This is a whirlwind of a story where past meets present and the mystery behind a mural reveals why a young artist disappeared nearly eighty years ago.

Morgan Christopher is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit, but she lucks out when she is presented with an opportunity that will have her released from prison early. What’s the catch? She has to restore a mural painted by Anna Dale. Though she has a background in art, Morgan knows next to nothing about restoring it, and suddenly she is faced with an even bigger dilemma. When she finally gets down to it, she slowly begins to reveal clues within the mural that could help explain what really happened to Anna after all these years.

This was a fantastic book, and I couldn’t put it down! I liked that it alternated between past and present, so the reader got a more detailed look into Anna’s life, but I also enjoyed getting to know Morgan’s character and why it was so pivotal that she be the one to restore Anna’s mural. I have to admit, I kind of saw the end coming, but the way it was revealed really surprised me.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3071811208

WOW WOW WOW!!! This book was amazing and everything I want in a book!!! Hooked instantly I coudnt put this down!!! Im in love with her writing style and loved the mystery right till the very end! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are mine and mine alone!! A must read book!

Any book by Diane Chamberlain is guaranteed to be a gripping read. And this one didn't disappoint. Read Anna and Morgan's stories. Highly recommended

I was really disappointed in this latest offering by Diane Chamberlain. The pace was painfully slow, with nothing of interest happening until the last third of the book. The dialogue was elementary, characters one dimensional. I did order two copies for my library collection, when typically I'd order 4-6 of this author. I can't stay with a story this boring with the good part rushed at the ending. Sorry, not typical of feedback I would usually give for this author.

Thank you so St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this wonderful book! I have read every Diane Chamberlain book I can get my hands on-she is one of my favorite authors. This particular book ranks up there as one of her best! I liked the historical fiction aspect of this story, but there was also a lot of mystery. It was so well written and just pulled me in right from the beginning. I HIGHLY recommend this book! Read it-you will love it!

I first discovered Diane Chamberlain several years ago and have loved every book I’ve ever read by her. The writing is authentic, the character development is superb, and the historical elements she weaves in are well researched with a mysterious vibe. And she lives in and often writes about North Carolina which makes the stories even more special for me personally.

Big Lies in A Small Town definitely delivered all that and more. A dead body in the opening chapter, a wrongly imprisoned woman, mysteries hidden within a very old mural, racial tensions in a 1940s small North Carolina town...what more could you ask for?? It’s one you’ll definitely want to pick up when it hits your local bookstores and libraries next month!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advance copy.

This is a great story with a lot of subjects touched upon. I loved learning about art restoration and the art gallery. Also in this book were women’s rights, race relations, incarceration, mental health and more. The different time periods was interesting and the ending was perfect!!! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. The story goes back and forth between two women, Morgan and Anna. One storyline is the present and the other is 1939. I normally love books by this author but I was so bored with it that I could not finish it. Some of the reviews have said that the second half does get better but I just couldn't stick to it to find out

Morgan Christopher is serving 1-3 years in prison after taking the blame for her boyfriend’s DUI that ended up seriously injuring another driver when she gets a visit by the daughter of one of her favorite artists offering her a chance at parole if she’ll help restore a mural for her late father’s new gallery. For some reason beyond any of their understanding, this college dropout art student is uniquely qualified to do the restoration. The story flashes back in alternating chapters to Anna Dale, also a young artist chosen to paint the mural in a small North Carolina town.

There’s something about the way these characters were created that immediately pulled me in. I near tested up when the first connection between the past and the present was finally revealed, not an inherently emotional moment but it felt especially poignant. The big end of story secret wasn’t hard to figure out but it was tied together and paced perfectly.

The story deals with a lot of tough topics... alcoholism, mental illness, racism, sexism, rape. For the most part, I thought it was handled well, but I found the DUI aspect of the story a bit like a dangling side story. Yes, it added some depth to Morgan’s character, but with the weight of everything else in the flashbacks, it felt a bit superfluous.

