Book review: "The Exchange" by John Grisham (sequel to "The Firm")

The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Exchange isn't really a follow-up to The Firm. There's an early attempt to tie the books together by having Mitch McDeere meet with one of his old colleagues who did time for what happened at the Bendini firm. But it has no real substance in the plot of this book.

The plot itself is a kidnapping perpetrated by terrorists, but the character development is lacking. The kidnapping victim is barely known to us, but we're supposed to be on the edge of our seats. Not that I'd want a stranger kidnapped or harmed, but there isn't sufficient character development to make me really care intensely. Also, if anything, this book makes me like Mitch McDeere less than I might have before. It makes clear he got into the Bendini/mafia mess because he was greedy from the start.

Now, 15 years after the events in The Firm, Mitch is very improbably a partner at the world's largest law firm. I don't see how, with his background--and without lots of major clients to bring in--he could have wound up there. The explanation in the book doesn't ring true at all, for anyone familiar with the machinations of "Big Law." Also, we find out that Mitch, as well as being greedy in general, is a thief. Sure, he felt justified after what had happened, in making off with a very large amount of funds from the Bendini firm, but this doesn't exactly make him a more sympathetic character. Put simply, there's nobody particularly likable in this book. Overpaid lawyers who bill for hours that really aren't work for their clients, wealthy corporate types, and a kidnap victim we barely know aren't people I'm anxious to root for or hang out with.

This doesn't continue the story except we now know what Mitch McDeere supposedly is doing. I really was disappointed in this book. There are so many things John Grisham could have done with this character. He could have made him decide to fight for justice for those who can't afford expensive lawyers. In fact, early in the book, in yet another part that doesn't seem to fit, Mitch visits with a lawyer who has dedicated his life to trying to save people on death row. He could have made an interesting story from that kind of work. He could have made him an environmental lawyer. A government lawyer. There are countless good, honorable things a lawyer can do, but instead, we have a pretty weak kidnapping/terrorism story located in the world of rich Wall Street lawyers with limousines and private jets. What was the point?

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