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Zero Day (Jeff Aiken #1)

by Mark Russinovich, Howard Schmidt (Foreword)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 1,352 ratings · 254 reviews

An airliner's controls abruptly fail mid-flight over the Atlantic. An oil tanker runs aground in Japan when its navigational system suddenly stops dead. Hospitals everywhere have to abandon their computer databases when patients die after being administered incorrect dosages of their medicine. In the Midwest, a nuclear power plant nearly becomes the next Chernobyl when its...more

Hardcover, 328 pages

Published March 15th 2011 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published March 2011)

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Sep 30, 2011 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars

A little disappointed. I've heard a lot of hype about this book, but it had some issues. I found the flow awkward and some of the characters seemed silted. Is the premise believable? Yeah. Did the solution make sense? Not really sure. [return][return]The technology descriptions also seemed out of place and didn't flow well. I'm not sure they would have done much for someone who didn't know the lingo, and those who did would find some of the descriptions strange and over-simplistic.[return][retur...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Ricky Penick rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is the second of the technology themed first novels that I listened to this month. Russinovich is a fairly well known programmer at Microsoft, which is to say that he is very well known in the tech community but not so much in the "real" world. This book has been raved about among techies and was reputed to be "timely". I feel bad for the guy. Really. However, you really should read an actual novel before you decide to write one. I don't mean a graphic novel or something by Elmore Leonard,...more

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Jan 08, 2013 John Straffin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nobody

This has to have been the most painful book I have ever finished listening to. Filled with pointless detail, racial stereotyping, and gratuitous smut, the book is bad enough, but the audio-book makes it all worse by not accounting for the change in media. The phrase "spelled 'Superphreak' instead of 'Superfreak'" makes perfect sense when seen. When read aloud, not so much. When reading an e-mail represented in the book, must the reader *really* spell out every bit of the line "From: Xhugo1101 <xhugo1101@msn.com>"...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Paul Owens rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Avoid like an .exe found on a pop-up.

'Zero Day' is a thriller so by-the-numbers that if you had told me that Mark Russinovich had written a computer program that had produced it I would be neither surprised or impressed such is the quality of the finished product. I read the early chapters in shock that it had been published. After the shock wore off I ploughed on dead-eyed in a manner that now in retrospect resembles nothing more than acute self-harm.

'Zero Day' opens in the style of 'World War...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Alex Railean rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: computers, crime, security, technology

I agree with all the criticism of the other readers and I support those who liked the book.

My expectations were not met, but given that this is Mark's first novel - I would say the start isn't that bad.

Now, I would like to highlight a few things that other readers did not:

- In Russian, the short version of "Vladimir" is "Vova", rather than "Vlad" (which corresponds to "Vladislav"), the author didn't get this part right.

- Mark makes a reference to "kuyrdak" - I honestly had no clue such a thing e...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Being in the IT field, I was excited to read this book, both for the subject matter and considering the Russinovich’s accomplished experience in the field. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good thriller. Unfortunately, maybe my IT background was also what made it somewhat disappointing to me, with certain plot details and even writing styles being a bit annoying to me.

One incredibly irritating example so divorced from reality that cropped up again and again was how everyone—EVERYONE—seems to be so sore...more Being in the IT field, I was excited to read this book, both for the subject matter and considering the Russinovich’s accomplished experience in the field. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good thriller. Unfortunately, maybe my IT background was also what made it somewhat disappointing to me, with certain plot details and even writing styles being a bit annoying to me.

One incredibly irritating example so divorced from reality that cropped up again and again was how everyone—EVERYONE—seems to be so sorely inconvenienced by their keyboards that they can’t type a single word to completion when in IRC, forums or IMs. Granted, many abbreviations are used (and abused) today in text messages and IMs, but I have never seen it as ridiculous and ludicrous as Russinovich makes it, especially among professionals (who make up the main characters). One would think that Russinovich’s knowledge of the field was limited to Hollywood’s version of it and not reality!

Another example is the various effects of the viruses, some of which are just inconceivable. On the one hand, most of the targeted computers just shut down and “die”. But, then you have the bizarre ones (for plot effect, I suppose), such as the assembly line machines attacking a person. Twice. And why most computers would “die” while an airplane’s computer can somehow be rebooted successfully is another inconsistency.

