Zero Ri$k by Simon Hayes | Paperback Book Tour
I was gifted a copy of both the hardback and paperback editions of this book in exchange of an honest review and a place on the book tour. This article contains an affiliate link.
Hello Readers,
Back in July I had the privilege of being part of the hardback book tour for Zero Ri$k by Simon Hayes and after recently re-reading the book, today I have the honour of sharing my thoughts on this amazing story again in celebration of the paperback release!
But before I tell you how my re-read went, let me share the synopsis so you know what the book is about:
23 December 2024… Rob Tanner should have been enjoying a rare day off from his life-consuming work as Chief Operating Officer at one of the country’s largest banks. But a panicked phone call from a senior colleague forces him to put his Christmas plans on ice: more than a thousand of the bank’s accounts have seen their balances increased by a factor of ten. Exactly ten. Through the inexplicably simple addition of an extra zero. And when the inflated balances prove to be neither early Christmas gifts, nor a botched computer system upgrade, but the most sophisticated cyber attack in history, Tanner finds himself in the eye of a ‘Black Swan’ storm no one predicted, but anyone could have anticipated.
Tanner enlists the help of brilliant American cyber security expert Ashley Markham, but the attacks only worsen: bank balances rise remorselessly and spread to all the nation’s banks. The only clue to the hacker’s intentions are cryptic daily emails, centred on Hieronymus Bosch’s medieval representation of the seven deadly sins - and packed with colourful artistic and cultural references - taunting Tanner and the newly incumbent Prime Minister, James Allen.
With financial markets - and the very world as he knows it - on the brink of collapse, Tanner races against the clock to decode not just the bizarre emails but their deeper meaning, and the implications for who he can really trust. All the while, his former boss “The Toad” is seeking revenge… and answers of his own.
This enthralling, multi-layered debut follows the story of a disillusioned banker facing unthinkable financial Armageddon, where money has no value, stock and bond prices are meaningless, and the eceonomy is destroyed. Can Tanner unravel the mystery of the hacker’s obsession with Bosch, sin and retribution before modern society returns to the dark ages?
Since I have already written a full review on Zero Ri$k, which you can read here, this review is going to focus on how I felt reading this book for a second time. Did the reveals have the same impact? Did I pick up on any hints as to who the hacker was now I knew their identity? That sort of thing. {I do recommend reading my full review as I go into more depth about the story and the characters.}
Before I get into this review, I just want to say that while I read this book physically back in June/July, this time I decided to give the audiobook a try. The narrator, Stephanie Racine, did an excellent job telling the story. When I first started listening, I was unsure if a woman’s voice would work since the main character is male but, and I’ll try to say this in an as none spoiler way as possible, it’s not just Rob Tanner’s story and having a woman narrator works so well to enforce that point. Stephanie did a wonderful job and made the book a pleasure to listen to. So if you’re more of an audiobook reader, I can recommend giving this one a listen.
Now on to how my re-read went and I think I’m going to answer the second question I posed first; Did I pick up on any hints this time round to the hacker’s identity since I knew who it was? The simplest answer is yes.
Now maybe I’m overthinking this or reading too much into the things I noticed but I feel like Simon Hayes has lightly sprinkled in a few subtle things; a look here, a knowing smile there. Giving those little hints that you would maybe miss on a first read through but pick up on during a second when you have all the facts; when you know exactly who all the players in this game are. Noticing those hints made me love this book and Simon’s writing style even more. It’s just so intelligently written and I’m still in awe that he hasn’t been writing for his entire life and this is his debut novel!
So now let’s answer that first question; Did the reveals have the same impact? Simply put no, but let me explain. It’s just a fact that when you don’t see the plot twists and reveals coming, they will be more impactful and may be more shocking. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t affected by the twists and turns this story takes, it just means that this time, my emotions during the build up to them was heightened because I was anticipating them. The big reveal half way through still made my heart ache and the events towards the end of the book, still broke me. I also went from being suspicious of a certain character, to constantly wanting them to stop and think about what they were doing because I knew what was coming.
If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while or know me, then you know I get attached to fictional characters and I view reading my favourite books like spending time with friends. Reading Zero Ri$k for a second time, I have come to know these characters even more and have therefore, become more emotionally invested in them. So while the reveals and plots twists didn’t have the same “shock factor”, they still had an impact, just not in the same way as my first read through.
If you love books with a well thought out story, some great plot twists, characters with depth that tread the line between right and wrong and overall leave you on the edge of that cosy reading chair of yours until you’ve read the final page, then I highly recommend picking up the incredible techno-thriller that is Zero Ri$k by Simon Hayes.
Stay Safe. Read a Book.
Lo
Thank you so much to the lovely team at Literary PR for giving me another opportunity to shout about this book and to Simon Hayes for not only sharing this story with the world but for being a supportive author to your reviewers. It’s greatly appreciated.
Zero Ri$k Book Tour Details
If you’d like to find out more about this book and Simon Hayes, you can do so via his social media handle ~ @mysimonhayes
If you’d like to find out what everyone else on the tour thought of this book, below are all the dates and social media handles for all the book reviewers:
25th October: Freyja ~ @freyjareadsbooks
26th October: Tami ~ @tamisreadingcorner
27th October: Vix ~ @alittlemixofvix
28th October: Deb ~ @debsbooksreviews
29th October: Kirsty ~ @kirstycatherine3
30th October: Lucy ~ @ginandbookclub
31st October: Olivia ~ @missoliviareads
1st November: Natalie ~ @reading_with_wine
2nd November: Siobhain ~ @whatyoutolkienabout
3rd November: Joe ~ @southseareads
4th November: Emma ~ @emmas_wellbeing _page
5th November: Becky ~ @beckys_book_blog
6th November: Claire ~ @c.isfor.claire_reads
8th November: Louise ~ @louiseslittlelife
9th November: Sarah ~ @SarahBl76867443
10th November: Rebecca ~ @beccareadssomebooks
11th November: Krystal ~ @lipsticktoliterature
13th November: Chiara ~ @aratecla _the_bookrat
14th November: Linda ~ @LindaFallows2
15th November: Sierra ~ @hooksxbooks
16th November: Manisha ~ @manisbookcorner
