My first book by Diane Chamberlain was THE DREAM DAUGHTER and boy what a read that was. It was fantastic. But this one is even better. It hooked me from the very first and would not let go.

“YOU HAVE TO MAKE PEACE WITH THE PAST OR YOU CAN NEVER MOVE INTO THE FUTURE”(from this book)

This book is told from two different women in two different time periods.

Anna who won a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She is from New Jersey and has a lot to learn about Edenton. Not all pleasant either. Some of the people are hostile toward her. They don’t think she is the right one to paint the mural. After all they have a real artist who lives in their town. Anna needs a change as she is getting over the death of her mother. This setting is 1939 to 1940. She has no idea the tensions she is about to encounter either. The south was very full of prejudice at the time so she has to get use to this also.

Then we have Morgan, 2018. She is in prison for something she did not do. But no one believes her and she jumps at the chance to get out after a year to restore a mural for Lisa who is the daughter of Jesse Jameson Williams. She is on a tight deadline but it was her late father’s wish that Morgan be the one to restore the mural to it’s original state. Morgan knows nothing about restoration but is very willing to learn.

There are several characters in this story that you will come to love. They play a very pivotal role in Anna and Morgan’s lives. Each has a story to tell and it’s a good one. One that in the end will most likely blow you away. It did me. All hard work both of these young women put into their work is so touching. Morgan feels a connection to Anna, who goes missing, and wants to do all she can to find out what happened. Some things are harder than they seem though. Morgan feels guilty for what happened that sent her to prison even though it was not her fault. She feels like it was and she needs to come to terms with what happened.

This book is so full of wonderful writing. Such things that will keep you wondering what and why things happened. It’s descriptions are so realistic you will feel like you are actually there. Anna’s time period was way different than that of Morgan but each was told to perfection. It was like being in two places at once. I loved the characters in this book with the exception of one. You will know who he is when you read this book.

This book is so good you won’t forget it for a good long time. It’s one of the very few that I will want to read again. To me it’s just total perfection. Though at the very end I would have like to know one thing.....

Thank you #NetGalley, #DianeChamberlain, #StMartin’sPress for the eARC of this book. This is my review told from my very own opinions.
A BIG 5 stars and very high recommendation..

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @diane.chamberlain.author for an advance reader copy of Big Lies In A Small Town, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how this story was told. I love books with alternating timelines, and told from different characters’ perspectives. This book is told from present day (2018) North Carolina, where we meet Morgan Christopher. She has been wrongly imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit, and she has received a chance to get out of jail—with some conditions. She is asked to restore a massive mural in a short amount of time, despite having no experience in art restoration. Desperate to get out of jail, she accepts the offer, despite being confused as to why she was picked, of all people.
We also meet Anna Dale, in 1940s North Carolina. She has traveled from New Jersey to North Carolina after being chosen as the winner of an art competition. Her project is to design a large mural that will be displayed on the wall of the post office. While she is in North Carolina, Anna experiences just how different life is down south and the prejudice colored people dealt with at that time.
As Morgan begins to restore the mural Anna created, she begins to uncover disturbing details embedded in the scenes. What happened to Anna? Can Morgan solve the mystery by restoring the mural? And why was Morgan chosen to begin with?
I loved everything about this novel. It was so well written, the characters were incredibly detailed, and there is a whopper of a twist at the end. I highly recommend this book! 5⭐️

In a small southern town, a young woman is released from prison with the understanding that she is on parole and expected to refurbish a mural for the town that was done years ago by an elusive painter. Interesting plot that became more engaging as the book continued. Very involved story line that unfolds with hidden secrets and stereotypical characters.

Another great Diane Chamberlain book. The settings, characters and story just pulls you right in. She did a great job flipping between 1940 and 2018 with two different storylines. You felt like you were transported back to 1940 to a small town in North Carolina. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Big Lies in a Small Town is an amazing story full of mystery, opportunity and loss. It is emotionally absorbing from beginning to end with enthralling secrets and puzzles that maintain a great momentum without dropping gear. The story is told over two time periods from the perspective of two young female artists, Anna Dale in 1940 and Morgan Christopher in 2018.