And that’s to say nothing of the “blue screens” followed by the “black screens” with the Hollywood-style simplistic messages. (Why the simplicity with those messages, but the ridiculously technical text dumps of the assembly code in other parts of the book?)

While I’m highlighting the negative aspects of this book, let me add one more: THE ENDING. Absolutely terrible. It was almost as though Russinovich just ran out of time or steam and just “hmmm, I’ll just write a whole load of neat plot wrap-ups into a detailed memo from one character to another (deus ex machina style)”. And that’s to say nothing of the unsatisfying ending just prior to those wrap-ups. I was sorely disappointed and would have given the book 4 stars if it weren’t for this severe disappointing ending plus lazy, copout wrap-up.

Now the positives: it was fast-paced and exciting, and the characters—while not exactly exciting or really fleshed out—were adequate enough to support the exciting plot. The book won’t win any literary awards, but that’s the point: no flowery prose, no rambling tangents; just a page-turning, rapidly-moving plot that makes you want to read the whole thing in one sitting. And that was good enough to keep me entertained for almost all of it, and to get a solid 3 stars.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Shmarya rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

A singularly bad novel. The writing is unbearable. The plot is predictable and unoriginal. The entire book is technically inaccurate. Russinovich is a respected expert in the field of windows operating system internals, but he clearly has no real idea about real malware, exploitation and the underground. It seems that his perspective is completely skewed, and he attempts to write with technical confidence about areas which are clearly outside his field of expertise. I honestly believe that any h...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Brent Stansfield rated it 2 of 5 stars

The premise is good: Terrorists are planning and quietly executing a computer attack against the West using stealthy, time-activated viruses hidden by cleverly-written rootkits. Can the good guys prevent a cataclysmic day when all the computers die simultaneously?

The characters are stale: Must the good guy be handsome and prescient and clever and kind and sexy and stylish? Must every woman be sexy and young and horny and wily and well-dressed and smart? Must the bad guys be smarmy and zealous an...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Paul rated it 1 of 5 stars

One of the more annoying and frustrating books have read.

The author is an experienced IT professional painting a picture of some of the pitfalls of relying to much on modern technology. Sounds basic premise. And in other hands would have been a thought provoking and well written book.

However he writes with a heavy hand with scenarios over the top and generic characters that seem stolen from a movie of the week.

If he had turned down some of the scenarios he laid out would have helped but sound...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Hinch rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was eager to read Zero Day following an enthusiastic recommendation from Steve Gibson of the Security Now podcast. The author, Mark Russinovich, is employed as a senior technical resource at Microsoft, is recognised as an expert in the Windows operating system, and was cofounder of Wininternls, a small company that released a suite of highly respected low-level administration and debugging tools.

The premise of the book is both sound and scary. A small terrorist group coordinates the developmen...more I was eager to read Zero Day following an enthusiastic recommendation from Steve Gibson of the Security Now podcast. The author, Mark Russinovich, is employed as a senior technical resource at Microsoft, is recognised as an expert in the Windows operating system, and was cofounder of Wininternls, a small company that released a suite of highly respected low-level administration and debugging tools.

The premise of the book is both sound and scary. A small terrorist group coordinates the development of a vast array of sophisticated and malicious malware specifically targeted at the United States and Europe. With the exception of a small number of unintended "misfirings", the malware, which is cloaked using complex root kit technology, is scheduled to activate en masse, on September 11, 2011. The intent is to wreak havoc on a western world which has become increasingly dependent on internet connected technology.

This was Mark's first novel, and although I did not expect a work of staggering significance, I was hopeful that the story would be compelling, and the technical references insightfully presented. Unfortunately I was wrong on both accounts.

This is a fantastical tale of one-dimensional cliched characters, complete with gratuitous sexual references, racial stereotypes, and predictable dialogue. The technical references are cumbersome in their simplification, and the insistence that all electronic conversation be conducted in l33t speak is simply embarrassing.

The plot is dependent on inexplicable timings and hackneyed portrayals: Arabs are fundamentalists, Chechens are psycho, Russians are pig-headed, South Americans are prostitutes, and women in the tech-industry are "hot to trot".

The book is inevitably fast paced, and action packed, as very little pretence is made toward character development, context, or god-forbid, any kind of textual subtly. Perhaps the only saving grace of the novel is that it will effortlessly translate to the big screen without a hint of modification, for it already plays out like a cheap-thrills b-grade blockbuster.

