#bookreview Big Lies in A Small Town ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars!

This was the first book I read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last! I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed the dual timelines and how everything intertwined so well. The storyline was extremely entertaining and I loved all the characters. Highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have alway enjoyed Diane Chamberlain and Big Lies in a Small Town did not disappoint!

Morgan Christopher finds herself released from the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center early with the stipulation that she restore an old mural. However, Morgan finds herself incredibly interested in Anna Dale, the artist who painted the murrain 1940. The mystery behind who Anna Dale was and why she painted certain things into the mural was interesting to follow.

I was left wanting to know more about Anna, Jessie, and Morgan!

Diane Chamberlain does it again in this magnificent novel set in two timeframes, the past and the present and weaved together brilliantly. The book is definitely well researched and I really enjoyed reading this dual timeline story that gave me so much emotions in reading this book that I knew I should not have started too late in the evening as there was no way this book was going to be able to put down. The story and the characters have immersed me into the story line and I could not wait what is to come next. I was so much a part of their lives that Chamberlain knew just what I needed in an amazing book. Thank you so much for this wonderful story that everyone needs to read about. And I have been telling everyone I know to pick this one up asap! Highly recommend this book.

I am a huge Diane Chamberlain fan, so It was a bit of a bummer that I didn’t like Morgan’s story. I loved Anna’s. As with most dual timelines I just want to stay in the past. The past was a very interesting story and had enough to carry an entire book. I suppose the dual timeline is meant to make it more of a mystery, which in all fairness is not my favorite genre. There is a lot of good here and I do recommend it to all her fans, it’s good just not my favorite.

Diane Chamberlain is in top form with this engaging novel. A beautiful telling of the story of two women, who are both deeply affected by their art.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is an excellent book I will not soon forget. It is the story of Morgan Christopher and Anna Dale, told in two different storylines set in eras almost 80 years apart, that intertwine beautifully. Morgan's story takes place in 2018, while Anna's is set in 1940, both in North Carolina. The book starts off strong and just keeps going, I found it to be really difficult to put down. Diane Chamberlain takes on a couple of sensitive subjects head-on but in a respectful way, racism and sexual assault. This is definitely going on the list of my favorite books, I highly recommend it!

Diane Chamberlain is an author I trust to write a good dual narrative historical fiction. I've devoured a lot of her books (and still have many to read) and I'm always amazed at her ability to come up with really unique stories. This one was no different. I seriously doubt I will find another book on the topic of a scandal surrounding a contest for artists to paint murals representing their state to be displayed at a post office. It also seems impossible to imagine a current day situation that could be linked back to that scandal. It is incredible. While I do love a good D Chamberlain story, this one didn't wow me. I just couldn't connect with the story. It doesn't change my opinion about the author. I will read everything she writes but I won't be recommending this one.

In 1940, an emerging NJ artist, Anna Dale is controversially chosen to create and paint a mural in a small town post office depicting the history of that town, Edentown, NC. She moves to the town and spends months getting to know it and its people and making her creation come to life. Anna disappears with the mural before the painting can be installed and celebrated. Centuries later, Morgan Christensen, a young artist serving a prison term for a crime she did not commit, is released under the condition that she restore this mural and install it in a new museum opening in just under 4 months in Edentown. Can Morgan restore the mural in time while researching Anna's life to find out where she went?

Told from both Anna and Morgan's perspectives, this historical fiction novel unfolds in many layers and is told beautifully. It includes the racial tensions in the south during Anna's tenure in Edentown, along with the modern issues of drug and alcohol addiction. Big Lies in a Small Town is an emotional journey that will stay with me a long time.

I have basically read everything that this amazing author has ever written. Imagine my surprise when I got approved by Netgalley. I read the blurb after getting it and pushed it off reading it. I started it last night and I wasn’t convinced that’s this story was for me. It talked about art, painting to be precise. It went back and forth in time. Honestly, I almost quit.

Then I said to myself this is a Diane Chamberlain story, I need to go on. OMG!!!!!!! I read it in one sitting, I didn’t go to bed until I was done reading the last page.

It does go back and forth in time, 1940 to be precise but it all comes together at the end. It does talk about a mural that needs to be restored. But the mural as a message and a powerful one too.

I was so mesmerized by this story that I was unable to put it down. It’s addicting and highly intriguing. I was blown away by the storyline and plot twists. I had quite a bit jaw dropping moment that left me baffled. The creativity of this story was astonishing. The characters were perfectly created to make me feel for them. After I was done reading it, I wanted more. Bottomline this is a MUST read.

At first, I thought I would have a hard time getting into this book, with its alternating timelines and so much talk about the art profession. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was very wrong. As with Chamberlain's previous works, this is a book full of secrets and you're never completely sure what's what until it all comes together. And it came together beautifully, in a story that was thoroughly enjoyable, in both timelines, beginning to end.

As readers we long to find that one book that not only entertains you but draws you in to point that the book runs like a movie in your head. Big Lied in a Small Town IS THAT BOOK! I felt so many emotions while reading this book that I couldn’t help but love it. This book is definitely my favorite book so far this year.

This story is told by two different narrators in two different time periods, Anna, set in 1940s and Morgan set in present day. Anna has been hired to create a mural for a small town post office. Morgan has been hired to restore this mural. As Morgan begins her restoration, she uncovers some serious idiosyncrasies within the painting. Well, of course this leads her to try and find out more about Anna.
Morgan is a character which cannot help but pull at your heartstrings. She has a past she is trying to overcome. She has been in prison for something she did not do. So this mural is her redeeming grace. She is determined to do the best job she can. But these peculiarities are just something she cannot over look. I enjoyed her tenacity and her warm heart.
Well, I am off to a fantastic start in 2020. Diane Chamberlain has tons of books. I have only read a handful. I did not discover her till a couple of years ago…WHY? How have I missed this author…I have no idea! BUT! I have completely fallen in love with her talent. She spins a tale like no other. This story is complex and totally engrossing. Need a good book to start your year off right…THIS IS IT!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Morgan has been jailed for a crime she didn't commit; however, it appears that someone wants her to have a second chance. She is offered the opportunity to get out of her sentence early, with the expectation that she restore a mural from the 1940s. Morgan, a former university art student, is baffled why she has been chosen for this undertaking, but does not want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As she begins working on the mural, Morgan begins to wonder about the original artist. Who was Anna Dale, and why did she paint such odd little surprises into the mural? The story is told in alternating timelines of Morgan and Anna, and I couldn't put this book down because I was dying to know Anna's story.

This was the first book by Diane Chamberlain that I have read but it hopefully won't be my last!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

Diane Chamberlain gives us something a little more in Big Lies in a Small Town than usual. Two story lines are presented, alternating between 2018 and 1940’s, which eventually leads to link between the two. Chamberlain’s signature writing moves the stories seamlessly, and as the characters come to life, we are swept into the world of Edenton, NC and all the secrets that this little town has.

Learning about the Post Office murals and art restoration adds so nicely, and takes center stage as much as the characters themselves. Social issues of the times are dealt with nicely, as is presenting Edenton true-to-reality for 1940. The mystery surrounding the mural’s content and why really drive the story, and will keep Chamberlain fans turning the pages.

I absolutely loved this book. Diane Chamberlain never disappoints! I was enthralled from page one and so eager to learn more about both Morgan and Anna! I loved the interchanging stories and all of the extra characters. Just a fabulous read.

Big Lies in a Small Town (Diane Chamberlain)

In this searing and well-written novel, Chamberlain deftly weaves the story of Anna (in the 1940s) and Morgan (in 2018-19) and how their lives as artists and their connections to Edenton, a small town in North Carolina, seemingly parallel and ultimately intersect. I absolutely LOVED this novel and read it in one day. Having never read a Diane Chamberlain novel before, I was unsure what to expect. I’ve seen her novels in stores but prior to this ARC (Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group) had never experienced her savvy storytelling.

There are plenty of reviews that provide an overview, so I won’t hash it out again here. I will just add that Chamberlain’s writing, character development, and research into not only her subject town and historical background, but also North Carolinan artists and art restoration, made this novel un-put-downable! I became very invested in both Morgan and Anna and kept wondering what the connection was between the two women and their mural. When I get into a novel, as in *really* get into one, I find myself foregoing sleep and food to keep reading—and that was exactly the case with “Big Lies in a Small Town.” Ms. Chamberlain has outdone herself and I will be looking for another one of her stellar novels to devour.

Bravo Ms. Chamberlain and kudos to the editors and publishers for creating content that is approachable, relatable, easily consumable and compelling! 5 solid stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Chamberlain novel but surely will not be my last. I felt the story started off a bit slow but as I delved further into the book and started to uncover the layers of the story I was completely hooked.
Chamberlain’s attention to even the smallest of details are so well done that you can visualize this story as a movie playing in your head.
I loved that the story was told from two points of view one in current times and one in the past as we uncovered the mystery behind the painting.
This novel tells a story with a bit of mystery solving and is just brilliantly written.

I love this book! Diane Chamberlain writes an intriguing story that completely engages the reader. I felt like I knew these characters and I loved trying to put the pieces together. Her characters are very real and her descriptions as she writes, paint a very clear picture of the story she is telling and her characters, Morgan Oliver, Jesse, Anna, Lisa and Mama Nelle. I was sorry to get to the end of Big Lies in a Small Town.

I enjoyed the way this book was told through the eyes of Anna Dale the original artist and through Morgan who was restoring the mural. It dealt with some strong social issues and personal growth and I really enjoyed reading it.

One of my favorite of this year. Love the story of equal of the races back in the day. It all tied together so well at the end.