I’ve heard great things about this author but this book was just really different from what I was expecting. It didn’t hold my interest, and it felt way longer than it needed to be. This just didn’t hit for me.

Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia is a spy-type financial thriller centered around a large sum of money that has gone missing and the husband and wife who both suspect each other. Our main character Nora is a forensic accountant who is hired by husband and wife Gregg Abbot and Logan Russo to find some missing money - $20 million to be exact. Gregg and Logan own athletic empire Strike, which is currently holding a contest to choose the new face of the company. The prize for the contest is - you guessed it - $20 million.

While this is not really a thriller but rather more of an investigative spy drama, I still enjoyed it. I thought that it lacked momentum in the middle and it wasn't as twisty or surprising as I would have personally liked, but I think many readers will enjoy this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Mindy Mejia's novel "Strike Me Down" is a gripping thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. With its well-crafted plot and well-developed characters, this book is sure to please fans of the genre.

The story centers around Nora Trier, a forensic accountant who is pulled into a murder investigation when her former client is found dead. As she delves deeper into the case, Nora begins to uncover a web of lies and deception that threatens to destroy her career and her life.

One of the strengths of this book is its well-drawn characters. Nora is a complex and compelling protagonist, and Mejia does an excellent job of showing how her past experiences have shaped her. The supporting cast is also well fleshed out, and the relationships between the characters are nuanced and believable.

Another standout feature of this book is its pacing. Mejia keeps the tension high throughout, and the plot twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the very end. The writing is also top-notch, with vivid descriptions and clever dialogue.

Overall, "Strike Me Down" is a highly enjoyable thriller that is well worth the read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review published on Goodreads, 12 January 2021:

I picked up Mejia's newest book because I liked her two previous ones. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did her others. STRIKE ME DOWN did pull me right in and keep me engrossed. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen next, so I kept reading fast and furious to find out. By the end, though, the characters bugged me so much that I didn't really care what happened to any of them. Nora and Logan are both cold, selfish characters and Gregg's greedy, unfaithful, and overly obsessed with Strike. None of them are likable. Although the plot of STRIKE ME DOWN is compelling and twisty, the characters are irritating and overall the book is a depressing, dissatisfying read. It turned out to be a mostly meh read for me.

I am saddened to say this is the first Mindy Mejia book I haven't enjoyed. I don't know if it was the plot or what, but I just couldn't gel with this.

Will still definitely read more from this author as I've really enjoyed their work in the past.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

To be honest, I am kind of bummed this book is over. I was enjoying it! There was the right amount of mystery, deception, and a whole lot of entertainment.

Definitely suggest this one.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I had previously read Mindy Mejia’s novels Everything You Want Me To Be and Leave No Trace, and have become a fast fan. Strike Me Down was a fast, action-packed read centered between two energetic industries: fitness and litigation.

The main character and a forensic accountant, Nora is contacted by Gregg who happens to be her ex. Gregg suspects his wife, famed Logan Russo, for fraud and embezzlement. Gregg is the branding genius behind the scenes, while Logan is the face of the brand and icon in her industry. Nora also happens to be a huge fan and follower of Logan’s (though I wonder if the interest isn’t connected to Gregg in a way as well). While investigating the couple’s multimillion-dollar franchise, Nora is torn between the two sides, while juggling the conflicting interest of representing her company on the case.

Strike Me Down, which I actually read ahead of its release in April 2020, was a perfect antidote to the times with its focus on female empowerment. The female characters are all working (and succeeding) in a stereotypically male-driven industry. I loved reading about the high-intensity fitness space; it was crazier and more nuanced behind the scenes than I would have expected, but still entirely plausible.

The underlying themes of trust, loyalty and competition transcended the novel and became a lesson in itself for people everywhere – especially women shattering glass ceilings. As humans, we depend on interaction and relationships, but that’s also particularly key when climbing a corporate ladder. Strike Me Down brought up a great question: how much does one person owe another for aiding their climb to the top? In an ideal world, we’d all help each other to succeed because it’s the right thing to do and another woman’s success is our own, but we don’t live in an ideal world and this is a topic consistently at the forefront of the headlines (and my Instagram feed) over the past few years and it’s a conversation I hope we all continue as a community.

Between the action-packed drama and the strong women making their own way, I loved this novel and totally recommend the fast-paced book.

I keep going back and forth on how to rate this book. I liked it, it was good, but it just didn’t hit the 5 star rating for me.

