⭐⭐⭐⭐

Years ago my mom turned me onto Diane Chamberlain books and loved all I have read!! This story was no exception. Wonderfully written and weaving the two times together was very well done.

Richly detailed and thought provoking, makes you think of several issues.

Highly recommended!!!

This book was so good!! It is full of drama and suspense. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Thank you St. Martin"s Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh the secrets that are hidden . . .for good? Or bad?

This is the story of art major Morgan Christopher in 2018 who is serving time in prison for taking the wrap of her boyfriend, for a crime she didn't do. But for unknown reasons with the help of one of her favorite artists, Jesse Jamison Williams, she is granted parole and can avoid going back to prison, if she can restore a mural - by August 5. But what does this art student know about restoring a mural, and why did Jesse Jamison Williams seek her to do it? And what is her tie to Edenton?

1939 - Anna Dale is awarded the Edenton, NC, post office to create the mural for the '48 State Mural Competition. But Edenton is a long way from her New Jersey home, an a longer way of racial tolerance. But not everyone in Edenton is happy she is there, or that she is the one painting the mural. But is it enough to commit murder?

This was a good read, the first half was kind of slow, but once you hit about 54% the book explodes and I could not put it down. It was a good suspense book, with a little mystery that you may figure out, but it is still good. I will give this book 4 stars, and definitely a book I will recommend to my friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

This was an engrossing, satisfying read. Alternating time periods between present day and 1940, the plot follows young artist Anna Dale as she embarks on a mural painting for a small southern town, and Morgan Christopher as she is offered her freedom in exchange for completing the mural lost so many years before. While the reader knows there is some connection between the two, it is an entertaining ride getting to the reveal.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. The price of being different might just end in murder.

Good story, and the ending conveniently came together (saw it coming a mile away). As with the majority of dual timeline stories, I was more caught up in the older timeline. But, it was an interesting and entertaining story to read. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

3.25☆

Diane Chamberlain's Big Lies in a Small Town is a novel that combines family, heartache, compassion and mystery all rolled into one excellent story. Chamberlain does an excellent job of combining voices from the past and present in such a way that the reader is never lost but only encouraged to read more. The story has a wonderful flow with memorable solid characters. A great read!

This was my first book by Diane Chamberlain and it will not be my last.
I was hooked from the beginning.
This story carries over two timelines 78 years apart. Anna, a young New Jersey artist who won a competition to paint a large mural in a rural southern town, in 1940 and Morgan, a college art major who was sentenced to 3 years in prison for a crime she didn't commit, who was released early on the condition she restore the mural painted by Anna.
With each chapter, one for Anna and one for Morgan, you start to build the history and the connection between the two times. It kept me guessing what happened back in 1940 and what the next clues Morgan would find when restoring the mural in the next chapter.
This book touches on racism, sexism, forgiveness of others and oneself. I became so engrossed in reading this wonderful book that I read it in one sitting and stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to finish. I wanted to know everything about these characters and I was not disappointed in the discovery.
I received an advance reader copy for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told from two different perspectives: Anna Dale in 1940 and Morgan Christopher in 2018. It begins with Morgan, who is in prison, serving time for a crime she did not commit, but to which she confessed to shield her boyfriend. Two women show up one day and offer her parole in exchange for restoring a mural painted by Anna Dale in 1940. Morgan has no experience with restoration, but she has studied art, and she will do most anything to get out of prison, so she accepts the offer.

She arrives in Edenton, North Carolina and immediately realizes the job is one she is totally unqualified to attempt. But a famous painter, one for whom she has great admiration, has died and left instructions that she is to restore the mural. So she begins.

Alternate chapters tell the story of Anna Dale, the artist who originally painted the mural as part of a federal program to provide art for small towns. However, both Anna and the mural disappeared before it was completed and their locations have been a mystery all these years.

I was not sire what the "big lies" are, but the town of Edenton is certainly a "small town", with memories and history that has been forgotten over the years. Morgan is able to uncover some of the history surrounding the mural, and restore some of the memories as well.

Diane Chamberlain had me at The Midwife’s Confession. While I haven’t caught up with all her books I am working at it. She takes snippets of history and weaves some wonderful stories. I’ll confess that after reading a couple flips of my kindle screen I actually sighed, it felt like being back with old friends ready for an adventure that I would love.

Big Lies in a Small Town is a hefty title, the theme is obvious and it delivered on all levels. I started Tuesday and finished Friday which lately for me is good, especially coming in at 400 pages. It’s a slow burn as the 2 storylines play out. The character development was spot on, not only for the main players but for others as well. I saw what made them tick and why.

The plot was intricate and unique as it revolves around a time and place where prejudices ran amuck. The research is evident and the author's writing style is why she is a favorite of mine.