The following quote from the book's main character (possibly autobiographically motivated?), the tall, good looking, well built, charming IT security consultant, sums it up:

"If someone had told him a month ago that he'd be on the run from assassins with a beautiful new lover, that he'd been shot at and wounded, that the fate of the western world lay with him, he'd have told them they were crazy. But here he was and he had to admit there was something to be said for it."

And crazy it is. Mark may be able to write code, but he sure as hell can't write respectful fiction.(less)

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Apr 24, 2011 Nathan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I used to dream of writing a thriller. I bought and read dozens of how-to books, and from years of practiced study have an eye and ear for the genres of adventure and mystery. Eyes and ears which have been royally abused by "Zero Day" by Mark Russinovich.

You see, if you took the shallowest plot ever ("signs of trouble show up in specialist's field; he and beautiful women investigate; bad guys are scheming; the hero and his harem are not believed; bad guys threaten the hero and (importantly) hare...more

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Apr 03, 2011 David Pascoe rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is an easy read for anyone who has ever used a computer connected to the internet. The book is even more interesting and compelling if you have ever installed an anti-virus product on a PC. So, there you go; this book will be a good read for almost anyone who picks it up.

The plot is all to believable. A group is creating a storm of worms and viruses to invade the computer systems that control our banking, airlines, power generation – you know, every part of our life. This threat as bee

...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Igal Tabachnik rated it 5 of 5 stars

The name Mark Russinovich should be familiar to anyone in the IT industry. He’s the co-founder of Winternals (which operated the Sysinternals website), now owned by Microsoft. Mark is a co-author of the Windows Internals books, and the creator of such tools as Process Explorer, Autoruns and Process Monitor, which are just a small subset of the Sysinternals tools arsenal, which is being used daily by programmers, IT and computer forensics experts around the world.

I first heard about “Zero Day: A ...more The name Mark Russinovich should be familiar to anyone in the IT industry. He’s the co-founder of Winternals (which operated the Sysinternals website), now owned by Microsoft. Mark is a co-author of the Windows Internals books, and the creator of such tools as Process Explorer, Autoruns and Process Monitor, which are just a small subset of the Sysinternals tools arsenal, which is being used daily by programmers, IT and computer forensics experts around the world.

I first heard about “Zero Day: A Novel” in a Mysteries of Memory Management (part 1) talk Mark gave at PDC 2010, and was immediately intrigued with the premise – a cyber-terrorism thriller that provides an in-depth look into an unsettling scenario of a coordinated, world-wide cyber-attack. What made this particular take on the subject most appealing to me, is the author’s in-depth knowledge of computer threats – from viruses to malware, I was expecting a technically-accurate, realistic read, and that’s exactly what I got!

Zero Day is Mark Russinovich’s debut novel, well-written in such way that appeals both to computer experts and novices. Mark does a great job balancing the technical explanations in such way that they do not bore more tech savvy readers, and do not to overwhelm others. Combined with a fast-paced action, Zero Day is a perfect page turner for anyone!

Some spoilers ahead!

Zero Day begins with series of seemingly unrelated events – an airplane suddenly loses control over the Atlantic, wrongful prescription of medicine causes numerous deaths in various hospitals, an assembly line robot suddenly begins spinning out of control. While this is going on, an ex-CIA analyst, now computer security expert, Jeff Aiken, is hired by a firm to discover the cause of the crash of their entire computer system, and loss of financial data. Together with his partner, a woman who works at the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) in the US-CERT, they begin to discover the connection between those events, and the link to a Russian hacker, whose online handle, Superphreak, is encoded within the viruses and rootkits they discover. These events seem to increase as the date moves closer to September 11, which makes Jeff suspect that Arab terrorists might be behind it all.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Tony rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

This debut technothriller by one of Microsoft's technical gurus features al-Qaeda, cyber-terrorism on a global scale, a network security hero who lost his lady in 9/11 (which, he happened to predict while working for the CIA, only to be ignored), and not one, but two other exceedingly attractive female IT people. What else does one need to know? While the author posits some fairly evocative set pieces illustrating how the world's economy can be brought to a standstill by a few relatively clever...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Misha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller

*Rating is 3.5*

Mark Russinovich works at Microsoft in one of the senior-most technical positions. Considering the background of the author, the premise of Zero Day becomes even more compelling.

