Zero Days Analysis

Zero Days by Ruth Ware is a psychological thriller novel published in 2023. The novel is set in an unnamed place, and it is purely an exploration of sorrow as it cautions readers about the dangers of technology. The novel's central characters are Jack and her husband, Gabe, information technology wizards whose primary job is hacking the computer systems of different companies. The couple has a penetration testing company in London, and their work is highly secretive because they work with rival businesses and organizations. The main themes in the novel include love, grief and the dangers of technology and betrayal.

Ruth Ware introduces the novel by presenting a lovely couple, Jack and Gabe, who work as a team in their company. Gabe is a professional hacker, Jack is a software expert, and their work is primarily sneaking into well-secured buildings to mine data for their clients. Jack and Gabe love each other and depend on one another to accomplish their tasks. One day when Jack returns home at 2 am, she finds Gabe murdered, and she does not know the people behind the killing and their motive. Surprisingly, the police come to arrest Jack because she is the main suspect in the murder. Jack escapes using the back door and launches her private investigations to discover who killed her lovely husband. Jack grieves and falls into depression. Despite the depression, Jack continues to carry out her undercover investigations until she realizes top government operatives killed Gabe after he refused to give them confidential application software. Jack is also shocked to learn that Cole betrayed Gabe by giving the police information about the application he was using.

The novel Zero Days also navigates the dangers of technology. Every organization and government entity wants to use technology to achieve efficiency and security. However, Hackers use the same technology to steal data from organizations. The data stolen is sold to competitors and other high-paying clients in need of the stolen data.

The novel ends with the successful arrest of Jack after hiding for several days from the long arm of the law. However, the police realize that Jack is an important asset who can help them get information from various organizations they are investigating. Therefore, the police recruit Jack as their penetration tester, but she works under tight security.