Big Lies in a Small Town is a richly detailed story of secrets and lies, mental health, injustice, racism, abuse and more. It’s about connecting two time periods with a conclusion that I loved (while unexpected).

This book will hit bookshelves January 14th, 2020 - perfect to beat away the winter blues.

My sincere thanks to Naureen at St. Martin’s press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to St. Martins Press, and to Diane Chamberlain for this opportunity.

As always, Diane Chamberlain's writing and research are flawless. She beautifully portrays two different time periods in the same town. We take a journey with Morgan as she digs into the past of the mural that she is being paid to restore. It has a history that is so much more rich than she ever imagined.

I enjoyed this book as I do all of Diane Chamberlain's writings. This one dragged a bit for me when it got into the process of restoration, but I think that was just me personally. I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending. Although, if a second book is in the plan, then this would easily be rectified. Overall, a great read.

A story of redemption.

In 2018 Morgan Christopher is released on parole. A lawyer has gotten her out at the earliest possible date because she is in the will of a famous artist - Jesse Williams. The will stipulates that Morgan is to restore a huge mural by August 5th. One tiny problem - Morgan has no experience in art restoration. The mural is 12 FEET x 6 feet, and the deadline is 2 months away.

In 1940 Anna Dale wins a national contest to create a mural for a US Post Office. Small problem - she won for Edenton, NC instead of her hometown of Plainfield, NJ. Anna travels to Edenton and ends up staying. She befriends Jesse, an African-American teenager with amazing artistic talent. Anna undergoes some trials and tribulations while living in small town Edenton, and eventually disappears, the mural never hung.

Both storylines are equally compelling and come to a satisfying conclusion at the end of the book. Both storylines end with forgiveness and redemption. You can't face your future if you can't let go of your past. I've never read one of Chamberlain's books, but this definitely won't be the only one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Quite honestly, I'm 49% of the way through and this book STILL doesn't have me fully engaged. I have really enjoyed the other Chamberlain books I have read, so I had high expectations that this would be just as amazing, from start to finish. I stuck with this book longer than I normally do with a book, and one day, I hope to finish it. But frankly, the subject matter isn't that engaging to me. While I do appreciate the characters being well-developed, the plot is a fairly slow, dragging read.

Diane Chamberlain is one my all time favorite authors and I was so excited to receive an ARC of Big Lies in a Small Time from NetGalley. I devoured this story! Morgan is summoned from prison where she’s serving time for a crime that continues to haunt her by the daughter of a famous artist. Her job is to restore a mural started decades ago by an unknown artist (Anna) who has all but disappeared. Both Anna and Morgan’s stories are so beautifully told and I couldn’t wait to find out what brings them together. Such a great book- 5 stars!

“Big Lies in a Small Town” left me wanting more because it was such a well written, intriguing book, I just didn’t want it to end. It took me a bit to get used to the swapping between two different stories in two different time periods, the 1940s and 2018, but once I was hooked I couldn’t stop reading it.

A well written, researched art mystery. Alone in the world a young northern woman accepts a job in the prejudice south.

I’ve never read a book from the author but wow this was amazing. Very emotional and heart wrenching. I would recommend this one for readers interest in historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Let me start by saying I just love Diane Chamberlain and her books. I found her by accident many years back and have looked forward to her new books everytime one comes out.. If you aren't aware she is a Clinical Social Worker by profession, as am I, so I am sure that even more draws me to her. In her new nove Big Lies in a Small Town I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the going back in forth in time between Morgan and Anna and seeing how things have changed over time. I did figure out the ending in advance but it was still sweet to get to that part and see how everything came together. I would definitely recommend another great read by this fabulous author.

Diane Chamberlin has done it again!! Big Lies in a Small Town is two stories in one where two women's lives decades apart are intertwined and the present day character unravels some deep dark secrets. Both 'main' characters were well developed and perserved under difficult circumstances. Their stories were woven together seamlessly to create an intense, powerful saga that grabbed and held the reader even beyond the last page. A must read!

This book was not at all what I expected and I am so glad that I picked it up! This story is told from two different viewpoints and in two different time periods. The modern day story not only focuses on Morgan but also on her discovering the mystery of Anna and her life. While the story set in the 1930's is Anna's story. This story immediately pulled me and I couldn't wait to discover Anna's secret. Overall an enjoyable work of historical fiction but with the added bonus of a mystery. I only wish there had been a few more pages at the end to see how things worked out with Morgan but I guess the author left what happened up to the reader's imagination.

I was excited when I was lucky enough to get this book, I am a big fan of this author and enjoyed all her books but sadly this just wasn't for me. I couldn't get into the story line or the characters and did a lot of skim reading just to get to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book.