Zero Day has a thrilling start. Several seemingly unrelated incidents take place all over the world, all involving computer failures. The controls of a British Airways flight fails. So do the computers in a highly reputed firm based in NYC. A glitch in the computer databases in various hospitals causes m...more *Rating is 3.5*

Mark Russinovich works at Microsoft in one of the senior-most technical positions. Considering the background of the author, the premise of Zero Day becomes even more compelling.

Zero Day has a thrilling start. Several seemingly unrelated incidents take place all over the world, all involving computer failures. The controls of a British Airways flight fails. So do the computers in a highly reputed firm based in NYC. A glitch in the computer databases in various hospitals causes many patients to die, due to wrong administration of medicines. Jeff Aiken, who used to previously work for the Government, starts to see a pattern in these incidents. What emerges is more deadly than anyone could imagine. It's up to Jeff to stop the impending disaster before all hell breaks loose.

Zero Day involves a very realistic portrayal of cyber-terrorism. It's disturbing and terrifying since it's so real; and it's scarier because of the author's knowledge and background. You can't really discount the scenario presented in Zero Day - the things described in the book can certainly happen. Ever since 9/11 attacks , there has been increasing paranoia in the world. Terrorism has expanded and with advancement in technology, the threat has increased further. Taking into account how depended we've become on computers and internet, the book's premise is only too real. If someone was to launch an attack via the internet, the effects can be enormous and more horrifying than what any one of us can imagine.

Zero Day is a fast-paced, heart-stopping thriller. I was unable to put the book down. The book compels you to ask - "What if?" This thought-provoking thriller, packed with action, will keep you reading late into the night. I instantly connected with Jeff. All through the book, I wanted him to succeed. I felt his emotions as he raced against time to stop the looming disaster.

A major problem I had with the book was the technical aspect and details which were beyond my comprehension. All the technical parts got very monotonous for me. Perhaps if I had more knowledge of programming and cyber-crimes, the book might have been a 5 star read for me. However, the author did manage to make up for the boring parts with some very surprising twists.

Zero Day is a book that's very relevant today. We do need to be aware of how hugely dependent we have become on technology. Our lives are almost run by technology. Most of us will have a panic attack, if our internet suddenly stops working or if we are not able to check our emails. Zero Day forces one to ponder on how vulnerable we are to any kind of cyber-crime. Technology has definitely helped mankind, but like every great innovation, it does have its flaws. Thanks to technology, you can shop at home, book flight tickets sitting at home, talk to a person on the other side of the world, pay your bills online and even control your bank accounts. You hardly even need to step out of your homes. Do we realize how much of ourselves we give out on social networking sites? Almost our entire lives are so out there, so open to any kind of attack. Zero Day, apart from being action-packed, is also informative. It's not just fiction but reality and hence more frightening than any ghost story.

Zero Day is a must read for those who love intelligently written thrillers with realistic themes.(less)

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Feb 21, 2011 Beverly Frisby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Last summer, news of the Stuxnet worm, suspected of being crafted by a nation state to attack Iran’s nuclear program, became the first public example of a virus created specifically to destroy infrastructure systems. More recently, cyber-attacks in support of Wikileaks that disabled high-profile web sites like Visa and Mastercard underscore the ease with which cyber armies can be enlisted and called upon to wreak havoc.

Author Mark Russinovich, Technical Fellow at Microsoft (Microsoft’s highest...more Last summer, news of the Stuxnet worm, suspected of being crafted by a nation state to attack Iran’s nuclear program, became the first public example of a virus created specifically to destroy infrastructure systems. More recently, cyber-attacks in support of Wikileaks that disabled high-profile web sites like Visa and Mastercard underscore the ease with which cyber armies can be enlisted and called upon to wreak havoc.

Author Mark Russinovich, Technical Fellow at Microsoft (Microsoft’s highest technical position) and one of the world's leading computer security experts, became convinced in the wake of September 11 that malware would be the ideal low-cost and low-risk tool for terrorists bent on complete financial and physical destruction.

In his upcoming novel, ZERO DAY (Thomas Dunne Books, March 2011), Russinovich draws from his expert knowledge of cybersecurity to present an unsettling realistic scenario of a cyber-terrorist plot that threatens to annihilate modern society as we know it. After a series of major international computer failures, former government analyst Jeff Aiken suspects something more than coincidence is at hand. He begins to fear these incidents signal the threat of a more serious cyber-terrorist plot, and soon finds himself in a race against time to gain access to codes that will prevent an international disaster.

