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The Firm #2
The Exchange
#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham delivers high-flying international suspense in a stunning new legal thriller that marks the return of Mitch McDeere, the brilliant hero of The Firm.
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? The answer is in The Exchange, the riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of America’s favorite storyteller. It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? The answer is in The Exchange, the riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of America’s favorite storyteller. It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2023
About the author
John Grisham
443 books84k followersJohn Grisham is the author of forty-nine consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Judge's List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,814 reviews
September 12, 2023
The Exchange is billed as a sequel to The Firm. It takes place 15 years later and yes, it has the same two main characters. But it’s hardly a sequel. The first 15% of the book does take Mitch back to Tennessee, but it’s literally a day visit. The real story starts when Mitch is sent by the international NY law firm where he’s now a partner to Europe to help with a lawsuit against Gaddafi and Libya over a construction project.
The action starts when Mitch’s associate (and the daughter of one of their senior partners), is kidnapped in Libya. It takes a while before a ransom demand is made. But action is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, there are ugly murders and failed raids by the Libyans. But, there were more meetings than I could count. Mitch spends a lot of time going from city to city but I didn’t need to hear about air travel and lunches. The main action seems to be begging various entities for money to pay the ransom. The suspense comes with Grisham repeatedly saying how many days were left until the deadline. It took me a while to realize the writing was part of the problem. It was just dry.
None of the characters were really fleshed out, even Mitch and Abby. This was a great premise - trying to convince all these entities, from countries to the partners of the law firm to cough up huge dollars to rescue someone. But the execution just fell flat. Parts of the plot made absolutely no sense. And the ending was anticlimactic.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an advance copy of this book.
The action starts when Mitch’s associate (and the daughter of one of their senior partners), is kidnapped in Libya. It takes a while before a ransom demand is made. But action is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, there are ugly murders and failed raids by the Libyans. But, there were more meetings than I could count. Mitch spends a lot of time going from city to city but I didn’t need to hear about air travel and lunches. The main action seems to be begging various entities for money to pay the ransom. The suspense comes with Grisham repeatedly saying how many days were left until the deadline. It took me a while to realize the writing was part of the problem. It was just dry.
None of the characters were really fleshed out, even Mitch and Abby. This was a great premise - trying to convince all these entities, from countries to the partners of the law firm to cough up huge dollars to rescue someone. But the execution just fell flat. Parts of the plot made absolutely no sense. And the ending was anticlimactic.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an advance copy of this book.
March 30, 2023
When last seen in The Firm: A Novel, Mitch McDeere and his wife Abby were fleeing Memphis with the bad guys in hot pursuit. Now they’re back, fifteen years later, and living in New York where Mitch is an international lawyer and a partner in a mega-firm. His work takes him across the globe, and not always to safe places. During a trip to Libya, his trusted associate is kidnapped, and an execution is threatened unless an enormous ransom is paid. Only Mitch can facilitate the exchange and I hope readers have as much fun with the novel as I am writing it.
September 5, 2023
“Around Scully the legend is that the Mob almost got you. But you pulled a fast one and outfoxed the Mob. Is that true?”
“I outran the Mob. I didn’t realize I was a legend.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for sending me an ARC of The Exchange in exchange for an honest review. This book is going to be a #1 bestseller, but I’ll predict right now that readers will be largely disappointed, and the critics are going to try to one-up each other with zingers in savage reviews.
I first read The Firm when it came out 30+ years ago. It not only reinvigorated the legal fiction genre, but it was one of those books that broke through into super-popularity, like The Da Vinci Code or Gone Girl. So there was no chance I wasn’t going to read this sequel, but I went into The Exchange with some big questions.
First and foremost, how and why is Mitch McDeere—in 2005, fifteen years after The Firm—a partner at Scully & Pershing, the fictional largest law firm in the world? When we last saw Mitch, he had angered both the FBI and the Mob, fled the US, and most importantly, had stolen $10 million from his law firm. I know Mr. Grisham hasn’t practiced law in a very long time but … they don’t let you be a lawyer after you do those things. There’s an explanation in the book, but it’s pretty unconvincing. It’s best to just suspend your disbelief and move on.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an interesting story being told in The Exchange. Mitch is summoned to the firm’s Rome office to help with a lawsuit against the Libyan government for payment on a $400 million construction contract. While they are in Libya, one of Mitch’s associates, Giovanna, is kidnapped and held for ransom. The rest of the story is about Mitch and the firm’s efforts to pay the ransom for her safe return. In other hands, this story could have been a thrilling tale of spies and soldiers. In Mr. Grisham’s version, there are a lot of lawyers holding a lot of meetings. It’s terribly flat and fairly tedious. Mitch is often just a fly on the wall, and the kidnappers’ decision to use Abby McDeere as a go-between was absurd. There’s one moment where one character starts to wonder about the moral implications of giving terrorists upwards of $100 million simply to save the life of one woman—a fair question, given the terrorists will spend that money on more death and destruction—but after half a page the dilemma is neither resolved nor raised again.
Instead, The Exchange seems to be Mr. Grisham’s unwise attempt to engage in some revisionist history with Mitch McDeere’s character. Mitch in the The Firm is not the greatest guy. For all his genius, he gets duped into working for the Mob. He cheats on his wife and never tells her. And I’ll repeat because it’s important: he angered both the FBI and the Mob, fled the US, and stole $10 million from his law firm. There’s a mini-subplot at the very beginning about Mitch possibly working on a pro bono death penalty appeal in Memphis. There are these hints that’s there’s more to the case, but it goes absolutely nowhere. The subplot was apparently just an excuse for Mitch to have a very awkward lunch with his old co-worker Lamar, so they can sort of talk out their feelings about what happened in and after The Firm. It’s a tiny bit of closure that only Mr. Grisham needed. And like that closure, in retrospect it seems the whole book is about smoothing the edges off of Mitch’s imperfections. Now, he’s a deeply devoted husband and father, and he’s definitely had a change of heart about all of that money he stole.
And just like that, one of Mr. Grisham’s most interesting characters becomes a bland, boring corporate lawyer family guy. I think it would have been better to leave the delightfully flawed Mitch McDeere in the past, and instead focus on a new character who could have maybe tied up the dozen or so loose threads left hanging throughout this story. Not recommended.
November 7, 2023
HUGE let down. The story begins with an okay plot before boring sideways then into a steep decline. 1 of 10 stars
October 21, 2023
A collossal waste of time!
Don’t waste your money on this total scam of a book. There was not a storyline, only page after page of uninteresting verbiage about mid-eastern countries that was totally unnecessary, because there was barely a decent plot. Abby had more action than Mitch. There was no resemblance to his previous books. John Grisham’s motive was obviously to merely to fill the pages.
Comparing it to The Firm is a bad joke. There was no court room action, as the only plot was about getting a hostage back throughout the entire book, which they finally did, thank God!
I’ve never been so glad to reach the end of a book, which I was determined to read, simply because I paid $17 for it and had been waiting for it for months! You couldn’t pay me $100 to re-read it, seriously. Grisham doesn’t have to wonder about this book ever being made into a movie! He has to be unbelievably arrogant to publish this piece of garbage. I’m furious, and rightly so. I’m sure I’m not the only one that will say the same. I wish I had waited for reviews before buying it. Save your money and your time!!
Don’t waste your money on this total scam of a book. There was not a storyline, only page after page of uninteresting verbiage about mid-eastern countries that was totally unnecessary, because there was barely a decent plot. Abby had more action than Mitch. There was no resemblance to his previous books. John Grisham’s motive was obviously to merely to fill the pages.
Comparing it to The Firm is a bad joke. There was no court room action, as the only plot was about getting a hostage back throughout the entire book, which they finally did, thank God!
I’ve never been so glad to reach the end of a book, which I was determined to read, simply because I paid $17 for it and had been waiting for it for months! You couldn’t pay me $100 to re-read it, seriously. Grisham doesn’t have to wonder about this book ever being made into a movie! He has to be unbelievably arrogant to publish this piece of garbage. I’m furious, and rightly so. I’m sure I’m not the only one that will say the same. I wish I had waited for reviews before buying it. Save your money and your time!!
January 11, 2024
The Exchange is the highly anticipated sequel to “The Firm” answering the question of what happened to Mitch and Abby McDeere after they escaped from Memphis, 15 years earlier.
Only, for Grisham, it has been 32 years since “The Firm” launched his career as a legal novelist.
With “The Exchange,” he plops us into the early 2000's, where we find McDeere a high-powered partner for one of the world’s largest law firm, Scully & Pershing. He now lives a very privileged life with his twin sons and wife, Abby in Manhattan.
The first 37 pages of the novel takes him back to Memphis, where he has the opportunity to clear the air with an old friend/colleague.
Was Grisham trying to fill in the 15-year time gap since Mitch and Abby fled the town?
And…
Was it necessary to the overall story? Especially since there was no resolution to what occurred when he visited.
We then see Mitch being sent to Rome to take the lead in a case involving a Turkish company, that is seeking payment for building a bridge in the Libyan desert. When Mitch assigns the London-based Scully associate, Giovanna to go on a fact-finding mission to the bridge, she is taken hostage with a demand for a $100 million in ransom.
And…
Now this book becomes a "legal" thriller, with Mitch having to outsmart the captors (to keep Giovanna alive) and find a way to pay the ransom.
The book moves at a fast-pace, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like Grisham is giving readers an opportunity to breathe comfortably through each scene.
Which makes this novel somewhat frenetic. Almost like searching for Waldo, where readers may ask…
Where in the world is Mitch now?
And wondering, when we do have a moment to catch our breath…
Is it necessary to give readers the feeling that Mitch and Abby may be on the run again?
What happened to Grisham’s writing?
Do we really need all these dull details about plane tickets, car rides, and another delicious meal the characters are eating?
I have been such a fan of Grisham, devouring each book I can read, especially since they are typically so generously donated to my Little Free Library Shed.
But…
This one, even though I couldn’t wait to read it, I wish he hadn’t written it.
For a much better Grisham, see my review of “The Firm” here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Only, for Grisham, it has been 32 years since “The Firm” launched his career as a legal novelist.
With “The Exchange,” he plops us into the early 2000's, where we find McDeere a high-powered partner for one of the world’s largest law firm, Scully & Pershing. He now lives a very privileged life with his twin sons and wife, Abby in Manhattan.
The first 37 pages of the novel takes him back to Memphis, where he has the opportunity to clear the air with an old friend/colleague.
Was Grisham trying to fill in the 15-year time gap since Mitch and Abby fled the town?
And…
Was it necessary to the overall story? Especially since there was no resolution to what occurred when he visited.
We then see Mitch being sent to Rome to take the lead in a case involving a Turkish company, that is seeking payment for building a bridge in the Libyan desert. When Mitch assigns the London-based Scully associate, Giovanna to go on a fact-finding mission to the bridge, she is taken hostage with a demand for a $100 million in ransom.
And…
Now this book becomes a "legal" thriller, with Mitch having to outsmart the captors (to keep Giovanna alive) and find a way to pay the ransom.
The book moves at a fast-pace, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like Grisham is giving readers an opportunity to breathe comfortably through each scene.
Which makes this novel somewhat frenetic. Almost like searching for Waldo, where readers may ask…
Where in the world is Mitch now?
And wondering, when we do have a moment to catch our breath…
Is it necessary to give readers the feeling that Mitch and Abby may be on the run again?
What happened to Grisham’s writing?
Do we really need all these dull details about plane tickets, car rides, and another delicious meal the characters are eating?
I have been such a fan of Grisham, devouring each book I can read, especially since they are typically so generously donated to my Little Free Library Shed.
But…
This one, even though I couldn’t wait to read it, I wish he hadn’t written it.
For a much better Grisham, see my review of “The Firm” here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 12, 2023
Not bad! I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
It's 2004, Mitch and Abby McDeere resurface after being on the run. Mitch works for a prestigious multi-national law firm in NYC. His wife Abby is a cookbook editor and they have twin boys.
Luca Sandroni, a senior partner in Rome's office is diagnosed with cancer with months to live. Luca passes a high profile case involving the Libyan government and a Turkish contractor to Mitch.
Mitch and Giovanna, an associate (Luca's daughter) travel to Libya but shortly she is abducted and $100 million is demanded in exchange for her safe return. This is when the story takes off, well sort of.
I wish the story stayed in Memphis when Mitch's assigned to a pro bono case!! He traveled there to meet a "client" who was on death row. Turns out the supposed client hung himself and that was that. 🤔
Why didn't Grisham expand that storyline? Maybe kill his old colleague, whatever his name from book one then have Mitch mixed up with another criminal enterprise. 🤷♀️
The Firm was not about courtroom scene so I can't complain that the Exchange doesn't have one. However, The Firm involves more rotten lawyers with much more "lawyer speak" than book two. Grisham could've used a new character for this book. I still had fun and finished in two sittings. 3.5⭐
__
Apr 18, 2023
omg omg!!
It's 2004, Mitch and Abby McDeere resurface after being on the run. Mitch works for a prestigious multi-national law firm in NYC. His wife Abby is a cookbook editor and they have twin boys.
Luca Sandroni, a senior partner in Rome's office is diagnosed with cancer with months to live. Luca passes a high profile case involving the Libyan government and a Turkish contractor to Mitch.
Mitch and Giovanna, an associate (Luca's daughter) travel to Libya but shortly she is abducted and $100 million is demanded in exchange for her safe return. This is when the story takes off, well sort of.
I wish the story stayed in Memphis when Mitch's assigned to a pro bono case!! He traveled there to meet a "client" who was on death row. Turns out the supposed client hung himself and that was that. 🤔
Why didn't Grisham expand that storyline? Maybe kill his old colleague, whatever his name from book one then have Mitch mixed up with another criminal enterprise. 🤷♀️
The Firm was not about courtroom scene so I can't complain that the Exchange doesn't have one. However, The Firm involves more rotten lawyers with much more "lawyer speak" than book two. Grisham could've used a new character for this book. I still had fun and finished in two sittings. 3.5⭐
__
Apr 18, 2023
omg omg!!
October 24, 2023
2.5 stars
Underwhelming.
What a letdown.
This one did not work for me.
And I refused to believe that it was written by Grisham. Even the storytelling did not deliver.
This was my 34th book by this author (I have some older ones, still unopened, because I was so discouraged to read them).
I was far from thrilled. But it left me craving for pasta.
There are so many descriptions about food and long flights.
This work could have used new characters. There was no need to label it as “The Firm 2”.
100 million dollars for a ransom to save one life. But it’s fiction. Anything is possible.
I will leave it like that.
Ebook (Kobo): 283 pages (default), 87k words - it should not take more than 6 hours
Hardcover (Doubleday): 352 pages (47 chapters)
Underwhelming.
What a letdown.
This one did not work for me.
And I refused to believe that it was written by Grisham. Even the storytelling did not deliver.
This was my 34th book by this author (I have some older ones, still unopened, because I was so discouraged to read them).
I was far from thrilled. But it left me craving for pasta.
There are so many descriptions about food and long flights.
This work could have used new characters. There was no need to label it as “The Firm 2”.
100 million dollars for a ransom to save one life. But it’s fiction. Anything is possible.
I will leave it like that.
Ebook (Kobo): 283 pages (default), 87k words - it should not take more than 6 hours
Hardcover (Doubleday): 352 pages (47 chapters)
January 11, 2024
2.5⭐️
It has been fifteen years since the events of The Firm and after spending a few years on the run, now forty-one-year-old Mitch McDeere is based in New York and is a partner at Scully & Pershing, an international law firm, working out of their Manhattan office. The narrative follows Mitch as he is thrust into the midst of a complex web of political intrigue, greed and conspiracy when his London-based colleague Giovanna Sandroni, also the daughter of one of his senior associates is kidnapped in the course of an official trip to Libya, where their firm was representing a Turkish construction company in a lawsuit against the Republic of Libya under Gaddafi's regime. Mitch rushes to arrange for the substantial ransom amount failing which she would be executed - an endeavor that has him traveling across the globe all the while the kidnappers have eyes on him and his family back in New York. Will he be able to save Giovanna before it is too late?
Having loved The Firm and being a fan of Grisham’s work, I had high hopes for The Exchange and was glad to catch up with Mitch and Abby. Abby does play a larger role here as compared to The Firm. I will admit that the premise is interesting, and the narrative moves fast, but this does not make up for the lack of character development and disappointing execution. The plot wasn’t particularly gripping, and I got a bit tired of all the descriptions of travel and food and the repetitiveness in the narrative. Ultimately it all boils down to arranging the money for The Exchange and some updates on Mitch’s family.
I was excited reading the segment in which Mitch visited Memphis once again but was disappointed that the Memphis segment was of no significance to the plot. All that segment accomplished was to raise my hopes for some sort of continuation (or any link for that matter) to the intrigue of Mitch’s past in Memphis only to have them dashed to bits! So, there’s that!
Overall, I was not quite taken with this novel and feel that you really don’t need to have read The Firm to follow this storyline. To be honest I cannot say this is a “sequel” in the true sense of the term. Yes, Mitch and Abby are important characters here but that is about it. Perhaps those who haven’t read The Firm might enjoy it more than those who have. I would love to meet Mitch again but do hope for a stronger plot.
Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Exchange was published on October 17, 2023.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
It has been fifteen years since the events of The Firm and after spending a few years on the run, now forty-one-year-old Mitch McDeere is based in New York and is a partner at Scully & Pershing, an international law firm, working out of their Manhattan office. The narrative follows Mitch as he is thrust into the midst of a complex web of political intrigue, greed and conspiracy when his London-based colleague Giovanna Sandroni, also the daughter of one of his senior associates is kidnapped in the course of an official trip to Libya, where their firm was representing a Turkish construction company in a lawsuit against the Republic of Libya under Gaddafi's regime. Mitch rushes to arrange for the substantial ransom amount failing which she would be executed - an endeavor that has him traveling across the globe all the while the kidnappers have eyes on him and his family back in New York. Will he be able to save Giovanna before it is too late?
Having loved The Firm and being a fan of Grisham’s work, I had high hopes for The Exchange and was glad to catch up with Mitch and Abby. Abby does play a larger role here as compared to The Firm. I will admit that the premise is interesting, and the narrative moves fast, but this does not make up for the lack of character development and disappointing execution. The plot wasn’t particularly gripping, and I got a bit tired of all the descriptions of travel and food and the repetitiveness in the narrative. Ultimately it all boils down to arranging the money for The Exchange and some updates on Mitch’s family.
I was excited reading the segment in which Mitch visited Memphis once again but was disappointed that the Memphis segment was of no significance to the plot. All that segment accomplished was to raise my hopes for some sort of continuation (or any link for that matter) to the intrigue of Mitch’s past in Memphis only to have them dashed to bits! So, there’s that!
Overall, I was not quite taken with this novel and feel that you really don’t need to have read The Firm to follow this storyline. To be honest I cannot say this is a “sequel” in the true sense of the term. Yes, Mitch and Abby are important characters here but that is about it. Perhaps those who haven’t read The Firm might enjoy it more than those who have. I would love to meet Mitch again but do hope for a stronger plot.
Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Exchange was published on October 17, 2023.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
October 1, 2023
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
⭐ I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to The Firm! ⭐
First of all -
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 - 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭.
Secondly -
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞/𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 - 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭.
This novel takes place in 2005, some 15 years after whistleblower Mitchell McDeere and his wife Abby helped expose shady dealings at a Memphis Law firm and had to flee for their lives. The McDeeres are now living in Manhattan where 41-year-old Mitch has risen through the ranks in the past 11 years and is a partner in the world’s largest international law firm, Scully & Pershing.
I loved the globetrotting, the taut plot that kept me glued to the pages and reaching for Google to learn more about Libya and Gaddafi and the eighth wonder of the world, the moral dilemmas, and the myriad of people involved in ‘the exchange.’ It was nice to see Abby with a larger role in this book. I don’t think Grisham is finished with McDeere yet … just a hunch.
Many die-hard Grisham fans seem to be disappointed with the lack of character development and what they feel is Grisham’s inability to draw them into the story and engage them. I’m a new fan and starry-eyed, so keep that in mind.
I was won over by the gripping story centered around the exchange and loved the blend of tension, conspiracy, and law. Grisham’s storytelling has captivated me and made me a fan.
⭐ I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to The Firm! ⭐
First of all -
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 - 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭.
Secondly -
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞/𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 - 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭.
This novel takes place in 2005, some 15 years after whistleblower Mitchell McDeere and his wife Abby helped expose shady dealings at a Memphis Law firm and had to flee for their lives. The McDeeres are now living in Manhattan where 41-year-old Mitch has risen through the ranks in the past 11 years and is a partner in the world’s largest international law firm, Scully & Pershing.
I loved the globetrotting, the taut plot that kept me glued to the pages and reaching for Google to learn more about Libya and Gaddafi and the eighth wonder of the world, the moral dilemmas, and the myriad of people involved in ‘the exchange.’ It was nice to see Abby with a larger role in this book. I don’t think Grisham is finished with McDeere yet … just a hunch.
Many die-hard Grisham fans seem to be disappointed with the lack of character development and what they feel is Grisham’s inability to draw them into the story and engage them. I’m a new fan and starry-eyed, so keep that in mind.
I was won over by the gripping story centered around the exchange and loved the blend of tension, conspiracy, and law. Grisham’s storytelling has captivated me and made me a fan.
November 4, 2023
There is no way this drivel was written by the same person that wrote The Firm.
Shame on you for trying to portray this as a sequel to The Firm. The characters could have been named Dick and Jane, not Abby and Mitch. That is how much they resemble themselves. It is a SHAMELESS way to get sales for an ‘author’ that has put out nothing but garbage these last several years. I’m mad at myself for falling for it 🤬
I listened as an audiobook to a subpar narrator. He had an odd cadence to his voice that was not enjoyable.
I looked down after completing 40% of this book and essentially nothing had happened. The author spent most of the time retelling what happened in The Firm. The problem is we are supposed to care for the rest of this book that a woman we don’t know is kidnapped by bad guys. Oh wait, she’s beautiful.
Where is the editor? Where is the publisher? Did they read this? I guess it doesn’t matter when the ‘author’ can sell a phone book if his name is on it. 😏
If you love Mitch and Abby, don’t read this book.
If you are looking for a legal thriller, don’t read this book.
If you are looking for suspense, don’t read this book.
If you are looking for writing and storytelling above a middle school level, don’t read this book.
Nonsense!
Shame on you for trying to portray this as a sequel to The Firm. The characters could have been named Dick and Jane, not Abby and Mitch. That is how much they resemble themselves. It is a SHAMELESS way to get sales for an ‘author’ that has put out nothing but garbage these last several years. I’m mad at myself for falling for it 🤬
I listened as an audiobook to a subpar narrator. He had an odd cadence to his voice that was not enjoyable.
I looked down after completing 40% of this book and essentially nothing had happened. The author spent most of the time retelling what happened in The Firm. The problem is we are supposed to care for the rest of this book that a woman we don’t know is kidnapped by bad guys. Oh wait, she’s beautiful.
Where is the editor? Where is the publisher? Did they read this? I guess it doesn’t matter when the ‘author’ can sell a phone book if his name is on it. 😏
If you love Mitch and Abby, don’t read this book.
If you are looking for a legal thriller, don’t read this book.
If you are looking for suspense, don’t read this book.
If you are looking for writing and storytelling above a middle school level, don’t read this book.
Nonsense!
November 16, 2023
Fifteen years after fleeing Memphis in the dead of night, Mitch and Abby McDeere are finally back in the United States living in Manhattan. After spending some time flitting from island to island, they landed in London where Mitch took a job with the renowned law firm, Scully & Pershing, where he’s now proud to say he’s a fully fledged partner in the New York office. One of the world’s largest international law firms, they represent clients from all over the globe, including a few that take him far from home.
So when his boss asks him meet with the head of their Italian division, Mitch is happy to jet off to Rome without a second thought. It is there, however, that a huge request is made. Will Mitch do an old man a favor and take over a case for him based in the perilous deserts of Libya? Eager for a little adventure, Mitch agrees and finds himself in the middle of a land held by an unpredictable regime and warlords who circle like carnivores licking their chops.
Not twenty-four hours after entering the country, however, Mitch is in the hospital and his colleague has been kidnapped by a shadowy enemy. Suddenly, and without his knowledge, he’s been caught in the net of a nefarious plot. And much like his time at Bendini, Lambert & Locke, Mitch realizes that he and everyone around him are in very real jeopardy. Of course, he’s been in this position before—but will he be able to outsmart yet another dangerous opponent? Or has he met his match in the ultimate chess game that could leave his life in peril once more?
Unlike The Firm, which had ratcheting suspense and an epic climax followed by a near perfect conclusion, The Exchange instead felt more like John Grisham was simply phoning it in. Don’t get me wrong, it had his characteristic flair for building suspense, but that was only found within the first third of the book. From there on out, the plot was one meeting after another where very little seemed to get done.
But let me start with the pluses first, though, shall I? First of all, I was swept up right from the start by the international intrigue and overhanging threat of doing business in Libya. Fast-paced and well-written, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it finally did, I was on the edge of my seat flipping pages faster and faster—for the first third, that is. And the fact that it was told via multiple, omniscient POVs? Well, it couldn’t have been better.
Another aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was the inclusion of Mitch’s past in Memphis. Personally, I would’ve preferred for the saga that started in The Firm to continue into this sequel, but then, you can’t get everything you want, can you? Frankly, however, the direction in which the plot was headed was gripping and filled with tension, but, unfortunately, it just didn’t last.
Now onto what didn’t quite work, starting with the lack of any big twists or even any kind of resolution to who was behind the abduction plot to begin with. I mean, when I reached the final page, I actually said, “Wait, that’s it?” as it felt as though a final chapter was missing from the book. In all honesty, this one felt much more like a dry version of a crime fiction novel where the internal work is being done than anything like a legal thriller at all.
All said and done, this Grisham novel just didn’t do it for me. There were so many opportunities for a thoroughly epic game of cat-and-mouse, yet instead it all felt sadly anticlimactic and underwhelming. At the same time, parts of the plot were entirely plausible as individuals attempted to raise monies from unwilling sources. However, with little action and almost no character development, my disappointment was palpable. That being said, if you’re a lover of Grisham’s prior novels, I would still give this one a go, just don’t expect a heart-pounding, hair-raising journey around the globe. Rating of 3 stars (due in large part to the first one hundred pages).
Thank you to John Grisham and Doubleday Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: October 17, 2023
👉 Be sure to head to my Amazon Storefront to order. I get a small commission and would love your support!
Trigger warning: potential suicide, cancer, kidnapping abroad, forced captivity, mention of: stalking, arson
So when his boss asks him meet with the head of their Italian division, Mitch is happy to jet off to Rome without a second thought. It is there, however, that a huge request is made. Will Mitch do an old man a favor and take over a case for him based in the perilous deserts of Libya? Eager for a little adventure, Mitch agrees and finds himself in the middle of a land held by an unpredictable regime and warlords who circle like carnivores licking their chops.
Not twenty-four hours after entering the country, however, Mitch is in the hospital and his colleague has been kidnapped by a shadowy enemy. Suddenly, and without his knowledge, he’s been caught in the net of a nefarious plot. And much like his time at Bendini, Lambert & Locke, Mitch realizes that he and everyone around him are in very real jeopardy. Of course, he’s been in this position before—but will he be able to outsmart yet another dangerous opponent? Or has he met his match in the ultimate chess game that could leave his life in peril once more?
Unlike The Firm, which had ratcheting suspense and an epic climax followed by a near perfect conclusion, The Exchange instead felt more like John Grisham was simply phoning it in. Don’t get me wrong, it had his characteristic flair for building suspense, but that was only found within the first third of the book. From there on out, the plot was one meeting after another where very little seemed to get done.
But let me start with the pluses first, though, shall I? First of all, I was swept up right from the start by the international intrigue and overhanging threat of doing business in Libya. Fast-paced and well-written, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it finally did, I was on the edge of my seat flipping pages faster and faster—for the first third, that is. And the fact that it was told via multiple, omniscient POVs? Well, it couldn’t have been better.
Another aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was the inclusion of Mitch’s past in Memphis. Personally, I would’ve preferred for the saga that started in The Firm to continue into this sequel, but then, you can’t get everything you want, can you? Frankly, however, the direction in which the plot was headed was gripping and filled with tension, but, unfortunately, it just didn’t last.
Now onto what didn’t quite work, starting with the lack of any big twists or even any kind of resolution to who was behind the abduction plot to begin with. I mean, when I reached the final page, I actually said, “Wait, that’s it?” as it felt as though a final chapter was missing from the book. In all honesty, this one felt much more like a dry version of a crime fiction novel where the internal work is being done than anything like a legal thriller at all.
All said and done, this Grisham novel just didn’t do it for me. There were so many opportunities for a thoroughly epic game of cat-and-mouse, yet instead it all felt sadly anticlimactic and underwhelming. At the same time, parts of the plot were entirely plausible as individuals attempted to raise monies from unwilling sources. However, with little action and almost no character development, my disappointment was palpable. That being said, if you’re a lover of Grisham’s prior novels, I would still give this one a go, just don’t expect a heart-pounding, hair-raising journey around the globe. Rating of 3 stars (due in large part to the first one hundred pages).
Thank you to John Grisham and Doubleday Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: October 17, 2023
👉 Be sure to head to my Amazon Storefront to order. I get a small commission and would love your support!
Trigger warning: potential suicide, cancer, kidnapping abroad, forced captivity, mention of: stalking, arson
October 2, 2023
A Firm Letdown
Review of the NetGalley Kindle ARC eBook obtained in advance of the official Doubleday release (October 17, 2023)
It comes as somewhat of a shock to realize that John Grisham had avoided doing a follow-up to his 1991 breakthrough novel The Firm for 32 years. Grisham hasn't shied away from building other series characters such as Jake Brigance, the protagonist in his first book A Time to Kill (1989), which has had 3 sequels. A follow-up for a character such as Mitch McDeere, who was on the run from the mob, might be a bit tricky of course. It would also seem very unlikely that McDeere could possibly end up in yet another law firm with a shady background.
Grisham compromises in The Exchange by setting the book in 2004, so that we still have a reasonably young Mitch and Abby McDeere as our leads. Mitch is now with an international law firm in NYC. Abby is a prominent cookbook editor (hard to continue to be a school teacher when you are on the run). The law firm of Scully & Co. is not concerned with Mitch's past and is mostly oblivious to it.
The book starts off with Mitch accepting a pro bono death penalty defense case. This subplot ends abruptly and you would suspect that it would somehow tie into later events, but such is not the case. Instead the main story involves the law firm pursuing a legal action against the then Libyan government of Muammar al-Qaddafi (well before his downfall in 2011) for reneging on a construction contract with a Turkish firm in the amount of $400 Million. Mitch is sent in and partners with an Italian part of the law firm. His British/Italian co-counsel is kidnapped in Libya though and held for ransom, at first by unknown parties. The rest of the book involves Mitch trying to negotiate the release of the hostage for money (i.e. the "exchange" of the title). Abby becomes an unlikely intermediary in that process. That's it! There are no courtroom fireworks, no thrilling pursuits, no great betrayals, no shocking twists. Just a bunch of negotiations. The kidnappers are revealed to be ruthless of course, but their victims along the way are basically unknowns to the reader. Unfortunately this follow-up earns both Not-So-Thriller Fiction™ and Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ tags.
I read this Advance Reading Copy of The Exchange: After The Firm in eBook format thanks to the publisher Doubleday Canada and the NetGalley website in exchange for which I provide this honest review.
Review of the NetGalley Kindle ARC eBook obtained in advance of the official Doubleday release (October 17, 2023)
It comes as somewhat of a shock to realize that John Grisham had avoided doing a follow-up to his 1991 breakthrough novel The Firm for 32 years. Grisham hasn't shied away from building other series characters such as Jake Brigance, the protagonist in his first book A Time to Kill (1989), which has had 3 sequels. A follow-up for a character such as Mitch McDeere, who was on the run from the mob, might be a bit tricky of course. It would also seem very unlikely that McDeere could possibly end up in yet another law firm with a shady background.
Grisham compromises in The Exchange by setting the book in 2004, so that we still have a reasonably young Mitch and Abby McDeere as our leads. Mitch is now with an international law firm in NYC. Abby is a prominent cookbook editor (hard to continue to be a school teacher when you are on the run). The law firm of Scully & Co. is not concerned with Mitch's past and is mostly oblivious to it.
The book starts off with Mitch accepting a pro bono death penalty defense case. This subplot ends abruptly and you would suspect that it would somehow tie into later events, but such is not the case. Instead the main story involves the law firm pursuing a legal action against the then Libyan government of Muammar al-Qaddafi (well before his downfall in 2011) for reneging on a construction contract with a Turkish firm in the amount of $400 Million. Mitch is sent in and partners with an Italian part of the law firm. His British/Italian co-counsel is kidnapped in Libya though and held for ransom, at first by unknown parties. The rest of the book involves Mitch trying to negotiate the release of the hostage for money (i.e. the "exchange" of the title). Abby becomes an unlikely intermediary in that process. That's it! There are no courtroom fireworks, no thrilling pursuits, no great betrayals, no shocking twists. Just a bunch of negotiations. The kidnappers are revealed to be ruthless of course, but their victims along the way are basically unknowns to the reader. Unfortunately this follow-up earns both Not-So-Thriller Fiction™ and Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ tags.
I read this Advance Reading Copy of The Exchange: After The Firm in eBook format thanks to the publisher Doubleday Canada and the NetGalley website in exchange for which I provide this honest review.
Want to read
November 13, 2023This is not what I expected! (doesn't seem like a sequel at all).
Yes, it has the characters Mitch and Abby, but they don't seem authentic (to me). Maybe it is timing, but I will set this aside for now.
DNF at 30%
October 20, 2023
The absolute worst. I made it about half way through & had to stop. There is no character development at all. It’s impossible to even care what happens to any of them. The plot is boring, nothing thrilling here at all. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
October 30, 2023
I cannot explain how bad this was. I still am shocked I managed to finish it and am annoyed I wasted 8 days of my life on it. I was determined to finish though just to see if there was anything good about it, and now I can say with confidence it is absolutely not worth reading. 0 part of this book other than Mitch and Abby makes this a sequel. There are 0 ties to the original book. There isn’t even an explanation of how they got to this place when we last left off with them, they were living “off the grid” to be safe from the mafia. Mitch’s infidelity from first book is still not addressed. But ALL of that aside the story was still SO BORRRRRINGGGG. Not a thing happened until I was 35% into the book, and still even after that, the whole story was just a tracking of pointless characters thrown in, conversations, and coming up with money. That’s it. I am shocked at how bad this is compared to The Firm which I JUST read. For the love, do not waste your life on this book like I did 😂
October 29, 2023
He’s written some questionable stuff in the past 10 years, but hands down, this has got to be the worst. Completely pointless and utterly boring.
August 16, 2023
For years fans of John Grisham have wondered, whatever happened to Mitch McDeere the protagonist on his first major book, The Firm. Well almost 30 years later John Grisham fills in some of the blanks, as Mitch and his wife Abby return in the year 2005. Thing have changed for Mitch and the opening chapters have nothing to do with the rest of the book other than to supply background on Mitch and refresh readers on the basic plot of The Firm.
Mitch and Abby now live in New York and have two sons. Mitch is a partner in the worlds largest law firm (over 2100 lawyers in 31 worldwide locations), while Abby is a cookbook editor. The basic story is that the firm represents a Turkish client who was hired to build a bridge in Libya. Mitch goes there with a female associate and while on a trip to inspect the bridge the female associate is kidnapped and then held for an exorbitant ransom. And now Mitch is dashing around the world to try and secure the funds to pay the terrorist kidnappers. No law involved in this, and shallow characters that you really cannot connect with. And yet this is the type of book that Grisham fans love: readable, fast moving, multiple locations for the action and a deadline that has to be met unless serious consequences occur.
I wanted to like this book but it is shallow, doesn't make a lot of sense and by the end we probably will not see Mitch and Abby for a long time.
Mitch and Abby now live in New York and have two sons. Mitch is a partner in the worlds largest law firm (over 2100 lawyers in 31 worldwide locations), while Abby is a cookbook editor. The basic story is that the firm represents a Turkish client who was hired to build a bridge in Libya. Mitch goes there with a female associate and while on a trip to inspect the bridge the female associate is kidnapped and then held for an exorbitant ransom. And now Mitch is dashing around the world to try and secure the funds to pay the terrorist kidnappers. No law involved in this, and shallow characters that you really cannot connect with. And yet this is the type of book that Grisham fans love: readable, fast moving, multiple locations for the action and a deadline that has to be met unless serious consequences occur.
I wanted to like this book but it is shallow, doesn't make a lot of sense and by the end we probably will not see Mitch and Abby for a long time.
September 5, 2023
John Grisham is my favorite author for legal thrillers. His books never fail to keep my eyes glued to the pages as the drama unfolds. Many ethical and moral dilemmas are always brought forth with different character interpretations of what is right. This one involved international intrigue with law firms in several countries and lots of flying back and forth from country to country with negotiations happening everywhere it seemed.
Description:
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? The answer is in The Exchange, the riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of America’s favorite storyteller. It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.
My Thoughts:
This book has a lot of characters and a lot of details to keep track of what is going on. Not a problem as everything is front and center and about as dramatic and traumatic as it could be. The characters are vivid and come alive on the page. Mitch is once again in the center of a hurricane trying to hold everything together. There were definitely some things that were hard to believe - like how did Mitch get a license to practice law again? Why in the world was Abby picked as the go between by the kidnappers? You just have to suspend belief and go with the story. It was an engrossing read and I enjoyed it. I liked The Firm more though.
Thanks to Doubleday Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 17, 2023.
Description:
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? The answer is in The Exchange, the riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of America’s favorite storyteller. It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.
My Thoughts:
This book has a lot of characters and a lot of details to keep track of what is going on. Not a problem as everything is front and center and about as dramatic and traumatic as it could be. The characters are vivid and come alive on the page. Mitch is once again in the center of a hurricane trying to hold everything together. There were definitely some things that were hard to believe - like how did Mitch get a license to practice law again? Why in the world was Abby picked as the go between by the kidnappers? You just have to suspend belief and go with the story. It was an engrossing read and I enjoyed it. I liked The Firm more though.
Thanks to Doubleday Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 17, 2023.
October 16, 2023
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
As much as I liked revisiting some of the major characters from the book, The Firm, this book felt a bit drawn out. By the time the central story was resolved, I felt a bit underwhelmed. I do enjoy Grisham's novels, so I don't regret reading this, I just wish I enjoyed it more than I did.
As much as I liked revisiting some of the major characters from the book, The Firm, this book felt a bit drawn out. By the time the central story was resolved, I felt a bit underwhelmed. I do enjoy Grisham's novels, so I don't regret reading this, I just wish I enjoyed it more than I did.
October 7, 2023
I am so frustrated with this book. I re-read The Firm in preparation for the sequel and was so excited for it. What a huge let down. I made it to 80%in and I’m not going any further. I don’t care enough to know what happens. This is not at all a sequel- not even really related to The Firm other than 2 characters with the names Mitch and Abby. This isn’t even really about a law firm- it’s about terrorism and Libya. The fact that Mitch practices in a huge law firm in New York without any backstory explaining how all of a sudden the mob is no longer looking for him is utterly lazy. Beyond disappointed and feeling duped.
December 11, 2023
A long-time fan of all things John Grisham, I was happy to see a return to one of his most exciting novels of his early writing career. Returning to explore the updated lives of Mitch and Abby McDeere, Grisham tells another captivating story that is full of action, legal suspense, and great adventure across the globe. As Mitch has a career that has expanded after a scary time earlier in his life, he is thrust into the middle of a crisis like no other, in which he puts himself in significant danger. Grisham does a stunning job at spinning this thriller and keeps the reader guessing until the last moment.
After years of hiatus, Mitch and Abby McDeere return. They still remember exposing the crimes taking place at Bendini, Lambert & Locke, the Memphis law firm that gave Mitch his start. Now, fifteen years on, they are settled in New York, with Mitch at a well-established firm in a partner position and Abby happy to be working in the book publishing industry.
After receiving a call from his mentor, Mitch agrees to help as best he can, but is worried that things could take a significant turn if he is not careful. His mentor’s daughter has been working for the firm’s Rome office and is kidnapped while in Libya. Her return is tied not only to a ransom, but a larger and more troubling demand, at a time when the country is still led by a crazed dictator.
Travelling to the region, Mitch must try to ensure the young lawyer’s safety, as well as protect himself. Abby receives calls back in Manhattan and tries to help as best she can, but feels the same worry she did when they were uncovering everything in Tennessee all those years ago. Mitch McDeere has the wherewithal to do whatever it takes, but this is one case that will prove more daunting than a day in court. Grisham dazzles in a less than legal-focussed book that will have fans of the author rushing to learn more.
Being a longtime fan of John Grisham and his work, I have read a number of his thrillers and stories. Most are legal-based, but there are some whose focus moves away fro the law and into the ‘everyday world’. This is one that straddles both and keeps the reader engaged until the very end. A strong narrative and great development as things gain momentum. Grisham dazzles and provides just enough intel to have the reader demand more and have to read further.
As it has been years since the McDeeres were a part of the Grisham world, character development is key to better understand all those who play a role in the story. Grisham does well to update the reader and provide new insights that are key to the larger story. The reader can see more faces and learn a little about them, though it is the struggle to get Mitch in and out of Libya that proves the most important. There are some questions left and one can only hope that Grisham will return with another in the series, given time and interest.
The number of twists and turns throughout this book reminded me while I liked things the first time around with Mitch McDeere. While it has been years since i read the book, I was fully committed at the time and remain so now. I am eager to see if there will be more about how things will progress for Mitch, as well as what role Abby will have when next they return to the Grisham world. I suppose I will have to be patent to see if there is third instalment.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for remaining me of some early classics that put you on my radar.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After years of hiatus, Mitch and Abby McDeere return. They still remember exposing the crimes taking place at Bendini, Lambert & Locke, the Memphis law firm that gave Mitch his start. Now, fifteen years on, they are settled in New York, with Mitch at a well-established firm in a partner position and Abby happy to be working in the book publishing industry.
After receiving a call from his mentor, Mitch agrees to help as best he can, but is worried that things could take a significant turn if he is not careful. His mentor’s daughter has been working for the firm’s Rome office and is kidnapped while in Libya. Her return is tied not only to a ransom, but a larger and more troubling demand, at a time when the country is still led by a crazed dictator.
Travelling to the region, Mitch must try to ensure the young lawyer’s safety, as well as protect himself. Abby receives calls back in Manhattan and tries to help as best she can, but feels the same worry she did when they were uncovering everything in Tennessee all those years ago. Mitch McDeere has the wherewithal to do whatever it takes, but this is one case that will prove more daunting than a day in court. Grisham dazzles in a less than legal-focussed book that will have fans of the author rushing to learn more.
Being a longtime fan of John Grisham and his work, I have read a number of his thrillers and stories. Most are legal-based, but there are some whose focus moves away fro the law and into the ‘everyday world’. This is one that straddles both and keeps the reader engaged until the very end. A strong narrative and great development as things gain momentum. Grisham dazzles and provides just enough intel to have the reader demand more and have to read further.
As it has been years since the McDeeres were a part of the Grisham world, character development is key to better understand all those who play a role in the story. Grisham does well to update the reader and provide new insights that are key to the larger story. The reader can see more faces and learn a little about them, though it is the struggle to get Mitch in and out of Libya that proves the most important. There are some questions left and one can only hope that Grisham will return with another in the series, given time and interest.
The number of twists and turns throughout this book reminded me while I liked things the first time around with Mitch McDeere. While it has been years since i read the book, I was fully committed at the time and remain so now. I am eager to see if there will be more about how things will progress for Mitch, as well as what role Abby will have when next they return to the Grisham world. I suppose I will have to be patent to see if there is third instalment.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for remaining me of some early classics that put you on my radar.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 24, 2023
So disappointed in this “sequel” to The Firm, especially since it’s my favorite Grisham book. Other than the return of Mitch and Abby, it lacked all the edge of your seat excitement and chase of The Firm. The plot was simplistic and the ending anticlimactic.
If you’re a fan of The Firm you can skip this one.
If you’re a fan of The Firm you can skip this one.
October 26, 2023
Uninteresting and tedious, not to mention written in flat, workmanlike prose. Grisham says he had fun writing it, but there’s no sign of fun or excitement anywhere. A chore to finish.
August 18, 2023
Disappointing, slow, repetitive, predictable, excessive descriptions that lend nothing to the story. It felt like the author was paid by the word instead of the story.
September 5, 2023
Readers hoping for a high-quality sequel to John Grisham’s thriller, “The Firm,” may be disappointed. I found “The Exchange,” neither enlightening nor entertaining nor well-written.
The time is 2005. The place is Manhattan. Some fifteen years have passed since the events of “The Firm.” Mitch and Abby McDeere live on the Upper West Side. He’s a partner in the world’s largest law firm and does pro bono work on death penalty cases (which he doesn’t do in this story). She’s a cookbook editor. Their twin youngsters attend private school.
The novel’s first quarter catches readers up on what happened to Mitch and Abby after escaping from Memphis, the Mafia, and its captive Bendini firm some 15 years ago. It includes Mitch’s brief return to Memphis to investigate a death penalty case (that goes nowhere) and to meet with a former friend/colleague from the firm (who doesn’t want to reestablish their friendship). That first quarter has very little to do with the rest of the story. It struck me as a “back-story” dump designed to reacquaint us with Mitch and demonstrate what a good guy he’s become.
The remainder of the novel pits Mitch, Abby, and the mega-firm against: 1) Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan government to recover for a Turkish client some $500 million for a bridge it built; and 2) North African terrorists who kidnapped a young associate—the daughter of a dying senior partner—while inspecting the bridge and who want a $100 million ransom. Mitch deals with numerous businessmen, lawyers, security experts, and government officials as he navigates raising the ransom money and the logistics of the exchange. He and/or Abby “private-jet” to a number of exotic locations, including Rome, London Libya, Morocco, Maine, and the Cayman Islands.
“The Firm” was a thrill ride. It placed young Mitch—a very bright, hard-working, and engaging attorney facing a number of moral conundrums—and his compelling wife Abby at maximum risk. I remember eagerly turning pages as Mitch used his legal skills and cleverness to fashion a very elegant solution that avoided death at the hands of the Mafia and imprisonment by the US Government. The novel was filled with danger and conflict.
None of that cleverness, elegance, or excitement is present in “The Exchange.” It’s filled with thinly drawn characters. Mitch is charmless, self-righteous, easily annoyed, and contemptuous of anyone who doesn’t see things his way. The rest of the characters are “game pieces” to be moved around a board. There’s nothing about any of them that invites us to care what happens to them. We never do get to know much about the young associate who’s kidnapped, except that she’s brilliant and beautiful. Throughout the novel, she hardly speaks. That makes caring about what happens to her a challenge. And while the settings may be exotic, they’re not well described. I learned nothing about any of them that I did not already know. And I never came close to feeling like I was in the midst of the story.
The writing is very expository. We’re told what happens. But there’s little in the telling to involve or engage us. In many instances, what happens is tedious and humdrum—no more than a recitation of everyday actions (as mundane as: Mitch and Abby woke up and got out of bed. He took a shower. She made the kids eggs. Mitch came to the kitchen, hugged both twins, put on his raincoat, went out the front door and down the elevator, walked to the subway, and rode it to work.) Many scenes seemed pointless. Time after time, I found myself asking: Why did I just read that? Does it have anything to do with the story? Or is it just there to fill pages?
There is some adventure and suspense toward the end of the novel (about 85% of the way through, according to my Kindle.) But readers will have to go through a lot, including some moralistic lawyer-bashing, to get there. And the ending that follows is pretty ambiguous and not very satisfying.
I was so looking forward to this novel. I really wanted to like it. I just couldn’t. Which is why it’s getting only two stars.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
The time is 2005. The place is Manhattan. Some fifteen years have passed since the events of “The Firm.” Mitch and Abby McDeere live on the Upper West Side. He’s a partner in the world’s largest law firm and does pro bono work on death penalty cases (which he doesn’t do in this story). She’s a cookbook editor. Their twin youngsters attend private school.
The novel’s first quarter catches readers up on what happened to Mitch and Abby after escaping from Memphis, the Mafia, and its captive Bendini firm some 15 years ago. It includes Mitch’s brief return to Memphis to investigate a death penalty case (that goes nowhere) and to meet with a former friend/colleague from the firm (who doesn’t want to reestablish their friendship). That first quarter has very little to do with the rest of the story. It struck me as a “back-story” dump designed to reacquaint us with Mitch and demonstrate what a good guy he’s become.
The remainder of the novel pits Mitch, Abby, and the mega-firm against: 1) Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan government to recover for a Turkish client some $500 million for a bridge it built; and 2) North African terrorists who kidnapped a young associate—the daughter of a dying senior partner—while inspecting the bridge and who want a $100 million ransom. Mitch deals with numerous businessmen, lawyers, security experts, and government officials as he navigates raising the ransom money and the logistics of the exchange. He and/or Abby “private-jet” to a number of exotic locations, including Rome, London Libya, Morocco, Maine, and the Cayman Islands.
