This is the first book I have read by Diane Chamberlain. I will now be checking out her other books.
This is a story of two women living in different times, 1940 to 2018 in the same small town. Facing challenges and issues and as you discover have more in common than you think.
This is a Wonderful book and I really enjoyed being able to read it.
Poverty, secrets, racism, mental illness make this a heartfelt and intriguing story.

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

Really great read! Morgan finds herself plucked out of jail under the condition she restore an old mural at the bequest of her father's will. No one understands why this request is made, why Morgan was chosen, or what the significance is. Morgan begins the task while fighting demons of her past and begins to see that the artist of the mural, Anna, also was riding secrets of her own. A great story develops as we find out more about both Anna and Morgan that ends in a beautiful way. This is a must read!

Diane Chamberlain’s newest novel, Big Lies in a Small Town, is told in alternating connecting stories, past and present. Although I am getting a little tired of this 2-story formula, I did enjoy the book, especially the 1940’s parts in which Anna wins a contest and is chosen to paint a mural for a post office in a small (and small-minded) southern town. I liked reading about the town and also discovering the connections between the two stories.

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. I absolutely adore Diane Chamberlain's writing but I believe this book is her best yet. I loved how the story was told in alternating view points. I was guessing right up to the very end and didn't figure it out. Such an amazing story...it had me in tears at the end. Thank you so much for the advanced copy. I will recommend to all!

Diane Chamberlain knocked it out of the park, once again! I love the original storylines she comes up with while simultaneously weaving bits of history into the story.

Despite a slow start, I really liked this book. It is set in A small town in North Carolina in the current day and the 1930’s. The alternating time periods and dual perspectives really worked and kept it interesting. I think it could benefit from a better title, but otherwise I really enjoyed it. For fans of Fall of Marigolds (but completely different settings).

Thank you to the publisher for the free, advance copy thru Netgalley.

Diane Chamberlain's Big Lies in a Small Town swept me into the story right from the first page. Big Lies takes place in Edenton, NC, a coastal town and covers two time periods of 1940 and 2018. The topic is surrounding an art mural and Anna Dale, who painted the original in 1940. Then Morgan Christopher, who restores the mural in 2018. Central character to both times is Artist Jesse Jameson Williams and how his name ties the characters in the book together. Jesse is a story unto himself and the central spark for the telling. I am still amazed by the constructions of all the elements of the story and the buildup to the conclusion at the very end. I really did find this to be a breathtaking read and I hope for a follow-up with the 2018 character's stories continuing. I could say so much more but I don't like spoilers in reviews. Thank you Netgalley for the offer to read the book and to Diane Chamberlain.

I love all books by Diane Chamberlain. In fact, I’d read the phone book written by her. I received an ARC of Big Lies in a Small Town and I was overjoyed. I started reading, synopsis unread, knowing I was bound to love the story. I have mixed feelings about this book, but give it a solid 4 stars.. The beginning of the book feels drawn out. While the character development is excellent, the back end of the book makes the story. Learning about the artist that the story is centred around is chilling to say the least. And the ending, wow, wow, wow. Totally unexpected and it wraps up the story perfectly. Overall, a great read.

Got pulled right into this little mystery. Some parts were a little slow but I really wanted to know the story behind the mural so I pressed on. I like how the ending all came together.

This book takes place both in 2018 and 1940 in North Carolina. In 2018, artist Morgan takes the fall for a crime she didn't commit and has just finished doing time for 3 years. Then she meets someone who asks her to restore an old post office mural. In 1940, Anna Dale is an artist from New Jersey who wins a national contest to paint a post office mural in North Carolina. Back in 2018, Morgan is desperate to find out what happened to Anna Dale, and is willing to risk everything to find out.

Thank you, Diane Chamberlain, for this incredibly compelling story of Morgan, a young artist commissioned to restore a mural in order to get out of prison early, and Anna, another young artist painting a mural for the local post office. This book is delightful in it's back and forth format between it's two main characters. Salvation and making peace with the past are the themes in the story and readers are spellbound with each very readable chapter.

I loved reading every page of this book and highly recommend it!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Chamberlain once again writes a winner!
Morgan is in jail because she took the rap for her boyfriend on a drunk driving accident.
And then a mysterious visitor offers her freedom is she will restore a painting.
What she discovers is a story of life in the 1940's - An artist who has won a contest to paint a mural in a town where racial issues are rampant and there are secrets.
But what a story she uncovers - told with depth and so much feeling you will devour this book!

