4.5 stars

Diane Chamberlain is hands down one of my most favorite authors. It's easy to fall in love with her work, the tales are always engaging and the stories not only are enthralling but usually have some historical event tied in I didn't previously know about. This is all true yet again for Big Lies in a Small Town which all begins with Anna Dale, a young artist who has been awarded the honor of painting a mural for a small town's post office by the government. I had no idea about these and they are so neat and beautiful - make sure to google them yourself!

In 1940 we have the story of Anna Dale who comes to Edenton, North Carolina to get a feel for the city that she's been hired to create a mural for. She is from New Jersey and is grieving the loss of her mother and finds herself in a world completely unlike her own.

In 2018 we have Morgan Christopher who gets an early release from jail to restore Anna's mural which was hidden until very recently. As Morgan painstakingly works on the restoration she cant' help but be curious about the original artist and why she, and her mural, went missing.

This story was engaging and sucked me right in. While it was a bit more easy to guess the twists than her usual novels, I still was utterly charmed by it and highly recommend this read to all who enjoy her works. I wish there was more about Jesse in the books - he seemed so REAL! I'd read a novel just about his fascinating life!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was simply AMAZING!! I had to wait a few days after finishing it to write this review because I needed to process it all. This book is full of twists and turns and all about learning from both our mistakes and creating a life that you love. I loved the dual story lines and the suspense of it all. Overall this has been one of my favorite books of 2019!!

Right from the start, I want to know, what did Morgan do? Why did Jesse choose Morgan? What happened to Anna? As the drama unfolds and the chapters alternate from present day, Morgan, to 1940s and Anna, Diane Chamberlain draws the reader into the story with her very like-able characters. I think the only things I didn't like about this story was the cover and the title, I would have chosen something else. #netgalley #bigliesinasmalltown

Diane Chamberlain’s latest book Big Lies in a Small Town is an absolute gem! Her characters, as always, are so deep and developed that you’ll crave more. The book goes back and forth between the present and nearly a century into the past. In the present, Morgan Christopher is a young woman in desperate need of a second chance. A stranger offers her the chance of a lifetime. 80 years ago, young Anna Dale was desperate to begin her life-long dream of becoming an artist. Winning a contest appears to be her dream come true.

Be forewarned, some topics contained in the book may be hard to read. Being reminded of the racial lines that existed in our history is tough to face at times. The story however is incredibly intriguing. The mystery that ties the two story lines together will hold you captive through this page turner.

This is a great cold car murder mystery with two stories in one. The murder takes place in the 1940 a. the author tells the story of two young artists. One from the 40's and one from the 21st century. I was amazed at how the stories came together. A great chic beach read.

This was a GREAT book! I enjoyed all the twists and turns. Every step back in time was also very insightful to what it was like. We don't think about those things today. How great to see someone that has found success use his success to help others achieve their own. Just a great read all around!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Another home run by Diane! I was so pleased to be invited to review this book.
I really enjoyed the duel perspectives of Anna and Morgan and how Diane was able to weave their story lines together. It was very interesting to see two very different times in US history and how each woman was affected by people and their surroundings. I loved that we learned more about Morgan’s story line and why she was asked to be involved with the painting restoration through Anna’s story. We learned a great deal about Jesse through his younger days and through his family. One of my favorite parts was reading about Jesse’s family and the struggles they faced due to race and the towns prejudices. It was great to be able to flash forward to Morgan’s story and see just how far Jesse’s family had come and how times have changed. I could go on and on as usual with Diane’s books. But suffice it to say that I really enjoyed this emotional and complicated story and as always look forward to reading more from Diane.

THIS is the way to write a book with a mystery inside. Well written, no added fluff (which in this world is almost impossible to find). Taut ending. very good.

An excellent, memorable new novel by Diane Chamberlain! I really enjoyed this story, filled with mystery, art, second chances, racism, and friendship. Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

There are two different timelines in this story. In 1939 Anna Dale is a young artist who has just lost her mother. She won a contest to paint a mural for a post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She moves to Edenton and is all alone in a small town. She has a hard time adjusting to small town life and small minded people. In 2018, Morgan Christopher is a 20 something who is serving a short prison sentence. She is paroled under the condition that she restores a mural in Edenton, North Carolina. Despite never having restored a painting before, Morgan throws herself into the project and the mysterious life of Anna Dale.
This book was a bit of a slow start for me but by the middle of the book I was completely immersed. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for a copy of this book to review.

It’s 2018 and Morgan has been tasked with restoring an unfinished mural that was originally painted by Anna in 1939 for installation in the Edenton, North Carolina Post Office. I love the backstory behind these two women and the way the chapters go back and forth between the two time periods. As Morgan cleans the dirt and grime that accumulated over the years. It becomes clear that Anna was a very troubled young woman. This is an excellent mystery.

In 1939 twenty-two year old Anna Dale was excited to have been chosen by the government to paint a post office mural in the little town of Edenton, North Carolina. When she moved there from New Jersey she was excited to learn more about the town, but soon learned not everyone was happy she’d gotten the job. She took on three teens to help her, but Southern tradition soon began to raise its ugly head. Young Jesse Williams was amazingly gifted, and Anna knew if he went to art school he could set the art world on fire. She was happy to mentor him while he helped her, but townspeople were spreading rumors because she was working with a colored teen.

