Diane Chamberlain's Big Lies in a Small Town is a captivating blend of historical fiction and mystery. It weaves a dual narrative between two women, separated by nearly eight decades but connected by a hidden truth and a powerful mural.
Both Anna and Morgan are well-developed protagonists facing their demons. Their struggles for independence and self-discovery resonate throughout. Chamberlain beautifully integrates the artistic process with the historical backdrop of racial prejudice in the South. The mural itself becomes a powerful symbol of hidden truths. The romantic subplot adds another layer to the story, but it reads as almost an afterthought, sweet but unneeded. The racial tensions in 1940s Edenton are somewhat romanticized. The big reveal in the end was too coincidental and predictable to be entirely believable, but the author provided just enough detail to avoid being bogged down with it. Big Lies in a Small Town is a richly woven tale of secrets, resilience, and the power of art to illuminate the past. Chamberlain's evocative prose brings the characters and setting to life, creating a truly immersive reading experience.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I really love Diane Chamberlain books and this was no different! I loved the dual timeline and how they came together in the end! I also liked how I suspected it going one way and then was surprised with some twists!

A story of two artists in a small North Carolina town, separated by 78 years and a third who ties their stories together. Jesse Jameson Williams is a prominent African American artist with roots in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina. When Jesse passes away in 2018, he leaves an unusual will behind. Morgan Christopher is an artist serving time for a car accident that left the other driver paralyzed.

After Morgan is released on early parole (helped in part by Jesse’s daughter), she receives $50,000 to restore a mural painted by another artist—Anna Dale—in 1940. Morgan learns the mural must be complete before a gallery opening on August 5 of the same year, or the deal is off and Jesse’s daughter will (for unclear reasons outlined in the will) lose her childhood home.

In the alternate timeline taking place in 1940 in the same town of Edenton, Anna Dale is an artist from New Jersey who has won a competition by the U.S. Treasury Department to paint a mural for the Edenton post office. Anna has little experience with the South, but sees Jesse’s incredible talent as an artist and mentors him. This relationship causes waves among the white population of Edenton.

The book deals heavily with topics of addiction, mental illness, gender, and race. I loved the way Anna and Morgan’s stories mirrored one another. The focus on the process of creating art was central to both timelines and thoroughly engrossing. The stories are rich with detail and draw on the emotions of the reader as they relate to the characters in the book. Sometimes with dual timeline I prefer one story over another, but in this case both were fairly evenly matched in terms of my interest. I enjoyed the back and forth as the story unfolded.

Thank you to St Martins Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.

As always, Diane Chamberlain delivers again! This book covers a very important topic and I was honored to read it before it was released. Diane's gift to make you feel present with the characters is incredible. The amount of research she puts into her books is evident. The ending really had me shook.... I didn't see that coming. I will read every Diane Chamberlain book released. She is one of my favorite authors.

Growing up in the 60's, I was aware of the Southern towns where African Americans were considered less than their white contemporaries, women were supposed to marry and have babies, not jobs and rape was never talked about. This book is about all three of those topics.

Anna Dale grew up in the North and won a contest to paint a mural for a small town in the South. The story is told in a back and forth manner: Anna in 1940 and Morgan in 2018. It was a hard book to put down as the writing/story kept me wanting to know what happens next.

It tells how the black and white communities interacted with each other and the black man was always considered the person who did the "wrong". It tells about oil painting and living in a southern town where secrets were kept.

If you are looking for a book that will hold your interest and make you work to find out "who done it", this is a good book for that. Diane Chamberlain's writing held my attention and was easy to read.

A solid story about community and making peace with the past. Some of the storylines felt unfinished and the romance at the end felt a little rushed but it was an overall enjoyable read.

I love Diane Chamberlain’s books, she one of my favourites. This book has been on my to read list for ages as I didn’t really feel a connection to the subject, but it’s a Diane Chamberlain so I couldn’t not read it! I love Diane’s writing, with one chapter being from the present and the other in the past flowing the story. Took me a while to get into the book, but I couldn’t put it down for the last quarter as it really picked up. I was really pleased with that ending, without giving away any spoilers! I’m glad I did read this book. Thank you for accepting my request.

