What happened to John Grisham? He used to write a tight thriller, and that’s what The Exchange could have been as Mitch McDeere star of Grisham’s bestseller The Firm spearheads efforts to negotiate the release of a kidnapped law associate from Libyan terrorists. All the elements of a suspenseful political thriller were in place and Grisham dropped the ball.
Instead of on-the-scene danger, violence and suspense we are behind the scenes, sitting in on strategy sessions, flying from one international meeting to another and failing to achieve the satisfaction that readers who invested the time in a full length book expect and deserve.
Would I recommend this? My answer is a definitive and unequivocal no.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Exchange by John Grisham. All opinons are my own. Well darn it. I had really high hopes for this latest book from John Grisham. His early novels were truly favorites of mine for the character development and the pacing. Sadly, The Exchange, lacks both of these. The premise is that we are years past the ending from The Firm and Mitch and Abby are now living in NYC and Mitch is a lawyer again. Huh? You are allowed to do that after stealing $10 million dollars. Well suspend disbelief and keep reading. There is a section that caught my interest where Mitch was going to be a part of a pro bono case back in Tennesee but that strangely went nowhere. Then the rest of the novel is Mitch, Abby, and Mitch's law firm trying to cobble together ransom money to save an associate who was kidnapped in Libya. The ending is unsatisfying, the pacing is so slow, and way too many characters. I am really bummed.

I LOVED The Firm, and have read it a couple of times and the seen the movie numerous times! I was excited to find out what happened to Mitch McDeere after his escape from the Bendini Firm. So, I'm thankful that Grisham filled us in with this sequel.

Mitch and Abby have a happy life in NYC with their twin sons. Mitch gets the opportunity to do some pro-bono work in Memphis, and he meets up with a bitter, old colleague there. The work doesn't pan out (not sure why this was included) and Mitch then takes on an incredibly exciting job working on a case with a bridge builder in Libya.

A kidnapping occurs, and Mitch and his wife Abby scramble to find the impossible ransom. Their lives are put in danger, and they running against the clock.

The Exchange is easy and fun to read, but there are A LOT of characters in numerous countries, and it got a tad confusing. It's an exciting story, but I found it to be predictable. I was really hoping for a strong "punch" at the end, and though I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I finished it wanting a little more of a twist or something.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Exchange.

Mitch McDeere is back! After riding off into the sunset-- albeit a very dangerous and unpleasant sunset-- in "The Firm," Mitch and Abby are back in "The Exchange." Mitch works in New York City at the biggest lawfirm in the world and Abby is an editor for a food magazine. They have two little boys. Mitch is making the Big Bucks.

Then Mitch is assigned to a case involving a newly built bridge that Libya doesn't want to pay for. To me, this sounded like the equivalent of the teenager in the horror movie who decides to go down into the basement. "I'll be fine," they say.

The action amps up as Mitch first goes to Rome to begin working on the bridge case. It's suggested that it might be a good idea for Mitch and his team to see this bridge in person. Characters are told that Libya is pretty safe, plus you'll have security staff who know the road and the people. The pages practically turn themselves as the body count grows. Although they may suspect to the contrary, characters keep putting themselves in deadly peril.

"The Exchange" is extremely exciting. I read it in about 24 hours. If you enjoyed "The Firm," you'll want to catch up with Mitch and Abby. I've enjoyed all of John Grisham's books and "The Exchange" was no exception.

I received an Advance Reader's Copy from NetGalley and am writing an honest review.

I adored the novel The Firm and was delighted to see that Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Gene Hackman, along with a wonderful ensemble cast, who brought about a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller, faithfully adapted the book into the 1993 film. I leaped at the chance to review this book when it was offered.

On the southern edge of Manhattan, Mitch McDeere and his wife Abby reside with their two young children. Mitch worked at Scully & Pershing, which saw itself as the best global investment firm. A minimum of 10% of every lawyer's time must be devoted to causes that Willie Backstrom has endorsed. At the time, Mitch volunteered at a Bronx homeless shelter for four hours every week.

