Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. To put it in perspective, John Grisham is my favorite author and The Firm is the first « adult book » I read! It’s safe to say that learning that the McDeere’s were back excited me is an understatement.

So the last time we saw Mitch and Abby was, in the book time, 15 years earlier. They’ve just escaped the mob and drinking punch in the Cayman Islands and honestly we could not hope for more for them. 15 years later, they had twins and are living in a fancy apartment (I want this kitchen!) in New York. Abby is a well known cookbook editor and Mitch is now a partner in another staple of Grisham world, the Scully law firm. And the whole story revolves around the kidnapping of a young associate of the law firm and her exchange, thus the title, against a big chunk of cash.

It’s so good to see Mitch and Abby again, it’s worth a star by itself! Even if they are less likable than in The Firm, their moral compasses are still intact! We also learn a little about the aftermath of the events of The Firm! The twins two week’s adventure in a distant billionaire lodge and the said billionaire entourage is one of the shining part of the story as is the slow burn patching up of the the relation between Mitch and his in-laws.

But I have to say I am a little disappointed. A non John Grisham fan that reads it as a standalone, which is totally possible, would probably give it less praise than me. Because the main problem is the story itself. This is not a courtroom drama and more of a spy thriller. And we’ve seen better from Grisham. The ending is leaving the reader on his appetite for more closure. As an avid fan of The Firm, I would have appreciate to have more news of the characters we met 30 years ago. No news of Tammy or Tarrance for example. Briefly were mentioned Ray and Abanks but none show up but for a moment only Lamar.

All in all, it’s a good and enjoyable book but if you haven’t read The Firm yet, go read it!

It's been forever since I read a Grisham and it was just what I expected. Mild thriller with some lawyerliness and intrigue and a very-end-of-the-book resolution. It was nice that I didn't have to remember The Firm in order to understand this follow-up. Grisham provides enough details throughout the book to catch the reader up on what's important. An entertaining read that deserves its slightly better than average 3 stars.

.The Exchange is a sequel to John Grisham's The Firm. This book takes us fifteen years in the future, and we find out what Mitch and Abby have been up to since they fled Memphis with just the clothes on their backs. We also get caught up in Mitch's latest case that literally takes him around the globe. And Abby, though, no fault of her own gets sucked into a vital position to help save someone's life. I hate to admit it. Shame on me. I didn't read The Firm. I KNOW! I saw the movie several times, though, and loved it. Being a born and bred Memphian, I am so proud of a fellow midsoutherner. Mr. Grisham has made quite the name for himself with his writing of legal thrillers. And from this book, I can see just why. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
*I was given a copy of this by Doubleday Publishers, and this is my honest opinion.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Tje story continues the story of Mitch and Abby McDeere who escaped Memphis in the book "The Firm". They are now residing in Manhattan where Mitch is a partner in the Scully & Pershing law firm. Mitch is asked to assist on a case in Memphis related to a prisoner sentenced to death. Mitch has already worked on two and isn't interested but agrees to do it. When meeting with the lawyer who had been handling it, he discovered that the prisoner had committed suicide.

Upon returning to his office in Manhattan, her received later another assignment. He is being told to go to Rome and assist with a case in Libya. The Scully firm in Rome has specifically asked for him. Luca who runs the office in Rome, wants his help with a Turkish construction company collecting money due from the Libyan government for completion of a project. Mitch then prepares to go to Libya , but first he flies back to NY.

After a short stay in NY, he is on a flight for 30 hours getting to Tripoli where is is to meet up with his team, Giovanna a Scully associate and luca's daughter in addition to Samir, a friend of Luca and srcurity consultant. Later that day Mitch met the bodyguards who would accompany him, Giovanna and Samir to the construction project. That night after dinner, Mitch came down with food poisoning and was taken to the hospital. Mitch was in no shape for the trip, but Giovanna said she would go. On the trip to the construction site, things did not go well. As a result, Mitch had a lot more to do instead of just trying to collect funds.

To discover what event happened while on the trip to the construction site, how the Scully law firm reacted, what role Abby played and how everything worked out in the end, then you must read this book. The ending will answer all questions.

A definite read!