My Review:
Although the book started a little slow for me, before too long, I found myself drawn into the world of cybersecurity and hackers. "Zero Day" is a thought provoking thriller that reminds the reader how dependent we are on computers and the ramifications of what could happen if an attack were launched through cyber space. Think about your daily activities - how many of them are computer-based? What would happen if you were suddenly unable to use your computer? The technical aspects of the book were at times a little over my head, but it is very apparent that Mark Russinovich knows what he is talking about. The second half of the book was filled with most of the action which kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next. I felt the characters were well written & strong. Mr. Russinovich paints vivid pictures with his words, as he describes the depth some people will allow greed to take them. It was easy to fill an affinity for the main character, Jeff Aiken, as he struggles to uncover the cyber-terrorist plot and who is behind it. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader's interest piqued right up to the last page.

A free copy of this book was provided to me by Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists in return for my unbiased review.(less)

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Jan 29, 2011 Val Pearson rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first though on this book was "If I get the opportunity to push the sale of any book, this is the book I would choose, for the simple fact that we need to be educated in cyber terrorism." A thought provoking thriller, Zero Day is by far one of the most exciting yet terrifying books I have ever read. In our generation, there is no where you can look that is not controlled by computers in some capacity. Just think about it for a minute. Online banking, your power at home, the airplane that you...more My first though on this book was "If I get the opportunity to push the sale of any book, this is the book I would choose, for the simple fact that we need to be educated in cyber terrorism." A thought provoking thriller, Zero Day is by far one of the most exciting yet terrifying books I have ever read. In our generation, there is no where you can look that is not controlled by computers in some capacity. Just think about it for a minute. Online banking, your power at home, the airplane that you take to reach your destination and even your check out at the grocery store, these are all reliant on computers. Now try to imagine a virus attacking any one of those industries and your world would be turned upside down. Zero Day is a book that addresses those issues and expounds on that by painting a vivid picture of what can happen should one of these industries come under attack. The public needs to become educated and aware of the fact that cyber terrorism does exist and CAN happen to them.

I am currently a programming student in college and one of the areas we study is internet security. Just about everything we studied in class is included in this book. I've told my instructors that this book needs to be required reading because it not only shows you the magnitude of destruction that viruses can cause but it helped me to better understand what I learned in class. When I read this book, it was almost as though it were in two parts. The first part of the book concentrated on the technical computer side and the second part where most of the action was found in the book. Believe me when I tell you that there is a lot of action throughout the book and that it was nearly impossible to put this book down.

I felt a connection right away with Jeff Aiken's character. Previously working with the government, Jeff tries to bring attention to the links between all the disasters taking place and the recent virus outbreaks. He's met with red tape throughout the book and I couldn't help but feel helpless right along with him. Jeff has closed himself off from forming relationships with anyone and finds himself attracted to Daryl, his female counterpart who happens to work for the government. Watching Jeff and Daryl work side by side while their relationship grows stronger, was a breath of fresh air. I found myself rooting for their relationship to flourish beyond friendship. While the focus stays on cyber terrorism, romance between these two is intricately woven into the story. There are some surprises with Jeff's co-workers that you won't see coming. I loved to be shocked and Mr. Russinovich does just that very well I might add. The action in this book is remarkable. Painting vivid pictures of the level of greed humans go to, the reader is transported into a very dark world.

Zero Day is the debut novel for author Mark Russinovich who is a cyber security expert with Microsoft. A well researched and highly developed book, Zero Day is a must read for everyone who is dependent on the internet in any form. The book does get technical quite often but Russinovich does an excellent job of explaining what he's talking about. Everyone needs to be made aware of the potential of a threat of global proportions and even though this is a fictional story, it can easily become reality. Zero Day is an addictive read that will stay with you for a long time to come. It is a MUST READ!(less)

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Aug 03, 2012 aPriL MEOWS often with scratching rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-suspense-thrillers

I picked this one up because I listen to a podcast by Steve Gibson called 'Security Now'. He has recommended other books which have been excellent. However, this was a big disappointment. It sucked. The sad thing is it really shouldn't have. The plot was terrific. Terrorists decide to take down the Western World via the computers which now control every aspect of business from customer records to payroll to billing to factory machine control. Airplanes are flown by computers, and nuclear reactor...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 16, 2012 Ru rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Impressive - & scary - debut "cyberspace" novel from a high-ranking Microsoft tech. This story is very much in the vein of a doomsday scenario: runaway viruses impeding the free world, airplanes losing control in the air, financial institutions crumbling, etc. However, I do think this book does that familiar trope better, in that it ties the viruses to attacks being coordinated by terrorists. Furthermore, the attacks even tie in to 9/11. It's all very authentic-sounding, courtesy of Russinov...more