Scully & Pershing have a few offices abroad, so Mitch was used to traveling internationally ever since he worked for them. The previous evening, Mitch was left alone, after meetings in the Libya office, things became problematic when they should have been simple. Mitch soon learns, in Libya, you trust no one. He finds himself involved in a diabolical scheme that puts the lives of Mitch, his family, and everyone he knows in danger. This time, the terrorists had the upper hand. Not like in Memphis, when he was able to stay one step ahead of the unscrupulous partners. Which the author does a superb job of quickly referencing people and events from The Firm throughout the novel.

It’s interesting how the story unravels. Technology had advanced in the fifteen years since he had been watched by the firm in Memphis. It’s unthinkable, Mitch and his family were once again under constant surveillance. This time, it’s by a terrorist organization. To protect family and the woman they threaten to kill, Mitch and his wife had to be calm. Mitch finds himself completely baffled, unsure of what to believe, and unclear of how to get out of this situation that is being played out on a global stage.

I enjoyed learning about Mitch, Abby and their kids and how they handle this life-threatening situation. The complex plot and the intriguing cast of characters made this a gripping international thriller that could be torn from today’s headlines. All through this horrific situation I admired Mitch and Abby’s high moral standards and their dedication to seeing justice done, I liked how Mitch learns the truth about his employer. It isn’t pretty. I couldn’t put this book down.

Surprisingly, I thought the author left things unresolved. Could he have left room for a third book in this amazing series? That would be fun! Maybe! This can be read alone, however reading The Firm beforehand will make it more interesting. This is an excellent book to read and would be perfect for a book group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

This sequel to The Firm is a thriller! Set 15 years after the time of The Firm, the early chapters are devoted to the 15-year time frame between the two books. Mitch McDeere is now a lawyer and partner in a mega sized international law firm, still married to Abby, with twin sons. When Mitch and a female associate travel to Libya on behalf of a client, they soon find themselves in grave jeopardy, which results in the kidnap of the associate. Mitch, Abby, and the firm find themselves in a frantic race against time, fraught with danger, to find the kidnapped associate. The plot twists throughout, and while there is very little courtroom drama, it is an exciting read that kept my attention throughout. While I had read The Firm long ago, the back story is well covered in this sequel, and it works well as a stand-alone. John Grisham has written a fitting novel to conclude the story of Mitch McDeere. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy of the book. The opinions of this review are my own.

This started a little slow filling in backstory from The Firm. Then it takes off with a law suit against Lybia over a bridge in the desert. Corrupt governments and terrorists are the catalysts for the McDeere's this time around. The tension builds in a race to come up with millions of dollars. There are references to The Firm but this could read as a stand alone without any trouble. Although The Firm is a five star read, this is pretty page turning follow up.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I thought I loved John Grisham's books. It has been a while since I read one of his books. This one did not live up to my expectations. The writing was dull and dry. It read like a legal brief. The plot was good and I enjoyed the characters. However, I felt it was a chore to finish.
I received this galley from Net Galley.

Thank you Doubleday publishers and NetGalley for the arc ebook of The Exchange.I have read 99% of John Grisham’s books over the years and have found this the most disappointing. Lots of characters that say the same things over and over, what a bore! The really only connection between the novel and The Firm,written many years ago,are the same two main characters. You get bits and pieces of what happened to them 12-13 years previously to tie the couple to their present life and the rest of story about a young lawyer’s kidnapping is just the main theme creating no tension what so ever except for a lot of private plane flying all over many countries for meetings to accumulate a gigantic sum of money for her rescue by a deadline. I’m sure many will read this due to author’s popularity but remember,I warned you,boring.

Grisham is so incredible and this book is no exception. I love the revisit to the world of The Firm and found myself utterly enthralled to the point that, after finishing, I went back and read The Firm again. The characters are dynamic and real, the plot kept me hooked and his writing, near flawless. Whether you are a fan of Grisham's works or not (yet), this book will entertain you and keep you engaged. That is what reading is all about!