So, the book was well written. And the story was definitely unique, one that I’ve never read before. So those were all positive things! But then where the writing lost me was how easy it was to figure out the ending. It happened pretty early on in the book, so I stuck with it because of the writing.

Honestly this book was good, just not my favorite.

Nora is a forensic accountant working for a company that roots out embezzlers and such. In her spare time, she goes to a local gym where she learns some MMA type fighting. The owner of the gym is a Rhonda Rousey type that is a superstar fighter. Her husband approaches Nora’s firm and asks them to help find 20 million dollars that is missing. This book is pretty good but I didn’t really like Nora. She seems like a pretty selfish character (she barely interacts with her kid) but overall a quick read.

I’m a big fan of the authors previous two novels and was really looking forward to this one but something fell flat for me. Maybe it’s because I didn’t really like the financial aspects or maybe it’s because the characters weren’t great for me, but whatever it was this was just ok for me

Dear Publishers.

Firstly, thanks very much for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Unfortunately, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be reading and reviewing this title due to the large number of titles that I currently have on my shelf, and my inability to read them all. Also, I feel that a review at this late stage probably won't assist you or the author. For these reasons, I've decided to tidy up of my Netgalley shelf and I will be removing this one from my TBR pile.

I hope to be able to read and review further titles for you in the future.

Thanks and Regards
Kim

Not sure what everyone else was reading but this story was very boring. I didn’t even get thru the entire book.

This isn’t your typical Mejia book and it showed. Hoping her next book is better.

I liked this book! FInally something different and interesting to read. It was a predictable but fun read. I rate the book a 3.6

Nora Trier is a forensic accountant. She is a partner in a firm located in Minneapolis that investigates crime involving corporate funds.
Logan Russo is a champion kick boxer who owns and runs a chain of gyms called Strike.
Teaming up with her husband Gregg Abbott a whiz at marketing Strike has become a huge success. Strike has decided to sponsor a huge tournament with twenty million dollars in prize money. In addition to all the money the champion will become the new “face” of Strike.
Just days before the tournament is set to start the prize money goes missing. Gregg hires Nora’s firm to investigate.
Nora prides herself on her ability to remain independent and impartial during her investigations. Even though she has an unusual connection to Strike Nora decides to lead the investigation.
Strike Me Down was a good and well paced thriller. The ending wasn’t a shock but it was plausible. Good reading for a long weekend.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an advanced digital edition of Strike Me Down.

Mejia's latest book brings it. I was at the edge of my seat as I greedily read each page both wanting to see how the book finished and not wanting it to end. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Deception.

A Husband and Wife team whose business is in trouble. 20 Million Dollars has gone missing! Each suspects the other.

That is where Nora Trier, a Forensic Accountant comes in.

Gregg Abbot hires Nora to find the missing money. Time here is of the essence. Gregg and his wife Logan Russo own Strike - an athletic empire which is holding a tournament to find the new face of the business. The prize - you guessed it: $20 Million. If the money isn’t found in five days, the gig will be up.

“Strike Me Down” centers around the forensic investigation, the tournament, and you guessed it: Nora, Gregg and Logan.

While I enjoyed this novel, there were a couple of factors that kept me from loving it. One is that I guess the outcome from the very beginning and the second was that I felt like a key ingredient was missing throughout. I often guess the ending and that doesn’t impact my enjoyment, but whatever was missing here, just left me wanting. That said, I enjoy Mindy Mejia’s writing and will definitely be on the lookout for her next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Mindy Mejia for the arc.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 11.22.20.

Logan Russo is not the protagonist, but she was my favorite character in this unpredictable thriller. I could see her and hear her voice, and that kind of writing keeps me engaged. With an unusual premise, lots of unexpected turns, and strong characters, this book does not disappoint.

This was my first read by Mindy. I couldn't stop turning the pages! Wonderful book!! Mindy's books are now on a list for my bookshelf!

I’m a bit torn on this one because I think the majority of the issues I had with it were because it wasn’t the type of story I was expecting and lack of connection to the characters. This was promoted as being a mystery/thriller. I went into it thinking it was going to be really suspenseful and it wasn’t quite that. I would say this is more legal/crime drama than a thriller.

I haven’t read any other books by Mindy Mejia so I don’t have anything to compare this to, but I thought the writing was smart and engaging. The story line was intriguing, but the characters either fell flat on the pages or just plain dull. In the end it was just an average read for me. Nothing really stood out to captivate me.