Loved this book from start to finish. I felt like I was on a journey of discovery with Morgan as she restored an old mural painting.

This was a great story that was I wasn’t expecting. A little slow to start for me, but it picked up and I was turning every page!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The setting of this story overlaps from 1940 to 2018 shifting 70 plus years, going back and forth between past and present. It’s all happening in a small town in Edenton, NC. It ties together two women with broken lives while uncovering a mysterious secret about the town. For me I was observing everything from a distance, unable to stop the destruction as it unfolded. It was a great story that held me captive. I loved it.

What I loved:
• The Writing.
• The Mystery.
• That I couldn’t put it down.

This is my eighth book by Diane Chamberlain and she one of my favorite authors. ♥️ I own all of them, so I was thrilled to get a ARC of this one. Before I start I want to say that if you’ve never read her books you need to read, “Necessary Lies” and “The Dream Daughter”. They’re awesome, just saying!

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

I couldn’t get enough of this book. I’m a huge Diane Chamberlain fan, after recently discovering her through a book club. I have been devouring her books since then and am never disappointed. The characters in Big Lies in a Small Town are well developed and the story drew me in from page one. I finished within two days, reading well into the night, unable to put the book down. If you are a fan, or maybe just discovering this author, pick this one up. You won’t regret it.

Diane Chamberlain is a master storyteller - I haven't read a book of hers that I've not enjoyed, and this was no exception!
It tells the intertwining stories of two young women who lived decades apart in Edenton, North Carolina. Morgan Christopher is serving time in prison when she receives a mysterious offer that she will be released immediately on the condition that she restores the mural created for Edenton post office in 1940. Despite having no experience in mural restoration, Morgan accepts. As she begins to discover more about the mural, she also becomes intrigued by the story of Anna Dale, the original artist, who seemed to disappear without trace. What happened to her, and what secrets is the small town of Edenton hiding?
This is a wonderful book, full of mystery and suspense, with relatable and realistic characters. A pleasure to read!

Morgan Cristopher's life is about to change for the better. An offer to restore a mural will mean an early release from prison. She was an art school student when her boyfriend's betrayal and a tragic accident changed the direction of her life. She has no experience restoring art, but a chance for freedom means she will do whatever it takes to learn.
Anna Dale painted the mural many years ago. Why it was never hung at the Edenton post office and how it wound up in Jesse Jameson's possession are only two of the mysteries that will consume Morgan and make her desperate to discover what happened to Anna. As Morgan removes layers of dirt and grime, the picture that unfolds is deeply disturbing, seeming to suggest that Anna was mentally ill. But what happened to Anna will unfold throughout Big Lies in a Small Town, and the truth will break your heart.
Anna and Morgan's stories are told in alternating chapters and without giving any plot points away, I can say that both of them are strong women who deal with some truly horrific circumstances. The story was beautifully written and made me feel like I came to know these two women. I just couldn't help getting immersed in their stories and cringed to learn what they had both endured. Not a fast-paced read, but a slow burn of a story that was hard to put down. 4.5 stars.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

Big Lies in a Small Town
A Novel
by Diane Chamberlain
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. This book started just a bit slow for me, but when the pace picked up and the secrets started to be revealed...Wow! From prison to art restoration. From present to the still bigoted south, we wander through the landscape of a woman trying to come to grips with her past in the now and a woman chosen to paint a mural in Edenton, NC in the 1940's. Told from each woman't perspective we learn what it takes to survive and how to finally move on with our lives. We learn that mistakes happen and there are consequences and also how to try and make amends. I really loved this book!

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed a few of Diane Chamberlain’s previous works, so I was excited to dive into this one. I enjoyed the parallel story lines between mural artist Anna Dale in the 1940’s and present day artist Morgan Christopher. Although I figured out a few of the twists well before they were revealed, I still enjoyed this novel overall. There were a few things that I felt the book didn’t need, namely the contrived, unbelievable romance between Morgan and Oliver, and the rapid reveal at the end, which I will not spoil for potential readers. It took me longer to get through this book than it should have, but it wasn’t bad. Fans of Chamberlain will enjoy this book.

A Great Depression mural competition acts as the backdrop to this fascinating story which blends the past with the present as two women toil over the creation and the eventual restoration of a mural destined to grace the walls of a small post office in rural Edenton, North Carolina. A story which opens with such hope and promise for Anna Dale, a young artist from New Jersey ends with a questionable choice to restore the mural, an art student serving time in prison for a DUI. As decades of grime are removed, startling images reveal themselves leaving the present day Morgan to question the sanity of the artist along with a need to uncover the truth behind this long neglected work of art.