Morgan is in jail for a crime she didn’t actually commit. She is slowly staring down her sentence, when two unexpected visitors show up. One being the daughter of Morgan’s favorite artist who recently passed away. In his will, Lisa must finish and open the gallery he envisioned, and Morgan must be the one to restore a large mural. They can get Morgan out if jail she agrees to take on the work. With no background in restoration, Morgan jumps at the opportunity. In the same little town in 1940, Anna Dale had won a competition to paint the mural for the post office. During her time of painting something must have happened to distress her, because while Morgan is restoring this work, some weird images are revealed in the mural.

This book was a slow burn. That being said, I really enjoyed it. The characters drew me in and all had something that made me feel for them, but also at times dislike them for one reason or another. I loved the dual timeframes and that I spent much of the book wondering what had happened to Anna and why she painted the mural the way she did. Diane Chamberlain has done it again with this one!

Morgan Christopher is an artist who's in prison in 2018, and Anna Dale is an artist who wins a contest in 1940. Anna's prize is the privilege of painting a mural for a Post Office in Edenton, NC. Morgan's prize is early parole in order to restore the mural, which has had a lot of damage. They're separated by almost 80 years of time.

Morgan starts the job as "just a job", but eventually becomes obsessed with some anomalies in the mural and decides to find out as much as she can about Anna. She also wants to know why she was the one chosen to restore Anna's painting.

Anna is a young woman very much out of her depth in dealing with all the emotions of the residents of Edenton but perseveres in her work. When things spiral out of control, Anna is unable to cope and turns to people on the fringes for help.

Morgan works alongside Oliver, who becomes the friend she needs and begins to have feelings for. Together, they painstakingly pull Anna's work out of the dirt it's been hiding behind for decades.

Honestly, Big Lies in a Small Town started slowly for me, but I knew Diane Chamberlain wouldn't let me down and this story definitely lived up to my expectations. I stayed up way too late finishing this book, but it was so worth it!

This is only the second novel that I have read by Ms. Chamberlain. This book is quite different from “The Dream Daughter” which involved time travel and a woman’s decision about the fate of her unborn child. What this book shares with the previous book that I read is a dual timeline once again and strong character development. I would classify this more as a mystery with a very unique story. I found the flow to be wonderful and it was easy to move from one timeline to another, I really enjoyed it.

We first meet Morgan Christopher as she is serving a sentence for a crime that she didn’t actually commit, in Raleigh, North Carolina, but I will leave you to discover the details of that crime, it is 2018.

What happens next sets us up for the entire story. Two women, one the daughter of a famous painter, Jesse Jameson, named Lisa, and her attorney, Andrea Fuller, come to visit Morgan, they have a proposition for Morgan. They want her to restore a mural that had been painted for a post office and has been hidden in Jesse’s home and now is a pivotal issue in the details of his will as he has recently passed away. There are strict guidelines and dates for when the mural must be restored and placed in a new gallery and he wanted Morgan Christopher to do the restoration. We don’t know how or why he insisted that Morgan do the work at this point. Even though she has never done any work of this type she was an art student for 3 years and of course wants to be released from prison. We will follow Morgan as she lives with Lisa and proceeds to restore the mural which is badly damaged and so grimy they can hardly make out the scene it depicts.

Diane Chamberlain has always been one of my favorite authors. I have read every one of her books and have loved them all. Big Lies in a Small Town did not disappoint.

The book starts with Morgan who is in prison for a crime she didn't commit. She is given an opportunity to get out of prison early if she agrees to restore a painting left by one of her favorite artists. I don't want to say too much about the plot, but there are several twists and turns in the book that are jaw-dropping. It's one of those books you absolutely can't put down!

Diane Chamberlain is a master at developing characters that make you feel like you know them and want to be a part of their lives. An exceptional book! 5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to preview an advanced copy of this book.

This book started out a little slow, but I couldn’t put it down by the time I got to the middle. I really enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Anna Dale. I enjoyed the way the book kept switching between Anna’s and Morgan’s perspectives. The story took an interesting twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. Overall a great read and I definitely recommend it!

This book is quintessential Diane Chamberlain. I liked the locale, the story lines, the women. I liked that every chapter was either about Anna or Morgan, each alternating every chapter. I love when 'underdogs' that find themselves in sad, unfortunate situations are saved by a person that lends a hand up. I love books that reach into relationships and that the women are both strong, brave and yet hesitant and vulnerable. This book was a pleasure to read with a very satisfying ending.

There’s a missing person! Will we ever find out what has happened? Diane Chamberlain’s newest novel, Big Lies in a Small town, is set in a small town in North Carolina. Diane Chamberlain will transport you back to the 1940’s with her main character, Anna Dale. Anna is an artist who wins a mural contest and travels to Edenton, North Carolina to start a project that will forever change her life! Diane Chamberlain is meticulous in weaving the past with the present as you read through this novel. This is a must read book for 2020!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly