Review: "Zero Days," Ruth Ware

When we meet Jack, she’s broken into a corporation’s headquarters. Her goal is to get into the IT hub. Her husband, Gabe, guides her through the labyrinth of hallways from home, via a Bluetooth earpiece. He’s the digital intruder, furiously working on his computer.

Tension mounts, as Jack must enter the room through the ceiling. Security officers are alerted and Jack is chased through the building. Police are waiting for her, and she’s arrested.

Suffice it to say that Ruth Ware’s latest thriller gets off to a heart-pounding start.

And it never slows down.

Jack—it’s a nickname for Jacintha—is actually a “pen tester.” She and Gabe have been hired to find out just how secure the Arden Alliance insurance company is. Not surprisingly, the police don’t believe her, and she spends hours in the police station until she can prove she is who she says she is. When Jack finally gets home, she finds her husband has been brutally murdered.

Her shock, and sorrow, are immense. Jack has no qualms about helping the police with the investigation. She wants Gabe’s killer to be found as soon as possible. But she quickly realizes that they’re focusing their investigation on her.

Jack, as her career choice indicates, is willing to take risks. She goes on the run, determined to find out who murdered her husband. The book starts at “Minus Eight Days” and counts down from there.

Our heroine is nimble, athletic and resourceful, and she needs to be to keep one step ahead of the police. She gets some help from her sister, Helena, and Gabe’s best friend, Cole. But she’s really on her own, as she dyes her hair and breaks back into her own house. Jack hitches a ride with a truck driver and spends some time hiding out in a remote seaside cottage. Along the way, she injures herself, and the wound festers because she’s afraid to seek medical treatment.

As if this were not enough, Jack also has to unravel complicated cybersecurity issues in order to solve the mystery of who killed Gabe.

In the hands of a lesser author, this plot could have lapsed into melodrama. But this is Ruth Ware I’m talking about. This is a nail-biting, page-turning adventure with a very satisfying ending. Bravo!