Morgan is serving a sentence in North Carolina Correctional Facility for a drunk driving crime she took the blame for, to save her boyfriend. Lisa Williams and the family lawyer, Andrea Fuller, visit Morgan in prison and make her an offer of release on parole if she will restore a mural that has lay hidden for 78 years. The request is detailed in the Will from the celebrated black artist Jesse Jameson Williams, who has recently passed away and was planning on opening a gallery with his daughter Lisa. The ownership of the family house and Morgan’s freedom, are all tied to Morgan completing the restoration of the mural before the opening of the gallery in two months’ time. For some reason, Morgan was Jesse’s last project but this is unusual as all his previous support went to young African-American artists and she’s white. When they unwrap the mural canvas, they look on in shock and disbelief at the task ahead.
“Five separate scenes, all of them a mess. The entire mural looked as though someone had attached it to the back of a car and dragged it facedown over earth and stones and mud for miles and miles. To me, the painting—all seventy-two square feet of it—looked utterly beyond saving.”
Apart from the considerable damage, there are strange anomalies within each scene, an old motorbike appearing out of context and centre stage, plus a hammer with blood dripping from it, a skull visible from a house window and a woman with a knife clenched in her teeth.

To understand the mural is to understand who Anna Dale was and what really happened to her. All that’s known is that she had mental health issues and disappeared without a trace. The consequence of a young artist winning the government-sponsored competition to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina, over an established artist from the same town caused issues. The journey of Anna from the excitement of winning the competition through the inspired creativity of her mural, the development of multi-racial friendships and her confrontation with a major event, is utterly compelling. Issues of racism and abuse raise their ugly head and Anna hides secrets and clues in her painting. The idyllic community of Edenton suddenly becomes toxic and Anna and her young black art student take action that will totally change their lives.

Diane Chamberlain’s writing and storytelling are outstanding and the equal emphasis on each storyline was superb. Never once did I have a preference of one character’s adventures over the other, with each holding me taut and full of anticipation for when I would encounter them again. The location and community of Edenton came alive with a mix of beauty and prejudices, caring and hatred, selflessness and jealousies, and racial division that held threats and menace.

I will not forget this book easily and I can highly recommend it as a fabulous novel full of mystery, excitement and adventure. Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Anyone saw the title might guess this was a thriller book. It is not entirely. The book is more slow paced than fast paced but it is surely one of page turner.

This book has two different point of view. One in 1940 and the other in the 2018. The two different era, yet the stories balanced each other. I have read stories that put more than one setting and timeline and some of it didn't work for me. I thought about there is one perspective that is useless, and the story could be better with only one main point of view. But this book is not one of them. I love the two stories together.

Although there is dual perspective, the book is based on Morgan Christopher who has to restore the old painting by Anna Dale. Anna is the painter from New Jersey who won a competition and had to paint the mural in Edenton post office back in 1940. New Jersey and Edenton is whole different place, so she was quite struggling to adapt. It is known that Anna Dale was losing her mind before finishing her work, but the painting which Morgan has to restore turns out really weird and has a big secret about Edenton in the past.

The thing is I always like Diane Chamberlaine's character. The way she writes about them, makes me sympathize with them. And also, the boys!! The boys are not jerk, sweet even, and I love it. Usually I get bored at too touchy feely romance inside a beautiful story, but I'm so glad I can't find it in Diane Chamberlaine's book. The romance is just right and sweet. The portion is right and not stealing the light of the main issue of this book.

I personally learnt a lot about how people live back then. This book has a strong palpable issue about sexism and also racism. It's horrendous. Many books I read won't change the fact that I got teary when reading about this. How unfair, how rude people back then and they just didn't realize it.

Aside of that, I learn things in this book and I'm so happy about it. Art is one of them. I never understand art like any pro do, but this book certainly changes a few things about that. At least, I know painting or restoring a paint is so hard and need a big of an effort to do.

I love this book. Diane Chamberlaine wrote a pristine small town in a delicate way sorrounds by many hard issues and full of emotion roller coaster. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

Intricately woven story that moves seamlessly between1940 and 2018 – I was captivated from the beginning and could not stop reading till the very end. The first scene had me wondering what had happened and though I did not find out immediately I learned in due time.

Two women brought together by one mural – one created it and one will restore it – both live for a time in the same small North Carolina town while working and both have life altering experiences.