In 2018, Morgan Christopher had been in jail for a year. She was surprised to get a visit from the daughter and lawyer of the famous artist Jesse Williams, telling her his will stipulated she must restore a Depression-era mural within two months. Desperate to get out of jail, she agreed to the strange transaction. As she began to work on cleaning the mural, Morgan began to discover strange things, leaving her to wonder if Anna had become insane.

Chamberlain seamlessly wove through time in alternate chapters, as she told Morgan and Anna’s stories. As more and more of the mural’s clues were revealed, what had been happening while she painted it was described through Anna’s point of view. This chilling story of betrayal, murder, vindication and hope will keep readers turning pages until its very satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended for Adults.

I received an advance copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As with all her books this one was wonderful. She has a way of putting you into the plot and makes you engage with the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book and

This book was intense. I was literally on the edge of my seat and couldn’t put it down! The word usage by the author was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

"This mural was supposed to be for the Edenton Post Office. But Anna Dale went crazy or something-I can't remember exactly what my father told me. She lost her mind while she was working on it, thus the finished product was never installed. My father's owned it for decades and he wants-wanted- to hang it in the foyer of the gallery."

In 1940 a young woman wins an art contest. Anna leaves New Jersey for a small North Carolina town, in order to paint a mural on a post office wall. What she finds will not be what she expected.

Now it’s 2018 and someone has come to the states woman’s prison to offer Morgan a deal. She can leave her prison sentence behind if she agrees to restore that mural for a late well known artist.

The story is told between Anna, and what she encountered during her time in Edenton, N.C., and Morgan’s current work on the mural. What Morgan does uncover, as she restores Anna’s mural, is a story covered up by lies, secrets of the past of this small town.

"Anna Dale, though...She'd been excited by the mural. She'd wanted to do a perfect job. Her heart had been in it then something happened. It must have been something truly terrible to turn this pretty girl into...what? A mentally ill artist who mysteriously vanished from the art world?"


What happened to Anna back in 1940? What will happen to Morgan when she discovers the truth? Why did the late famous artist, Jesse Williams, choose her of all people for this job? She was in art school when her life derailed, but not qualified in restoration. Morgan is on a deadline to have that mural restored. The pressure of having to meet the deadline is so strong. Much is at stake here.

I found the story captivating from the first chapter. With a few wonderful surprises written seamlessly into the story line. Unique weave of the past and the present. I loved the characters of both Anna and Morgan. Two strong women from different times. The book was better than I expected, which is always a wonderful thing.


Thank you Diane Chamberlain, Netgalley, and St. Martins Press
#netgalley #bigliesinasmalltown #dianechamberlain #st.martinspress

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Big Lies in a Small Town. Morgan Christopher has to come to terms with a decision that cost her a year from her life. As she attempts to move on from this she works restoring a mural that was painted years prior for a Post Office contest. As she does this, she becomes intrigued with the artist that did the original painting and seeks answers as to what happened to this artist and why she painted the images that she did.

This book was very well thought out and was well written to keep readers involved. I would highly recommend this book.

Diane Chamberlain is truly a master storyteller! I have enjoyed every novel I’ve read by her, but I think Big Lies in A Small Town is my favorite from her to date! I went into this riveting novel completely blind and I am so glad I did! Big Lies in A Small Town has an incredibly gripping storyline that hooked me right away! The characters were extremely well developed which is what connects the reader to this 5 star read! I felt all of my heartstrings pulled throughout his book and I definitely gave my tissue box a workout! I highly encourage everyone to read this fantastic read— such a great novel to cozy up with and get lost in! A true must read!

I thought that Big Lies in a Small Town was an excellent story that kept me hooked until the bitter end. Diane Chamberlain has created a novel that spans two different eras- the early 1940's and the present time. At the start of the novel- in the present, Morgan is visited in prison by two women who offer to get her released early from prison where she is serving time for a drunk driving accident. As it turns out, Morgan is the beneficiary of a black artist named, Jesse Jameson Williams. In his will, Jesse has tasked Morgan with restoring a mural that was started in 1939 by an artist named Anna Dale. Anna had won a painting commission to paint a mural in the post office in a town called Edenton as part of the 48-States Mural Competition in 1939. Why did Jesse choose Morgan to restore the mural? Why does the mural seem to have been painted by a very troubled woman? And of course, what ever did happen to Anna Dale? The book is a neat puzzle that comes together bit by bit. The story explores the racial relationships that Anna dealt with in Edenton as well as Morgan's journey to accept her mistakes and move on to a new life which includes art, love and sobriety. I highly recommend this novel!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain was one of my favorite books last year so I had high expectations for Big Lies in a Small Town and it did not disappoint! It was a little bit slow at the start but I ended up loving it once I got into it. The story of Anna Dale in 1940 and Morgan Christopher in the present day were both intriguing and tied together well. The only thing I don't like about the book is the title - it sounds like a bad Lifetime movie. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Another fantastic book by Diane Chamberlain! She really gets to the heart of small-town life in North Carolina during the 1940s. The characters are well developed and full of life - you will instantly feel exactly how they felt during this tumultuous time. The back and forth storylines are not confusing, they fully enhance the story. The ending - well at least part of it - is slightly obvious in the way that it's the only way to explain a big portion of the story, but it is told in a wonderful way that doesn't detract from anything else. A great book. Thank you for allowing me to read an advance copy!