I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A celebrated artist dies and his daughter is compelled to meet his guideline for a gallery opening and mural restoration. The past and present are revealed through the artist of the mural and the restorer of the same.

North Carolina, 1940
Anna Dale's mother has just passed away when she wins a national contest to paint a mural for a post office in Edenton, a small town in North Carolina. She moves temporarily from New Jersey to Edenton to get to know the town and do the mural justice. A couple high school students help her out for credits and experience. One is black and the small town's prejudices don't approve. Plus a local artist had entered the contest and Anna was chosen over him, so there is some resentment.

North Carolina, 2018
Morgan has just spent a year in a woman's prison when she is made an offer she can't refuse. She has been chosen by one of her favourite painters to restore a mural for the gallery his estate is opening. Not know anything about restoration or why she was chosen as the late painter's latest project, she agrees so she can be released early from prison. As she starts cleaning up the mural, which Anna Dale had painted, Morgan discovers some disturbing things that have been painted on it and wants to know what happened to Anna.

I've read many books by this author and liked this one. I liked the writing style and found the story interesting. It bounces around in the two different time periods and voices but the chapters are marked as to what the time period is and whose voice it is. It is written in first person perspective from Morgan's point of view and third person when it's Anna's point of view. I liked the characters. As a head's up, there is some swearing and violence.

It took me awhile to get into this book but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a great story about a friendship between a white girl and black boy for over 70 years. Not only were they friends but they made huge sacrifices for each other through their lives and kept each other's darkest secrets.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I will definitely read more of her books going forward.

Morgan Christopher is serving time for a crime she didn't commit. She is surprised when she is released from prison so that she can work to restore a mural from long ago. Anna Dale is a smart, young artist in 1940 who has been commissioned to pain a mural for the local post office in Edenton, NC. She is from a town in New Jersey and faces many challenges while working on the mural in NC. The two stories are told concurrently as we learn about Morgan in 2018 and Anna in 1940. We learn how their lives intersect with a few twists along the way.
I adore Diane Chamberlain's books and never miss one. You shouldn't miss this one either!
I received an advance copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Diane Chamberlain weaves an intriguing, emotional tale centered around a mysterious mural of Edenton, North Carolina.

Morgan Christopher is commanded to restore the mural with little to no information about the mural itself or for that matter how to restore the mural, originally painted by Anna Dale in 1940.

Told in the dual narrative by Morgan in 2018 and Anna in 1940, we begin to learn about Anna and how the mural came to be. Will Morgan be able to restore the mural in the set time-frame for the gallery opening? You’ll have to read Big Lies in a Small Town to find out! I promise you you’ll be surprised by the ending.

I feel like with Chamberlain's previous novel, The Dream Daughter and now with Big Lies in a Small Town, she is branching out from older novels and it's definitely working for her. Big Lies is my new favorite Diane Chamberlain book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

This was my second Diane Chamberlain book and color me impressed! What a story - I am in awe of her creativity creating such alluring tales that are always so unique and fresh. The merging of real life aspects - including the town of Edenton and the mural contest, as well as exploring themes of recovery, redemption and racism had me flipping pages to find what clever and shocking surprise I'd find myself at every chapter.

The writing is so comfortable - smooth prose and delicate details that build up so beautifully that you don't see things coming - even though they've been hinted at and teased before. The plot seems so effortless, yet so intricate - I had a hard time putting this one down!

Told in dual narratives - Morgan, fresh from prison, present day - tasked to complete a mural restoration in exchange for early release - and Anna, the mural original painter, in 1940, who faced incredible odds to complete the painting, but has not been seen since - both women's stories had me riveted! Why was Morgan picked to restore it? And what happened to Anna? Why is the painting so weird?!

The painting itself is the third main character. I can see every single detail in my mind. The rich colors, the characters faces, the curious and strange details. As an artist myself, I was taken back to art school with all the elements of design and layout, and preparation of canvas and colors. The descriptions were exquisite and I want someone to paint this so I can see it in real life!

I really enjoyed this one. So many strong and interesting themes, mixed in with characters I really connected with, and a story that held my interest from beginning to end.

