Ruth Run

Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman
4/15/25; 304 pages
Penguin 

Ruth Run by Elizabeth Kaufman is a highly recommended cross-country pursuit following a cybercriminal on the run and the government agency looking for her.

Ruth, 26, designed a hacked firewall microchip that is used in many banking systems that allows her to skim money from the banks. She has amassed more than $250 million when an alarm goes off one night alerting her that someone has accessed part of her system. She goes on the run with a bag full of cash as Mike along with others, all agents with an unnamed government agency, chase her.  Along the way she meets an eccentric cast of characters.

The narrative is presented from two points-of-view, Ruth and Mike. Ruth is an interesting character. Obviously she's intelligent, but she also grew up poor and will do whatever it takes to get by, including forgoing any gratification right now for future benefits. She is obsessed with good food and fantasizes about what she will be able to enjoy in the future. Never having money, not really knowing how much she would need, and now on the run, she reflects that perhaps she should have been satisfied with less money and left her life of crime earlier. 

Mike thinks he has a connection with Ruth. He has been stalking her for seven years, but there are others who are also obsessed with her. Her pursuers from the agency are all of dubious integrity.

Ruth Run moves at a fast-paced throughout. It is a compelling and sometimes humorous novel with an interesting plot. I was engrossed right to the end and cheering Ruth on as she eluded capture. The actual ending, however, was a problem for me. No spoilers, but it involves a bad choice that almost knocked two stars off my rating. 

Thanks to Penguin for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.