When Grisham's The Firm was released, it was the first fiction book I read in many, many years. He convinced me that I could really enjoy reading a book. I got hooked on legal thrillers. Buying this book, Painted House, was a huge mistake. It's not a legal thriller. Nevertheless, I kept hoping it would grab my interest, but it didn't. I tossed out the book after reading about 1/2 of it (and checking the ending to make sure I wouldn't miss anything by tossing it out).