Really enjoyed this small town mystery. It didn't have me frantically turning pages but it was entertaining while I was in it. A little predictable but I feel that way about most books.

Morgan Christopher is in prison for a crime she didn’t actually commit. Two strangers show up offering her a way out of prison that is a bit unconventional. She gets released so she can go to Edenton, North Carolina to restore a mural from the 1940’s. She has no experience restoring art but a famous artist has passed away and stated in his will that she is uniquely qualified for this project. What she discovers in this mural are disturbing images that seem to come from the mind of a mad woman. Who was Anna Dale? Chamberlain offers you glimpses into the life and psyche of Anna Dale during the time period she was painting the mural. She found herself in a small town where prejudice was rampant and you either fit in with everyone or where shunned and outcast. After one of the townspeople is murdered, Anna just vanished. What secrets did this town of Edenton, NC hide and what is the connection between Anna and Morgan?



This was SO good. It always takes me a bit to get into a book that flips from one time period to another. However, Chamberlain did a masterful job of giving you just enough details in each glimpse into time to keep you going and hunting for the next clue or revelation. As a reader, I found myself angry and frustrated over the injustices that both of these women had to endure. Any book that stirs emotions is one that can grip your attention and keep the pages flipping. I have always been a fan of Diane Chamberlain and this is one of my favorites so far. Four out of five stars for me.



Thanks to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing a copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

I love Chamberlain, and I loved this book. I love the balance of past and present, and I loved the element of suspense that was part of this story. I loved that the past story connected with the present story, and how the characters interconnected with one another. This is a story that will stick with me for a while, and I have already recommended it to many fellow readers.

This was amazing! Such a surprising book! I could not decide what type of novel that was ( romance? Historical? Mystery? ) it was a bit of everything and it was perfect! The only small detail i did not like... is the title! I think it did not make the book attractive enough... i even had doubts before reading it... i tought « this book is going to be boring! » but it was amazing!

My favorite Diane Chamberlain book yet! She just keeps getting better and better, an original plot that just keep untwisting. I didn’t want this one to end. Five stars!

Fantastic! Diane Chamberlain does it again weaving a story from the past in which an artist is painting a mural and the present time in which a different artist is restoring that same mural for a gallery opening. The story weaves together flawlessly. As a reader I was drawn into the differences in the periods of time, discovering family and found families, developing romance and friendships. The narrator Susan Bennett does a wonderful job of setting the tone, telling two different female painters stories.

This book in three words:
Art
Mystery
Redemption
I have been a fan of Diane Chamberlain since I read The Midwife"s Confession years ago. If you haven't read it, you must! I was so excited for the chance to read her upcoming novel courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

In 1940 New Jersey artist Anna Dale is awarded a commission to paint a mural in Edenton, North Carolina. While the small southern town seems charming, Anna unwittingly uncovers a sinister undercurrent.

In 2018 North Carolina, Morgan Christopher is serving time in a women's correctional center for a series of poor decisions that end in tragedy.

A complete stranger offers Morgan a job that will allow her early prison release...if she is able to restore the long forgotten mural before an art gallery opens.

Why was Morgan specifically chosen for this task? What happened to Anna Dale? As she uncovers disturbing images hidden in the mural, Morgan begins to unravel the mystery and discover herself.

I loved the past-present storyline and how deftly Chamberlain built tension and suspense, especially in the past storyline. I did find Anna's story more compelling than Morgan's, which can happen with this plot structure.

I appreciated Morgan's growth--gaining confidence in her skills and abilities and moving toward self-forgiveness. It's minor, but I didn't find the romance between her and Oliver particularly interesting or necessary.

I loved how the author intertwined these decades apart stories and brought them together in a satisfying conclusion. Anna and Morgan's stories remind us we are not defined by one poor decision. And we have the power to change our direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful story.

Heroes and likable, lovely, well-written, got-too-attached-to characters:
Anna Dale, Jesse Jameson Williams, Judith Shipley, Peter Thomas, Lisa Williams and the entire town of 1940s Edenton (even Mr. and Mrs. Drapple).

Irritants:
Morgan Christopher and the entire Oliver romantic angle.

Also, I thought Anna Dale was extremely foolish to not understand / ignore the cultural mores / nuance of Edenton as a foreigner / visitor. That was extremely dumb of her, careless and disrespectful too, and I shook my head every time she ignored the advice of good-natured people (even that ham-handed bank president). They were all right considering the environment they lived in and big mouths around. There was nothing wrong in being extra careful.