I probably sound like a broken record, but Diane Chamberlain has written another fabulous 5 star story. Set again in North Carolina, and told in alternate time periods, which is a big plus for me, we are taken into the world of two artists who are bonded together by a 1940’s era mural. We learn not only of the mural’s beginning, but of its restoration over 75 years later. The author is a master when it comes to weaving the lives of the characters of both time periods together. Not only is this a well researched book about art and restoration, it also delves into the history and lifestyles of the South pre-WW2. Needless to say, I was unable to tear myself away from Anna & Morgan’s story! This is a must read!
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this wonderful Arc in exchange for my honest review.

The author uses two timelines tell the story; Morgan Christopher (2018) is release from jail to help with restoring a mural and Anna Dale (1940) has just won a competition to create a mural for a post office.
Morgan is on parole for a DUI where she took the blame for her boyfriend. She is hired to restore the mural which she has no experience and a tight deadline. She becomes fascinated with Anna’s story.
I really enjoyed reading back and forth between the two eras and following the two strong women who overcome their adversities. The writing was wonderful, and it flowed smoothly.
Thank you, Net Galley, for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Anna and Morgan are destined to work on the same mural. Morgan is captivated by Anna's journal and finds a new purpose in life in the old historic f2f own of Edenton. Interesting twist at the end.

Diane Chamberlain did a masterful job of weaving two time periods and different, but strong women's stories together in Big Lies in a Small Town. Not only were Morgan and Anna very interesting and strong, but their stories hooked me quickly. I found myself very much looking forward to jumping back into the opposite time line of the one I was reading, longing for the rest of the story.

Big Lies is a unique story and one that was engaging, well told and eye opening. If you've ever read anything by Diane Chamberlain you will enjoy this and if you haven't, pick this up and give her work a try!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for granting my request for an ARC. My thoughts in this review are my own.

Big Lies in a Small Town is the story of two women born in different times who find themselves in situations beyond their control, In 2018, Morgan Christopher gets early parole from the North Carolina Women's Correctional Institute, where she is serving a three year sentence for a crime she did not commit. Her dreams of an art career were put on hold when she was sentenced until a mysterious visitor tells her she can be released immediately if she agrees to restore a post office mural originally painted by Anna Dale in 1940.
The story develops, alternately between Morgan and Anna and builds slowly. Small town judgement, secrets and lies dog both women. For Anna, who wins the competition to paint the mural over a local artist, does it become too much when both the mural and the artist disappear? Morgan becomes obsessed with restoring the mural anddoing right by Anna and finding out what happened to the young woman.
Chamberlain does a wonderful job of writing a story that is a detailed account of life in a small town and all it's idiosyncrasies and even the pace of the story seems to slow to fit the town in parts. Anna and Morgan experience the same discrimination, mysogeny and prejudice decades apart and their characters are well developed and captivating on their own. The art restoration was a new topic for me and very interestingly presented.

Big Lies in a Small Town is the latest book by Diane Chamberlain. My 1st novel read of hers, now will be reading her other books. Wish that the story never ended. I could have continued reading more about these characters. I was given an early copy to review from netgalley.

I adored this book. So good and made me cry and made me scared and made me angry.... when books make me feel all of the things, they usually get 5 stars from me!

This story flip flops between Anna in the 1940s after moving down south to paint a post office mural and the things she faces in a small town, issues like racism, sexism, etc. and Morgan in the present who has been seemingly plucked out of thin air to be released early from a 3 year max prison sentence to restore the post office mural in Edenton.

When I first started, Morgan’s chapters bored me a bit. But once I got into the groove of a Morgan chapter then an Anna chapter, I flew through it. I loved both women and their respective chapters.

Such a good story. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this one early!

Let's talk about this Mural - the true protagonist of this book. If this Mural were allowed eyes and a mouth, what it has witnessed, what it has heard through it's seventy plus years would have been the story itself. Since it has neither mouth nor eyes the mystery is pieced together and told beginning with the artist that created it, Anna Dale, culminating to its restoration some eighty years later by ex-convict Morgan Christopher. The story interchanges swiftly between 1940 and 2018 weaving a small town mystery. If the Mural is the protagonist, the town of Edentown, is the mise an scène, a center stage with its rich history, it's closely knit townspeople and it's strange and curious secrets.

Well researched, richly descriptive, a well balance of interesting characters who needed redemption and those who didn't deserve it. Big Lies in a Small Time left me with that American Classic small town feel. A perfect blend of apple pie, sinister undertones, unchecked bigotry, fondness of art, culture and good southern manners. I give this 5 stars.

