As of: February 29, 2024, 3:30 p.m
By: Sven Trautwein
Thirty years after Grisham's bestseller, the long-awaited sequel is released.
But can “The Kidnapping” do justice to the first film?
It's a reunion for fans of Mitch and Abby McDeere.
In the book, only fifteen years have passed and Abby is no longer a teacher but publishes cookbooks.
Many people still remember “The Company” by John Grisham as a film adaptation with Tom Cruise.
Thirty years after the book was published, there is now a sequel.
But does it keep what the title promises?
John Grisham “The Abduction”: That’s what the book is about
30 years after “The Company”, John Grisham publishes the sequel “The Abduction”.
© ABACAPRESS/Imago/Heyne (montage)
The
Daily Express
heralds The Abduction as “the most eagerly awaited sequel of the decade.”
So the bar is set very high.
Especially in the highly competitive thriller market, which features countless new releases every year.
If the publisher hadn't put up the yellow sticker with "The Sequel to the Bestseller," the title would have been dismissed as just another book by John Grisham.
However, when you hear the word “The Firm” you can see Tom Cruise as Mitch McDeere running through the streets and jumping out of a law firm window.
Well dressed in a tailored suit and with a briefcase in hand.
But what happened to this book?
It's been fifteen years since Mitch McDeere, together with the FBI, blew up his old criminal company.
He now works in the largest law firm in the world in Manhattan.
Then crime catches up with him again: When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor, Mitch quickly finds himself at the center of a murderous conflict.
He is supposed to end a hostage situation by paying an immense ransom, but the circumstances are dramatic.
Soon it's not just him who is in danger, but also those close to him.
Blurb/Heyne
The story of “The Kidnapping” begins in 2005. Mitch and Abby, now parents of twins, are still married.
Despite his previous negative experiences, Mitch has taken another job at a large law firm, this time in New York.
He has now become a partner and everything seems to be going smoothly.
But crime haunts him again.
This time, however, it is not mafiosi who are trying to kill him, but rather terrorists from North Africa with international reach.
His law firm sends Mitch to Libya to enforce a Turkish client's claim for millions.
There his team gets involved in an attack in which several members lose their lives and - according to Grisham - an extremely attractive colleague named Giovanna is kidnapped.
The demand for their release is $100 million.
Mitch is tasked with freeing her, endangering both himself and his family.
Stay up to date on book tips and news from comedy, music and streaming with our newsletter.
John Grisham popularized the legal thriller.
Occasionally there are exceptions that could be assigned to a different genre.
After a slow start, the book picks up speed about a third of the way through, the deaths pile up and the attentive reader can hardly keep count.
That's a bit too much at times.
After this detour, the best-selling author returns to what he does best: telling exciting legal cases and putting them into book form.
The question that arises when reading is: Will the victim from “The Kidnapping” be saved?
John Grisham “The Abduction”: Conclusion
The sequel to “The Company” is not completely convincing.
A bumpy beginning, the plot gets going a little too slowly.
It's good entertainment, but nothing more.
Fans of suspense should pick up “Enemies” by Grisham or watch well-crafted crime novels like “A Promise from a Dark Age” by Ian Rankin.
True Grisham fans will love the book's cross-references to the author's other works.
John Grisham “The Abduction”
Original title “The Exchange”, from the American by Imke Walsh-Araya, Bea Reiter
2024 Heyne, ISBN-13 978-3-453-27429-7
Price: can be pre-ordered, hardcover €24, 384 pages
John Grisham: About the Author
John Grisham has the reputation of being one of America's most respected writers.
Not a single one of his novels has failed to reach the bestseller list.
In addition to his novels, he has also written a non-fiction book, a collection of short stories and literature for young readers.
His works are accessible in forty-five languages.
He lives in Virginia.
If you like the “Mission Impossible” films, you can’t ignore these books.