I was quite excited that there was a sequel to The Firm as I really enjoyed that book. Unfortunately, the Firm was a much tighter, tenser book.

This one didn't even start until about 1/3 of the way in. Mitch is first sent to Memphis to act as legal council for a death row inmate. Problem is, he is already dead when Mitch arrived. Apparently suicide, although that is never answered. I spent the remaining 2/3 of the book wondering what that section had to do with anything. I won't give anything away by telling you absolutely nothing. I found that quite disappointing. Kind of like Chekov's smoking gun, that sat on the wall and was never used. At one point, I figured that Giovanna's kidnappers must be the DEA agents in the shootout with the death row inmate, otherwise why mention them? But I was wrong.

There also wasn't much tension in this story. Every time something tense could happen, we were told what was coming ahead of time.

There was room for an intense twist at the end, but that didn't go anywhere either.

It has been years since I've read a Grisham novel. Unfortunately, I think it will be years before I read another one.

The Exchange by John Grisham is a great thriller. Locations are all over the map and so are the many characters.

A great sequel to The Firm. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this ARC. Nice to catch up with Mitch and Abby and jump right into another action packed legal thriller on the international stage!

Loved The Firm when it came out and the author's earlier books. This was a disappointment. Didn't grab me at all. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I wish we had some explanation of how Mitch ended up at the big NY firm. Other than that minor quibble, THE EXCHANGE is a worthy follow-up to THE FIRM. This novel focuses more on terrorism and an exciting client project in Libya. In other words, there's international intrigue here. I enjoyed the descriptions of other countries and Grisham continues to be a strong storyteller in terms of plot and pacing. Some parts of the story are a bit farfetched, particularly with respect to the kidnapping aspect of the plot. However, I was curious to know what would happen next and I recommend this one for fans of thrillers.

Thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love John Grisham books and was thrilled to get an early copy of his newest one from Netgalley. I was not disappointed with the plot or characters…all were amazing! The story centers around the new law firm that Mitch McDeere is working for and the fact that one of its associates travels with him to Libya and is subsequently kidnapped. Giovanna is an innocent victim in a plot to get a lot of money in exchange for her life. The plot was moderately paced with a few twists. Many, but not all of the characters were likable, and the cruel behavior of the kidnappers seemed to be ripped from former headlines during the regime of Ghaddafi. I enjoyed the story, cringed at the graphic details of deaths and was thoroughly invested in finding out the final outcome. The conclusion was satisfying but it did not answer all of my burning questions. Perhaps that is something to be discussed at length during a book group. Nevertheless, this novel answers some questions about the McDeeres after they left THE FIRM, so that was intriguing. All in all, a good read and worth the time spent within its compelling pages.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Confession-I tend to pick up Grisham’s books mainly because I grew up near Memphis. The Firm was one of the first books I read by him and I was so excited to catch up with the characters again!
It felt like a little bit of a slow start, but maybe that’s just because it’s outside my usual genre (cutesy romcoms)
But it’s John Grisham, you won’t be disappointed!

I have always enjoyed a good John Grisham legal thriller. The Exchange did not disappoint, although it did diverge quite a bit from his standard format. Lawyer, Mitch McDeere is from the south but he escaped from Memphis in a book published years ago and now resides in New York City with his wife Abby and their two boys.

Mitch has clients all of the world and he currently is being called in to help with a Turkish construction company suing Libya for non-payment. Mitch plans to travel to Libya, being promised that he is safe, He travels with a young associate who is the daughter of the Managing partner in Rome, a good friend. Mitch gets food poisoning and is unable to inspect the bridge under dispute, Giavanna, the associate is kidnapped and after weeks of tension a ransom request comes through that is extremely large.