Hard-to-believe:
The art restoration, and the 2 months it took for a novice art student and a novice art curator to do the job.

Missed boats:
I really wished I knew what happened to each and every one from 1940s Edenton who appeared in the book. That is how much invested I was in the story.

Lovely touch:
Iris, the Iris flower.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Lovely story and write-up.

This was my first book I've read by Chamberlain & it won't be my last!

I love stories with dual time lines and multiple narrators.

In 1940 Anna a 17 year old wins a contest to paint a mural for a post office in Edenton, NC. Anna is dealing with the death of her mother & the resentment of her winning the contest navigating the small southern town prejudice and it's secrets, Anna throws herself into her work her wanting to make this an extraordinary mural.

In present day Morgan in 22 serving time in prison is presented an offer to be released if she agrees to restore an old mural for a new art museum in Edenton,NC. Morgan has no idea why she was chosen for such a task since she struggled in art school. Taking on this project has a short schedule to complete the mural restoration. As she begins Morgan starts to research the artist trying to make sense of why she was chosen. & what happened to the artist who created the mural.

There were times when the story slowed down a bit for me but I'm glad i stuck with it, it's a great story that's definitely worth the read.

It’s rare that a book completely blows me away to the point that, several days after finishing it, I am still thinking about the characters. Well, that has happened with Big Lies in a Small Town, by Diane Chamberlain. I read the ARC of this outstanding book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press.

In 1940, a young artist named Anna Dale from New Jersey wins a national contest to paint a mural in the post office of Edenton, North Carolina. Having just lost her mother, Anna is alone in the world, and new in the small seaside town. Unprepared for the small-town culture and deeply ingrained prejudices, Anna soon finds her life in danger.

After working diligently on the mural, Anna seems to “go crazy” and disappears. The mural is never finished, and it, too, disappears.

In 2018, another young art student, Morgan Christopher, finds her life completely derailed when she takes the blame for her boyfriend’s drunk-driving accident that left a young girl paralyzed. For this she goes to prison; and the boyfriend goes to law school on a full scholarship.

After serving one year of her three-year sentence, visitors come to the prison with a proposal for her: accept an art restoration job and earn her freedom plus $50,000. Her lodging and art supplies will be provided. The job? Clean and repair an old mural for the Edenton, NC, post office. Underneath the dirt, grime, and cracked paint, the canvas reveals clues to Anna’s disappearance and to a murder.

With Big Lies in a Small Town, Ms. Chamberlain has woven a mesmerizing story of sadness, joy, fear, gender bias, racial prejudice, abuses of many types, and a little romance, too. This is truly one of the best books I have read in a long time. You have to read this book.

What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
The usual things, multiple split infinitives, misplacement of the word only within sentences, using “bring” in place of “take” .

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my review. WOW. That is the fastest I have finished a book in a long time. Love how it goes past to present, very smooth. Great stories, Highly recommend picking this one up for a summer read!

The story is narrated from the past and future from two women's points of view a beautifully told and developed story. The story takes place in Edenton North Caroline where we follow two artists in two different time periods. A lovely piece of literary fiction. Truly Enjoyable. Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for my advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was a weird one for me. I had a hard time getting into it and didn't feel connected to any of the characters. The mystery was interesting, but the ending seemed a bit over the top. I have loved so many of Diane Chamberlain's books in the past, so maybe this is because I hold her to a high standard, but this one was just OK to me.

This book took me a long time to read and I really struggled at times with staying engaged in the story. I have read other books by Diane Chamberlain and loved them, but this one just didn't fully work for me. Overall, it was good, but I didn't love it. My opinion doesn't seem to be the popular one though and I generally enjoy Chamberlain's writing, so I would still suggest giving it a read if the burb interests you.

“Big lies in a small town” his is a genre bending book mixing historical fiction, mystery, drama, art, romance and race.

The story is centered around the "48 State Mural Competition" which through open competition, commissioned artists to paint murals for the United States post offices in the mid 30s. Around 1400 murals were created depicting American scenes.

Through alternating chapters, the reader is following both the story of Anna Dale who in 1940 is painting a mural for North Carolina town of Edenton, and Morgan Christopher who in 2018 is restoring the mural.
The South seems backward to Anna with both segregation and the role of women in society. She underestimate the subtleties of prejudice hidden under the very Southern charm.

Diane Chamberlain is a great successful writer because her prose is flawless, she always ties all end in her stories, her characters are engaging and well developed.
I truly enjoyed this read

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and the talented Diane Chamberlain for sharing this ARC COPY in exchange my honest review. I truly enjoyed it.