My main criticism is I wish the chapters weren’t so short. It was a bit jarring going back and forth so often, switching between the two timelines. I wanted to live in each one for longer and the short chapters pulled me out of it each time the switch was made.

4.5 stars

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

I've discovered Diane Chamberlain a few years ago and i have fallen in love. This book is the prime example of why. I usually dont like the dual timeline but this one was very well done. It has mystery (ish) romance (a tad) and a great story, that was very well written. I loved it.

This book was amazing! Told thru two perspectives/timelines it is a must read! I've never read this author before but def will now. While reading this story I had such a sense of dread of what was going to happen to Anna who had so many obstacles to go thru, and Morgan had obstacles too just different ones. I almost stopped reading because I knew something horrible was going to happen to Anna and I don't want to give too much away but I'm so glad I continued reading because the way everything was wrapped up/ended was absolutely perfect. I will def be recommending to all my book loving friends. This book had a little bit of everything, history, mystery, suspense, love, triumph, forgiveness, hope, I could go on!!

Wow.... Just WOW!!! An amazing book that grabs you from the beginning! This book clearly defines the 1940s in the south: racial tension, gender inequality, but also how the spirit of humanity, friendship, and loyalty can persevere through all trials and tribulations. Anna and Morgan are both incredibly strong characters that refuse to give up when the odds are stacked against them. I will absolutely be recommending this book to my book club!!

Diane Chamberlain takes it back to 1940 in North Carolina. An artist wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office. Of course she accepts. What she didn't expect was to work in a town full of prejudices, secrets, lies and even murder.

Fast forward to modern-day time. Morgan Christopher is not where she wants to be in her career. By taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, Morgan serves a 3-year-stint in a women's correctional facility. Until a generous, mysterious person arranges her early release in exchange for an art deal. She must restore an old post office mural. What she discovers in the decrepit mural changes her life.

The thing about Big Lies in a Small Town, and most of Diane Chamberlain novels, are they are so compelling while reading. I get totally engrossed into the deep story and its many layers. But a week or so after having read the last page, the story leaves my memory. It does not stick. In fact, I had to skim through notes just to write this review since it's been over a month since finishing. Does that make a good read, at least in the moment? Yes.

Happy Early Pub Day, Diane Chamberlain! Big Lies in a Small Town will be released on January 14, 2020.

LiteraryMarie

I really enjoyed this book. It was so easy to get into the characters.. Morgan & Anna were the 2 main characters in this book & were described so well. You really wanted both of them to succeed. I would recommend this book to friends. I was delighted to be picked to read the ARC & give an honest review.

When I was approached to review Big Lies in a Small Town, I was a little hesitant to read it. I knew from reading the blurb that this was going to be a dual plotline book, which I am not a fan of. I also knew, from reading the book, that this was going to be an emotional read. I have to be in a certain mood to read a book that I knew was going to make me cry. I ended up accepting the review because I was curious. I wanted to know how the mural and Morgan were tied together.

Big Lies in a Small Town had two fast moving plotlines. I didn’t have an issue with following either plotline. What I liked, and what made the book enjoyable for me to read, was that the flow of the book wasn’t disturbed when going from 1940 and 2018. The author clearly marked those chapters with the names of Morgan or Anna at the beginning.

I had a hard time connecting with Morgan. Her attitude at the beginning wasn’t the best. But as the author got into her backstory, I understood why she acted that way. By the end of the book, I loved her. She was committed 100% to finding out what happened to Anna and to refinishing the mural. I liked that she was able to keep her head on straight during certain situations (the bar fight was one) and that she was able to admit that she had major issues. Her character grew so much during this book and it was wonderful to read.

I didn’t feel the same way about Anna. I liked Anna right from the beginning. She was determined to paint that mural the way she wanted it, not the way the influential men wanted it. I loved that she didn’t care if her friendship with Jesse was causing issues with the “good folk” in town. I also loved that she didn’t back down when Marvin Drapple’s wife and her friends were douchenozzles.