What I liked:
* The way the story unfolds...I don’t usually like alternating chapters taking place in different eras but this worked seamlessly and was perfectly
* Anna – the woman from the North sent to the South to create a mural for the post office. She was so intelligent, focused and giving...really liked her
* Morgan – she had a tough life but was so willing to work hard and do things right. I enjoyed getting to know her and feel she has a future to be proud of...and a HEA to look forward to
* Jesse – in addition to being a superb artist he was a great friend and mentor to many
* Jesse’s family – I would love to have visited with more than one of them
* The idea of second chances
* Learning so much about murals – how they are painted and restored – almost makes me want to paint on in my own house
* Everything except what I did not like…

What I did not like:
* The bigotry, racism and male attitude in the 40’s (though not sure how much better it is now)
* The way Anna & Morgan were hurt by men
* Having to say goodbye to the characters at the end of the book

Did I enjoy this book? Definitely
Would I read more by this author? Without a doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

If you had the chance to start a new life, would you take it? Morgan Christopher gets that chance when she’s visited in prison by two women who are strangers to her but are offering not only a release from prison but also a job restoring a post office mural that was mysteriously important to one of the women’s father. Thus begins both Morgan’s second chance and the rebirth of the mysteries surrounding the mural. Told alternately between Morgan in 2018 and Anna (the mural’s artist) in 1940, “Big Lies in a Small Town” is a story of jealousy, lies, murder as well as friendship, loyalty and strength. This was an interesting storyline filled with well-defined characters. Diane Chamberlain navigates between the past and present flawlessly and the reader gets to discover the mystery along with the 2018 characters. Definitely a good read!! Disclaimer — I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher! 🤩🤩🤩🤩

Thank you St. Martin Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this intriguing novel. It is written in a dual timeline that is appealing and captivating. In 2018 Morgan Christopher, who is in prison, gets a visit from Lisa who per her fathers orders after his death, needs to get her to agree to restore a mural that her father had but left specific instructions for Morgan to it!

In 1940 Anna Dale wins a contest to paint a mural in a post office in Edenton, NC during a time of predjudice and racism!

The novel is written beautifully and descriptively. She keeps you coming for more with unexpected twists and turns! Both timelines are well written and I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction with a deep mysterious flavor!

Why have I waited so long to read a Diane Chamberlain book?! I absolutely loved everything about this book. I loved the alternating story lines, past and present, two different characters, and the way they finally came together at the end. I was fully invested in each story line, and I really felt like I came to know each woman as the story progressed. There is also a bit of mystery and suspense in this book, and I kept wanting to read to find out what happened, as the secrets of the past were gradually revealed. I also thought the portrayal of race relations and racial tension was accurately and perfectly portrayed. I didn't want to put this book down. I am not particularly interested in art restoration, but Chamberlain made me care so much about the restoration of the decrepit mural that is at the center of this novel. Add this one to to your tbr!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley @diane.chamberlain.author for providing me a copy to read!

What fun this book was! It caught me up right away in the story of the two girls who get involved in the creation (and then restoration) of a WPA mural created for a post office in Edenton, NC. As the restoration begins and strange images are found within the painting, a definite mystery developed and continued being unraveled in pieces and parts throughout the story. There were characters I cared about and also ones that I did not like much at all but that is rather the way that I like a book to be. I definitely enjoyed learning about the WPA post office murals and also about the process of both painting and restoring such a large mural. I will recommend this to friends for an interesting read!

I received the digital copy of this arc book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story is told through alternating timelines which explain how the past of one person influences the present of another person. Interesting story with details about the restoration of paintings.

In June 2018, Morgan Christopher has been an inmate attending AA meetings for a year when given an opportunity for parole. Although she was an art school drop out prior to her arrest in a complicated DUI accident, Morgan was chosen to restore a mural for a gallery opening. Lisa Williams is a busy real estate agent given specific instructions regarding conditions related to the estate. Much to her dismay, she accepts that her inheritance is in the hands of an untrained prison inmate.

Morgan feels overwhelmed and incompetent for such a major restoration of a mural for Jesse Jameson Williams, a renowned artist.
She soon realizes that her freedom and future of the Williams family rely on her ability to successfully complete this project within the narrow timeframe provided.

