The New York Times bestselling "new Agatha Christie" (Air Mail) Ruth Ware returns with this adrenaline-fueled thriller that combines Mr. and Mrs. Smith with The Fugitive about a woman in a race against time to clear her name and find her husband's murderer.
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 suspect—her.
Suddenly on the run and quickly running out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the real killer in this unputdownable and heart-pounding mystery from an author whose "propulsive prose keeps readers on the hook and refuses to let anyone off until all has been revealed" (Shelf Awareness).
Title : Zero Days
Author : Ruth Ware
Format : ARC
Page Count : 368
Genre : mystery / thriller
Publisher : Gallery/Scout Press
Release Date : June 20, 2023
Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ .5
Hollis' 3.5 star review
I've had my eye on this author for quite some time but for whatever reason had never got around to picking her up. But after seeing the pitch for this one -- comparing it to two movies I really enjoy, especially the latter -- I couldn't resist. I have no idea if this is what her other books are like in terms of tone or vibe but to be honest it's not what I would've expected. Maybe I've had the wrong preconceived notions this whole time? I guess I'll one day find out! But I still had a good time with this one.
I have no idea if this will satisfy the author's fans, if it's as nuanced or complex or twisty as I had heard her content can be, but if you're fond of books that you can visualize in your head, or can picture as a movie, full of action and some suspense, including the suspense you sorta have to suspend your disbelief for, you'll enjoy this. I can absolutely picture this as a mini-series or a Netflix flick. At times, and maybe because of the Mr. and Mrs. Smith comp, I was even getting a bit of a Salt vibe, minus the whole Russian spy angle. But a woman, desperate, capable, and on the run after the murder of their significant other, meanwhile they've been set up to take the fall? Yeah, it's basically a gender-swapped The Fugitive.
Having said all that, I did find it fairly obvious to guess the real villain of the piece, or at least who we could reasonably blame, so I assumed it was a red herring and.. sadly it was not. I wish this hadn't been so obvious. I also wish other obvious mistakes that Jack made hadn't.. well been so obvious. When we're told one thing is unlikely, and then we see it happen, and she doesn't bat an eye? Well. But at the same time, it made her infallible, even if she was super human whilst dealing with her injuries and dodging cops and attempted ambushes all along the way. So, perhaps a little consistent.
But, and maybe it's the hormones to be blamed, I did get a little choked up a time or two. Even though we don't get a lot of time with Gabe, in her reminiscing, in her grief, we do get to see bits of him through Jack. I would've liked so much more of this, or maybe more time with him before he was killed, and likewise I wanted more time with Hel, Jack's sister. I wanted more of these connections that grounded this character, made her feel more real, because I wanted those emotional beats to balance all the running and jumping around. Because unlike in The Fugitive, we didn't really have that other angle with the charismatic ensemble of Marshalls hunting down the criminal. So between the (let's be honest, very few) moments where Jack is actively investigating or hunting down a lead, it's just a lot of careening from one place to another, and going through sorta the same motions each time.
I will say though that I liked the ending. I couldn't say I saw that coming and while it's maybe a little cheese, it was the best kind of cheese. And watching Jack pivot, go from recklessly throwing herself into all these situations, heedless of her own well-being, for Gabe, to wanting to live, even though Gabe is still gone, even though the reality of how it all came about is painful and full of betrayal, well.. it was a nice moment. And that epilogue was the cherry ontop of that sundae.
So, yeah, I had a good time. I have no idea if it'll have any staying power in my mind or if my feelings on it will change after trying other books by this author. But as it stands, if you're looking for something thrill-chase-y, that's not too complex, and feels like the book equivalent to settling in for a bit of mindless fun on the couch, popcorn and all, I would definitely say this is worth a look.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
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