but it a long read. I was disappointed but not discouraged. I shall read Ruth again and again.

Jacinda Cross' husband Gabe was murdered and she was being framed for it. Both Jack and her husband were professional hackers and had dangerous jobs. The main story was about Jack running from the police to try to find her husband's killer.

I was disappointed in this book and found it boring and uninteresting.

I always love a good mystery/thriller from Ruth Ware, and this one is no different. Ware knows how to create characters and flesh them out so they feel real. She gives them real emotions and takes us on a roller-coaster ride. Great book for mystery lovers.

I didn't care for all the techy aspects and there was no big twist or reveal... But I still enjoyed the book! Jack had a very interesting job and I liked her as a character. She was a lot tougher than I'll ever be! It was a grim story with a good ending.

I recently started reading Ruth Ware's books, and this was another one that I enjoyed. Jack and her husband, Gabe, are pen testers. They break into companies to test their security systems. Jack does the physical part of breaking into the companies, while Gabe handles technology. Unfortunately, Jack gets caught after completing her most recent test and is questioned by the police. When she returns home, she finds that Gabe has been murdered. The police bring her in for questioning because even though she wasn't home at the time of the murder, her timeline of the events doesn't add up. While waiting for her lawyer to show up, Jack gets an email about an insurance policy that her husband supposedly set up. She realizes that this gives the police motive, and this does not bode well for her. Instead of waiting for her lawyer to show up and set the record straight, she decides to go on the run and find the evidence about who killed her husband. Not only does she have to go on the run, but she isn't prepared to go on the run. She has very little money, and Gabe was the one that handled the technology part and had more knowledge than she does that would make it easy to figure out who was behind his murder. She also has very few resources, and very few people that she feels can help her that the police won't already be monitoring. Plus, she injures herself and has to keep on the run as she gets sicker. Can she solve his murder before the police catch her? Will she solve the mystery before her injury gets so bad that she ends up in the hospital? Will those few people she knows help or betray her? There were some twists in this book that I didn't see coming. There was one "surprise" at the end that has been used before so it wasn't a surprise to me. Overall, though I did like this book.

This is such a fast action read, like a movie. Different vibe compared to her other books, but definitely worth reading; it sucks you right in. I enjoyed it a lot and our library patrons are enjoying it, too.
Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of Zero Days by Ruth Ware.

Not one of my favorites by Ms. Ware. I felt that research into technology was a bit cursory and not in the author's wheelhouse. Had to suspend disbelief quite a few times to get over plot holes.

I am typically a die hard ruth ware fan, but for some reason this book didn't do it for me. Typically this is because the plot is too slow. I've ADHD so require a lot of action in order to keep my attention.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Well, Ruth Ware has done it again! I'm so glad I got to read and review her book ahead of publication. She's one of my favorite writers! Her books have such intriguing characters with rich, complicated, twisted, gilded lives. The characters really shine in this work! Just like her other books, the suspense kept me absolutely gripped until the end. There is a real 'Agatha Christie' aspect to her works. She writes with careful attention to human behavior patterns, tendencies, and quirks. Nothing is so out-of-place that it's unbelievable. It's not horror -- it's just plain humans doing the unthinkable, which really sticks with a reader!

Zero Days was a huge departure from the types of books that I'm used to from Ruth Ware. But that's not a bad thing. Normally her books are eery and perhaps a bit spooky. This one was much more of a thriller. As in, our heroine, Jack, was on the run for most of the book.

Jack's a certified badass. She tests out security systems to find the holes. So even her day job is a little like pulling off a bank heist every single time. And when one gig goes a little south, she's detained for questioning and arrives home later than anticipated.

That's not the problem. The problem is that when she arrives home, she finds that someone has murdered her husband. Now, she's in a race against time to prove her own innocence and figure out who actually murdered her husband.

Zero Days is a page-turning thriller unlike Ruth's normal books (which I LOVE). But that's not a bad thing. Normally her books are eery and perhaps a bit spooky. This one was much more fast paced and I envisioned Jack being played by Jennifer Garner, you know, that badass version of Jennifer Garner.

Special thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out now.