I loved Diane’s last book, The Dream Daughter, so I was excited to have a chance to read this one before it is released. I liked how it was a story of redemption from past mistakes for Morgan. Her character grew on me throughout the story. I tend to read a lot of books that switch between characters in each chapter so that was a plus for me as well. The mystery of Anna Dale was quite intriguing. I loved that aspect of the story as well. This book was well written and entertaining. I would recommend it to my book loving friends.

This is the first book that I have read written by this author but it will not be the last. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters are so real and likable, filled with suspense, mystery, friendship, art, clean, good people with twists and turns. With surprise at the end. The only thing I can say, this just a plain good book. GOOD JOB! I wish I could give it 6 stars

I received this ebook free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

I am a huge Diane Chamberlain fan already and couldn't wait to read this one! Wasn't disappointed again!
It's a story that floats between the past and the present in the art world and comes together in the end. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. Thank you #Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC and review Big Lies In A Small Town.

Morgan has been in jail for a crime she didn't commit. She was trying to protect her boyfriend and when she decided that he wasn't worth taking the fall for, no one believed her. One day she is visited by a woman who makes a deal: If Morgan will restore an old painting from the 1940's, she can get released early and get her life back on track. The painting is a surprise to all, and no one seems to know what happened to the artist. Will Morgan meet the deadline? Will she find out what happened to Anna and why she painted such a dark painting?

Anna Dale.

Morgan considered the artist signature on the mural she was to restore, wondering how a promising young artist had 'gone crazy' and mysteriously disappeared.

Anna had won a contract through a WPA art competition to create a mural for the Edenton post office. Now, the mural was filthy and the paint was flaking after years in famed African American artist Jesse Jameson's William's closet. Morgan was out of prison early, named in Jesse's will to restore the mural which would hang in the art gallery provided for in his will.

Morgan was not an established artist. She knew nothing about art restoration. She doubts her ability to meet the timeline.

Morgan is filled with guilt over the night when she and her boyfriend drank too much and their car struck a young woman.

The mural is filled with incongruous images: a motorcycle peaks from under ladies skirts, a lumberman holds a bloody hammer, skulls peer out from house windows. What had happened to Anna? Morgan delves into solving the mystery.

Readers learn about Anna's Depression-Era Edenton and the violent acts that altered her life. And how Anna's mural helps Morgan to learn her strengths, overcome her past, and embrace new relationships.

Big Lies in a Small Town was a quick-reading, engaging read, focusing on the challenges and resilience of two women, with a mystery to solve and a romance to blossom.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Morgan Christopher is a prisoner who is given a unique opportunity while starting her parole. She is approached by a late artist's daughter to help restore a decades old painting in Edenton, NC. She has no idea why she was chosen when she has no experience in art restoration, however she does have an art background. Once she arrives in Edenton she is given the task of restoring a huge mural that was originally going to be hung in the town post office. For reasons unknown, the original artist abandoned the mural and disappeared. As Morgan starts to work on the mural she is drawn to the strange paintings and begins to research the history of the original artist, Anna Dale. As she uncovers more of the town's history she becomes more and more curious as to what happened to Anna and the secrets behind the mysterious artwork she was painting.

This story was so well developed and thought out. Any hole or missing piece was closed up at the end and I enjoyed every bit of it. The chapters alternated between Morgan and Anna and I felt a connection to both of them, as well as all the other characters in the story. I would recommend to anyone who likes a good story with a slight twist of mystery.

Diane Chamberlain always manages to capture the reader with her wonderful stories and this one was no exception. I enjoy the historic aspect of this one as she takes us through different time periods. Beautiful.

I thought that this book was a wonderful,, engrossing, emotional with a perfect plot!
It’s about family secrets and prejudice on a small town in the south.
The story goes back and forth between past and the present. About an aspiring artist winning a contest to paint a mural for a town in 1939. Years later in 2018, another artist is asked to work on restoring the mural that has been lost for years..
I think that this is Diane’s Chamberlain best book yet. She is a fantastic author. Looking forward to her next book!

I wish to thank NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for this intriguing novel encompassing art, and two strong but troubled women in different timelines set 70 years apart. Their story connects with their work on the same mural and also contains a mystery which could be entitled “Whatever Happened to Anna?”

This is only the second novel I have read by Diane Chamberlain, the first being The Dream Daughter. They are different in both themes and stories, but the author handles the dual timelines extremely well, seamlessly moving back and forth from one period to the other. Both contain strong character development and storylines. Big Lies in a Small Town is a novel depicting the importance of art in the history of a community, and in the lives touched by art.

