International bestseller Ruth Ware returns with this adrenaline-fueled thriller about a woman in a race against time to clear her name and find her husband’s killer.
Hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems, Jack and her husband Gabe are the best penetration specialists in the business. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their only suspect – her.
On the run and out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the truth in this unputdownable and heart-pounding mystery from 'one of the best thriller writers around today' Ruth Ware.
It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Zero Days today. Many thanks to Ruth Ware, Simon & Schuster and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
My reading schedule doesn't always allow me to be a mood reader but the stars aligned when I came to Zero Days because I was hankering after an exciting, pacy thriller and that's exactly what Ruth Ware gave me. With a lead character who is undeniably proficient and yet emotionally and increasingly physically vulnerable, it packs an emotive punch too.
Jack Cross is a penetration expert which means she is hired by companies to try to break into their systems. Jack does the physical work while her husband, Gabe – a former hacker – challenges their digital security. The novel opens with them on a job; Jack has broken into the offices of an insurance company in the middle of the night, she has dyed scarlet hair, a touch too much liquid eyeliner, a fake tattoo and a backpack full of housebreaking tools and computer equipment downloaded with dodgy software. She knows what she is doing and thrives on the adrenaline. Gabe is her ever-present talisman, the voice in her ear who assists her from the apparent safety of their home. Despite not being physically together, their love for one another is obvious and the sparks fly between them.
It's not a spoiler to say that just a few hours later, Jack discovers Gabe has been murdered. The events immediately after the penetration test and her understandable reaction which sees her almost catatonic for a while, means the police have questions about her timeline prior to her reporting his murder. Her delay in grasping that she is a suspect makes sense, given she is that numb period following sudden, unexpected loss, and throughout the book Ruth Ware shows a really empathetic understanding of grief.
Of course, Jack eventually appreciates the situation she is in; an unsettling discovery and an overheard conversation results in her putting her expertise into action as she goes on the run. It could be argued that the more sensible option would have been for her to stay put and endeavour to clear her name but the reasons behind her decisions are justifiable. Without giving too much away, she already has cause to mistrust the police and as the novel progresses, she soon realises she is being set up. With her options limited, she is resolutely determined to find the real killer but despite her fortitude, her sense of loss is palpable throughout. She desperately wants to cry but finds she is unable to and focuses on her urgent search for the truth in order to ensure justice for Gabe, rather than to clear her name. Action thrillers require a capable, skilled protagonist and she is certainly that but her grief keeps her real. This is, necessarily, a plot-driven story but Jack is always a compelling character I could believe in.
With few people she can turn to for help and knowing her face will soon be plastered all over social media, her high-octane cat-and-mouse chase in and out of London becomes increasingly tense. As she tries to avoid being caught, she could be risking more than a trial for a murder she didn't commit; the near-misses, questions over who can be trusted and the chilling revelations concerning the dark web means Zero Days is seriously compulsive. I did figure out part of the plot before it is revealed but it didn't spoil anything for me – the real intrigue comes from following Jack's efforts to evade capture before she can expose the truth.
Zero Days is a suspenseful, action-packed thriller which explores some frighteningly plausible scenarios. It is also deeply poignant and this combination of drama and emotion makes for a satisfyingly engrossing read from start to finish. I thoroughly recommend it.
Zero Days is published by Simon & Schuster, purchasing links can be found here.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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