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May 19, 2011 Ivan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Nice idea and Mark definitely knows his security (he should, he's one of the foremost experts on MS Windows), but I think he generally sort of blew this one. The story is intriguing, but it's somewhat predictable and it's full of stereotypes and cliches. The hackers are Russian, cynical and ready to do anything for money. The Arab terrorists are the ones behind the attacks and they want to kill us all, because they hate our freedom. If you are into this kind of stuff you can just watch conservat...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, from-publisher-author

Zero Day explores what could happen if some hackers are turned to true evil by terrorists. It examines what could happen if a doomsday virus is sent to almost every computer in the western world and wonders if we are truly too dependent on them. Jeff, a computer analyst, leaves his government job after they fail to act on intelligence that could have prevented 9/11. He is called to help a law firm where a the doomsday virus has been triggered a month early by a wrong date in the system. Realizin...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Lianne Burwell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, library

This book is a first novel by a computer expert with a number of non-fiction computer books to his name, and this book has a definite agenda to it (ie People don't pay enough attention to protecting computers from malicious code).

Arab terrorists want to start a new 9-11, except now they are using viruses to attack western computers. A few computers (with their system dates set wrong) start crashing, and in some cases people die as a result. The hero and the heroine are on the track of these viru...more This book is a first novel by a computer expert with a number of non-fiction computer books to his name, and this book has a definite agenda to it (ie People don't pay enough attention to protecting computers from malicious code).

Arab terrorists want to start a new 9-11, except now they are using viruses to attack western computers. A few computers (with their system dates set wrong) start crashing, and in some cases people die as a result. The hero and the heroine are on the track of these viruses, even though people in power seemed to want to ignore it. Will our computer-dependant world be destroyed?

First off, the good. The story is actually pretty interesting, although I found the climax to be improbable, and the epilogue left me wondering just what had been done to warn people. The writing is also very serviceable, although the tech-speak emails and texts were so over the top that it put my teeth on edge (even if it was accurate to the culture, it should have been toned down a bit).

The not so good was the characters. The villains were almost mustache-twirling evil. The weasel couldn't simply be in it for money, we had to find out about how he married for money, only to find out that the girl didn't have money, and since she is (of course) not terribly attractive, he plans to dump her when he gets enough money (and why didn't he already?)

The hacker isn't just a russian, he is a russian put in a wheelchair by a Chechnyan bomb (which turns out to be blunt foreshadowing), with a gorgeous girl who stayed with him.

And the hero. He's a geek, but he's handsome and a rugby player. He also has the tragic past of having uncovered the original 9-11 plot, only to have his boss (the weasel) bury it, leading to the death of his beloved in the attack and his deciding to become a consultant. The heroine is a computer geek who looks like a blonde supermodel, and is tragically sought after by men *just* for her looks. Oh woe. Marty Stu meet Mary Sue.

Still, it was an enjoyable quick read. Worth reading, ate least from the library.(less)

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Mar 16, 2011 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, read-march-2011

Zero Day is a thrill-ride that is scary and yet you can't quit turning the pages either. I enjoyed this possibly plausible techno-thriller from Mr. Russinovich from start to finish.

I really liked the characters. For a suspense/thriller that is really plot-based, a fair amount of character development went into the main character of Jeff. The rest of the characters aren't as fleshed out, but their motives and reasons for doing what they do and who they are aren't as integral to the plot. Jeff was...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Ralph rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mark Russinovich's first novel was an enjoyable read for me. Not great literature, but far from mediocre. The short chapters helped create flow and kept me wanting to turn to the next page. The events in the story are plausible, which I appreciate as so often many thrillers require one to completely suspend belief. Everything in the book is technically possible, improbable in some cases, but not impossible.