In 1939 Anna Dale wins a contest. She is an art student in New Jersey and her prize is the honour to paint an art mural in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina for its post office, rather than in her home state. Being unfamiliar with the south, she decides to visit the town to familiarize herself with its history and society, to get an idea for the subject to depict on the mural. She experiences friendly southern hospitality, but on meeting the town’s male leaders, she is shaken by a misogynist attitude. They feel she is too young and inexperienced, and that a woman’s’ place is in the home. Anna had decided to make ‘The Tea Party’ a historic woman’s movement as the centre of her mural, but the men want no part of that portrayal. They want their local businesses and landmarks painted. They feel that the prize should have gone to a talented local artist, Martin Drapple, son of the mayor, and not to an inexperienced young girl from outside their state.

Anna is doubting her ability to produce a mural to make Edenton proud and enlists some unpaid art students to help. She encounters prejudice, some resistance, and secrets but is determined to finish her work. The project progresses well, and many of the townspeople are impressed by her work, but something goes very wrong near its completion. People are shut out from viewing the mural in progress, and the project was never finished. Anna mysteriously disappears and so does her painting. What happened to Anna?

In 2018, Morgan Christopher is in prison serving a three-year sentence for a crime she didn’t commit. At the end of her first year imprisonment, she is visited by famed artist, Jesse Jameson’s daughter, Lisa with her attorney. Jesse was rich and famous for his paintings and made it his project during his lifetime to help talented, aspiring young artists.

In his will, he stated that Anna’s mural, hidden in his home is to be restored by Morgan under stringent conditions. It must be restored by a definite date in two years time for a new art gallery opening in his honour. Morgan is bewildered. She had been only an average art student for three years before prison and has no idea how the famous artist ever heard of her. She has no experience in art restoration, but the project comes with her freedom and a large sum of money if completed in time. Lisa stands to lose her house if the art gallery with the restored mural doesn’t open by the deadline. Lisa has no interest in whether it is restored properly, just that Morgan finishes it in time. Lisa states the work was never completed because Anna “went crazy or something” near the end.

When Morgan sees the mural, she is discouraged and has no idea how to start. The large painting is badly damaged, covered with grime and mildew with parts barely visible. She searches the internet for ways to restore a painting but learns art restoration is done by highly trained professionals. Luckily the kindly Art curator for the new museum agrees to help her. As Morgan begins the laborious task of cleaning the mural, she realizes she feels a connection with Anna and is enjoying the work. She is determined to do her best in tribute to Anna. As she cleans she discovers some strange and alarming additions made by Anna to her original plan. They seem to depict that something terrible occurred to Anna, but the town held secrets 70 years ago.

This is an equally gripping and compelling story within both timelines, and I was riveted to the stories of both Anna and Morgan.

4.5 Stars

I am a huge fan of this author. She can get me out of any reading slump, and rejuvenate my love of reading. Her writing is flawless, her stories unique. Again, this book did not disappoint.

Told in dual timelines...one from the 1940s and one current day. Anna is an artist, just awarded a bid to sketch and paint a mural in a small southern town. Morgan is a young woman who made a horrendous mistake and is incarcerated. She is given a get-out-of-jail card that she cannot refuse. All along, you are wondering how these two lives intersect. Chamberlain, in her gifted way, unwraps this story piece by piece, making this book flow easily and unable to put down. You are totally vested in both stories, whether it’s the inequality of the South in the 40s or the injustice of the court system, both still going on current day. The characters are likable, flawed and totally realistic. Both storylines are time appropriate given the time and settings. I was disappointed when the book ended, as I wanted to know more and wasn’t ready for Morgan’s story to be over.

If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t read this author, I highly recommend you start. Dream Daughter is still my favorite, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced page turner that does not disappoint.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone.

What a fabulous book! I quickly became engrossed in this story and could not put it down. This novel will be a New York Times bestseller in no time!!!

I love Diane Chamberlain's books and this one does not disappoint. The fact that the story is based in Edenton, NC was a delightful surprise. I spent many days in this lovely small town in Eastern North Carolina during the late 70's and early 80's. I fell in love with the town and many of the landmarks mentioned in the story were ones I recognized from the time I spent in Edenton.

I really enjoyed the back-and-forth time periods. While this can be confusing in some books, the author does a wonderful job of melding the stories so that you are pulled into the two stories from the different time periods and how they are connected.