As Morgan learns about art restoration for the gallery opening in the Edenton, NC community, she discovers little known history regarding the 1940 unfinished mural. Anna Dale had been commissioned during the Depression to paint the mural in the local post office. She had been chosen after submitting her proposal for a government plan to honor select post offices with a themed mural.

It was December 1939 when Anna Dale who lived in Plainfield, NJ submitted her request to paint the mural for the Bordentown, NJ post office. Unfortunately the job was given to another artist but much to her surprise, she was contacted to submit a proposal for the Edenton, NC post office. Anna had endured a difficult childhood due to her mother’s health and having to live with aunt and uncle. When her mother dies Anna looks forward to working as an artist and the $720 payment for mural job.

Anna isn’t prepared for the skeptics and negativity regarding her being chosen for the job as a local artist was denied the honor. As much as Anna persevered through the pressure and harassment from locals, she was unable to complete the job. During Morgan’s research she uncovers the hidden truths from the past which provide her the importance of completing her mission.

I love a good mystery, I love fiction set in the second world war era (even if it does not involve the war, it was an interesting time socially) and I love exploring characters with secrets and flaws.

This book had all of that and more. I loved the fact that it switched between Anna in the 1940s and Morgan in the current day. I felt like both women were very similar (in a town away from home, with imperfect families and both the same age) so I could draw parallels between their lives.

I did not predict everything that happened so I was left guessing throughout and this spurred me on to read more and more. There were a few details that I questioned (how did Morgan order an uber before she had a phone?) but as this is an uncorrected proof that may be resolved in the final version.

I would have liked a longer/more detailed epilogue.

However, I highly recommend this book and will read more by the author.

I really enjoyed the structure of this novel. The short chapters that jump point of view and time made for a smooth story that flowed very well. From the beginning I was interested in both Morgan, and Anna’s stories. The author does a great job of getting you to care deeply about her characters, she has them change and grow in ways that are very realistic. Chamberlain also approaches sensitive topics in a subtle way, she wrote them beautifully and I found that to be impressive. I definitely plan on picking up more books by her.

Five stars! This is my second Diane Chamberlain book -- and I LOVED it. The time she clearly takes to research .not only history but also art restoration was very clear. I love the history/present day back and forth - I was so invested with each of the characters. There were a few twists I figured out before they were brought to light, but it didn't ruin the book for me in any way. Definitely will recommend - I LOVED it.

I received a free ARC electronic copy of this excellent novel from Netgalley, Diane Chamberlain, and MacMillan, publisher. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my personal, honest opinion of this work. Big Lies in a Small Town is an exceptional tale, told very well. Another tale told in two timelines, both in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina. Diane Chamberlain puts you right there, that time, that place. She brings us both the good and the bad of that time and makes you understand why every generation of 'Southern' is so fondly remembered.

The United States Treasury Department, 48 States Mural Competition was a part of the New Deal Program set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt to help bridge the public through the depression in the 1930s. Many artists submitted their concept of a mural for their post office, touting the town and surrounding areas. Many small towns in the south competed in this New Deal competition. Some still have their murals on display in their post offices in 2020, and some have brought them back out in the 21st century. A lot of the artists awarded already had a fairly broad recognition in the arts. Not Anna - she was just beginning her journey into the arts and was already a step behind.

From the autumn of 1939, we peek into the life of Anna Dale, a just-graduated Yankee art student who recently lost her mother. Her New Deal submission was for her hometown of Bordertown, New Jersey, which had already been awarded to another New Deal artist, but her submission was well-liked by the judges, and she was awarded the mural for the Edenton, North Carolina Post Office. Now she would need to submit a new concept for Edenton, received approval from the committee overseeing the mural awards; make a black and white 6'x12' paper cartoon of the concept and have a photo of that approved before she can begin the actual canvas mural. She drives herself to North Carolina, leaving her college slacks behind - this is the south, after all - to study the town and make her belated submission in the competition for Edenton. This competition could give her life purpose again - her newly-minted college degree in Art isn't much help in a depression, the loss of her mother rides heavily on her shoulders and her muse is in hiding. But can she do this? All she is sure of is that she must try...

