Grisham's Shadow

On the positive side, we learn a lot of things about this region of the Appalachians and on the exploitation of coal mines proves as polluting than oil exploitation in the bituminous shale.
For the story is stuffed with pathos and good intentions. Add to endless digressions on daily life, (it is almost loupe any details about what our heroine eats each day). Everything is predictable and the pace is gnan-gnan.
In short, and to summarize what happened to the style and the punch of the first novels?