3.5 stars

From early on, Ruth Run has a weird vibe to it. Everything feels disconnected. At the start of the book we’re dumped right into the middle of the action without any prior knowledge of any of the backstory that led up to that moment in time, and it took me more than half the book to play catch up and get an inkling of how all the pieces were fitting together.

It’s a very interesting story and unlike anything I’ve read before, but the main issue I had was that I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I’m not saying they weren’t any good, they just weren’t very likeable and had zero redeeming qualities. Let’s take Ruth for instance. She keeps everyone at arm’s length, including the reader, for no reason I could discern. She comes across as cold and calculating. That was my perception of her. Also, she’s not a strong female lead. Her evading her pursuers was mostly luck, as throughout most of the story she’s a shaking, terrified wreck, with no clear plan of action.

Then there’s Mike. If you’ve ever watched the cult classic movie, American Psycho, Mike is a copy of Christian Bale’s narcissistic, creepy character in the aforementioned movie. That is a terrific movie, so by the way, and kudos to the author for writing a similar character – intentional or not - as he definitely creeped me out.

The two other big issues I had was all the endless technical computer jargon, and the blunt ending that was very unsatisfying and left me with many unanswered questions. But overall I can say with certainty that this book will appeal to the right audience. It has a clever plot and is very well-written. The synopsis was appealing and had me curious, but sadly at the end of the day this book wasn’t exactly for me.

Many thanks to the author, Penguin Press, and NetGalley for an early copy of Ruth Run. My review is my own, unbiased opinion.

I think if it was just a little bit longer it would be five stars.

I loved many things about this novel, including but not limited to: snappy chapter titles, Mike's insistence on comparing himself to GrecoRoman heroes (he was just as petty and bitchy as the heroes he believes he's emulating), and Ruth's uncanny ability to manipulate the shit out of men. #yasqueen

I loved how everyone constantly thought THEY were Ruth's master manipulator, when really they were all (accidentally?) manipulating everyone else watching her. And for all of Ruth's intelligence, she makes mistakes and gets lucky because sometimes all the planning in the world doesn't account for random chance and a lack of experience. In her defense, very few people have firsthand knowledge of going on the run and it's pretty hard to practice. My only complaint is that it ended so abruptly! There's not much more that could've been added, but I don't know, it still felt too sudden to me.

Lastly, as a certified STEM kid that hates coding I absolutely couldn't tell you if the electronics knowledge was accurate - I dropped all coding and electronics classes as fast as I could - but if it's based on real science I do wish it had been a little bit more in depth. I had trouble imagining exactly what her chip did.

For anyone who needs a read that will suck them in and just NOT let up after that, I definitely recommend this book! I really enjoyed Ruth Run, and it reminded me a but of the feeling of watching the various Jason Bourne movies- and that’s no bad thing! I’ve loved every Bourne movie, and similarly, I had great fun with this. My only quibble would be slightly with the end of it, but that in no way took from the overall fun that was being gripped by Ruth!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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.