Those chapters taking place in the present time are told in the first person of Morgan Christopher, a young artist, a woman imprisoned after a DUI accident involving a pedestrian that left the young pedestrian paralyzed. Sentenced to one to three years jail time, Morgan is offered the chance to end her incarceration with the imminent completion of one year served if she will agree to begin restitution, remain under the supervision of a parole officer and an alcohol sensitive ankle bracelet, attend AA meetings frequently AND agree to do some work she is 'uniquely qualified' to do. She will receive a salary that will cover her living and court expenses, but there is a nearly impossible deadline for the completion of this work that if met satisfactorily will fulfill the requirements of her release and she will be paid fifty thousand dollars for the work. The problem is she has no idea who these people needing her help are, nor what she might be uniquely positioned to achieve... All she does know is that the artist, now deceased, offering this pass on more jail time is a man who's work she is aware of and respects very much. But can she do this? All she is sure of is that she must try...

4.5 stars

This delightful book alternates between the present day (2018) and 1940. In 1940, Anna Dale, a young, naive artist from New Jersey, wins a contest to paint a large mural to represent Edenton, North Carolina. In 2018, Morgan Christopher, a young art student who is sitting in prison serving a 3-year sentence for a DUI that seriously injured someone else, is paroled so she can work on restoring that same mural. Morgan knows nothing about Anna, and, more importantly, doesn't understand why she was chosen for this seemingly Sisyphean project.

This book touches on Southern racism, and for fair warning, there is a sexual assault, but mostly this book focuses on redemption. Because the author chose to alternate chapters for most of the book -- and also sprinkles in some diary entries -- we get to more intimately know both Anna and Morgan, which personally I liked because I felt very invested in both of their stories.

I did figure out most of the big reveals fairly early on, although I liked the characters and the story enough that this did not take away from the rest of the book, since I still wanted to read the story the author wrote in her words.

This was my first experience reading Diane Chamberlain, and I'm looking forward to reading more by her. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

I so enjoyed this book. I loved how it was set in the same small town, but 70+ years apart for the dual timelines. This helped me see the transformation of the community, but also made me want to keep reading because I had to know how some things were possible with how the story worked out. 

This is a book that I don't want to say too much about because I don't want to ruin the great storyline that it has. There is a lot of art, some 1940s race tensions, a mystery, and lots of secrets. The 1940s timeline focuses on Anna Dale and her winning the mural painting contest for a post office, but things start happening that prevent the mural from ever being hung. In 2018, Morgan doesn't understand why she is recruited to restore the mural for a gallery opening. Slowly, the story comes together. The way the chapters are set up in this book make you want to keep reading to figure out how these stories are connected.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain open in Edenton, North Carolina in March 1940 as three young children discover the body of a man. Fast forward to a prison for women in the summer of 2018 where Morgan Christopher is serving time is offered a chance for freedom. The late Jesse Jameson Williams, a famous painter, has requested in his will that Morgan restore a mural for the opening of his gallery in Edenton. Although she has never restored a painting before, she jumps at the chance to get out of prison and get a fresh start. With a firm deadline and so much riding on her finishing, Morgan is unsure how to begin. Back to December 1939, where Anna Dale learns she has been chosen to paint a mural for the Edenton Post Office from thousands of applicants. Eager for a fresh start, Anna makes a trip to Edenton to start the project. Told back and forth between 1939-1940 and the summer of 2018, the story weaves a mystery of Anna’s mural and a connection to Morgan. How are these two women connected? What is behind the mysterious images in the mural? Can Morgan finish the mural in time? Can she find the fresh start she has been hoping for?
I have read a couple of Ms. Chamberlain’s books before and loved them, so when I had the chance to read Big Lies in a Small Town, I jumped at it. And it did not disappoint. From the opening chapter to the final scene, the story draws you in to a time and place of racism, innuendo and danger. And to a mystery that the reader tries to piece together along with Morgan. I enjoyed all the characters especially Morgan as she tries to make amends for the mistakes of her past and move forward for her future. I also enjoyed Anna and how she stands up for Jesse, who is a black teen, and sees not his color but his amazing talent that would go to waste if it is not nurtured. The attitudes of the townspeople toward their friendships were on point with the time. There is so much more I wish I could say but it would ruin the twists and turns this book will take you on. Big Lies in a Small Town is a great book and I highly recommend it!

Big Lies in a Small Town
is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Slow burn that builds up to a crackling ending. Liked the intermix of historical and present times. The characters were well developed.