Is John Grisham really the author of “The Exchange?” While over the years, Grisham’s books have been unevenly written this one is a major disappointment. Here’s the plot summary: A lawyer (Mitch McDeere from “The Firm”} now with the world's biggest law firm takes on a case that features a Turkish construction company against the government of Libya while Gaddafi is still in power. A young woman is assigned to do the grunt work. On a visit to Libya, the woman is kidnapped by a bunch of thugs. Numerous graphic descriptions of how the thugs kill the men protecting the woman are included. Kidnappers want a huge amount of money, so Mitch flies around Europe talking to people in an effort to collect. Mitch’s wife (who used to be a school teacher but is now a cookbook editor) is chosen as the ransom currier. You can guess the ending.

Written in an out-of-control third-person omniscient there are way too many characters, none of whom are well-developed or interesting. No sense of place. And, the first 40 pages of the book have nothing to do with the rest of it. But, I was interested enough to read the last 100 pages in one sitting.

Years after barely surviving "The Firm," Mitch McDeere, now flourishing as a partner in the New York office of Scully & Pershing, the largest law firm in the world, now finds himself and his family again enmeshed in extreme danger, this time involving an mysterious group of ruthless kidnappers in Libya, a valuable hostage, a ransom of millions of dollars, bombings, executions, many nations, and nail-biting negotiations. Yikes!

I was very excited to be able to read an advanced copy of John Grisham's The Exchange, (thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday) the first sequel to his early blockbuster The Firm, which pretty much launched his career. I was so excited that I decided to re-read the Firm in preparation for the sequel. I had seen the movie many times, but had not read the novel since the early 1990s. I enjoyed my re-read of The Firm immensely. So much depth and a lot of differences from the movie. But I digress.

The Firm ends with Mitch McDeere and his wife Abby escaping from the Morolto mob family by the skin of their teeth, to spend years on the run in the Caribbean. The very premise of the Firm was that Mitch would have to always be on the watch as the mob never forgets, and he had a target on his back. Even though Mitch provided enough evidence to indict the entire Bendini law firm, and the major players in the mob that were behind the firm, the assumption was his life as he knew it was done.

The Exchange takes place 15 years later. Mitch is now 41, and a partner at Scully and Pershing, the world's largest law firm. He an Abby had left the islands and made it to Italy, where they lived for a few years and then to London, where he managed to get a job as an associate in the London office. No name change, his law license had never been lost (he did violate the privilege of his legitimate clients after all).. They just started fresh, and when the novel starts, Mitch and Abby are in New York, where he is a partner, and she is the editor of cookbooks for a publisher, and have two twin boys. The book has a brief return to Memphis and an tense encounter with Mitch's one-time friend Lamar Quinn, but shifts to a international story in which Mitch is tasked to take on a law suit from a Turkish company which had been cheated out of $400M by Libya's Colonel Gadaffi for the construction of a bridge to nowhere in the middle of the desert. From there, it results in the kidnapping of a young Scully associate, and the rest of the story is the effort to get her back.

I wish I could say this was a great sequel. It was an ok story, but in all honesty, the story could have been told with any characters. It did not need to be Mitch and Abby McDeere. Sure, Grisham threw his faithful fans small pieces of meat from time to time, filling in tiny pieces of the McDeere backstory in the 15 years since Memphis, but the bulk of the story was a fairly uninteresting set of attempts to find the money for a ransom. And yes, Abby gets a interesting role in the story which I won't spoil.

I kept hoping there would be a tie-in back to what should have been an ever-present threat from some distant Morololto family member determined to get revenge, but it never happened. I wanted to see how Mitch and Abby emerged from being on the run. How they managed to get the ever-present threat beyond them. The book was ok, but I think Grisham's fans deserved more.

I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.
Contains Spoilers
I have read almost every John Grisham book. (I’ve only read a couple of the middle grade Theodore Boone series.) I am always anticipate the twists and turns our main character has to negotiate for a satisfying outcome. I imagine Mitch(Tom Cruise), and Abby(Jeanne Tripplehorn) acting out the scenes.
The return to Memphis and the death row portion of story were an unnecessary section of the novel. My first thought when Mitch was heading to meet the client on death row was I’ve already read The Chamber. I don’t understand why we needed to meet his old coworker either.
I also don’t know why there was the section about the twin Italian brothers preparing meals in their apartment kitchen.
Almost every encounter with a new character I had to wonder why were they being mentioned. (Especially the three Libyan soldiers that were hung.) I’m not sure why I needed to know their names and how many children they had.
Other questions were why select Abby to interact with the kidnapper terrorist, would Abby really fly to Morocco to meet with kidnappers? I felt jet lagged from Mitch flying back and forth all over the world.
I kept thinking the whole kidnapping plot was staged and Mitch would discover that Luca(pretending to be ill) and his daughter were a part of the scheme.
The ending was rushed and I thought many things were left unresolved.

