I always love when a new Diane Chamberlain book comes out. This book tells a story about 2 different women - Anna in 1939 and Morgan in 2018. Anna painted a mural in 1939 and never finished it. Morgan was wrongly accused and sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit. A lawyer got her out early as she was chosen to restore this mural from 1939. Morgan had no idea how to restore a mural but she wanted out of prison so would “give it a go”. Both stories tie together very nicely with a big red bow tied around it towards the end and I loved it!! Well done Diane Chamberlain!!

Big Lies in a Small Town had is all-drama, suspense, romance, mystery. I absolutely loved this book by Diane Chamberlain. This tender story takes twists and turns as it develops. It will keep you up at night until you finish it. I enjoyed the characters, the plot and especially the ending. This book has something for everyone, you will not be disappointed!

Another winner from Diane Chamberlain! This compelling story is built around two timelines. In 1940, young inexperienced artist Anna Dale wins a competition to paint a mural for a post office in a rural North Carolina town. She relocates to the town while working on the mural and quickly begins to see deep prejudice and finds herself an unaccepted outsider. Then an event happens that threatens not only Anna, but others whom she has grown to care about.

In the other timeline, Morgan Christopher finds herself in prison for a DUI which led to the serious injury of another. She was an art student before the accident and is offered parole in exchange for restoring an old damaged mural that was to be hung in a North Carolina town. She knows nothing about art restoration but, desperate to get out of prison, accepts. But as she works on the mural she finds that it contains mysteries that she is compelled to understand.

This well written novel will keep you engrossed until the last page. Do your self a favor and read it!

Thanks you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the best book I’ve read for awhile! Such good writing and an excellent premise! I loved learning about the characters.. I wanted to read undisturbed but then I didn’t want the book to end! Thank you for sharing this story.

I like period pieces. I like current fiction and I like a good mystery. Big Lies in a Small Town hits the trifecta for me.
Modern Day Morgan Christopher is offered a chance at an early prison release with the caveat she restore an old mural by a certain date. While Morgan is a lapsed artist, she knows nothing about restoration but jumps at the chance of getting out of prison.
Anna Dale is a young, Yankee post-depression era artist who has won a contest to produce a mural for a local Post Office situated in the south. Excited to have won, yet sad at the recent death of her mother, she heads to the small town of Edenton. What greets her are the locals full of suspicion of an outsider, and a disgruntled artist that failed to win the mural contest in his own town, his angry wife, and a set of rules and prejudices with which she is unfamiliar. With the help of three local teens, she sets about creating the mural in a creepy warehouse with the whole town weighing in on her having a local negro boy helping her along with two other teens. And gracious, she wears pants!
Through the painstaking restoration process, As Morgan uncovers a decade's old mystery, Big Lies in a Small Town takes the reader on a journey into the past that has the possibility to free one woman's heart and soul in the future.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about the two time/jumping back and forth, but it wasn't a distraction as I feared. I love Diane Chamberlain books, I have read most of them so I was excited to read this one. This book was a fantastic read, including a little historical fiction, strong women who were likable, vivid storytelling, even if at times, it was a bit cliche, but still worth the investment. I was surprised to see other reviewers surprised by the ending, I figured it out a little early, but it didn't take away from the overall enjoyment. DC is a fabulous writer, her books never disappoint!

Told in alternating chapters, Chamberlain gives us the story of two different artists in the south who struggle to come to terms with life. Anna Dale is a young artist who wins a government sponsored competition to paint a mural in a rural post office in the depression-era south. She also happens to be a young, single white woman who just lost her mother. While dealing with the grief, she also has to figure out how to navigate a southern man's world alone. Added on top of that is the resentment of locals because a local artist also entered the competition, but didn't win. Anna has strong ideas and a lot of talent, will that be enough?

Morgan Christopher is in prison for a crime she didn't commit, though she did allow it to happen. When the daughter of famous artist Jesse Jameson offers her a way out of prison if she accepts a job restoring the mural Anna Dale painted, Morgan jumps at the chance. She doesn't care that she has no skills or experience in restoration, she just knows she cannot spend 2 more years in prison. As she uncovers the mural, she finds more than dust and grime. She finds secrets and mysteries and madness that she can't comprehend. As Morgan delves deeper into her life, will she be consumed by madness that seems to have struck Anna Dale? Did madness strike Anna or was something more sinister going on in Edenton, North Carolina almost 70 years ago?

I love twists and turns. I love strong female protagonists. I love characters who grow and change in realistic ways. This book had all of that! The characters were compelling and the events realistic. I didn't see the end coming and that always makes me happy. If you enjoy good writing and strong characters, with some mystery thrown in for fun, give this one a try!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this! The book is part historical fiction and part present day. It tells the story of Morgan who has been given a second chance as she’s tasked with restoring a painting. It also tells the story of a painter named Anna in the 30s. Parts of the story require you to suspend belief but overall a lovely read.

