The Exchange – John Grisham (2023)

The Exchange by John Grisham, published in 2023, is a gripping legal thriller that serves as a sequel to The Firm, one of Grisham’s most iconic novels. Set fifteen years after Mitch McDeere exposed a corrupt Memphis law firm, the story picks up with Mitch now a high-powered partner at the global law firm Scully & Pershing in Manhattan. The narrative spans continents and legal jurisdictions as Mitch finds himself pulled into a dangerous web of international intrigue, hostage negotiations, and corporate espionage. With its roots in the world of high-stakes law and global politics, The Exchange deepens the legacy of its predecessor while introducing a more expansive geopolitical canvas.

Plot Summary

In a tower of steel and glass overlooking Battery Park, Mitch McDeere had rebuilt everything. Fifteen years after fleeing Memphis with the FBI at his back and a criminal firm collapsing behind him, he had traded southern shadows for the polished, relentless machinery of Scully & Pershing, one of the world’s most powerful law firms. He wore prestige like a tailored suit, working high-profile international cases, raising twin boys with Abby on the Upper West Side, and dining with chefs who treated his kitchen like a test lab. But the past, though buried, had not disappeared.

The call came on a Monday. It was from Luca Rinaldi, an old friend and respected Italian lawyer. His daughter Giovanna, a doctor volunteering in Libya, had been kidnapped by a local militia. It wasn’t political, not at first. The militia wanted money. Luca wanted Mitch. And Scully & Pershing, with its reach and resources, seemed the best hope to orchestrate a rescue that looked legal but demanded something far murkier.

Giovanna had been grabbed in Tripoli while delivering vaccines to children. The kidnappers called themselves the Red Hand. What they really wanted was $100 million in exchange for her life. Not a typical ransom – this was wrapped in the trappings of a legal settlement, to give both sides cover. Scully, always one for reputation management, saw opportunity in the crisis. Mitch, uncomfortably aware that his personal loyalty was being leveraged, accepted the assignment.

The negotiations began in shadows. No courtrooms, no filings, just flights to Istanbul, backchannel calls, encrypted messages, and meetings in hotel lobbies that smelled of smoke and fear. Mitch brought in security consultants and intelligence officers masquerading as attorneys. Luca, frantic but composed, leaned on Mitch not just as a lawyer, but as a friend, clinging to the belief that this was winnable.

At the center of the Red Hand was Amir al-Saadi, a former Libyan warlord who now cloaked himself in the guise of a businessman. He controlled militia units, oil contracts, and the fate of hostages like Giovanna. Ruthless, clever, and always unpredictable, Amir played a game that was less about ransom and more about recognition – legitimacy purchased with blood.

Time passed, and cracks widened. Scully’s partners grew restless. Abby, understanding but wary, worried that Mitch was slipping into the obsession that had nearly destroyed him once before. Each day without word from Giovanna chipped at the hope Mitch tried to preserve. Then, unexpectedly, a video surfaced – Giovanna, gaunt but alive, reading a statement in Arabic and Italian. The message was clear: pay or she dies.

Pressure mounted. The U.S. State Department wanted out. The Italians were watching. Mitch pushed harder. The “settlement” was structured to mask the ransom as a civil compensation claim from an old oil dispute – a legal fiction wrapped in the veneer of international commerce. Scully’s lawyers, brilliant and cold, built it brick by brick. Amir, sensing desperation, changed the terms. Another $20 million. A tighter deadline.

As the deal teetered, a leak surfaced in the press. A reporter hinted at corruption, at collusion between law firms and terrorists. Scully scrambled to plug holes. Mitch traced the leak to an insider – a junior associate desperate for a promotion. The damage was contained, but barely.

In the final stretch of negotiation, with the funds transferred and the terms agreed, Amir vanished. No response. No proof of life. Giovanna disappeared into silence.

Mitch traveled to Malta to meet a broker who once moved arms for Amir. The man, slick and dangerous, revealed that Giovanna had been moved inland, away from Tripoli. The Red Hand was fracturing. There were whispers that another faction wanted to kill her to make a point. Diplomacy was crumbling.

Then, a break – a message routed through a third-party fixer in Tunisia. Amir would agree to a final handover. Giovanna would be released at the edge of the desert, near Sabha, if the money was confirmed and the legal façade complete.

Mitch arranged the final transfer. He coordinated with a private security team funded off-books by a Scully client with interests in Middle Eastern oil. They sent a convoy – not official, not armed, but ready. The team drove through dunes that swallowed tire tracks within minutes.

