I had a hard time getting started with this one, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. I was equal parts screaming at Jack and cheering her on through the entire thing. I found myself very heavily invested in the outcome, and although it was a bit obvious, the twist was fantastic. I did want to see mention of Gabe’s parents and tie that little loose end and more in the denouement, but otherwise it ended in a nice and neat way.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book!

Jacintha “Jack” Cross is a “pen tester”—someone who breaks into agencies security systems to test how vulnerable companies are to attack. She and her husband, Gabe, make the best team: she does the ground work to get into the building, and he is able to hack information once she is there. One night, however, Jack returns home to find that Gabe has been brutally murdered…and she realizes that she is the police’s number 1 suspect.

This was quite the departure of storylines from Ruth Ware’s other novels. Even though other stories of hers have had the psychological thriller element, this is a full action almost spy-type thriller. (Reminiscent of like Jason Bourne, or even the jump start reminded me a little of a Colleen Hoover inciting incident). It is very fast-paced and full of action, but after awhile the action gets quite repetitive (running from the cops, accidentally giving information that comprises her position). I also did not feel particularly connected to the characters in this story as I have been in the past. It felt like there was so much running around that we never got to really know Jack or her true relationship with Gabe & Cole, or even her past with Jeff. I wish there had been more time for character development as I think that would have helped make the mystery (who killed Gabe and why) more compelling. I also felt there was a lot of technical IT hand-waving (which is a little hard as it is also a big part of the plot!). Overall, I think fans of Ruth Ware will be surprised by this book as it felt quite different from her other closed scene murder mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun page turner with enough twists it made it fun to read. I liked the different characters and I really liked how for the most part Jack was smarter than everyone and a step ahead of most everyone.

Zero Days kept my heart pounding and my breath holding as I pulled for Jack as all and I mean all odds are stacked against her.

Main character, Jack (Jacintha Cross) we meet as she is breaking into an office building. Her husband, Gabe, is assisting her remotely through her headset. This is part of their job as pen testers. Pen tester is short for penetration tester where the couple stress tests security systems for a living, After wrapping up a nerve-wracking job Jack tells Gabe she'll head on home and he can complete his portion of the assignment. Their communication connection ends abruptly and things very quickly go downhill for both of them. What is going on? Jack is nabbed by security, and taken down to the police station. Now the contractor who hired them as pen testers is not answering his phone, nor is Gabe. Eventually, things seem to be sorted out and Jack is free to go on home finally.

Completely exhausted, she returns home and finds Gabe, her beloved husband, has been murdered. His throat has been cut! Blood is everywhere! Jack goes into shock and freezes up. She eventually regains herself and calls for help. This lack of prompt response makes the police question why there was such a gap in her release from the station, her arrival home, and when she finally called 999.

Now what should Jack do? Do the authorities think she killed Gabe? After all family is the first suspects in cases like this. With this in mind, Jack returns to the station for follow-up questions the next day. While awaiting the officers she checks her phone and sees a bizarre email. An email that, coupled with the knowledge that the police consider her a suspect, this prompts Jack to go in the run.

Jack feels if she can find the person responsible for the murder of her husband, she can be eliminated as a suspect. She knows that she didn't do it and believes that if the police have her in custody, they won't bother looking very hard for the actual culprit. Jack has strong escape skills she has practiced throughout years of pen testing and she is in fine physical shape. She gets a little help from her sister and her husband's best friend as she runs, but must be careful to NOT use phones and credit cards which could ping her location. Still the police seem to know her moves and are always just a little behind her if not before her every move.
Now here is the part that was most vivid to this reader on her harrowing run… she punctured her side in the early part of her escape and without proper cleaning and medication it begins to fester most disgustingly, and her pain is palpable.
What Jack will soon come to realize, is that even those closest to you are capable of the most heinous betrayals. Will she be able to piece everything together in time before capture? Her efforts are thwarted by near physical collapse from her injury, fatigue, intense pain and lack of nourishment?

Okay, so who is responsible for her husband’s murder? I didn’t see what was coming for sure! Jack's journey to find the truth will take a number of unexpected turns, a delving into the workings of the Dark web, the black market, and all bleak things associated.

This was an entertaining and intriguing read that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys a great mystery and a thrill ride of the decade.
Ruth Ware had done it again!

I have read several of Ruth Ware's books. Her writing style is often compared to Agatha Christie - a slow burn mystery and, having read many Agatha Christie books, I would agree with the assessment. This book turned Ware's previous style on its head. Zero Days is more a thriller than a mystery. It follows Jack as she tries to discover who murdered her husband, all while evading the police as she is the prime suspect. The book takes place over a week's time and comes to a quite satisfying end. I guessed the murderer very early on but still enjoyed the book very much.

Short synopsis: Jack and her husband Gabe are Pen Testers (look for holes in corporate security) after a job, Jack comes home to find Gabe murdered. She escapes police custody to find who really murdered her husband.

My thoughts: This one is compared to the movies Mr and Mrs Smith and The Fugitive, I feel like it’s definitely more The Fugitive after the first little bit.

I liked the action and Jack’s mind as she unraveled the mystery to Gabe’s murder. Hel is one amazing sister to believe in Jack’s innocence throughout the story and put herself on the line to help her sister out.
I especially enjoyed seeing the kindness of strangers help Jack when she was in need.