The follow-up to "The Firm" where Mitch McDeere is now a partner in the largest law firm in the world certainly does not disappoint. Well written and easy to read story - loved it. 5 stars is not enough. Great read.

Disappointing. Did Grisham just "phone this one in" or were his novels always this formulaic with such cardboard characters? Not at all recommended.

Review of uncorrected eBook file

Finally, after the Bendini, Lambert & Locke debacle, Mitch McDeere and his wife, Abby, are living the life they’d always wanted. He’s a partner in the prestigious Scully & Pershing law firm; she is a cookbook editor. Eight-year-old twin boys, Carter and Clark, make their lives complete. Looking over their shoulders has become a thing of the past.

At the request of Luca Sandroni, Mitch travels to Rome and becomes involved in a dispute between Lannack, a Turkish construction company, and the Libyan government that refuses to pay Lannack for their work constructing a bridge. Luca wants Mitch to handle the case. And he asks Mitch to bring his daughter, Giovanna, from the London office to work with him on the case.

Mitch agrees, but when he arranges a trip into Libya to see the bridge, things go horribly wrong: terrorists kidnap Giovanna and the security team. The two men are brutally murdered; no one knows what’s happened to Giovanna. Will she become another victim of the terrorists?

=========

Finally, readers of “The Firm” know what has happened to the McDeere family. However, readers who have not read “The Firm” will find sufficient backstory here for “The Exchange” to work well as a standalone.

Mitch and Abby, as well as a plethora of new characters, are well-developed, realistic, and believable. Combined with a strong sense of place and non-stop action, the unfolding narrative keeps readers turning those pages as fast as possible. The story is riveting; the pace, expeditious. Filled with international intrigue, the narrative is ruthless, sinister, and suspenseful. Despite a few gruesome scenes necessary for the telling of the tale, readers are sure to find “The Exchange” both compelling and unputdownable.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Doubleday Books, Doubleday and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#TheExchange #NetGalley

Thank you John Grisham, after all these years, for bringing back a sequel to The Firm featuring Mitch and Abby McDeere! A pulse pounding rollercoaster book that puts a new meaning to legal thriller!

I was lucky to read the newest John Grisham. As always it involves lawyers. This time it is international law. Mitch has a good life. He has a family he adores and a job at the largest law firm in New York. The firm has offices all over the world. Mitch is asked to lead a group to handle a case for a bridge to nowhere. The story is intense, in a rough part of the world, and leads to a kidnap. The book is full of intrigue and high drama. Grisham does not disappoint. Another winner for him.

My Thoughts
Abby and Mitch McDeere are leading the kind of life that they always wanted.

Five years after the fallout from law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke Mitch has become a full partner in the law firm of Scully and Pershing in their New York office while Abby is working as an editor of cookbooks.

Living in a beautiful apartment, parents of 8-year-old twin boys and no longer looking over their shoulders like they did for years after barely escaping Memphis 15 years before.

The Firm was and still remains a favorite of mine above all the other books I’ve read by this particular author.

When it was brought to my attention that he had written a follow-up story knew I would read it.

The Exchange encompasses such a large cast that one can be overwhelmed, unless you treat most of them as background noise and focus solely upon how the story itself is being played out.

There are many moments that make it feel like I have reunited with old friends who have never been far from my thoughts but whose lives simply went in such a different direction that we lost touch over the time.

For me enjoyed getting in on how the couple live their lives now, and how easily their very existence can once again be on the line.

The story provides a slow buildup that gets more intense as time goes by until right along with Abby and Mitch readers are given a front row seat to something none of us signed up for.

Be aware that this book contains graphic events more than once that are necessary to the plot as it unfolds but none are easy to read about.
[EArc from Netgalley]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.