I was completely invested in both the lead characters - Morgan and Anna and I absolutely needed to read it all the way to find what happened in their lives. I liked the dual timeline narration as it kept me intrigued continuously. It might feel like slow burn but it was pretty fast-paced for me. Initially I wasn’t sure if I would like Morgan as she was just out of prison for a huge issue but later on finding more clarification of her situation, I could empathize with her.

The important thing for me was the importance of the state “ North Carolina” itself as I stay in NC and the cities that are mentioned are the places I daily travel around - Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Chapel Hill. I also went to UNC so that point totally got me hooked in right away. Also the underlying mystery and how the two lead characters are connected was interesting. I loved the characters, the settings of course, and I enjoyed the story and how it all came together at the end. I loved the way the author has described the whole town of Edenton and it makes me visit the place. Even the way the various families in the town are described is amazing and it feels all real, bringing the whole settings to life. Initially there was a lot of art related stuff mentioned and I thought I will not find it interesting but I was totally wrong as the plot kept up its level of intrigue all the way.

It’s a fantastic read from the author and I recommend highly to others. All 5 stars for sure!

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy to review!

Written in dual timelines, Morgan Christopher (2018) is incarcerated for a crime she didn't commit and Anna Dale (1940) has just won a competition that will showcase her artwork at a post office.

Morgan has taken the fall for her boyfriend and finds herself in prison. Haunted by the events of the night and self blame for a bright career put on hold, she has unexpected visitors that make her an offer of a lifetime. The proposal is that she restore a painting to be showcased at a famous painter's open house on a tight timeline and she will be free. If she doesn't meet the deadline she will go back to prison. She's a decent artist, but doesn't know a thing about restoration. She will do whatever it takes not to go back, but at the back of her mind the recurring question of, why me?

Anna's artwork has won a competition that will have her traveling to a part of the country that she knows nothing about. Her time in the south is met with many obstacles and etiquette that is sharply different from New Jersey. She is a strong, independent young woman and won't be set back from her goal of finishing the painting.

I'm crazy about Diane Chamberlain's ability to write a novel with characters that walk off the page. It's easy to favor one time period over the other, but not here. Each character was equally as interesting as the other. The two storylines are woven together like only a master at her craft can do it. The ending was satisfying icing on the cake.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an advance copy.

Morgan Christiansen was stunned when two women turned up at the prison in 2018, offering her a way out of her three-year sentence, by restoring a mural originally painted in 1940. One of Morgan’s favorite artists had specifically mentioned her in his will, requesting she do the restoration but requiring an exceedingly tight timeline, one that she wasn’t sure she could meet. Though she knew very little about art restoration, the deal the women were offering was too good to pass up, and Morgan soon went to Edenton to begin work.

After recently losing her mother, Anna Dale was lost and lonely, but winning a spot to design and paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina helped give her a purpose. Coming from New Jersey, Anna was delighted with the beauty of the scenery, and determined to find out more about the little town before beginning the job. She was surprised to learn that many people in town had decided a girl couldn’t properly complete such a task, and even worse, a local man had applied and not been selected, causing difficulties for Anna.

The story of the mural, told in alternating voices, is a compelling narrative that shows the changing times. Anna faced racism for hiring a young black man to help with the original painting, and Morgan felt horribly guilty over the DUI that landed her in prison. I loved the way the two stories blended together, and the reader learns more about both Morgan and Anna as the story progresses, and I appreciated the way the two women learned to navigate their unfamiliar worlds.

