In 1991, a young Mississippi attorney named John Grisham made a splash with THE FIRM. He previously had written A TIME TO KILL, which had been rejected by many publishers before Wynwood Press gave it a 5,000-copy printing. THE FIRM sold well over one million copies initially and in 1993 was made into a film starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman.

Mitch McDeere, a graduate of Harvard Law School, spurns the opportunity to work for any of the prestigious law firms recruiting Harvard lawyers. Instead, he accepts a position with a small tax law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. However, Mitch soon discovers that his job entails laundering and hiding money for the mob. He decides to assist the FBI in bringing down Bendini, Lambert & Locke and its criminal enterprise. The mob respond to his efforts as one might expect from them --- they try to kill him.

"[THE EXCHANGE] does move along with some intrigue and holds your attention, but the finale’s lack of excitement left me wanting more. Still, there is no doubt in my mind that 2024 will find me reading another outstanding John Grisham book."

THE EXCHANGE is the long-awaited sequel to THE FIRM. After several years of hiding away from the tumult created by the demise of Bendini, Lambert & Locke and the arrests and convictions of many of its members, Mitch and his wife, Abby, spent time in Europe. But Mitch grew tired of a life without purpose and joined Scully & Pershing, the largest law firm in the world with major offices in London and New York.

It is now 2005, and Mitch is safely ensconced as a partner, while Abby is a cookbook editor. They reside with their twin boys on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Mitch still thinks about his days in Memphis. Early on in THE EXCHANGE, while on a trip to Tennessee to work pro bono for a potential death row client, he contacts one of his former associates from Bendini, Lambert & Locke. The visit does not go well. Clearly the scars from Mitch’s turning on his fellow attorneys have not yet healed.

Back in New York, Mitch agrees to help his firm on a case involving one of their Italian partners as they seek payment for a $500 million construction project undertaken for the Libyan government. Given Libya’s tumultuous history and its leader, there is legitimate concern that the lawyers might face danger. These fears are well-founded as Libyan terrorists kidnap a member of the legal team, inflicting death and brutality on security staff and Libyan soldiers. Mitch leads a negotiation team for the hostage’s safe return.

At this point in the story, Grisham seems to lose the magic that is usually present in his novels. The negotiations are simply that --- conferences in law offices and first-class hotels. Air travel on private jets or in business class and a few high-end meals certainly do not add suspense to the proceedings. While fictional attorneys in these situations often end up performing dangerous exploits and sometimes behave as James Bond types with a license to practice law, that is not the case here. The final 200 pages move at a less than thrilling pace.

Given Grisham’s record for producing thoughtful and compelling legal-themed novels, I am willing to grant him a “mulligan” for THE EXCHANGE. It does move along with some intrigue and holds your attention, but the finale’s lack of excitement left me wanting more. Still, there is no doubt in my mind that 2024 will find me reading another outstanding John Grisham book.