Date of Reading: 24/07/2023
Author: Ruth Ware
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Rating: 4/5
(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours)
About the book:
An 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.
Review:
I saw mixed reviews on this novel everywhere comparing it with the author's previous works. Since I am new to Ruth Ware, I didn't have that mental hurdle of high expectations to tackle. And it made me stick to my Kindle the whole day (in spite of the pending works) as a thriller should. So, yes, this one left me pining for more.
Packed with actions throughout, the tension begins in the first chapter itself. Jack and her husband Gabe are pen testers tasked with identifying vulnerabilities in security systems. Unfortunately, it doesn't go well all the time. The last test doesn't go as planned and she is caught by the security officer. Exhausted and battered, she returns home only to discover Gabe brutally murdered. To make matters worse, the police suspect her involvement in the murder.
Thus begins Jack's harrowing journey on the run, narrowly evading the authorities while relentlessly pursuing her husband's killer. The real culprit is not hard to guess, but that doesn't prevent you from eagerly turning the next page. However, not everything is flawless. I would have loved it if Jack had a partner and was expecting that to be one of the detectives: DC Miles or DS Malik, to add a touch of girl power. Unfortunately, one was too kind and gullible and the other too blind to think out of the box. Habiba Malik and Jack become friends by the end of the story which I find somewhat distasteful. With the way she carried out the case, shouldn't Malik be rethinking her career choice? If it was anyone else other than Jack, they would be rotting in jail while the real killer roams free.
Even though it all looked a bit superhuman, I loved how capable Jack is. Her anguish, devastation and unyielding desire for revenge make it a truly addictive story.
Meet the author:
Ruth Ware is an international number-one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key and One by One have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film and TV, and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @ruthwarewriter or at ruthware.com.
