A fast paced, suspense filled, thriller that keeps you turning pages! John is a fantastic writer and never disappoints with his stories.

AN INTRIGUING LEGAL THRILLER WITH AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR

SUMMARY
Author John Grisham returns with a sequel to his first bestseller legal thriller, The Firm, featuring hero Mitch McDeere. It is fifteen years later, and Mitch and his wife Abby live in Manhattan, and Mitch works at a large international law firm. His mentor, Luca Sandroni, who is in failing health and lives in Rome, asks Mitch for help. Mitch soon finds himself in the middle of a $400 million international financial dispute over a Turkish company’s construction of a bridge to nowhere in Lybia for Muammar Gaddafi and the kidnapping of Giovanni, Luca’s daughter, who had been on her way to tour the bridge when she was taken, and her bodyguards were violently killed. The kidnappers are requesting a $100 million ransom demand.

Mitch knows he must do whatever it takes to resolve the financial dispute and pay the ransom for the kidnapping. Resolving either issue would be hard enough, but tackling both will be nearly impossible as he must put both himself and his family at risk again.


REVIEW
Grisham is a masterful storyteller, particularly when it comes to legal thrillers. THE EXCHANGE is full of international intrigue. Grisham’s writing is insightful and descriptive. His descriptions are highly visible, from a beautiful view outside Mittch’s office window to the crowded but colorful Morroco's street markets.

The characters, particularly Mitch and Abby, are courageously center stage while many of Mitch’s partners run for cover and refuse to help with the ransom. Leaving Mitch globetrotting around the world, begging for ransom money, and negotiating a settlement on the bridge construction contracts with Gaddafi, who may or may not have been involved in the kidnapping. My favorite part is when the kidnappers demand that Abby fly to Morocco to deliver the ransom personally. While fearful, Abby handles the situation with courage and aplomb.

Grisham does a fabulous job of gently reminding us about what happened to Mitch and Abby in The Firm. He also fills in the blanks of what Mitch and Abby have been doing in the intervening years since Mitch brought down his first law firm for corruption.

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


Publisher Doubleday
Published October 17, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

As a longtime fan of the author I was excited, then perplexed and disappointed, to read his latest offering. The book suggests itself as a sequel to his breakout novel, but has little connection aside from the names of the characters. The plot veers off wildly in international directions that have little to do with the legal thriller genre Grisham is known for. I’ll confess this was a DNF for me - I could not stay interested in the outcome of the book, a first for me from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

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.

<b>A Firm Letdown</b>
<i>Review of the NetGalley Kindle ARC eBook obtained in advance of the official Doubleday release (October 17, 2023)</i>

It comes as somewhat of a shock to realize that John Grisham had avoided doing a follow-up to his 1991 breakthrough novel <i>The Firm</i> for 32 years. Grisham hasn't shied away from building other series characters such as Jake Brigance, the protagonist in his first book <i>A Time to Kill</i> (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 <i>The Exchange</i> 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 <i>pro bono</i> 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 <b>Not-So-Thriller Fiction™</b> and <b>Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™</b> tags.

I read this Advance Reading Copy of <i>The Exchange: After The Firm</i> in eBook format thanks to the publisher Doubleday Canada and the NetGalley website in exchange for which I provide this honest review.

As expected - an amazing, intense, exhilerating, captivating and thrilling read, 5+ stars! The subject was fascinating and plot extremely well executed with just the right amount of detail to keep the reader informed but also keep the plot moving at a fast pace. Loved all the characters, very well developed and great continuity from The Firm. Definitely a favourite book for sure!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

To be fully honest, I haven’t read a John Grisham novel in a long time. Not that I have any issues with them, but there always seem to be other books I wanted to read. But when I got the opportunity to read an advanced copy of “The Exchange”, which is a sequel to “The Firm”, I jumped right in. I loved “The Firm” when I read it and I was excited to get back to the lives of Mitch and Abby McDeere the events around Bendini, Lambert, and Locke.
The Exchange is set fifteen years after the book “The Firm” and continues the story of Mitch and Abby, who now have young twin sons. Mitch has successfully transitioned to a partner role at a large law firm in New York and they generally have a very nice life. This story leans toward corrupt governments and terrorists and tension around ransom for an associate kidnapped in Libya. There is plenty of tension and I think it will be enjoyable for anyone who liked “The Firm”, though I think it could read well as a standalone book.
Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy. Pubish date is set for 10/17/23.