Former art student, Morgan Christopher, made some bad choices in her life and now she is stuck in jail for a crime she didn't commit. When Lisa, daughter of a famous artist, and her lawyer show up at the prison to tell Morgan they have her get out of jail free card if only she will restore a mural painted by mysterious artist, Anna Dale, in 1940. She jumps a the chance to be free. Once she does get a taste of freedom, she realizes just how challenging the restoration process will be and how little she knows about it. In addition to battling her past demons and restoring the mural in a ridiculous time frame, she also finds that Anna Dale has left disturbing hidden images in the mural. It is very possible that Anna Dale not only went crazy but disappeared without a trace.

I really liked this book and how the story unfolded. In all honestly, it started a bit slow for me, The book is told in alternating timelines between Morgan and Anna and very small snippets were revealed at a time. I found myself anxious for more excitement early on. At the 60% point, everything sort of happened and I suddenly could not stop reading. I had to know what happened. Another great book by Diane Chamberlain!

Diane Chamberlain is one of my top favorite authors so I expected this one to be wonderful. I was not disappointed!
This book is told from the point of view of two artists, one in 1940 and the other in 2018. They are connected by a large mural that was painted for a post office in a small town in North Carolina. There are several mysteries revealed all through this book of their connections, part of them discovered in a diary.
This one kept me glued to the story and wondering what would be uncovered next. It portrays love, friendships, family dysfunction and racial issues. I highly recommend this book, you are in for a real treat.
#NetGalley

I loved this book! It was really hard to put down. I greatly enjoyed the back and forth between 1940 and present day. Just when I settled in to read, I was hit with surprising twists that had me gasping for breath. I can’t wait for her next book.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to give an honest review to this book in exchange for an ARC copy.

Outstanding read. Thoroughly enjoyable...terrific story, well-developed characters, surprising twists and well written. Didn't want it to end. Highly recommended.

My first book by this author. I’m usually not big on historical dictions but this is done so right. It rugs at all of the heart strings.

Big Lies in a Small Town grabs ahold of you from the title, to the first page to the last page.

You get quickly caught up in the story of Anna Dale in the the 1940's who was commisioned to produce a mural for the post office in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina.

In 2018 Morgan Christopher is, under unusual circumstances, given the job in the same town to restore the mural.

You are caught up in the two stories. what happened to Anna Dale and can Morgan delve into the story and secrets behind the mural that have been buried for so many years.

Life in a small town back in the 40's and now in the present is so well done.

I so did not want this book to end and I will be buying my hard copy on publication date.

Put this on the top of your TBR pile !!

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Marin's Press for letting me get lost in Anna and Morgan's world.

3.5 STARS

A slow burn of a mystery set in North Carolina.

Two women- Morgan and Anna

Two timelines-2018 and 1940

The plot switches between timelines (then/now) and follows the two women as they are connected by a painting/mural project that they are both working on in different capacities.

The first half of the book was slow going and a bit bogged down in the painting project details (in my opinion). There are plenty of clues that may lead you to solve the big reveal and predict the end as I did.

The last third really picks up the pace and things start happening. The character development is very well done and the conclusion connects all the dots!

Diane Chamberlin knocks it out of the park again! I absolutely loved this novel. A beautiful tale of friendship and kindness in an era where that was very difficult with racial bias. Two amazing people saved each other in so many ways and continued to save others over decades. A beautiful story of love, friendship, and saving people along the way.

I haven't read a Diane Chamberlain book that I haven't liked, this book is no exception to that. Big Lies in a Small Town was beautifully written and easy to immerse myself into. Although the book started a little slow, it built up to a fantastic ending. I enjoyed the way the story was told, going back and forth between Anna in 1940 and Morgan in 2018. The historical side of the story was intriguing and seemed to be well researched. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's press for and ARC of this novel.

Anna Dale wins a contest in the 1940’s to paint a mural that will hang in the post office of a small North Carolina town. Anna is from New Jersey, and she hasn’t experienced Southern life before. She encounters a lot of racism when a young black boy helps her with the project. The town folk start gossiping and some bad things happen. Fast forward years later and the mural is being restored by a young artist named Morgan Christopher. She has some sort of connection to the past, but we don’t know what until the end. An enjoyable read by Chamberlain. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

What are great book! So well written and a very engaging story. I really enjoyed the historical aspect, location and the characters were so well developed, it was just the right amount of info. for each. This was a great novel and I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin press for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

I have never read a Diane Chamberlain book that I did not enjoy and this book is no exception. From the moment you meet Morgan Christopher, all the way to the conclusion, you will be thoroughly engrossed in this story.

Why is Morgan offered a chance at parole if she is willing to do a restoration of a mural, for an artist she has never met? The mural was undertaken in the 1940s by artist, Anna Dale, who won a national contest to paint a mural for Edenton, South Carolina’s post office. The mural was never completed
and is in poor condition in 2018 when Morgan is commissioned to restore it. The story weaves back and forth between the two artists’ lives, in two very different time periods. The characters are likable and believable. Both artists have experienced traumas in their lives which have an effect on their art.

I like that the book reaches a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading the next story Ms. Chamberlain chooses to write.