Two stories in one with the historical aspects and the life and times of Anna Dale in 1940 Edenton, NC the stronger of the two. Anna wins the mural competition with her sketches of her New Jersey town and is consigned to paint a mural depicting a town in North Carolina. From the start she faces challenges. Where she’s from, what she wears and who she associates with all make her an outsider not to be trusted with such an important job. Even worse, she’s “taken” the job from a local artist, a man with a wife and family to support. It’s an uphill battle but Anna is up for the challenge. Pressure builds and as Anna’s life begins to unravel the flashbacks to the present become more frequent. Mysteries found on the canvas begin playing out in the past. This is an effective way to build tension and force the reader to flip pages wanting desperately to return to 1940 searching for answers.

I loved the last book I read by Diane Chamberlain, The Dream Daughter and am now a true fan of her writing skills and talent. I love how her stories flow and how she weaves themes into her work making the reader question their own responses and choices had they been in her protagonist’s shoes. Some of the mysteries in Big Lies are telegraphed but that doesn’t detract from this excellent story based loosely on an actual event. Artists were hired to paint murals for public buildings throughout the US as a way to improve moral for a nation battling a Great Depression. Reading a great book like this always improves my mood.

Excellent Read

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

Diane Chamberlain was on my “authors I’d like to read” for a while now because Nicole from GirlyGirlBookWorm really likes her, and us two have the similar taste in books.

This was my first read by this writer, but it surely won’t be the last, because I really liked Big Lies in a Small Town.

The story follows two time lines: one set in 1940 and the second set in today’s time.
This book made me realize that I actually enjoy reading books with two different time lines, and I will try to add more novels with that kind of concept in my future readings.

We follow two women: Morgan, who is the narrator of the story and her chapters are written in first person.
Then we have Anna who’s story is set in 1940 and is written in third person.
Both stories take place in North Carolina, and of course, are connected.
After I finished my reading I wasn’t sure who’s story I liked better, and then I came to conclusion that Anna’s was more interesting, but with Morgan I connected more.

This book hit the home for me, and not in a good way, because it reminded me of my not-the-happiest childhood. I often caught myself thinking about my own life and my own complicated relationship with my parents, but that is the story for another time…

The writing was very good. It was beautiful and easy to read.

I think it is important to say that this book covers serious topics like alcoholism and racism in a sententious way, and from my perspective, it was not triggering. Still, I can’t speak for others.
However, there is one trigger warning readers should know about: and that’s that this book talks about sexual abuse.

I loved the way the story wrapped up, and the scene at the very end once again hit home for me, but it also warmed my heart.

I really, really enjoyed reading Big Lies in a Small Town and would recommend it to readers who like historical fiction, general fiction and art.

Can it be January so the rest of the world can experience this book?

Big Lies in a Small town follows the dual story lines of Morgan an ex-convict who is tasked with restoring a mural painted and Anna the artist painting that mural. After serving a year for a crime she didn't commit, Morgan is released on parole to restore a mural painted in 1940. All Morgan knows is that the artist "went crazy" before the mural could be installed but nothing else is really known about the mysterious Anna Dale.

This story is both heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. Diane Chamberlain did an amazing job on both story lines and made both characters truly come to life. The growth Morgan shows throughout this book had me cheering and Anna's story broke my heart. I flew through the 400 pages like it was nothing and I still don't have all my feelings processed. Words can not do this book justice, all I can say is go out and get this book January 14 you will not regret it.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an advanced readers copy.

Another winner from Diane Chamberlain! (although not surprising) This novel to me had a darker tone to it than I typically see from her. I enjoyed the departure, and I found myself quickly engrossed in the disappearance of Anna Dale. I love her books that spin in some elements of historical fiction and have a dual timeline, and so it's no surprise that I was not disappointed with her latest!

I loved this book. I generally love all books by this author - they are all good. But this one was really spectacular. She moved effortlessly between 1940 and present day in small town North Carolina - fraught with deep secrets and challenging race relations - and really did well building the mystery and connection between the three main characters: Anna, Jesse and Morgan, as well as this beat up old mural that desperately needed to be restored. It tied together beautifully. She didn't shy away from tragedy and trauma in the storyline and it had it's place in the story. I would read this on my lunch break at work, and each day I had a hard time putting it aside because once it hooked me in, I needed to know what came next...! Once all the pieces come together... just a fantastic read. It's been a little while since I gave anything 5 stars - it was well deserved! I would definitely recommend this to friends. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for honest review.

Scandalously good story! Set in a small town in North Carolina, the story is told in dual timelines. One is set during 1940, the other in 2018. Each timeline follows a young female artist working on projects that could be life-changing for each young woman.

The problem is small towns often have secrets. Add to that the fact that the locals are suspicious of newcomers, expecting them to conform to the mores of the community. Racial tensions also come into play. In the 1940’s, this was a big deal.

