Diane Chamberlain stole my heart with The Dream Daughter and this book has cemented her as a fave author for me!

1940 - artist Anna Dale wins a competition to paint a mural that ends up never seeing the light of day

2018- When renown artist Jessie Jameson Williams passes away, he leaves instructions in his will for Morgan Christopher to restore Anna Dale's mural. Morgan is currently incarcerated and although she has never worked at restoration she knows this isn't an opportunity she can pass up when it means her freedom.

The dual timelines, the spinning of both artists' stories were so engrossing. You want to know how the two will intersect and solve the mystery of what really happened to Anna Dale all those years ago.

In Big Lies in a Small Town Chamberlain tells a heartfelt and masterful story of greed, small town prejudice, lies, family secrets, love and mystery. Highly recommend it for historical fiction fans!

Big Lies in a Small Town is a very good read I was engaged from beginning to end! Restoration of a mural is the literary device that merges the timelines, connects the characters, and drives the story forward.

The story is told in alternating perspectives and dual timelines ….one timeline illuminates the other. Short chapters allow the alternate timeline to immediately fill in the details that are missing from the previous timeline. The closely aligned and tightly crafted timelines are an effective literary device in this story. The author cleverly unravels the mystery and develops the characters as the mural is restored. By the time the mural is revealed, all the secrets are also revealed.

Characters: Both Morgan and Anna are likable, strong, and independent young women. When an author writes dual timelines, sometimes I am more invested in one character than the other. In this story, I loved both characters equally. We meet Morgan in 2018 as she is released on parole from North Carolina Women’s Correctional Center, and we meet Anna in 1940 as she wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Both young women are alone for various reasons, struggle with the same mural, and fight to make their own way. What decisions will define their lives? Will Anna overcome small town, southern prejudice to complete her mural? Why was the mural hidden in storage for decades? Will Morgan be able to finish the restoration in time? Will she be able to find out what happened to Anna and solve the mystery of her disappearance? How will these characters connect?

Themes: Poignant themes in this story include friendship, racism, prejudice, second chances, healing, finding your voice, safe places and people, mental health, taking risks, and making peace with the past.

Recommended: Equal parts character-driven and page-turning. This does not disappoint and is definitely a great read for fans of Diane Chamberlain!

This is my first book by the author, after glowing recommendations from several reading friends, and I'm so glad I tried her work! BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN includes the extremely intriguing story of a woman who is recruited, via the will of a deceased artist, to restore an historical mural that he designed prior to his death. There are so many twists and turns that I was not expecting and I found it to be well-written and very compelling. I will definitely look into some of Chamberlain's backlist now because I truly enjoyed this novel!

A little bit longer of a novel than I thought necessary but it did tell a great story.
I love the back and forth between Anna in 1940 and Morgan in 2018. I felt so bad for Morgan and what her boyfriend did to her just to escape punishment. I loved the little weird parts of the mural that Morgan uncovers and the reason we find the little clues to a very big mystery.
I was quite satisfied with the ending.

I have read a few books by this author, and one of my favorite things that she possesses is the ability to create fully developed characters that you will be able to relate to. That doesn't mean you will always like them, but there are times an author feels rushed and that is not the case. This book alternates between two time periods with ease, and weaves together a tale that draws you in and keeps you turning the page. I really enjoyed it.

I have always loved Diane Chamberlain's novels and this was no exception. I loved the multi decade story and I was drawn in instantly. Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this.

Having recently finished “Big Lies in a Small Town” by Diane Chamberlain, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-book; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

Diane Chamberlain tells another emotionally charged story that had me turning the pages at home, and listening to the audio while at work too! In this "mystery of the mural" I enjoyed both past (Anna) and present (Morgan) stories equally.
The art details were my favorite part of the story; whether they were of the original painting of the mural, or the restoration, I found all of that information very fascinating.

A superb piece of women's fiction combining art & history into an excellent, enthralling & utterly absorbing read. Told in alternating points of view, with chapters named for each narrator, this was well written (one wouldn't expect any less from this author) & a truly original story. I could not recommend it any more strongly.

Morgan Christopher is a young woman currently incarcerated for the DUI she was involved with which seriously injured another young woman. Her sentence isn't long, but she was drunk & even though she wasn't the driver, she is paying the price for him, her ex-boyfriend. She used to be an art student but with her career on hold, her sole focus is on surviving prison. Until, one day, she is offered the opportunity of a lifetime & everything changes for her & the people she comes to know as a result.

Do not miss this outstanding story. Thank you to Netgalley, the author Diane Chamberlain & the publisher St. Martin's Press for the free copy I was given in return for an honest review.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is my first Diane Chamberlain novel, and it certainly won't be my last. This story is a perfectly balanced tale of two timelines, two very different women and the challenges and prejudices they face in a small North Carolina town. That is actually all I can say about this book without spoiling anything and I hate spoilers.

I will say that my review for this book is so ridiculously behind schedule because I read this book twice before writing it. The story grabs you in the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. Amazing work.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended!

This was my first time reading Diane Chamberlain and it will not be my last book to read by her! What an excellent storyteller! This book is about two different artists whose lives become intertwined with the most fascinating narrative that I could not wait to see how it ended. The story is told in two different timelines and are two different narratives that intercept in the present. Anna Dale won a contest to paint a mural in the town of Edenton, NC in 1939. Jesse Jameson's daughter, Lisa arranges for Morgan to be released from prison in 2018 to restore the mural from 1939. Morgan has never restored a mural in her life and isn't really sure she is qualified to complete the job but really needs the money. Oliver works at the gallery and they become friends and he helps her restore the mural. Anna Dales story is the story behind the mural and how the mural came to be. Morgan's story is present day and the restoration and discovering the secrets that the mural holds. Morgan's story also tells why she was in prison and details about her life. This is one of my favorite new reads. When the lies of the past come full circle in present day and the truth is revealed in the end. What an enthralling and immaculately written book and I can't wait to read other books by Chamberlain. I'm also hoping there is a sequel to this book after reading the ending!

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book!.

This was absolutely spectacular, just divine. My second read of Chamberlain’s so I really shouldn’t have expected anything less than this. This alternates from current day (2018) to the past (1940) and is set in North Carolina. Current day, we begin with Morgan, who is currently serving a 3 year sentence for a crime she did not commit and believes her art career is either over or put on hold indefinitely. But then she receives a visit from a stranger, and suddenly there is hope. She gets an offer to restore an old post office mural in a small NC town in exchange for her release. Obvi she accepts. And afterwards, she realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew. She has never restored anything before, for one thing.

Flip to the past, 1940, said small town. Anna Dale is the artist who won a national competition to paint the mural that Morgan is supposed to restore. She also bites off more than she can chew, as back in 1940, the townsfolk were not as accepting and she walks into a scenario that is not quite what she expected.

As the two timelines work together, we learn more about each of these two women, but less is known about Anna. No one will talk about what happened to her, or what happened to the mural, and the question of why Morgan was selected to restore it is just as much a mystery.

I had no expectations going into this one and it was a joy to read this way. This is storytelling at its finest, and I was as enthralled in the restoration of this painting and the stories that were unveiled with it as was Morgan, and at times it felt like I was right there with her. I highly recommend this one, and Chamberlain is quickly moving up my list as an auto-read author.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-galley to review.

Another great novel by Diane Chamberlain. I have only read a handful of Chamberlain's books but this is a must read. Written beautifully between two era's (past - 1940 & present), we follow two main characters throughout this novel - Morgan (present) & Anna (past). Once I picked up this book it was very hard to put down. I was drawn in from the very beginning. It was a book I wish could have went on a little longer, I wasn't ready to part with these two.

Morgan has been asked to restore a mural that was painted by a young artist in 1939. This is Morgan's get out of jail free card after a DUI. Morgan is an artist but has no idea how to restore paintings but she takes the other and learns so much about the original artist along the way. A retelling of history where a young women who competes with male artists wins a contest to paint a mural for a small town. Anna is a beautiful young lady trying to make a name for herself as an artist. Anna is strong willed and will not let people bully her or her students that she has helping her with the mural.

The history of this mural is one that will stay with the read long after you are finished reading this novel. Chamberlain combines mystery, racism, bullying, friendship and love to make this an unforgettable tale.

I give this book a 5 stars.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was well written and an interesting story line. Morgan is released from prison to restore a painting to be displayed in the gallery of one of her favorite artists who has recently died, despite not having any restoration experience. The book then flashes back to Anna Dale who is the artist commissioned to paint a mural for a North Carolina post office in 1940. This is the painting that Morgan has to restore in 2018. By switching back and forth between the women, the reader is slowly given their backgrounds and finds out how they are connected. A few twists keep the reader guessing right until the end.

There has never been a Diane Chamberlain book that I haven’t loved and this was another homerun for me! Fantastic story of a girl recently released from prison in order to restore a mural from an artist she has never even heard of. I was on the edge of my seat and would recommend to anyone!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I ended up not finishing it, as it wasn’t working for my current read mood. But I definitely have some patrons in mind to recommend this one to.

Morgan in serving time in prison for a crime she didn't commit - but she's about to get a second chance when she is offered to do a restoration on a mural at a post office that was painted in 1939 by a young woman, Anna Dale.
The story alternates between Morgan's story and Anna's story. During Anna's time in North Carolina in 1939, there was quite a bit of upheaval as the townspeople don't believe she deserves the chance to paint this mural nor do they trust her when she befriends a young black student. In the present, Morgan is determined to finish the restoration and find out what happened to Anna.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the strong female leads. Definitely a page turner!
Thanks to Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. 3.5 stars!

Wonderful novel, great character building and full of many aspects of life.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for fair and honest opinion.

An interesting read, a bit of a struggle to get through but overall ok - I appreciate the opportunity to review it!

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!