I did feel like it was a little long and could have been shortened or condensed and still have the same effect, but overall I enjoyed the storyline.

Read if you love:
- Proving your innocence
- Fugitives on the run
- Kindness of strangers
- Long chapters
- Action packed

✨Book Review✨
Zero Days by Ruth Ware
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Ruth Ware is one of my favorite authors, but this book was a miss for me. The first half was pretty decent and got me sucked in, but the second half felt so repetitive and I was frustrated with the main character the whole time for not taking care of herself.
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It got to the point where I hardly wanted to keep reading because I was so frustrated with her progressively getting sicker and sicker and doing nothing about it. This might not bother everyone as much, but with my health anxiety, it was too much for me to read about.
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If you love Ruth Ware you should give this one a shot, but I did not think it was one of her best.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware never fails to generate psychological suspense in her novels. Jacinta/Jack is suspected in the brutal murder of her beloved husband. The truth behind the facts is almost as brutal as the crime itself.

Ruth Ware is consistently one of the best story tellers in her genre. Zero Days is no exception.

Jacintha "Jack" Cross and her husband Gabe are penetration specialists hired by corporations to hack their software and break into buildings to identify vulnerabilities that may exist. After a job which did not go as planned, an exhausted Jack comes home to find Gabe dead, his throat slit. Jack is now the main suspect in his killing. With the help of her sister, Hel, and Gabe's best friend, Cole, a gravely injured Jack tries to stay alive while desperately trying to find Gabe's Killer.
With Zero Days, Ruth Ware brings a fresh and creative way to take readers down the thriller rabbit hole. A master of her craft, Ruth Ware is on point with her research into the world of cyber corruption as well as the complexity of the human condition. The only bad thing about reading a new Ruth Ware novel is that you are now left waiting for the next one.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Love anything from Ruth ware so I was pumped to start this. Starts out with a bang and keeps going. Couldn't put it down! Great storyline and characters. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I'm a huge fan of Ware's so was really excited to read this one and it's action-packed! Gabe and wife Jack are "hackers" who use their skills to protect companies in danger of being hacked. But when tragedy strikes, Jack is on her own as she attempts to discover how things went awry and how she can fix it. With the help of her sister, Hel, Jack is now on the run as it appears to the police that she may be involved. Plenty of action and adventure ensues as Jack narrows down the possibilities and must determine how to proceed faster than her wily competitors. Ware knows how to keep us on the edge of our seats and keep the tension high throughout!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

No one does thrillers like Ruth Ware. Another hit title filled with intriguing characters and packed with action.

At the beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to like this, but I soon got really into the story. I've read all of Ruth Ware's books and I found this one to be different from her others in that there was more action and less character-driven. The plot was highly suspenseful and moved along very quickly. There were certain aspects that I loved, such as the main character being injured, that moved the story along quickly. My only negative is that I had hoped there would be another twist at the end, but that didn't happen. Still, an excellent, highly entertaining read from the queen of suspense.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and SourceBooks Landmark for an advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review.
I have enjoyed two other books from the same author. She is very good at a fast paced whodunnit. I enjoyed the story of a wife, with a certain skill set, attempting to find her husbands killer. I would recommend this book.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I'm a big fan of Ruth Ware and her books but unfortunately, Zero Days just didn't do it for me. The premise of the murder mystery started off good but I guessed early on who the murderer was and after that it was just a book about someone being on the run...and run...and run. I really liked learning about the penetration specialist job and how Jack and her husband, Gabe, break into companies to see if their security works. But for me, most of this just dragged on. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ruth Ware is the master of mysteries. Zero Days starts out with a bang and never lets up. I couldn’t put down this one, but that’s the norm for Ware’s masterpieces.

Jack and her husband Gabe were super hackers, hired for their expertise in finding businesses weak security links. After being caught while on assignment, Jack returns home late only to discover that Gabe had been brutally murdered. She quickly realizes that she is the prime suspect for her husband's death, so she panics and runs. Jack finds herself on her own, desperately hoping to expose the killer before the police catch up with her. This high octane thriller is for fans of THE FUGITIVE movie and THE PASSENGER by Lisa Lutz

I have been struggling with Ruth Ware lately and unfortunately figured out who was involved before I was halfway through the book. That’s a sign for me that I may need to take a break from an author unfortunately. I thought it was a good book though and think it will do well and she continues to be a good choice for thrillers for majority of readers.

I have enjoyed every novel by Ruth Ware that I've read so far. I usually give them 4 stars. This one - 5 stars!! It was phenomenal! It hooked me in from the beginning and never let up. It was intense and interesting. I didn't love the main character, but I liked her enough to be vested in her story. She's a tough chick and I was rooting for her the entire time.

The plot was well developed with good pacing that kept me interested. The setting varied throughout the story, but stayed within England. Even though I've never been to England, the writing was descriptive enough that I was easily able to visualize what was happening. There was a good balance between likeable characters and unlikeable ones, which was important to keep me guessing who I thought may or may not be involved with what was happening. The ending had some small twists, but they fit well within the storyline and character development.

I definitely recommend this book to all thriller lovers!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster#BookClubFavorites for an eARC of #ZeroDays by #RuthWare in exchange for an honest review and for general feedback. - 5 stars!