With the amount of jet-setting around the world that Mitch does, often on private jets, gives it a different feel than the down home lawyers Grisham usually portrays. There is a lot of behind the scenes negotiating to get the money for the ransom.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I feel like everyone has read, or more likely, watched The Firm. I also feel like most avid readers have read at least one John Grisham book, and I do not know a single person who does NOT like his books. When I saw he had a new book, I was thrilled, especially when I learned it was a sequel to The Firm. The book is always better, but I am more apt to watch movies over and over again than I am to read books again. The Firm was such a spectacular book and movie that I figured the sequel could go either way - it could be a smashing success or it could be a disappointing letdown. Honestly, for me, it was more of the latter… I feel terrible saying it, because I love this author and I do love the story and the premise, but it just did not have the punch and excitement that I was hoping for. That being said, I did not hate it. I didn’t love Abby’s character, her role, or much about her, and that got in the way for me, but overall the book was interesting and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen. That’s good in a book, right? I do think a good movie can come of it, and I am hoping there will be one. I do recommend you read it, just know it’s not quite the same thrill as The Firm.

John Grisham does it again! Another lawyer novel that will keep you wondering who really has the power and what lengths the firms will go to in order to save one of their own high level associates. When the Libyan government reneges on bills to pay for a bridge to nowhere, where do the architects and businesses go to get help in clearing up a country's debt? Jet setting lawyers get into the act to get compensations paid, but in the process also lose one of their own high level lawyers to blackmailers/kidnappers. In a country like Libya that is not uncommon. But when faced with brutal realities how far will the firm go to save one of their own. You have to read this book to find out. It is a page turner for sure, but a little disappointing in the end! I wanted to know more and many of my questions did not get answered. All that said, I still enjoyed the book!

3.25⭐️

John Grisham books are almost comfort reads for me. I grew up on them. I can’t even tell you how many I have read. And I always enjoy them.

This was no exception. It’s been awhile but as soon as I started it I fell right back into Mitch McDeeres world. This is a sequel to the firm, 15 years later. The Firm came out in 1997 and I don’t know when I read it but it was a long time ago. There is a bit of a recap at the beginning and it was enough to jog my memory thankfully.

It was fast paced, intriguing and had me wondering how Mitch would find a way out of his predicament this time. I do wish that there had been more resolution and more loose ends tied up, the end felt rushed after a muddy middle.P

Once again, amazing work by one of my favorite authors. His plot was well written and exciting. This is a continuation of "The Firm" but it stands alone. For those of us who have missed him, Mitch McDeere is back in action. With danger around every corner you will have trouble putting this one down.

Having loved The Firm, I was excited to dive into The Exchange. Mitch and Abby are back with an international kidnapping plot to keep you reading. I felt the novel was a bit boring at times, but I appreciate the chance to read another Grisham title.
Thank you Net Galley and Doubleday for the ARC.

The Exchange
By John Grisham

By and large, Mr. Grisham's books are entertaining, but every once in a while, he misses the mark. Unfortunately, this book is one of those.

Mitch and Abby McDeere are characters that Mr. Grisham obviously loves, as they first appeared in his wildly successful "The Firm". Mitch is now a partner in the world's largest international law firm. Abby is a cookbook editor. They have young twin boys.

The plot here revolves around Mitch's business trip to Libya with Giovanna Sandroni, a young lawyer in the firm and the daughter of a senior partner. Through a series of mishaps, when Mitch becomes ill and is hospitalized, Giovanna and her bodyguards are kidnapped by terrorists. The bodyguards are brutally dispatched, but nothing further is known about Giovanna's fate. Up to this point the book is interesting.

The rest of the book revolves around attempts to find Giovanna and secure her release. This becomes a mishmash of trying to raise ransom money, various attempts by the Libyans to rescue the hostage, and totally useless superstar security people who manage to do nothing productive. Just who these terrorists are is never explained. Why Abby should be chosen as a conduit stretches the bounds of credibility. The terrorists' capabilities to track everyone and always be one step ahead seem implausible.

This book seems to be a bridge between other books. It seems to move characters into place to go in different directions in forthcoming books. Rather than being a true sequel, it serves no other purpose than that.

It was cool to revisit an old character and see how he was doing in life after the crazy events in The Firm. Trouble seems to like Mitch and his family. John Grisham delivers again. Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday books for my advanced copy.

Intense and thrilling, The Exchange is a thoroughly engrossing novel. The wits and tenacity of Mitch McDeere are challenged by an unknown terrorist group in Libya. The group has kidnapped a fellow lawyer and demanding and exorbitant ransom. Each chapter is a journey of negotiations, doubts, and petrifying fear.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.