A wonderful book. Small town American South well written; not a sappy love story to the South; not a 'lets hit the South over the head with a hammer' approach. Somewhat evocative of John Grisham! A dual timeline that was easy to follow and connected beautifully. Likeable characters, well drawn.

Captivating as always, Chamberlain pulls you into Morgan's story right from the start. She weaves past and present to bring you full circle. When Morgan gets a chance to get out of prison if she agrees to restore a painting by an elusive artist. She knows nothing about art restoration but with the help of a new friend, learns how to trust in herself and others again narrated by the artist and Morgan, the story slips between modern day and the past. While working on the mural, Morgan finds clues to a tragedy in the painters past. As Morgan delves deeper she finds connections between herself and the artist. This was a great read that keeps you entranced until.the final pages.

What a wonderful, engrossing, emotional and intriguing plot with relatable characters. This story explores injustices, family secrets and prejudice in a small town in the South.
The story goes back and forth between the past and the present. The story of a 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.
Diane Chamberlain never disappoints me.
Many thanks to NetGallery, St Martins Press and author, Diane Chamberlain for the opportunity to read the arc of “Big Lies in a Small Town” for my honest review.

I almost didn't read this book because it is told in duel time periods; a style that I have completely overdosed on the past couple of years! Having decided to read it I encourage you all to do so as well. I was drawn right into both story lines; although it is unusual for me I found myself enjoying the current day story a bit more than the one in 1939 as that earlier storyline made me nervous. Usually I find the current day story more contrived and used solely as an instrument to introduce the past but that wasn't the case in this book. Strong intriguing characters with an unusual and somewhat complex plot line.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Once again, Diane Chamberlain has given us a book full of wonderful, believable characters and settings. She has captured The South of the 1940's as well as The New South of today beautifully. I could relate to both Morgan and Anna., but in different ways. Even though I know very little about the world of art, I thoroughly enjoyed Chamberlain's portrayal of all the artists involved. My only regret is that the book ended too soon!. I am sincerely hoping to see these characters again in future works!

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN by Diane Chamberlain in exchange for my honest review.***

In 1940 Anna Dale is commissioned to paint a mural but disappears before finishing.

In 2018 Morgan Christopher is paroled early on the condition she restore Anna’s newly found painting.

Told in dual time lines, both women’s stories unfold to a surprising conclusion.

I’ve read all of Diane Chamberlain’s books and was excited to receive an ARC of her latest masterpiece. Like all Chamberlain’s impeccably researched books, BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN dots all the Is and crosses all the Ts. I love that Morgan’s chapters were first person, which added a deeper dimension to her storytelling. Anna’s, in third person, felt more removed.

BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN has a rich backstory, accounting for its slow start. Evenly paced, the story flowed without lag allowing me to finish in an afternoon as I was anxious to find the connection between the stories. Whenever I stopped to get a drink or food, I was eager to continue reading.

Chamberlain’s always-stellar writing took bolder risks than some of her previous works. Staying true to character and time period, she didn’t shy away from an occasional well placed f bomb or N word though never gratuitous. Avoiding the words would have felt like purposely sanitizing history.

The answers to the story’s mysteries were satisfactory, though not the exclamation at the end of a sentence of many of Chamberlain’s books. I won’t lay awake tonight reliving the resolution. Though this has nothing to do with the story, I thought the title and cover aren’t weren’t reflective of the story.

BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN is a must read for Chamberlain fans, lovers of historical fiction and women’s fiction. Diane Chamberlain never disappoints.

This book tells a story about 2 different women, 2 different time lines - 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. This was an amazing story.

This was the first time I've read any of this author's works, it won't be my last. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is a gripping, deep, suspenseful, but fabulous dual timeline novel that sucks you in from the start.
Ms Chamberlain has a gift to be able to interweave 1940s and 2018 timelines in NC, and wrap them up nicely in the end.

This subject matter is definitely not for the faint of heart. Heavy material is presented (violence, abuse, alcohol addiction, the negative way women were treated in the past) is mentioned, however it is necessary and appropriate.

This is a great book and does not disappoint.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors and this story did not disappoint. The characters are engaging and I immediately fell into both storylines, one set in present day and one in the 1940s. This story tackles racism, women’s rights, rehabilitation, power in a beautiful way. There is also a little mystery in this one that kept me turning pages way past my bedtime! I also loved the ending! Chamberlain is such a great storyteller.

Another wonderful book from Diane Chamberlain! This author is one that I am constantly recommending to my library patrons and I've yet to meet someone disappointed with one of her books. While this one isn't one of my favorites it is still a worthy read that I will suggest to others.

I would like to start by sending hearty big thanks to both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for emailing a link to me for Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. While the email indicated it was a Read Now opportunity available for 48 hours, I only needed a small portion of that time. In approximately 6 hours, minus a comfort break and a salad, I devoured this wonderful book.

I am grateful to both for introducing me to Ms. Chamberlain; her name was familiar but I until today I had not the pleasure of reading her writings. It is easy to see why she has so many loyal fans and so many terrific reviews.

In Big Lies in a Small Town, we are given the opportunity to visit the lives of two female artists each with their own particular struggles with one male artist who is the link between them. The women live in two separate time periods, one in 1939 and the other in 2018. It can be ambitious for an author to traverse two separate years in one novel but this is a challenge well met by Ms. Chamberlain. She deftly travels between the two time periods and their distinct characters.

I cannot give a detailed description as I do not wish to give away any spoilers. The book description from the publisher is sure to whet your appetite as it did mine. This book has all of the elements of a great read: well written dialogue and characters, an air of mystery giving the reader a "what next" need-to-know, a real sense of believability to it all, and a genuine feel for the locations and people about whom she is writing. As I read it I wished it were longer but I wanted (needed) to know the resolution.

My husband called me when I was about 80% through this book and I just kept saying to him how wonderful this book is and how amazing it is. I can honestly say that this book really affected me and is one of the best I have read. I am a big fan. One of my favorite things is reading about the art restoration. This topic is one that I have found fascinating for quite some time and to read about it was simply marvelous! It was described so well and it has encouraged me to learn more about it.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there are some hard to digest issues in this novel and readers who may be sensitive to subject matters such as rape, racial inequality, depression, suicide, and alcoholism may want to tread carefully.

I just can't recommend this book enough and look forward to reading everything else this very talented author has written. I've since finishing it spoken a second time with my husband and I can't stop gushing about it!

Read every book she has ever written. I am a fan!
Excited the publisher sent me this ARC to preview.

I opened to flip through to get a feel for what book was about
I could not skim- it was too good - I began reading and did not want to stop.

1940- a young lady wants to make Edenton, North Carolina proud by creating and painting a mural.

2018- a young lady wants a fresh start, and to prove her innocence.

"He put his hand on top of book as if he could soak everything in its pages through his skin"
( I will check quote after published- I just love this imagery- it is how I feel with this book)

I need better words to describe this book
It is a very good read
I honestly could not put it down until the end when I was sad to see the last page!

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. A bit of a slow start but has enough twists in the story to make it a good read. Alternating between 2018 and 1939, the story explores the prejudice, resentment, relationships and injustices of small town life in the South .

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Diane Chamberlain is a gifted writer who knows the value of research. It was easy for me to become engrossed in this story because it felt real. Her characters are skillfully written with love and layers that often hide the true feelings underneath those layers.

I liked the two points of view that told the story. Anna Dale won a contest in 1939 to paint a mural that was to be hung in the Edenton North Carolina post office. In 2018 Morgan Christopher was chosen to clean and restore the same mural for a gallery opening in Edenton. Some of the same prejudices and difficulties were present in both times. The resolutions in both times were written just right. This is a great book!

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from St Martin's Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#BigLiesinaSmallTown #NetGalley

Oh my goodness Diane Chamberlain never fails to amaze me with her writing. This book was so beautifully written and the past and the present tied up just like a bow on the perfect Christmas present. I can't wait for it to come out so everyone can read it. This will be a book that will be on my heart and mind for many many days and months to come.

Another amazing story by Chamberlain! I love her dual timeline stories and how to links them up in the end. This one did not disappoint.

It was a bit slow in the beginning and I wasn't invested in the characters initially. But one the story began to move and you could see how Anna's time was linked to Morgan's I began flipping the pages, hurrying to see how this would play out. I did predict the ending somewhat but it was still enjoyable and I would have loved more of Morgan's story at the end with how she makes restitution.

Fabulous book! highly recommend

A wonderful story told from two points of view. Art becomes a healing device and there’s a mystery as well. Great characters as usual. Lots of heavy themes. Alcoholism, racial issues of the 1940s, rape, suicide and family secrets. I was engaged by both stories, past and present and read it quickly. Unfortunately this book didn’t have the same wow factor, that emotional tug that I’ve come to rely on from this author.

I was THRILLED to receive a copy of Diane Chamberlains newest book. She is one of my all time fav authors.
This book was fantastic ..... I did not see the end coming which is such a treat! Go pick up this book as soon as you can.... loved it!
The only downside is I now have to wait another year for her next book!

I have been a big fan of Diane Chamberlain for a long time and this book did not disappoint. I did not intend to, but I spent the entire weekend reading this book. I loved both of the stories of Morgan Christopher and Anna Dale and I did not want to put down the book until I found out what happened to Anna Dale and why the mural was never finished. The ending was a complete surprise for me.
I would highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars!! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for my honest opinion.

Diane Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors and so I was very happy to get the ARC of this new title. I liked the two characters, Anna and Morgan, quite a bit, and thought the story was told well, especially with the dual timeline. Learned a lot about art and restoration as well!