Susan Bennett is the narrator of many of Diane Chamberlain's books and she does a fantastic job telling these stories. Big Lies in a Small Town features 2 female POV, Morgan Christopher in 2018 and Anna Dale in 1940. I love dual timelines and weaving together how the characters are connected. This novel is about a national contest to paint a mural for US Post Offices in the late 1930's and Anna Dale is the winner chosen to paint the mural for Edenton, NC Post Office. Some local community members are not happy a local artist did not win and Anna deals with various issues as she begins her project. Fast forward to 2018 and Morgan has found herself a ticket out of jail with a catch - she has to restore an art mural from the 60 years ago. As Morgan faces a deadline to restore the mural, she also is piecing together: what happened to Anna Dale?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very unique and different read than any of her other novels. It was a pleasant surprise. I loved the historical story and the dual characters that blended together flawlessly. Her storytelling is absolutely wonderful, will definitely recommend this book.

"Big Lies in a Small Town" is a dual timeline mystery set in the years 1940 and 2018 and centering around Anna Dale and Morgan Christopher and a small town. It's a definitely good read that I found to be well written and worth reading.

Wow! “Big Lies in a Small Town” is an amazing novel! The dual time-lines, mysterious art mural, wonderful characters and a mystery that will keep you turning the pages...a great story-line! Can't wait to read more by this author,.

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?

Big Lies in a Small Town was my first Diane Chamberlain book and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing! The plot and characters were great and engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my review.

What a great read this book was! Good characters and a story that kept you interested in how the story-line would develop. Its one of those books you dont want to put down!

4.5 stars!

This was my first novel by Diane Chamberlain, and I understand why she is a reader favorite!

<i>Big Lies in a Small Town</i> follows two artists, Morgan in the present day, and Anna over 70 years prior. Morgan recently served prison time for a DUI car accident. To her surprise, famous artist Jesse Jameson Williams selected her to restore an old mural and arranged for her early release from prison. Anna Dale was the mural artist, yet as Morgan cleans up the painting, she discovers some unexpected objects that lead her to believe that Anna was unwell.

I loved both Anna and Morgan's stories and was very drawn into each. Anna was strong-willed and defended Jesse against racist Edenton townspeople. I felt that Chamberlain handled many difficult subjects delicately and in a way that brought depth to the story. At times Morgan's shame over her past got tiresome, and I was ready for her to stop dwelling on it. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to the author's other works!

nother wonderful story from one of my favourite authors. I just love her storytelling and unique plots.

This one is a dual timeline that alternates from 1940 small town North Carolina to 2018. In 1940, Anna is an artist from New Jersey who wins a government contest to draw a post office mural in a small town called Edenton in North Carolina. She finds some resistance from the folks there who feel that a local artist should have been given the honour to paint their mural. Before the mural can be completed Anna disappears. In 2018, Morgan is a struggling artist fallen on hard times. Morgan has recently been released from prison and has been chosen to restore the mural from long ago (that was never properly displayed.) The more she restores the mural, the more Morgan is intrigued by the long ago artist Anna and her disappearance.

An interesting story that had me reading page after page to learn the outcome of the mystery.

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.

Morgan went to jail for something that she didn't do and she has an opportunity to change her life but there are secrets behind that offer. I really liked this book, it was weird as it jumped back and forth between the past and the present but it all came together at the end and I really didn't want it to end. I enjoyed it and am really glad that I read this book.

Review coming soon. Fell behind due to illness, amd working on all of the old ones now.

This one will not be forgotten. Diane Chamberlain has her own lane and I love it! I’ll read all of her books. I was getting my infusion and both another patient and I were reading a Diane Chamberlain book.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.


Pub Date was January 14, 2020
#BigLiesInASmallTown #DianeChamberlain #NetGalley

So good and a lot of mystery that makes sense at the end, who knew. Morgan in prison for a DUI that severely changed the life of the person she and her boyfriend Trey hit. Morgan is granted an early release if she restores a mural. Her idol in the art world Jesse Jameson Williams will has offered her this option delivered by his surviving daughter and attorney. From there, we learn about the truth of that night, Morgan's deadbeat parents and how she survived and what she plans to do in the future. Love her friendship with Oliver and how that transpires. Would definitely look for other books by this author as she wove the tale in such a way it was really great.

This was an engaging historical mystery that tells an intertwined story of two very different artist from different timelines. Modern artist Morgan has just got out of prison and is need of a job and is offered an amazing opportunity to revive a mural work in a rural town. As she works she learn more about the original artist and her time spent in the town,. The story gives us the POV of both women and their lives in this town.

This is mostly an emotional, historical reading deals with so many heavy issues starting from racism, women equality, abuse, mental illness but is also questions family bounds, secrets, love and meaning of the life.