This novel is written in dual narrative and dual time frame. The two narrators are young aspiring female artists at the beginning of their careers in the art world. They are also both linked by the genius artist Jesse Jameson Williams.
Our story starts in 1940 when New Jersey girl Anna Dale enters a national art competition and is finally selected to create a 12 foot by 6 foot mural featuring facts about the small town of Edenton in North Carolina. She has never been to the town and knows precious little about it but she has recently lost her mother and needs to create a new future for herself. She is both proud of her success and excited about her first commission. So off she sets to learn more about Edenton and its neighbourhood.
She is soon aware that the revered local artist, a family man with two children, was expected to win the competition, but she reasons that she was chosen for the job and must carry out her mission, putting aside the fact that the locals are not altogether behind her. However some townsfolk are welcoming and she soon has lodgings and a large work area to call her own. So she settles down with and begins to research the facts about Edenton. She contacts the local school and soon two art students come to help her in return for credits from their school. They are eventually joined by Jesse Jameson Williams. Although his roots are linked with bygone slavery days, his family and relatives have their own farms and he is expected to help his family with farm work after school.
In 2018 Morgan Christopher is willingly serving a term in gaol to ensure her boyfriend’s future will not be ruined by a drink driving conviction. Life is bleak for her inside. She is alcohol dependent and fears meeting a violent end within the prison walls. A total stranger visits her one day. She is Lisa, the devoted and grieving daughter of Jesse Jameson Williams, who has recently passed away. Morgan is a huge fan of his work and so she is immediately intrigued by her visit. Lisa brings her own lawyer along and gradually Morgan learns about a certain way of being freed from incarceration. She is commissioned to do some restoration work that is to hang in a prime location in her father’s new art gallery which is currently under construction. She jumps at the chance, is freed with a tag and soon begins her daunting work.
When she arrives in Edenton and is shown the work in progress at the gallery, Lisa finally explains about Jesse’s will and the conditions that she must follow. No way will she pass up this chance of making new beginnings for herself and she inevitably agrees to everything Jesse had stipulated. Lisa has offered her lodging, board, art supplies and a very generous payment if she completes the restoration by the day the new gallery opens, designed by Jesse himself, but will never see. Lisa herself must manage to assure the words written by Jesse are followed to the letter to the very ‘T’
These two narrations are cleverly woven together in alternating chapters and Morgan soon finds out just what a massive task she has to accomplish in order to complete the task she has been given. She delves into the history of the mural she is renovating and soon finds out that Anna Dale was the original artist who sadly never finished her commission. She is intrigued and decides to try to solve the mystery of why the mural was never completed. As the threads merge she discovers massive lies, prejudice, buried secrets, historic crimes and more, until finally the shady truths are revealed.
Dianne Chamberlain has a huge talent for writing stories and I have always been a massive fan of hers, reaching back to when she used a ‘pen name’ in her early romance novels. Her meticulous and far reaching research adds authenticity and realism to this novel and although a bit slow at the beginning this novel becomes thrilling, absorbing and educational as well. It is a classy novel with dark issues relevant to this very day. Her characterisation is highly skilled and her characters come to life and you come to admire, hate, empathise, feel compassion for and love them as though your friendships were real. I thought the complexity of the storyboard was wonderfully managed and I liked the way all of the characters were fully developed with stories of their own. I was astounded by the intricacies and many twists and turns in this story and enjoyed the tender romance that emerged from one particular friendship.
I received a complimentary copy of 'Big Lies in a Small Town' from publisher St Martin’s Press through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest review. These are my own opinions without any outside influences. It’s a 4.5* review from me.

In 1940, young Anna Dale wins a contest to paint a mural for the Edenton, NC post office. Twenty two years old and fleeing the heartbreak of her mom's very recent death, Anna throws herself into the job of designing and painting a mural that will be the best representation of Edenton that she can imagine. There are resentments towards Anna due to her winning the contest over a local male artist and Anna comes face to face with strong prejudices of some towns folks, especially when she welcomes a seventeen year old black budding artist to work with her on her mural.

In the present day, twenty two year old prison inmate Morgan Christopher is released from prison early, with the stipulation that she restore an old, battered, mural, that is to be the main feature of a new Edenton art museum. Morgan has no idea why a recently deceased black artist picked her, a young white woman who struggled with her art in school, to do the restoration job. The deadline is tight and as she begins working on the mural, she wants to know what happened to the artist, Anna Dale, causing her and the mural to disappear.

I knew nothing about the making of murals such as the one that was being made in 1940 or about art restoration, and enjoyed reading about the process in both timelines of the books. These women are young, strong, and determined and it was interesting reading how the times and situations dictate how each woman presents herself. Then there is the mystery of why the black artist picked Morgan to restore a mural painted by Anna, so many years ago. What happened to Anna? What happened to the mural and how did the black artist come to have it in his possession?

I enjoyed Diane Chamberlain's Dream Daughter and this book and will be looking for more of her work, in the future. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved every page of both timelines and seeing how they weaved together throughout the book!