Such a well written book and a delightful story that has you holding your breath and wondering what will happen on the next page. You will not be disappointed from the first page you turn and how the book will draw you into the lives of the two main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait for the next book Diane Chamberlain will write.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first read by Diane Chamberlain and I must admit I didn't really know anything about this title. I just saw it available on netgalley and thought it sounded fun to try something different. I am so glad I did. I really liked this book. It was such a great combination of mystery, intrigue, romance, and second chances. I liked the dual narration between the two time periods as we jumped back in time to the story of Anna Dale, the artist, who was awarded the opportunity to paint a post office mural in small town, Edenton and the current day narration over the restoration of her mural for a new art gallery opening I really enjoyed the mystery of finding out what happened to Anna after she moved to Edenton and started work on her post office mural. and where she went after. I was so drawn in to her story and wanted to learn why she changed the mural and then never completed it. I also loved reading Morgan's story in the present day as she was released early from prison, for a DUI she didn't commit, to restore an artwork she knew nothing about. I thoroughly enjoyed both storylines and characters. I was completely in the story from the first page and didn't want to put it down until the end. Great read that I would easily recommend to others. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

What an emotional read! I love books by Diane Chamberlain, just for that reason.
She as has an intense issue that centers around the plot. Her characters are so well developed and complex. The book envelopes you and makes you are apart of the story. I felt so many emotions reading this novel, angry, hope, sadness, and I shed a few tears.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley

Diane Chamberlain hit it out of the park again! This was such an amazing story with a cast of truly interesting characters and quite an unusual situation. Morgan and Anna drew me in and made me care deeply about them. They were both engaging characters and you couldn’t help but wish them well. The alternating time line worked well in this setting, as Morgan sought to put the pieces together to understand the intriguing mural she was restoring. Anna’s story was a fascinating backdrop to the contemporary portion of the story, and when it all came together I was as surprised as Morgan. Great read!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

My second Diane Chamberlain read - I really must catch up with the others.

A book set in North Carolina, with a focus on art, and a bit of a mystery - what more could one ask? I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book, despite the trendy, but absolutely necessary, alternating time frames. Set in Edenton, NC, it was clear that both eras depicted were well researched.

Relatable characters, lovely setting, despite some un-lovely circumstances.

High rating on pure enjoyability of the read, 4.5

4.5 STARS....
Thank you for the opportunity in reviewing this book "NetGalley"
and Diane Chamberlain does it AGAIN~ I MUST admit up front that Dianne Chamberlain is my very favorite author!
Diane always has the most awesome and vivid character's she brings to life keeping you entranced ~ Going back and forth in the 2 different time periods, Diane does it seamlessly (and I love that she always puts the date in each new chapter which makes it an instant switch for me)~ I may not necessarily pick a book about a old and badly preserved painting from the 1940's but WOW...I was hooked from the very beginning! I have never read a book of Diane's I did not LOVE~
Thank you again, NetGalley.! This is my 1st experience with reviewing an advance copy of a book and I so appreciate this opportunity you gave me!! .<3

The authors presents this book in two different stories of two different women and how their lives intertwine.
This started out slow, but once the plot started to get more in depth I got more and more invested in the characters. What a beautiful story with southern references that I really enjoyed.

In 1940, Anna Dale from New Jersey wins an art contest, she travels to North Carolina to paint a mural to be hung in the post office. When she arrived, she wasn’t treated to kindly, the townsfolk didn’t like the idea of a woman painting their mural, they also made sure it was known to her that she’d always be second as there was a local who was chosen for this prestigious. Chance as well. She saw segregation at its worst, a lot different than her home time. Anna was thrown into a whirlwind of secrets and lies in the small town.
2018 Morgan Christopher is doing time for a crime she didn’t commit, lucky for her she was handed a get out of jail free card. An artist wants her to restore Anna Dale’s mural for his art gallery. Morgan doesn’t really know how to restore a mural but how can she say no?
I enjoyed this book as I have every other Diane Chamberlin book. Diane has a way of writing that brings the reader in and transports them into the story. She is a master story teller.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Big Lies In A Small Town.
This book is a definite for your book list and would be great for a book club.

Morgan is in jail serving time for a crime she didn't commit. One day she gets a visit from two women offering her a chance to go to Edenton, NC and restore a mural. If she agrees she will get out of prison. Of course she jumps at the chance. One of her benefactors is the daughter of Jesse Jameson Williams, an artist that Morgan has always admired and in his will he names her as the person that must restore the mural. The story is told from Morgan's perspective in 2018. Anna, the artist, also tells her point of view in 1939 when she won the contest to paint the mural until its finish. When Morgan uncovers the mural there are things that are disturbing and unexpected and the gossip in town was that Anna was crazy.

I loved this book. It grabbed me right from the beginning. I liked the way the author wove the two stories together. As Morgan tried to find out more about Anna, Anna reveals her story and her relationship with the people in the town and the mystery of why she went crazy. The characters were well defined and I could feel the anguish of both Anna and Morgan when faced with a terrible choice. Lisa, Jesse's daughter, is a bit less defined but I still felt growth of her character from beginning to end. The story flowed with no parts of it bogging down and the end was just perfect.

This was a new author to me and I will definitely be reading more of her work.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.