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dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow. This was painful. The story was ridiculous - Jack/Jacinda breaks into businesses for a living to expose their weaknesses. So endless descriptions of her climbing and jumping and slithering over ceiling panels took up way too many pages. And her dang cell phone. Would someone get this chick a portable charger? I am so tired of these “thrillers” using a draining battery as their cliffhangers. It’s lazy storytelling. Can she make the call? Will her battery die just as she reveals the name of the killer? Girl, please.
Ruth Ware’s books have been dropping in quality and this is my last. So glad I didn’t buy it because I would send it to her publisher, Scout Press, and demand a refund.
Edited to add that I am actually angry. That I wasted my time and that this gets published over all the potentially great writing submitted by authors struggling to get in print but are overlooked so $ can be made selling dreck.
Ruth Ware’s books have been dropping in quality and this is my last. So glad I didn’t buy it because I would send it to her publisher, Scout Press, and demand a refund.
Edited to add that I am actually angry. That I wasted my time and that this gets published over all the potentially great writing submitted by authors struggling to get in print but are overlooked so $ can be made selling dreck.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The first time I tried to read this book I DNFed it after four pages because the constant name-dropping of brands was so incredibly distracting that I couldn't focus on the story. The second time I read it it was still annoying, but I could get past it. I generally like Ruth Ware's books, but this one wasn't my favorite. Gabe's character felt underdeveloped, so it was hard to really feel Jack's grief over losing him. He was just sort of a cardboard cutout of a good guy. I also thought that Jack was sometimes characterized like a stereotypical "badass woman" that felt a little cheesy at times. I didn't think the plot twist was that surprising, and I also HATE the whole "pregnant with my dead husband's baby" thing which is such a weirdly common trope in thrillers like this... at least it was saved for the epilogue so I didn't have to suffer through it too much. I was engaged with the story, and I could believe the central conflict that led to Gabe's death, so it's not like I didn't enjoy reading this book; It just had some flaws that I didn't totally love. My overall rating is that this is decent, but not an amazing thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Blood
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Pregnancy
Jack and her husband, Gabe, are pen experts, meaning they are very good at penetrating commercial businesses. In fact, they have created their own business where they are paid to break into companies and then tell the company where their security is lacking from a building and digital perspective. At the start of this book, Jack is on a job breaking into a company with Gabe in her ear telling her which direction to go or what’s ahead. The job is successful, until Jack is caught by security guards at her car. She is hauled to the police station, where she is questioned over and over. She asks the police to call their business contact with no luck. She tries to call Gabe, but no luck there either. Finally, another cop backs her story; and she is released to head home. However, when she gets home, she finds Gabe dead. Jack is taken to another police station and questioned for hours. She’s finally released, but soon realizes that the detective in charge believes that she’s the killer. Since the police are only interested in arresting her, Jack goes on the run to find out who killed her husband. I really enjoyed this story more than The It Girl. It does get a little technical at times, but I really enjoyed following such a smart main character, who walks you through her decision making process. This becomes really interesting when Jack uses her expertise to get information.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was an action thriller, rather than the usual psychological thriller that I enjoy. It was page turning and entertaining, but nothing special.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Who will like this: people who like locked room murder mystery and fans of fictional tech
Book Review: I enjoyed the book but it wasn't my favorite Ruth Ware whodunnit. Some characters you were supposed to feel bad for were unlikeable. Even the
"pitiable" character.
I also guessed the killer way too early. That's not a brag lol
I loved the winter setting and the idea of their tech company especially when it doesn't work due to weather.
It's worth a read.
Book Review: I enjoyed the book but it wasn't my favorite Ruth Ware whodunnit. Some characters you were supposed to feel bad for were unlikeable. Even the
"pitiable" character.
I also guessed the killer way too early. That's not a brag lol
I loved the winter setting and the idea of their tech company especially when it doesn't work due to weather.
It's worth a read.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced