Sigh- those looking for a legal thriller should know that this isn't it. It's a workmanlike thriller which does, indeed feature Mitch and Abby McDeere and pops once into Mitch's past but.....The premise- that Mitch now a high flying partner in the largest law firm in the world takes on a case for a Turkish engineering firm against Libya which hasn't paid for a bridge built by the Turkish company. Mitch, along with Giovanna, daughter of a beloved senior partner and an associate herself, head to Libya where Mitch mercifully has a horrible case of food poisoning and thus does not head off with Giovanna on the expedition that sees her kidnapped and their guards gruesomely murdered. Most of the novel is about the search for the $100 million in ransom demanded by the bad guys with a pretty good, albeit completely unrealistic role played by Abby who is approached in a coffee shop on the Upper East Side. Mitch travels, a lot, eats, a lot, and worries. All of it is written in Grisham's distinctively awkward style (which is especially awkward in the early pages). It is a compelling thriller in its way, mostly thanks to Abby, but there are huge plot holes and unanswered questions (and it would be a spoiler to reveal them). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A different sort of Grisham.

Grisham brings us another page turning, legal thriller with The Exchange. We revisit old memories of The Firm, while Mitch is trying to build a new life for himself and his family. Grisham makes his readers feel like they know the characters personally while coming along for a wild, international ride full of suspense. No Grisham fan will be disappointed with the Exchange and will be glued to the book the entire time.

The sequel to "The Firm" is now on my list of completed books. How many stars should I give this title? It is very different from its predecessor and that is good. Here are four great things about the sequel:
🌟 Mitch and Abby are still together and find another life-and-death challenge.
🌟Abby is a cookbook editor. Lots of great food descriptions
🌟 Their twin boys Clark and Carter.
🌟The globetrotting is epic.
🌟The ending is pure Mitch McDeere.

There are some loose ends that did not get tied up in the fashion I am accustomed to from Grisham. Perhaps there will be a third book?

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you DoubleDay for The Exchange! I admit I requested this because The Firm was one of my first "grown up" books back in I guess it was the 8th grade (me being me even then read it before the movie came out). So there is a fondness for The Firm and I was so delighted to read a sequel.

It's been a while since I read a John Grisham book and this one felt a little more legal technical thriller than I recall his books being but again it's been a while... I recall in the past being more drawn into characters first, plot second, and here it felt mostly plot, less character and that left me feeling a little distant from the book. I still enjoyed the story though, really think Mitch McDeere is an interesting character and perhaps this is more just not the sequel I was expecting. There is international intrigue and a sense of uncertainty that Mitch did and will make the right decisions but it is also a bit flat.

The Exchange is a fast paced, quick read. While it is not the best written of Grisham’s books and there was a lack of character development, I enjoyed it for what it is, a mindless legal thriller. It was a good intermezzo between reading courses of more thought provoking books in my list.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

'The Firm' was one of my favoritevreads and I fell in love with Mitch and Abby. I was expecting to learn more about their lives after they left the Firm, but sadly not much had seemed to happen. I also expected more from Abby and the boys.

The book seemed slow at the begging. Picked up speed in the middle and rushed at the end. Guess I just had really high expectations because 'The Firm' was so spectacular.

'The Exchange' is a good team and I recommend, but don't expect a five star plus novel.

It is full of mystery, tension and exciting twists and turns.

If you are a Grisham fan you will most definitely want tobread!

I had to have this book once I found out it was bringing back Mitch McDeere, The Firm is the book that made me fall in love with Grisham novels. This one did not disappoint. I read it in one day because. I could not STOP! First of all, Mitch will get into a case that he simply can't turn away from. We have Abby back as well (I am so glad of that)...She kind of surprised me a bit at first (didn't like her character's directions) and then I loved the turn her character took and how she developed. Well done Mr. Grisham. Mitch was just as great as you remember him. Writing reviews for a thriller is hard because you don't wish to spoil anything, I will just say if you like Grisham, you will love this. If you have not read The Firm, do that before you read this book. I have read it so many times that I didn't miss a beat, but you might need to at least read the synopsis if it has been a while since you visited the Memphis-based book. All in all, I would not change a thing about this one. It wasn't what I expected and I think that is what I loved most. Give this one a whirl.

Thirty years later, here we are learning what came of Mitch from the book, The Firm. I think it would served me better reread the book so was oriented with Mitch again. It's been a long time away from this character.

Mitch is an attorney yet he's dashing around the world trying to free his kidnapped co-worker. He's also tapping the talents of his wife, who's a cookbook editor, to help him. Yeah this a bit was terribly unbelievable since not even the law was involved.

There is zero courtroom drama, no shocking twists or betrayals rather him negotiating with bad guys.
Not sure this installment was absolutely necessary for fans of The Firm.

Thank you Doubleday books for the complimentary copy.

John Grisham never disappoints and in this fast-paced thriller he keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Mitch McDeere and his family have settled in NYC and he is working for the largest law firm in the world. He has shaken the past of what happened in Memphis (all told in The Firm). Then he becomes involved in a case against the Libyan government and things go south very quickly!

What follows is a race against time to try and come up with a $100 million ransom to save an associate who has been kidnapped by Libyan thugs.

Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the chance to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this book. I re read The Firm in preparation for this sequel and it didn’t disappoint. It was fast paced and exciting.

It was nice to catch up with Mitch and Abbie and see what they had been up to.

Grisham takes the reader on a wild ride from New York to Rome and London and more exotic locales

He examines how a twist of fate can completely change your life and not necessarily for the better.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I expected legal thriller but this was a kidnapping case with pages and pages of fundraising and globetrotting. Slow, unfullfilling read. Fans of Grisham will be disappointed.

I was so looking forward to reading The Exchange since it was a sequel to The Firm. I have to say, The Firm is the only book I’ve ever read that I actually skipped to the back pages just to see if the primary character was still alive. I didn’t want to see what happened, I just needed to see if he made it through the craziness that coursed through the pages. So I was rather disappointed to discover that The Exchange did not have me flipping through the pages quickly. You could actually read this as a standalone because it draws very little from Mitch McDeere’s time in the earlier book. I have enjoyed Grisham’s courtroom drama books in particular. This is definitely not part of that genre. It is really more of a spy thriller and that not is one I enjoy reading.

The Exchange was just an okay read. I wanted more from Mitch and it just didn’t flow from the previous book. I am sad to be disappointed in this read. But I’ll definitely be back for future books by John Grisham.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I love John Grisham books and I thought The Exchange was one of his best novels so far. This is an intriguing legal thriller, that is gripping and suspenseful.

This sequel brings back Mitch and Abby McDeere from Grisham's previous book The Firm. It is now 15 years later but there is enough reminders to what happened in The Firm that the reader is not lost at all. Mitch and a partner's daughter (another lawyer) Giovanna travel to Libya to recover money owed to their client but things don’t go exactly as planned. There is a kidnapping, demands of a huge ransom, threats and beheadings in this multilayer story. Will Mitch and Abbey be able to get the money in the short time the kidnappers have given?

The book has so many aspects that are true to things going on in the world today that it makes for a great read. I would highly recommend this book. John Grisham spins a great mystery that was hard to put down.

Thanks NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of The Exchange.

I suppose John Grisham is certainly entitled to write a plot that is far different from his typical courtroom books. I'm sure people will like The Exchange. I, however, was very disappointed. I love Grisham's courtroom novels, and I sure loved The Firm. But this book is totally different as it concerns a kidnapping and ransom claim in the Middle East. Mitch McDeere and his wife Abby, from The Firm, are now fifteen years older and living in Manhattan where Mitch is a lawyer in a huge law firm and Abby is publishing cookbooks. They have two boys.

The first part of the plot involves a case in Memphis, former home of Bendini, Lambert and Locke, the law firm in The Firm that had lawyers who are now mostly in prison thanks to Mitch's whistleblowing. Why Grisham sent Mitch to Memphis for a case that goes nowhere, I'm not sure. Maybe he just wanted a connection to the first book. It had nothing to do with the main plot. Either that, or I missed the connection.

The rest of the book is about a colleague and friend of Mitch's who is kidnapped in the Middle East. A huge ransom is extorted from Mitch's new law firm, and the clock is running on raising the money so the associate can be freed. Even though the law firm is the biggest in the world, they have trouble raising the money for the ransom. I find that pretty difficult to believe. There's a personal connection between the woman's family and Mitch and Abby. I didn't find myself emotionally connected to this situation, and because of that, the book didn't resonate with me.

I appreciate NetGalley and Doubleday for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mitch and Abby are on a worldwide adventure full of suspense. Mitch has settled into his job as a partner in the largest law firm in the world. When a Italian friend asks him to take over a case, he thinks it will be very simple. It is anything but simple when one of the associates is taken captive and held for ransom for over 40 days. Mitch is trying to gather the money to get her free when Abby is pulled into the mix, and they have to hide their children until it is over. Mitch had wanted just a little excitement in his life, but this is too much. They keep finding videos of other people being beheaded and hung by the kidnappers and they are very fearful their associate will be next if they don't get enough money. Can Mitch do it and keep his family safe?

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
John Grisham has brought back one of my favorite characters in The Exchange: After the Firm. As a fan, I have pondered what would have become of Mitch McDeere from the ‘90s legal thriller The Firm. I was very excited to learn that I didn’t have to wonder anymore about what happened after he and his wife Abby fled from Memphis and the culprits chasing after them. In his latest novel, Grisham brings his readers up to date on their lives.
The story opens fifteen years after Mitch became an FBI informant on his criminal employer Bendini, Lambert & Locke. Following the fallout of his actions he and Abby escape have escaped to parts unknown until now. Mitch and Abby reside in New York City and he is an attorney at one of the world’s largest international law firms. When he is asked to represent a client in Libya he finds himself caught up in a situation he never anticipated. After a lawyer who also happens to be the daughter of one of his Italian law partners is kidnapped Mitch becomes heavily involved in negotiating her release. Negotiations for his client’s case and with the kidnappers become more complicated moment by moment as he travels throughout the world to meet the mystery kidnappers' demands and simultaneously protect his family from harm. The stakes get higher when he and his law firm are unable to meet their demands. The who, what, when, and how are what makes this story so suspenseful.
In this story, Grisham pays more attention to the sequence of action than character development. This may disappoint some readers, but the story’s flow was just right for the drama to take place. I hope that this book will be optioned for movie rights because fans of The Firm deserve to see this in living color.

John Grisham can still spin a tight mystery and with some familiar characters this one was fun to read. Not exactly a sequel to The Firm, but it does reintroduce Mitch and Abby McDeere, fifteen years after we last saw them. This novel takes us to Rome, to the Middle East, and Manhattan. You won’t be able to put it down!

For fans of The Firm, I have good news. Abby and Mitch McDeere are back in John Grisham’s newest novel, The Exchange. Mitch is called into service, but before the job even begins, the senior partner’s daughter is taken hostage for ransom. Now Abby and Mitch must save her. There are some nasty beheadings, each one raising the stakes for the safe return of his associate. This ticking of the clock has him hopping from New York to Libya and spots in between. The tension if thick. It’s a nailbiter, and I couldn’t put it down.

I loved every minute of this realistic story. Recent politics and delicate negotiations are woven into the tale which adds credibility to every turn of the plot. I was especially pleased to see Abby have a more involved role in the story. It’s true Grisham with great writing and a fast-paced narrative. This one will hit the top. 5 stars from me.

Publishes October 17, 2023.

Title: The Exchange
Series: The Firm #2
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: October 17, 2023
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up as I love this author
Pages: 352

Aww I am a big John Grisham fan! This is my thirty- ninth novel!
Yes like so many readers I did read "The Firm" many years ago.

It is fifteen years since Mitch and Abby McDeere exposed the crimes of a Memphis law firm.
They now have twin two sons Clark and Carter and are living in Manhattan; where Mitch now 41 has moved up the ranks and is an international lawyer and a partner at the largest law firm in the world and Abby is a cookbook editor.
During a trip to Libya, Mitch and Giovanna his associate (who is the daughter of Luca a partner –who is dying of pancreatic cancer), is kidnapped and a ransom is demanded. Mitch goes into action and is trying to and secure funds to pay the terrorist kidnappers.
As mentioned I am a Grisham fan-however when I read the so-so reviews from readers I follow and trust, I went into this with a low expectation.

The second half was definitely better and I was pleased that Abby had a bigger role. I also enjoyed when the boys Clark and Carter were included. .

The globetrotting was kind of fun to read and I have to admit it turned out better than I anticipated.

Want to thank NetGalley and Doubleday Books this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 17, 2023.

I enjoyed revisiting Mitch and Abby; having recently watched The Firm, it was easy to visualize the scenes mentioned in The Exchange. Although both characters have matured, their essences were still palpable. The story moved quickly - I found myself reading past my bedtime, too interested in what was going to happen next. I would definitely recommend The Exchange.