I have mixed feelings about this one. It was well written and I liked catching up with "old friends" and remembering the firm. I was hoping for more of a legal thriller and this was more of an action thriller, a kidnapping and ransom attempt. It ended somewhat quickly. I think if my expectations were more on action I would have liked it better.

After Mitch and Abby McDeere were caught up in exposing mob related crimes at Mitch’s law firm in Memphis (in Grisham’s The Firm), they went on the run, escaping to Europe. Now, 15 years later (2005), they are resettled, living in New York with their twin sons. Mitch is a successful partner in a high powered international law firm. When Mitch’s trip to Libya with an associate goes awry and the associate is kidnapped by assumed terrorists, the couple once again find they are being watched and may be in danger. It is up to Mitch to coordinate raising the exorbitant ransom and Abby to be the go between with the kidnappers.

While this may not have been my favorite Grisham plot line, he is a skilled writer and excellent story teller.
I was looking forward to a legal thriller…this is a thriller with some ancillary legal machinations. No matter. It is faced paced; I found it amazing how Mitch flew from country to country so quickly; private jets help!
I would have liked a bit more substance to the denouement, but that didn’t take away from this being an enjoyable read and sure to be another best seller.

TW: There is some descriptive violence.

I have been a John Grisham fan for a very long time, but I am not able to review this book favorably. For one thing, most of it takes place in Libya, which is not a setting I am interested in or expect in a Grisham novel. There is also some extreme violence that is referred to more than once, which I felt was unnecessary. I didn't finish the book, and I will be extremely cautious about recommending it to our library patrons.

LOVED this book! This novel is phenomenal! It was like checking in on an old friend to read about Mitch and what happened to him from the last book about him. He did well and landed with what he thought was a great firm.

When the unbelievable happens, Mitch is one more thrown into a horrible situation and finds himself twisting in a trap not of his making. Before long, both he and his wife and jetting around the world, following a tune written by terrorists.

The author is a master at his craft and one of my favorites. If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. Put it at the top of your must read list and settle in for an engrossing read.

Wow! This was quite the suspenseful thriller involving international players, terrorists and believe it or not, Mitch and Abby McDeere.

Fifteen years after Mitch got away from the mob infested law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, he resurfaces working for the largest law firm in the world.

Mitch is asked to do a favor for an old friend in Rome and take over a lawsuit between a Turkish company and Libya. Doesn't seem that involved, show up in court, then go check out the work in Libya and get things going.

Nothing goes according to plan and what happens involves Abby and people all over the world. I think Mitch would do well to find another line of work. He just doesn't have that great of a time as a lawyer.

Thank you Doubleday and NetGalley for this early read!

Very engaging yet rather different than previous Grisham books. Set in Manhattan and all over the world, the pace and intensity are as vibrant as ever. Familiar characters from The Firm appear with Abby McDeere playing a large gutsy role in this sequel plus new characters are introduced. The ending is abrupt but leaves the door open for another exciting follow-up novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved The Firm (the book AND the movie!) so much; I was SO excited to see that there is a sequel. This story didn't quite meet up the to level of the original, but it is enjoyable. I really wanted to see what had happened to Mitch and Abby after the conclusion of The Firm - considering what they had experienced in Memphis, I was a little surprised to see how quickly and easily they moved on with their lives. I was anticipating a bit more development as far their escape from Memphis; there is one scene in The Exchange where Mitch has to travel to Memphis for a day, and there is a conversation he has with a former colleague, but this felt a little forced to me. Beyond that, this is an entirely new story about a case with a large ransom involving Mitch's new firm. Abby has a bigger role in this novel, but it also seemed a little forced that she was chosen by the kidnappers to be their main contact. There are a lot of great new characters that I enjoyed getting to know, and the globe trotting aspect was also fun to read.
Overall it is an entertaining book with a lot of action and I think Grisham fans will be satisfied. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley!

Not quite the old Grisham. Not clear why he felt the need to resurrect the characters from The Firm, as there is little if anything to link the two stories. Mitch and Abby McDeere have successful careers and a loving family. There is a red herring detour that takes him back to Memphis for a death row case that goes nowhere. He then becomes entangled in the kidnapping of an associate while in Libya. The story then focuses on the difficulty of raising the $100 million ransom, despite the wealthy lifestyle of top lawyers (private jets, cars and schools), It's never entirely clear who the kidnappers are or why they chose this particular victim. There are several subplots that go nowhere. There is some suspense (can they raise the ransom in time? will the ultra violent kidnappers release their hostage unharmed? will some calamity befall Mitch and Abby?), but in the end there is a resolution and a rather abrupt ending. Left me wondering what was the point?

Loved the opportunity to meet Mitch and Abby again. I also loved that Abby got a pivotal role in the novel.
Will definitely recommend this to my friends and library patrons.
Kept expecting a twist and there really wasn’t one which was the only disappointment. That being said read this novel is less than two days which is a record for me.

wow so good to mitch and his family after what happened with the previous law firm. He has bad luck at times with working in firms. I get why he did what he did and what he did to help this case. Really more world wide and using more of abby. Good to see mitch and thought of tom cruise since he played him in the movie. He really should be working in law firms.