Anna Dale, the young artist in the 1940 timeline, arrives in Edenton after winning an art contest. She is expected to paint a mural for the town’s post office. Being from New Jersey, she experiences a bit of culture shock in the small town. Something happens during her time there and she never completes the mural.

Fast forward to 2018 and readers meet Morgan Christopher, a young woman doing jail time for a DUI accident. In a strange twist of events, Morgan is released early with the agreement to restore the mural that was begun in 1940.

Questions abound throughout the story. Why didn’t Anna complete the mural? What happened to her? Why was Morgan chosen to restore the mural? Will she finish it by the deadline required?

I loved finding out all the answers along the way. This was a wonderful story that I found hard to tear myself away from—especially the last portion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Edge of the seat thriller that will keep you glued. Written then and now, Anna and Morgan keeps the pace fast flowing.

What an amazing book! I loved every page, every word. This is the first Diane Chamberlain book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. This book takes a moment in history and turns it into a wonderful, warm, story of a young woman, Anna Dale, who wins a mural contest during the Great Depression. We get to tag along as she leaves home, following her mother’s death and after receiving notification that she’d won the contest. Her hope had been to install a mural at a post office near her New Jersey home, but the Section of Fine Arts, a part of the United States Treasury Department, has determined that her yet to be designed mural will go into the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. It’s a long way from home, and her reception there isn’t always friendly. She gets busy designing her mural and undertaking all the required preliminary steps. She does this with the help of three high school student volunteers. Time will create an unbreakable bond between Anna Dale and one of those students.

Edenton is a small Southern town in the 1940s, and it’s all you might think a town like it might be. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. Men rule the roost. No one is overly pleased that the local artist wasn’t awarded the mural commission, even less so that a Northern woman, one barely out of high school, was.

Something happens, and the mural is never completed or installed. Skip ahead to 2018, where another young woman is paying the price for drunken driving and for causing serious injury to another young woman.. She’s given the chance for early release from prison if she’ll agree to restore a painting. Despite the fact that she was an art student prior to her incarceration, she knows nothing about art restoration. She agrees to take the job only because it gets her out of the terrifying life she’s been living for the past year. She’s on the spot to figure out how to do the work. Lucky for her, she finds help from unlikely sources. Along the way, she learns some things about herself, and about the painting she’s working on and it’s history.

This book is remarkably well written and plotted. There’s not a word that doesn’t belong, and all the story lines are intricately connected. There’s enough history of the mural competition included so you don’t need to rush off to research it. (I’m lucky enough to live in an area with several of these murals. If you haven’t seen any, it’s worth making a trip to do so.) I can’t praise this book enough. I strongly recommend that as soon as this book is published, you rush out and grab a copy. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book! It had me hooked me from the very first scene. I really love this author's books!

This is the 2nd novel I’ve read by Diane Chamberlain. It expertly weaves past and present as we learn of a post-Depression era government-sponsored mural contest, the artist, Anna, selected to paint the mural, and Morgan a present day artist-wannabe who was imprisoned not only by her difficult childhood, but also for a crime she didn’t commit. Told in alternating voice, we are taken on a journey where we follow Anna as she settles into Edenton, NC and tries to find meaning & direction in the mural she must create. Racial tensions, violence, and a patriarchal society are challenges Anna must grapple with. Ultimately Anna’s own secrets serve to imprison her. Where will each woman’s path lead & will they intersect or remain parallel experiences of young artists? Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Slow start but when it picked up it turned into a really good story - although slightly predictable - it was a good read - this author has yet to disappoint

This was my first Diane Chamberlain novel and certainly won’t be my last!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Morgan Christopher is in prison for paralyzing a woman during a car accident that occurred while she was under the influence. At 22 years old, she didn’t graduate art school and with her second DUI under her belt, her future looks grim. But when Lisa Williams approaches her with an odd proposal and a “get out of jail free” card, Morgan commits to restoring an enormous, historic mural (a task far outside her ability and eduction) with a seemingly impossible deadline. Has Morgan bitten off more than she can chew? Will her failure ultimately send her back to prison?

Concurrently, we learn the story of Anna Dale, the original artist of the mural. Set in 1940, we learn of her challenges in creating the mural in a small southern town where her northern ways aren't quite accepted. What happened to Anna and what is the connection to Morgan, who nearly 80 years later has been tasked with restoring the odd and disturbing mural? Can the women somehow “save” each other, even generations apart?

The writing, the story, the characters, the mystery - I loved it all. I have such a vision of this mural in my mind but I would love to see a rendering of it how the author intended! This was a fast and entertaining read with excellent twists though not completely unpredictable. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.