At dusk, she appeared. Giovanna, blindfolded, pushed from a jeep by men in scarves. No words were exchanged. She was alive. They took her and left, vanishing into sand.

Back in Rome, the reunion was silent and shaking. Luca wept for the first time. Giovanna, gaunt and hollow-eyed, said little. She had been held in a dark room for weeks, guarded by boys younger than her patients, fed once a day, reminded hourly that she might not live.

Mitch returned to New York and resumed his life of urgent meetings and family dinners. Abby cooked with Laotian chefs. The twins complained about homework. The skyline blinked with indifference.

Weeks later, Luca sent a package. Inside was a photograph – Giovanna standing in a Libyan clinic, surrounded by children, a bandage on her arm and a smile on her face. Behind her was a mural of an olive branch and the word Pace.

Mitch placed it on his desk, then closed his office door and stared at the harbor. The waters below were busy with life. The past, he knew, was never quite finished. But for now, it had been held at bay.

Main Characters

• Mitch McDeere – Now a successful partner at the elite law firm Scully & Pershing, Mitch is sharp, principled, and haunted by his past in Memphis. Having survived his deadly fallout with the Bendini firm, he has remade his life in New York but is drawn into new global dangers. His dedication to justice and protecting his family drives his decisions throughout the narrative.

• Abby McDeere – Mitch’s wife and confidante, Abby is intelligent, composed, and deeply invested in her family. She supports Mitch through his high-pressure legal work while maintaining her own career in publishing. Her presence provides emotional grounding and an ethical compass.

• Luca Rinaldi – An influential Italian lawyer and Mitch’s close friend, Rinaldi is a key figure in the unfolding crisis that drives the plot. His involvement in a legal dispute in Libya becomes the catalyst for the life-threatening conflict Mitch must navigate.

• Giovanna Rinaldi – Luca’s daughter, a medical doctor working in Libya, whose kidnapping sets off the central crisis. Her fate becomes a personal and legal challenge that propels the plot into international territory.

• Amir Al-Saadi – A Libyan businessman whose past as a warlord and current role in orchestrating Giovanna’s abduction places him at the heart of the novel’s antagonistic forces. Calculating and ruthless, he represents the clash of legal diplomacy and brutal tactics.

• Scully & Pershing Leadership – The upper echelons of the law firm, including managing partners, shape the environment Mitch must navigate. Their decisions reflect the tensions between profit, morality, and the law’s limits in a global context.

Theme

• Global Justice vs. Local Corruption: The novel explores the complexity of justice when extended across international borders. Mitch finds that American legal ideals often clash with the unstable, sometimes lawless environments abroad, highlighting the fragility of justice in a globalized world.

• Moral Ambiguity in Law: A recurring theme is the ethical tightrope lawyers walk in the pursuit of justice and profit. Mitch frequently grapples with the question of how far a lawyer should go to protect a client or a cause, especially when lives are on the line.

• The Legacy of the Past: Mitch’s history with the Bendini firm is never far behind. This motif underscores how past decisions echo into the present, shaping relationships and trust. The scars of betrayal, fear, and survival inform his every move in this new crisis.

• Family and Loyalty: Central to the novel is the bond between family members – Mitch and Abby, Luca and Giovanna. These personal relationships raise the stakes beyond legal consequences, making the story not just about justice, but also about love, sacrifice, and the desperate need to protect one’s own.

• Power and Influence: Grisham contrasts the power of multinational law firms and international institutions with the volatile authority of warlords and rogue states. The disparity emphasizes the unpredictable nature of power and how it can be wielded through fear, diplomacy, or the law.

Writing Style and Tone

John Grisham’s writing in The Exchange is taut, cinematic, and laced with legal precision. His prose is straightforward yet evocative, focusing on plot momentum and character dialogue to drive tension. Grisham maintains his hallmark balance between legal detail and accessibility, ensuring that even the most complex legal procedures are rendered understandable and engaging for a broad audience. Scenes are often brief, action-driven, and structured to escalate suspense, which contributes to the novel’s propulsive pace.

The tone oscillates between urgency and reflection. Grisham weaves a sober, sometimes somber atmosphere when dealing with geopolitical stakes and the human cost of corruption and war. Yet, there are moments of warmth and levity, especially in domestic scenes with Abby and their children, which humanize Mitch and anchor the narrative emotionally. The dialogue is crisp, often laced with irony or tension, reflecting both the high-stakes world of international law and the quiet resilience of those navigating it.