THE EXCHANGE

THE EXCHANGE by John Grisham

Published in 1991, John Grisham's second book, The Firm, took readers on a harrowing journey with Mitch and Abby McDeere as they tried to escape what appeared to be the perfect law firm but quickly turned out to be the biggest nightmare ever. Readers wondered what happened to the McDeeres and kept a steady flow of "What are Mitch and Abby doing now" questions to Grisham. The Exchange was written as the answer.

Set fifteen years after The Firm, The Exchange takes readers to a place that we can unfortunately all understand in today's world, the act of international terrorism and hostage situations.

Working now for the large international law firm, Scully and Pershing, Mitch is asked to take over a case for friend and founder of the Rome office, Luca Sandroni. Dedicated and thorough in his work, Luca is battling an aggressive form of cancer and needs someone he can trust to take the reins on a case involving Colonel Gaddafi in Libya who refuses to pay a construction company 400 million dollars for the work they did constructing a bridge in the desert over a supposed waterway that came about while drilling for oil. Luca has one request. That his daughter, who is an up and coming lawyer, be allowed to accompany Mitch on the journey to inspect the construction site. Mitch agrees and takes on the case. While in Libya inspecting the construction site, Luca's daughter is kidnapped along with their accompanying guards. The seriousness of the situation increases when video footage of the guards being murdered is released. Not knowing who they are dealing with or the purpose behind all of this thrusts Mitch and then Abby right into the middle of this international incident, and the clock is ticking.

Compared to The Firm, The Exchange is a much cleaner read. (Type in The Firm in the search box for details.) There may have been 1 profanity and there are not the spicy scenes The Firm had. However..

HEADS UP- We are dealing with terrorists and their means of execution are gruesome. While not gory in detail they can be disturbing.