Mitch and Abby McDeere are back in the latest book by John Grisham The Exchange. We last saw them sailing away in The Firm. Our first question was what have they been up to? Grisham proficiently answers this inquiry, and we think we are off to a great start in the book. However, let’s remember McDeere pissed of the mob, the FBI and had problems the law yet he remained a lawyer in good standing to become partner in a large international law firm – hmm.
This storyline was very political and less courtroom scenes, as one would expect from Grisham novels nonetheless there were sufficient legal scenarios that the average Grisham reader will enjoy. Corrupt governments and terrorists are the catalysts for Mitch and Abby McDeere, there are plenty of plot twists to keep the reader going but also lots of meetings, unnecessary characters to keep the reader a little bored.


There are moments where the pulsating tension vibes were similar to that of The Firm but not enough for 4 stars. I can see a book three coming to see what the McDeere’s are doing now, and I will read it

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to give this book 3 stars, but given all the entertainment Grisham has given me over many years since I read "The Firm" right after it was published, I just couldn't. My finger kept moving over to the fourth star. Grisham is a great author and I have high expectations of his novels, but this was the first of his novels that didn't quite meet them.

Fifteen years after 'The Firm' finds Mitch and Abbie the parents of twin boys (who kept me smiling throughout), living in New York, Abbie publishing cookbooks by various high-power chefs of all genres practicing their cuisine talents in the McDeere kitchen on occasion, while Mitch has somehow become a remarkably successful lawyer within the 'largest legal firm in the world'.

The fun begins when Mitch is asked by the Turkish office of his legal firm, representing an Istanbul company, to travel to Lybia. It seems this company completed a huge construction job on Lybian soil (sand) worth multi million dollars and the Lybian totalitarian government has elected to ignore payment of the bill.

Upon arrival in Lybia a number of prominent people (legal, government, drivers and guards) connected to the Turkish construction operation make a sojourn across the Lybian desert, to view the structure (a bridge) of the lawsuit. Mitch misses the trip having been struck down with a mysterious illness. Good thing, because what follows is a breathtaking kidnapping and multiple murders executed by an unknown gang of 'desert tribesmen'. The kidnapped woman happens to be the lawyer-daughter of an esteemed and powerful partner in the Italian office of Mitch's legal firm. She works out of the London office.

We are now taken on a wild ride of an extremely high ransom demand. At the centre of what follows are Mitch and Abby. The kidnappers choose Abby to be a go-between, while Mitch spends time flying between New York, Rome, London, Cayman Islands, Marrakesh and Maine, (where the twins are safely harboured from harm), trying to raise the exorbitant funds to bring the kidnapped woman back home before the deadline.

The reader is bombarded with time zones, multiple aircraft, security personnel, gruesome descriptions of videos from the kidnappers and a litany of characters difficult to follow. This goes on for a lengthy period wherein I almost gave in to an urge to quit reading. But my trust in Grisham's record kept me on to the end which I felt was lacklustre.

The book has its high points, excitement and good writing, but it dragged at places, was over-detailed in others and could have been shorter. I'll still be a Grisham fan and if there is another Mitch McDeere novel I'll be very tempted to give it a try.

I loved The Firm, so I had high hopes for this one, but it missed the mark. In comparison, the plot was a bit lacking. There seemed to be a lot of wandering with overdetailing that pulled me out of the story. Also, there are numerous characters, and many felt unnecessary. Characters are one dimensional, and the courtroom drama is, sadly, missing. The abrupt ending leaves some unanswered questions. Perhaps this is to set the scene for another book. If you haven't read the prior book, this one could be read as a standalone novel.

Fast-paced as always, though I must say, all the flights and drinks in all the different countries and hotels with all the different people definitely took something away from the book rather than added to it. It was a mental game to try to fit everyone in! Also, I didn't really need the quick trip to Memphis as a nostalgic reminder of the first book - it had nothing to do with the plot. I thought it would come around again, but it didn't. Overall, a quick read, with lots going on - good for an airplane.

Are authors paid by the word now. Recall the days when your teacher assigned you a 500 word essay and you somehow managed to fill several pages with "words". Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Sadly this sequel offers none of the excitement or colour I've come to expect in Mr. Grisham's work. In fact, after plodding through nearly 50% of the book, I've had enough; next!

On the bright side, I didn't need my Sleep-Eze for a for a few nights.

3.5 stars! Mitch and Abby McDeere are back in the long-awaited sequel to The Firm. Don't worry if you don't remember much from the first book. The Exchange easily stands on its own. It's nice to catch up with the McDeeres and meet their kids, and Grisham does a great job of reminding us of some of the key happenings from The Firm without being overbearing or going into too much detail. The Exchange has the potential to be a fabulous book. There is a new law firm, new colleagues, international clients, lots of money, terrorism, greediness and more. The storyline was well thought out, but unfortunately, it lacked much of the excitement I felt from the first book. It's understandable that Grisham needed to establish a network of international players and their roles, but so much of the narrative, especially in the middle of the book, involved people flying places, having meetings, taking phone calls, and then flying other places. I think it was meant to be suspenseful, but I felt the need for more action and thrills. It does get exciting at the end, as well as some tense moments closer to the beginning, but I still wanted more. That being said, if you are a John Grisham fan and enjoyed The Firm, I recommend reading The Exchange. It seems like there is an opening for a third book in the series (or not - I have no clue), which I would happily welcome. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the eARC.