The excessive use of alternate spellings and abbreviations in the instant messaging texts...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Tabasco rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I enjoyed this thriller mainly because I am interested in the cyber-security topic. As a novel, I have to say the amateurish hand is clearly visible, despite the overall fun of the ride. The main charachters behave like really bad actors in a B-movie. There are far too many unnecessary comments about how sexy and handsome everyone is. The same idiotic, male-chovinistic comments that you can find in the old Clive Cussler, but I was hoping for something a little better from this book. I also had s...more I enjoyed this thriller mainly because I am interested in the cyber-security topic. As a novel, I have to say the amateurish hand is clearly visible, despite the overall fun of the ride. The main charachters behave like really bad actors in a B-movie. There are far too many unnecessary comments about how sexy and handsome everyone is. The same idiotic, male-chovinistic comments that you can find in the old Clive Cussler, but I was hoping for something a little better from this book. I also had some issues with the language - i.e. I'm not sure that repeating the expression "all but" twice per page is a sign of "good English" (for example, "it was all but destroyed"; "they were all but secure").

Some problems I had with the plot (spoiler alert):

1) at page 238 Jeff tells Daryl that there could be a connection between the virus and the murders. Daryl is extremely surprised, and "she looked at him as if he'd just slapped her". She is a fairly high-ranking DHS official, and she is supposed to manage various teams of cyber experts. How come all of a sudden she is so incredibly dumb?? The fact that she hadnt connected the dots doesnt make any sense. Editing!

2) at page 253, with Carlton having called him in a sudden rush, and flying to Paris in a panicked rush, Fajer "had not expected this, not now. He could not imagine what had roused this man's suspicion". What? After at page 229 Carlton is said to have already planted a copy of Daryl's latest report in Fort Dupont Park? And even if Fajer hadnt had the time to read it yet... really? This mastermind guy, being so stupid as to not expect someting like this??

The last part of the book is - I have to say - a real disaster, rushed and weak, but then it needed some final climax of some sort I guess. No clever or ingenious solution is found. No original twist.

Finally - does the author still work for Microsoft? Because if he does, he is not doing a great service to his company: someone who is not in the IT field, like me, finds out from the book that the concept of "Zero Day" involves vulnerabilities even in Microsoft products that can not be fixed by any patch, therefore leaving the system open to any virus. Thanks a lot for letting us know Mark!! I'll just get an i-pad.

In brief, nothing more than good fun, a little new information, and some not very realistic insight in the world of hackers. (less)

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Feb 10, 2012 Marcus rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story was decent, but nothing to write home about. People on Amazon seem to love it, so I might just be a party-pooper on this type of story. I'm curious if I'd still enjoy Dan Brown books like I did in high school.

The mission of the book is awesome. As a software engineer, this book has changed the way I think about computer security. It's a big deal! I'm glad I read this book because it shifted me from thinking of security as an inconvenience to being a top priority.

The fact that the book...more

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Apr 19, 2011 S.D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

When I first saw the movie, THE NET, I thought that was the worst that could ever happen with computer technology but ZERO DAY proves creative people can always find ways to use their talents to cause harm. The anniversary of 9/11 is approaching and chilling events are taking place. An airliner’s onboard computer fails to respond, same at a nuclear plant, an oil tanker, and even a hospital where a computer gives out the wrong dose of medicine killing several people. Jeff Aiken lost a fiancée in...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Tom Tresansky rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was one of the worst books I've ever read. I obviously wasn't expecting great literature when I picked this up, but this was miles away from being even a decent thriller. There wasn't even any interesting discussion of computer security involved - which was the main reason I was interested, considering the author's credentials - it was all very high level and vague, clearly toned down to broaden the appeal. Characters were entirely black or white; every female was a beautiful, oversexed god...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Brian Lively rated it 2 of 5 stars

I started this thinking it was another high tech thriller (Crichton, Daniel Suarez) and what I got was 250 pages of Network Security for Dummies and 50 pages of some of network TV quality action.

The book is a fairly easy read. For his first Fiction novel, author Mark Russinovich does show a lot of promise. The plot was very predictable and I found few surprises, but despite this he managed to keep the story moving. This kept me from ever considering setting the book aside for something else.

I al...more

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About Mark Russinovich

Aka Mark E. Russinovich.

Mark Russinovich is a Technical Fellow in Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud operating system group. Russinovich is a widely recognized expert in Windows operating system internals as well as operating system architecture and design.

Russinovich joined Microsoft when Microsoft acquired Winternals software, the company he cofounded in 1996 and where he worked as Chief Software...more

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Zero Day (Jeff Aiken #1)

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