I don’t say this lightly, but Zero Days is an absolute masterpiece and it might well be Ruth Ware’s best book to date. I’ve loved all of her novels, but Zero Days is simply outstanding and has immediately burst into my top reads of the year - like a malicious piece of malware that Gabe would be familiar with! Ware is such a diverse and multi-talented writer, so this novel is both remarkably different from all of her previous books and yet also has the familiarity of Ware’s style. It’s an effortlessly readable book, but where some of her other work has been very measured in its gradual building of tension, this is a rollercoaster of a ride that hurtles along at breakneck speed in the most exhilarating way. I cared so much less about who was responsible for the murder here, than to find out what the reason and motive behind it were. In this story, that is definitely the most compelling aspect and I had great fun trying to work out what the truth was. I loved the deep dive into technology and security, which Ware relays in an accessible and fascinating way. You know a book has got under your skin when you have a genuine, fully-fledged nightmare that someone has successfully phished your password, hacked your multi-factor authentication and essentially destroyed your life…just like I had last night! This is the power of the novel though. Ware spirals Jack’s life out of her control and in doing so, pulls at the very strings of all of our existences. Vulnerabilities she faces link to things that could very much be exploited for all of us. There’s a cold, harsh underlying plausibility to this plot that makes it all the more gut-wrenching. Having said that, Jack and Gabe’s lines of work are so far from your everyday office job and the penetration (pen) testing elements of the narrative provide some heart-racing suspense and nail-biting action, which is perfectly paced throughout. I am itching to see this on the big screen or adapted for Netflix - it would be epic! Although this book reads like an 80s/90s heyday action blockbuster, with its big suspenseful and thrilling sequences, it’s also so much more than this. At it’s core, this book is about a marriage, love, loss, grief and finding the strength to continue. Jack is a fascinating lead character and her relationships are complex. I thought the fact that she remains hearing Gabe’s voice in her ear whilst on the run really helps flood their relationship with life and allowed readers to really feel Jack’s purpose in seeking out the truth herself. I also loved that Jack was so realistically human. She’s not a superhero action star with extraordinary limits, she’s a painfully ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary situation, who battles her way through it. She’s incredibly real and I felt a tangible affinity to her and her plight. She’s vulnerable and becomes increasingly weak physically, so there’s a real tension around whether she will succeed in her aims. Ware balances the action and character development to create a richly layered narrative that blends the human, emotional elements intrinsically with the physical manoeuvres. There’s just the right amount of history to breathe life into Jack and help readers get to know her, whilst also providing various angles the plot might take. I really enjoyed the relationship between Jack and her sister Helena too, which provided some nail-biting and surprising moments, as well as some palpable tenderness. This book is so rich in both plot and character that it is a delectable literary feast, albeit one that’s delivered at fast food restaurant speed! If you enjoy a book that rarely taps the break peddle, Zero Days is for you. If you enjoy your thrillers steeped in tension and action movie style sequences, Zero Days is for you. If you like a novel that is intelligent, but accessible and absolutely impossible to put down, Zero Days is for you. It’s essentissally everything you want in a crime thriller, so get pre-ordering!

Another cracking read from Ruth Ware . Jack and Gabe a husband and wife team are pen testers. They are hired by companies to try and penetrate their security systems in order to improve the systems. Jack is hands on and shoes the physical test whilst Gabe is at the cyber end of things guiding Jack via an ear piece. One night Jack is caught by the police as she’s leaving a test which is nothing to worry about as it sometimes happens. Jack rings Gabe but he doesn’t pick up , on returning home she finds him dead . From then on Jack is on the run as it someone is trying to frame her for her husbands murder. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book , who can Jack trust? Excellently written and easy to read even though I’m not conversant in technology and cybercrime . Ruth Ware’s story telling is definitely not predictable! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK.

This was my first Ruth Ware book and it was definitely a great one to start with as I just couldn’t put it down! It was a fantastic action thriller with a wonderful heroine in Jack who is a “pen tester”. - a job I’ve never even heard of. Jack and her husband, Gabe, have a firm which specialises in checking security systems both physically and on the computer based side- penetration specialists! When Jack is on a job one evening she returns home to find Gabe murdered and unfortunately she is the prime suspect. Trying to prove her innocence and find Gabe’s killer she goes on the run and has to use all her skills to keep one step ahead of the police and work out who the murderer is. Not knowing whom to trust she is forced to rely on family and friends as well as complete strangers. The police are always hot on her tail whatever she does but she cannot afford to get caught. I thoroughly enjoyed this book- it was completely up to date with a theme of a computer hacker utilising their skills to test IT systems- I thought it was a very clever premise! The author had obviously done their homework as there was a lot of technical jargon which was used both by Jack and Gabe- I found it interesting to learn about how companies often have flaws in their IT systems which can be security risks. I liked the fact that it had a very strong and intelligent female lead character in Jack and her narrow escapes really had me on the edge of my seat! I definitely recommend this book- it would be the perfect thriller to take on your Summer holiday. It deserves every one of the five stars I am giving it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

This is a fast-paced, gut-wrenching story. I cared so much about the characters, and often shed a tear. It is guessable, but it didn't take away from my reading experience. There is a lot of action whilst still keeping space for heart. Very, very good!

Zero Days by Ruth Ware is an outstanding story, that makes the reader tense and on the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next. I raced through the book wanting to know what else could possibly go wrong for the main character. I really enjoyed reading about Jack Cross and what on earth would happen to her next.I thought it was Ruth Ware’s best book yet. Highly recommended