I greatly enjoyed reading this story. You are bouncing back between two different time frames, but its done in a way that easy to follow and understand.

Morgan was forced to do the right thing. Forced to do something that would ruin her future in order for another's to be saved. There is suddenly a light at the end of the tunnel when she is approached with an offer. An offer that would include her freedom, but at a cost she isn't sure she can come up with.

While Morgan attempts the job that secures her freedom she is thrust into a past that she doesn't understand and that at times can be frightening. Who was Anna Dale and what frame of mind was she in to have produced something so visually alarming and mind boggling.

A great story that involves equal levels of mystery and self discovery.

Rife with engaging intrigue, this small town isn't all it seems to be on the surface.  With a dual timeline narrative and extraordinary conclusion, this novel balances a heart wrenching commentary on social disparity and racial injustice with the hope of new beginnings.  Decades old mystery,  picturesque art, a gentle romance - each aspect layered to create a captivating story.  I flew through it, each page more fascinating than the last with vivid prose and true-to-life characters.

First a foremost, a big thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

In 2018, Morgan Christopher is a young woman whose life led her down a path she never would've expected - serving time in prison for a crime she didn't commit. After the accident, she could kiss her dreams of working in art goodbye and had to drop out of school.

In 1940, Anna Dale has graduated art school in New York and was chosen to create a mural for the post office is Edenton, North Carolina. As a young woman in 1940, people all over the town had reasons for why they thought she didn't deserve to win the contest and create the mural. She just wanted to come down, get a feel for the town, and retreat to back to New Jersey to paint in peace, still coping from the death of her mother.

If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure I would get into this book. I was about 30% of the way through (Kindle reader here!) when I finally started getting into the story and becoming invested in the story. Each chapter goes between the viewpoints of the two different women in two completely different times, though their stories appear to run parallel.

They both have struggles of their own and have to overcome the thoughts and opinions of those around them. Anna struggled to conceptualize what she should include to do the town justice. Morgan had to unravel the strange pieces she uncovered as she began restoring the mural. Did Anna lose her marbles and leave town when the mural was complete? Why was it never installed in the Post Office? What happened to Anna Dale?

Overall, I really enjoyed the book once I got over the initial hurdle of that 30%. Diane Chamberlain does a good job of giving adequate build up of the story, and the ending wasn't something I saw coming, which I enjoy. While not a "can't put it down" book for me, I still really thought the story was lovely and ended it in a way I enjoyed, so I really have nothing to complain about! If you're thinking about giving this one a read, I say, "Why not?" If you find yourself not super interested when you first start, give it a chance. Get past that first 30% and then make your decision!

Diane Chamberlain has done it again and this is definitely on my short list of favorites from her. She has crafted a perfect novel in many ways. The structure made is compelling and kept me turning the pages quickly! The characters were complex and designed in such a way that I just wanted to know more and more about them. One thing I love about historical fiction books is when there is a dual timeline that involves some type of mystery, and this book did an amazing job of meshing those two thing together. If you thought art restoration sounded boring, you need to read this book. It was a fascinating process of discovery in many ways and I loved the author's use of it in the story. Please pick this book up as soon as possible!

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

You have to make peace with the past or you can never move into the future.

Two time settings, two women, one piece of historical art belonging to Jesse Williams. The narration goes between Anna and Morgan, Anna who is living in the early 1940's where racism is prevalent along with sexism. Anna has won a contest to paint a mural in Edenton. Coming to the small town, she was met with some resistance but she was excited to start and use local young people to help with her work. A teacher with a concern for her student Jesse Williams asked Anna to take him on as he was struggling with grades and being a black added to the tension. Why would Anna take on Jesse. She was met with protest and one of her student helpers to quit. Anna became obsessed with her art and not taking the advise of her landlord would work on her art late into the night. When Anna was faced with the ugliness of the small town of Edenton, Jesse becomes her saving grace.

Morgan has her own problems. Released from jail with a stipulation of to restore a mural from the late Jesse Williams. She has no ideal who Jesse is but freedom is the price she will pay to restore the work of Anna. When she begins the restoration, she finds a mural that has menacing meaning. A bloody hammer, a motorcycle, and Morgan becomes determined to find out what happened to Anna. She seems to has disappeared from the face of the earth. Her artwork seems to indicate that she had gone crazy. Morgan feels a connection as she is fighting her own demons and knows by uncovering Anna's demons, she will find the truth of the connection they share.

I loved how this played out and was surprised by the ending. Both women had something to share in the story and with each other.

A Special Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest revie