“The Firm” was a thrill ride. It placed young Mitch—a very bright, hard-working, and engaging attorney facing a number of moral conundrums—and his compelling wife Abby at maximum risk. I remember eagerly turning pages as Mitch used his legal skills and cleverness to fashion a very elegant solution that avoided death at the hands of the Mafia and imprisonment by the US Government. The novel was filled with danger and conflict.
None of that cleverness, elegance, or excitement is present in “The Exchange.” It’s filled with thinly drawn characters. Mitch is charmless, self-righteous, easily annoyed, and contemptuous of anyone who doesn’t see things his way. The rest of the characters are “game pieces” to be moved around a board. There’s nothing about any of them that invites us to care what happens to them. We never do get to know much about the young associate who’s kidnapped, except that she’s brilliant and beautiful. Throughout the novel, she hardly speaks. That makes caring about what happens to her a challenge. And while the settings may be exotic, they’re not well described. I learned nothing about any of them that I did not already know. And I never came close to feeling like I was in the midst of the story.
The writing is very expository. We’re told what happens. But there’s little in the telling to involve or engage us. In many instances, what happens is tedious and humdrum—no more than a recitation of everyday actions (as mundane as: Mitch and Abby woke up and got out of bed. He took a shower. She made the kids eggs. Mitch came to the kitchen, hugged both twins, put on his raincoat, went out the front door and down the elevator, walked to the subway, and rode it to work.) Many scenes seemed pointless. Time after time, I found myself asking: Why did I just read that? Does it have anything to do with the story? Or is it just there to fill pages?
There is some adventure and suspense toward the end of the novel (about 85% of the way through, according to my Kindle.) But readers will have to go through a lot, including some moralistic lawyer-bashing, to get there. And the ending that follows is pretty ambiguous and not very satisfying.
I was so looking forward to this novel. I really wanted to like it. I just couldn’t. Which is why it’s getting only two stars.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
October 20, 2023
If given the option I would I have given this book zero stars.
August 24, 2023
Many thanks to both Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Exchange, by John Grisham. Expected publication October 17, 2023.
When his mentor in Rome, (Luca, a Scully partner who’s dying of pancreatic cancer) asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family.
The Exchange is a wee bit of a follow-up to The Firm, a book Mr. Grisham wrote in 1991. This book very lightly touches on the events from The Firm, but not nearly enough to make clear what took place back then. I loved The Firm (the book and the movie) so I anticipated loving The Exchange equally well. There were some characters I fell in love with, such as Mitch and Abby's twin sons, and Mitch's boss at Scully, who was a cool dude with a ponytail and a big heart. I also really liked that Abby played a more significant part in this book and that she was a cookbook editor.
I'm not sure why Mitch had to go back to Memphis for a death penalty case that fell through when it had nothing to do with the rest of the book. (Maybe there is going to be a third book, featuring Mitch's former co-worker he visited while in Memphis?)
Anyway, Mitch is desperate to rescue Luca's daughter, and the kidnappers want 100 million dollars for her return. From there, it's mansions, luxury cars, and private planes as Mitch jets from country to country ... yet no one at the international Scully offices wants to pitch in towards the ransom. Not even Mitch's own office. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't understand exactly who the kidnappers were.
Ultimately, The Exchange is an entertaining book with a lot of action and I have a feeling it's going to be hugely popular. I definitely liked it, although I didn't love it.
When his mentor in Rome, (Luca, a Scully partner who’s dying of pancreatic cancer) asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family.
The Exchange is a wee bit of a follow-up to The Firm, a book Mr. Grisham wrote in 1991. This book very lightly touches on the events from The Firm, but not nearly enough to make clear what took place back then. I loved The Firm (the book and the movie) so I anticipated loving The Exchange equally well. There were some characters I fell in love with, such as Mitch and Abby's twin sons, and Mitch's boss at Scully, who was a cool dude with a ponytail and a big heart. I also really liked that Abby played a more significant part in this book and that she was a cookbook editor.
I'm not sure why Mitch had to go back to Memphis for a death penalty case that fell through when it had nothing to do with the rest of the book. (Maybe there is going to be a third book, featuring Mitch's former co-worker he visited while in Memphis?)
Anyway, Mitch is desperate to rescue Luca's daughter, and the kidnappers want 100 million dollars for her return. From there, it's mansions, luxury cars, and private planes as Mitch jets from country to country ... yet no one at the international Scully offices wants to pitch in towards the ransom. Not even Mitch's own office. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't understand exactly who the kidnappers were.
Ultimately, The Exchange is an entertaining book with a lot of action and I have a feeling it's going to be hugely popular. I definitely liked it, although I didn't love it.
October 25, 2023
This book had so much promise! But there were so many letdowns.
1. Mitch gets “food poisoning” and yet he and the other lawyer ate the same exact food. You think ok he was poisoned but no he wasn’t. How is that possible?!
2. I hoped that some remnant of the Mafia was behind the kidnapping in order to get back the money Mitch stole. Nope.
3. Who pays 85 million for a hostage and then doesn’t bother to ask when/how the hostage will be returned?
4. These terrorists have been extremely brutal throughout the book. They wanted 100 million for the hostage but agree to take the 85 million. I thought ok now when they return the hostage will they only return 85% of her? I am not trying to be horrible but maybe she would be missing an arm or a leg? Nope she was perfectly fine. Yet everyone else around her had been tortured, killed, or beheaded with a chainsaw.
5. Grisham glaringly points out that Mitch has just given terrorists 85 million dollars. They will most likely use that money to kill more people. Mitch’s response? Yeah but I had to save a life and that is what I will think about.
Mitch just walks away from another law firm after throwing an 85 million dollar grenade into the world.
1. Mitch gets “food poisoning” and yet he and the other lawyer ate the same exact food. You think ok he was poisoned but no he wasn’t. How is that possible?!
2. I hoped that some remnant of the Mafia was behind the kidnapping in order to get back the money Mitch stole. Nope.
3. Who pays 85 million for a hostage and then doesn’t bother to ask when/how the hostage will be returned?
4. These terrorists have been extremely brutal throughout the book. They wanted 100 million for the hostage but agree to take the 85 million. I thought ok now when they return the hostage will they only return 85% of her? I am not trying to be horrible but maybe she would be missing an arm or a leg? Nope she was perfectly fine. Yet everyone else around her had been tortured, killed, or beheaded with a chainsaw.
5. Grisham glaringly points out that Mitch has just given terrorists 85 million dollars. They will most likely use that money to kill more people. Mitch’s response? Yeah but I had to save a life and that is what I will think about.
Mitch just walks away from another law firm after throwing an 85 million dollar grenade into the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2023
A very worthy sequel to The Firm. Grisham's novels tell stories and he does it extremely well. His prose is clear and crisp and realistic. The Exchange, his latest bestseller of many, is a thriller without today's usual elements in that genre--crazy Russians, complicated unbelievable plots, shoot em ups, hair raising chases, and endless descriptions of weapons. Words are the weapons in this story and they make for a thrilling novel.
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