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.

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.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

The Exchange by John Grisham is a sequel to The Firm and takes place 15 years after The Firm. I had read The Firm many years ago, so it was definitely not fresh on my mind. I ended up watching the movie before I read this book, just to refresh the general premise of what had happened.Though this book touches on events from the previous book, it has its own storyline.
This legal thriller had a good pace, lots of characters, and a few oddities in the plot that did not make much sense to me. If you loved The Firm and always wondered what happened to Mitch and Abby, then I'd give this book a go.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC of this book.

The Exchange by John Grisham
Story is about Mitch and the hardships he and his family have gone through. He tries to do the right thing always. He is a lawyer and works in international law offices around the world, based out of NY. His wife is a chef editor of cookbooks. Many times the chefs work out of her own family kitchen and use the family as taste testers.
Mitch travels quite a bit and his boss Jack has an assignment in Libya, about a bridge in the desert over the water, that is not there, just oil.
He takes on the big boss, Luca daughter< Giavanni as she's quite accomplished as a lawyer from England firm and they combine forces to defend the client. Giavanni's dad is not doing so well as the head of the firm with cancer and he hand picked Mitch for the job.
Things go sideways and there are kidnappings and deaths by brutal force. Mitches wife, Abby is targeted and must do what they say to get Giavanni back. It's been almost a month and things are happening.
You can just imagine with what is at stake as to who will make it out alive and unharmed.
Love this action packed, legal, thriller with family ties so strong. So realistic! Love all the travel and new locations to me because author describes them to a tee.
Received this review copy from Doubleday Books, Doubleday via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#TheExchange #NetGalley.

John Grisham is my favorite legal thriller writer. It was his book Street Lawyer that got me into reading. I was so excited to read this book. This book will keep you invested from beginning until the end. There are a lot of characters so there are time I got a little confused. I think the characters were well written and I enjoyed seeing what happened to Mitch and Abby. As always this is highly recommended!!


Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Great book! It was even better than The Firm. It was very hard to put down! I see why The Firm was Grisham’s first best seller, but, wow, The Exchange is so good.

I remember reading and watching The Firm many years ago and enjoying both. I loved many of Grisham’s book and was excited to get an advanced eArc of The Exchange: After the Firm. For me, it started strong, with Mitch taking an unwanted trip back to Tennessee for a pro bono death row case. I thought he might run into some of his old co-workers or maybe even the mob but he only met with one friend and that was kind of a let down. From there, the story went international with the kidnapping of a woman from their London firm. Mitch’s wife is also drawn into it, for some reason being the go between between the terrorists and the lawyers.
The ending was so unsatisfying, I thought I might be missing pages. I miss the feeling of his earlier books where the lawyers were more underdog against the big powerful villain. I may have been expecting too much and might have enjoyed it more if it was a stand alone with new characters.

John Grisham waited over 20 years to write the sequel to "The Firm" and I was very interested to read it, having enjoyed "the Firm" so much.

We pick up With Mitch & Abby McDeere 15 years later, as Mitch is a partner at a huge Manhattan law firm, that has offices all around the world. Mitch is asked by the head of the firm to get involved in a lawsuit in Libya where the government was refusing to pay $400 million to a construction company. When he reaches out to an old friend and the boss of the law firm's Italian offices, Luca, in Rome, he is asked to include Luca's daughter in the negotiations. Luca's daughter is an associate at the law firm in New York - and Mitch agrees.

When they travel to Tripoli, the associate is kidnapped, and eventually held for ransom. The meat of the book is Mitch trying to raise the enormous ransom - from The British, American and Italian governments as well as from his own firm. There are certainly some action scenes, and you can feel the sense of desperation as the deadline looms. However, a lot of the book is Mitch jetting back and forth all over the world for meetings.

There were several plot holes for me, especially initially as Mitch was still a practicing lawyer after all of his actions in the original book. There were a couple of scenes where Mitch met with one of the old firm lawyers, to present a 'catchup' of what had happened in the intervening 15 years - but that seemed forced and played no further role in the plot. Mitch's wife Abby is used as the go between with the terrorists who wanted the ransom - a twist that felt completely out of place - unless there was a connection to his old firm. But this was never mentioned, and we never found out who the kidnappers were. The story just ended. I felt that there was a huge missed opportunity to tie things together at the end - but maybe there is a third book that will follow on and answer a lot of questions.

I always enjoy a Grisham book, and this was no exception, but it wasn't, for me, up to the calibre of some of his best books.