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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
Riveting doesn't even begin to describe this. I spent the entirety of the book tense wanting to know what could possibly happen next, even when things got a little too violent and graphic for me.
This is the kind of story for which "edge of your seat" was invented. It's the book that reminds you why an author is considered a master of their craft. A masterclass in pacing, character development, and weaving a complex plot without getting too complicated.
My one complaint is just that Grisham gets a little too into the gory details of violence and I could have really done without it. I'm sure there are ways to show how awful human beings can be to each other without going into enough detail to make me almost pass out.
Full confession, I have not read The Firm. I watched the movie and loved it, but somehow, I never got around to reading the book it's based on. I really don't feel like it's necessary to know that story to understand and enjoy this one, as it's truly an epic thriller that can stand on its own. It probably wouldn't hurt and I might be missing some background stuff, but it's a phenomenal story even without it.
Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the thrilling read!
This is the kind of story for which "edge of your seat" was invented. It's the book that reminds you why an author is considered a master of their craft. A masterclass in pacing, character development, and weaving a complex plot without getting too complicated.
My one complaint is just that Grisham gets a little too into the gory details of violence and I could have really done without it. I'm sure there are ways to show how awful human beings can be to each other without going into enough detail to make me almost pass out.
Full confession, I have not read The Firm. I watched the movie and loved it, but somehow, I never got around to reading the book it's based on. I really don't feel like it's necessary to know that story to understand and enjoy this one, as it's truly an epic thriller that can stand on its own. It probably wouldn't hurt and I might be missing some background stuff, but it's a phenomenal story even without it.
Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the thrilling read!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Incredibly boring and no plot twist. It felt like the author was just stating facts - not writing a legal thriller. I don’t recommend.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
A Firm Letdown
Review of the NetGalley Kindle ARC eBook obtained in advance of the official Doubleday release (October 17, 2023)
It comes as somewhat of a shock to realize that John Grisham had avoided doing a follow-up to his 1991 breakthrough novel [b:The Firm|1941607|The Firm (The Firm, #1)|John Grisham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687344151l/1941607._SY75_.jpg|63465091] for 32 years. Grisham hasn't shied away from building other series characters such as Jake Brigance, the protagonist in his first book [b:A Time to Kill|32542|A Time to Kill (Jake Brigance, #1)|John Grisham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554303029l/32542._SY75_.jpg|1804929] (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 The Exchange 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 pro bono 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 Not-So-Thriller Fiction™ and Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ tags.
I read this Advance Reading Copy of The Exchange: After The Firm in eBook format thanks to the publisher Doubleday Canada and the NetGalley website in exchange for which I provide this honest review.
Review of the NetGalley Kindle ARC eBook obtained in advance of the official Doubleday release (October 17, 2023)
It comes as somewhat of a shock to realize that John Grisham had avoided doing a follow-up to his 1991 breakthrough novel [b:The Firm|1941607|The Firm (The Firm, #1)|John Grisham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687344151l/1941607._SY75_.jpg|63465091] for 32 years. Grisham hasn't shied away from building other series characters such as Jake Brigance, the protagonist in his first book [b:A Time to Kill|32542|A Time to Kill (Jake Brigance, #1)|John Grisham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554303029l/32542._SY75_.jpg|1804929] (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 The Exchange 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 pro bono 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 Not-So-Thriller Fiction™ and Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ tags.
I read this Advance Reading Copy of The Exchange: After The Firm in eBook format thanks to the publisher Doubleday Canada and the NetGalley website in exchange for which I provide this honest review.
I finished this book and appreciated the story. The subtitle gave me the idea that we might see a continuation of the story that we heard in The Firm. The only real continuation were the two characters, Mitch and Abby McDeere. The new story was very thought provoking and challenging, but it was far from what I expected due to the use of The Firm in the subtitle. Kudos to Mr. Grisham for switching things up with the characters. I was on the edge of what was going to happen next, and even waited for the mob to show up again.
Grisham mailed it in on this one. If there was any suspense, I missed it. Completely predictable.
If I could get my $18 back I would. Started strong but implausible in my opinion and needed seriously editing. I think I’m done with Grisham.
I picked this up at a used book sale having had no idea a sequel to the Firm had been written. Like most people. I LOVED the Firm. I’m surprised by all the negative reviews. No this is not a true sequel, but more of a new story with the same characters. But I really enjoyed it, and after a certain point found it impossible to put down. It’s not as good as the Firm, but certainly an enjoyable read.
The Exchange by John Grisham would have been a better read had he not placed the characters from The Firm into it. It seems he most likely had the idea for the basic plot but his publisher was like "Why don't you shoehorn the McDeeres so we can market it as a sequel to The Firm as sales aren't what they were in the 1990s!"
I've been a fan of Grisham since I was 12 and I read The Client, so that's 30 years of history here. I've read every single one of his books. And this is not one of his better ones because it isn't a sequel to The Firm, despite being marketing as one. The use of Mitch McDeere makes no sense...it could have been basically any one of his characters and made more sense (since so many of his lawyers are interchangeable.)
Basically, I just don't buy that the McDeere's would be living in the Upper East Side and that he'd be working for the world's largest law firm after he had to flee the US because he was wanted by both the Mafia and FBI...
I was so wanting a book where he and Abby had settled down in the Italian village and...he's found. That would have made narrative sense. Also...they could have dealt with the fall out of things that happened in The Firm.
Instead, this was if James Patterson's ghost writer du jour wrote a Bourne Identity book.
I've been a fan of Grisham since I was 12 and I read The Client, so that's 30 years of history here. I've read every single one of his books. And this is not one of his better ones because it isn't a sequel to The Firm, despite being marketing as one. The use of Mitch McDeere makes no sense...it could have been basically any one of his characters and made more sense (since so many of his lawyers are interchangeable.)
Basically, I just don't buy that the McDeere's would be living in the Upper East Side and that he'd be working for the world's largest law firm after he had to flee the US because he was wanted by both the Mafia and FBI...
I was so wanting a book where he and Abby had settled down in the Italian village and...he's found. That would have made narrative sense. Also...they could have dealt with the fall out of things that happened in The Firm.
Instead, this was if James Patterson's ghost writer du jour wrote a Bourne Identity book.