I do want to throw in a trigger warning. There is a somewhat graphic rape scene that ends with the death of the rapist. To be honest, it took me by surprise. I was not expecting it. I wasn’t expecting the aftermath either. What I was expecting was the blatant racism shown when it was in the 1940’s. It was the South. There were derogatory names used. There was the threat of violence (lynching was discussed). So, a warning.

There are a couple of twists in the plotline that took me by surprise. The first one involved Morgan and her release from jail. The other, well, it happened at the end of the book. I should have seen it coming but I didn’t. So, I was taken by surprise.

There was a romance angle to the book. I’m not sure if I like it or not. The only reason being what was happening in the other plotline. Both started about that time.

I learned more about art restoration than I ever wanted to know. I will admit, it was fascinating to read about how to do it. I never thought that much work went into restoring old paintings. But then again, until this book, I never had to think about that.

The end of Big Lies in a Small Town was bittersweet. The 2nd plot twist happened towards the very end of the book. Like I said above, I was taken by surprise. I shouldn’t have been. The very end of the book was a bit frustrating. Only because it ended and I wanted to see that meeting!!

The novel hits upon racism, sexism, and mental illness among other issues. However, these issues weren't the primary focus. Instead, the storyline focuses on two artists, one named Anna set in the 1940s and Morgan, a present day artist. Chapters alternate between the two women as they are both working on a mural that has intriguing/mysterious components. I found both story lines captivating and overall, a very well done story that had me riveted to every page.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

my first book by this author and it wont be my last...

we find a young girl in prison, waiting out her sentence and then one day she has the offer of a lifetime and a lifeline...she is to restore a post office mural for a southern town...with the chance to get out of prison morgan takes up the offer

never mind that she has never restored a painting/mural before as a ex art student who hadnt finished her degree, she takes up the challenge, it also helps that she admires anna dale and jesse jameson work...the latter had plans for the mural to be centre staged in the grand opening of his art museum but before it open jesse dies but thats where his plan comes into play for morgan

this story is told in two parts with each having alternate chapters anna and morgan...and it works...i loved how the story unfolded and how we learnt the history behind the mural and anna and how morgan fitted into it...

never saw that ending coming until near the end...like i said before my first book by this author but it wont be my last...gripping novel

Big Lies in a small town is the story of the artist Anna Dale in Edenton, NC in 1940. It is also the story of the artist Morgan Christopher in Edenton, NC in 2018. Each story is a fascinating look at a small southern town including the social mores that prevailed. Each story is a fascinating character study of women who have faced tragedy and hardship and how they overcame it. Each story is a story of love and friendship. Each story could have stood on its own but they are woven together brilliantly to produce a novel that will make you just as curious as Morgan was to find out what happened to Anna and why in the world did she paint such gory things into a mural that was supposed to be hung in the town post office as a representation of the town of Edenton. If you love great southern fiction, if you love a mystery, if you love rich characters, and if you love history and art you will not want to miss this fabulous novel.

This is a fantastic book. Told with dual timelines, one set in 1940 and the other set in 2018. Anna Dale has won the commission to paint a mural in the post office of the small town of Edenton, North Carolina. Being from New Jersey, she isn't used to the deep prejudice of the South and the ways that the town expects a lady to behave. Morgan Christopher has been given a second chance after all but ruining her life from the daughter of an artist that she deeply admires. She is to restore an old post office mural that is to be the focal point of a new gallery. As the two story lines weave and intersect, past and present mingle in surprising ways to reveal secrets from the past brought to light, as well as redemption in the present day.

This story gripped me from the very beginning! I loved how the story went from Anna back in 1940 to Morgan in present time. Anna is an Artist picked to do a mural for the North Carolina post office. She begins her work on it and never finishes. Morgan present time is released from prison on the condition she must restore Anna Dales mural, only she doesn’t know how, but takes it on anyway so she can be released. Morgan finds herself needing to know why Anna didn’t finish and why she just vanished. Everything came together perfectly and I loved the end! Diane Chamberlain is fantastic every book just keeps getting better and better!