#ATBR2020 Review: Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia @EmilyBestler @jessmapreviews
Strike Me Down
by Mindy Mejia
Big shout out to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for these copies.
Publisher: Emily Bestler Books
Publish Date: April 7, 2020
Hardcover
352 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Thriller
Nora Trier catches thieves. As a forensic accountant and partner in her downtown Minneapolis firm, she’s unearthed millions in every corner of the world. She prides herself on her independence, the most essential currency of accounting, until her firm is hired by Strike.
An anti-corporate, feminist athletic empire, Strike is owned by Logan Russo, a brash and legendary kickboxer, and her marketing genius husband, Gregg Abbott. They’re about to host a major kickboxing tournament with twenty million dollars in prize money, and the chance for the champion to become the new face of the company. Gregg suspects his wife already has a new face in mind—a young trainer named Aaden, for whom Logan feels an unexpected connection.
Days before the tournament begins, it’s discovered that the prize money is missing. Gregg hires Nora’s firm to find both the thief and the money but Nora has a secret connection to Strike that threatens her independence. Her partner pressures her into taking the case anyway, hinting he has information about Strike that could change the course of the investigation in a shocking and deadly way.
An anti-corporate, feminist athletic empire, Strike is owned by Logan Russo, a brash and legendary kickboxer, and her marketing genius husband, Gregg Abbott. They’re about to host a major kickboxing tournament with twenty million dollars in prize money, and the chance for the champion to become the new face of the company. Gregg suspects his wife already has a new face in mind—a young trainer named Aaden, for whom Logan feels an unexpected connection.
Days before the tournament begins, it’s discovered that the prize money is missing. Gregg hires Nora’s firm to find both the thief and the money but Nora has a secret connection to Strike that threatens her independence. Her partner pressures her into taking the case anyway, hinting he has information about Strike that could change the course of the investigation in a shocking and deadly way.
My Review:
Domestic drama meets financial thriller in the latest from Mejia. I love the concept of this. That fitness guru you're fascinated with and look up to. The unconventional familial relationships. The large prize money missing. Embezzlement. Conspiracy theories. Gimme all of it!
Mejia brings us two very strong female characters in Nora and Logan. Both fierce, independent and extremely good at their jobs. Personally, I miss my kickboxing days so reading this got me a bit amped up and so ready to get back to the gym already! And this is where I felt a bit of a bond with these ladies. There was some underlying tension that just seemed weird at first with a bit of hero worship tendencies. However, I did enjoy how this led to seeing the softer side of some of these characters.
Now, in spite of that, it's hard to really get that feel for Logan and Gregg - these characters come across one way, but it's more told to you rather than shown so they fell a bit flat for me. Too many coincidences in how every one ties in together? I dunno. I did enjoy the entire concept being this story line. I wasn't particularly surprised towards the end. However, I did enjoy the ride to get there.
★★★☆
Jessica's Review:
I've heard nothing buy amazing things about Mindy Mejia's books, so I was really excited when Atria sent me a copy of her latest release, STRIKE ME DOWN. As someone that spent most of her life in a martial arts/kickboxing studio, I loved seeing this incorporated into the book. From when I was 8 until 16 when I received my second degree black belt I was always at that studio, and then I got to be an instructor for the kickboxing classes. I loved every second of it and it's always fun seeing authors bring us into this world.
A forensic accountant, Nora, is brought into Logan and Gregg's world when a huge sum of money goes missing. Logan Russo and her husband, Gregg Abbott, are the owners of an incredibly successful athletics empire. They are hosting a sold out kickboxing tournament but there's a problem - the $20 million prize is missing. I really liked Nora, she was an interesting character to get to know as the story progressed. Despite hearing about how charismatic Logan is in the book, I feel like I didn't really get that feeling. If that makes sense. I didn't really connect with her or Gregg, but that didn't necessarily ruin the reading experience for me.
While the mystery had me intrigued, I did find it easy to set this one down from time to time. I don't know if it was just me and my schedule, which is entirely possible with how things are right now, or the story. I loved the writing and how Mejia brought us through the mystery but I felt like there was just something missing for me. I couldn't really tell you what though. I will definitely pick up more from this author in the future because I've heard nothing but great things!
3 stars
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