Strike Me Down: A Novel

The world of competitive kickboxing and mixed martial arts, long dominated by men, has a new queen in Mindy Mejia’s latest novel Strike Me Down. Logan Russo is the champion at the heart of Strike, a full gym experience designed to turn every day people into world class athletes. Logan and her husband, Gregg Abbott, began the business twenty years ago and are ushering in its largest event yet—Strike Down—a battle royale of the best fighters with a twenty million dollar prize, but the prize money has gone missing.

The forensic accountant on the case, Nora Trier, is also a member of Strike, and her life is tied to the case in other more personal ways as well. As she sifts through Logan and Gregg’s financial history, she uncovers more than the stolen money and involves herself in the case in a way that may prove deadly.

Mejia’s descriptions of the corporate world are clear and compelling as are her renderings of the world of dedicated athletes. There are some missteps in the thriller—a few twists are foreshadowed too much to really be surprises—but overall this is a fun page turner for those who like modern mystery.