I enjoy Diane Chamberlain's books and felt honored to be given this ARC for my opinion. This book was written with two main characters, one in 1940 and the other in 2018. The story takes place in the art field and depicts how these two lives were intertwined over a 60+ year span.

Each character was well developed and the story was believable and well written. I became immersed with them from the start and could empathize with their situations. A very engaging read. If you like this author, you will love this book. If you have never read her, this is a great book to start with.

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?



My Thoughts: Alternating narratives reveal the dual timeline stories and keep the reader on the hook as more and more layers are peeled back.

We start with Anna Dale, in the 1940s, and her challenge to finish the mural to be displayed in the Edenton Post Office. Even though she has won the contest fair and square, she is bombarded with prejudice and challenges that soon seemingly overwhelm her…until one fateful night when violence strikes and changes her life forever. Racial prejudice walks hand in hand with the other difficulties she faces.

Flash forward to 2018, when Morgan Christopher is unexpectedly offered the opportunity to early parole from prison in order to take on the task of restoring Anna Dale’s piece, one that is buried beneath grime, not to mention some very strange images that seemingly tell a disturbing tale. Not only is she given an almost impossible task, the deadline must coincide with the gallery opening.

Will Morgan finish the task? What will she uncover beneath the layers of filth and secrets? What will she learn about Anna Dale and the original secrets and lies just waiting to be told?

I loved how Big Lies in a Small Town unfolded, and despite clues, I was blown away by all we learned about that small town and the people who would do anything to hide their secrets. 5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Let me start by saying when I first started reading this book I did not think I would like it. This book is about a women who starts a mural for a small town post office and intertwines the life of a women 68 years later hired to restore that mural. This is my first Diane Chamberlain book and it won't be my last. The story moves quickly and keeps you guessing. I would definitely recommend this book.

Here is another author that I could read every day! I absolutely love her stories for there diversity and drama. This book will get you int he beginning and never let its hooks out of you until the very end. I could not put this down I just had to finish it! I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants something new to read.

Even though I own another 3 books by Diane Chamberlain, this is the first book I read by the author. I foresee picking up the others in the very near future.

I really enjoyed her writing style. The fluidity between Anna/Morgan and past/present was flawless. Every possible lose end was eventually explained and you NEVER imagine how the story was going to unfold.

I really enjoyed reading it. I foresee recommending this book to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Diane Chamberlain for the advanced copy of this book!

Diane Chamberlain is a prolific author, but I’ve only read a handful of her books. For the most part, I’ve enjoyed them. In this story, we have Morgan Christopher serving prison time for a crime she didn’t commit when she’s offered a “get out of jail free” card. She’s been picked to restore a 1939 mural, designed for the Edenton post office but never hung. What makes it problematic is that despite being an artist, she has no experience with art restoration and the two things are really totally different. Plus, she’s under a deadline that makes no sense.

The story is told from the 2018 perspective of Morgan and the 1939 one of Anna Dale, the artist of the mural. The mural is definitely unique and hints at stories untold.

Chamberlain employs short chapters and alternates between the two story lines to keep the pace up and the reader engaged. Both main characters are interesting, strong women and I enjoyed both storylines. There were twists I didn’t see coming. Parts of the ending strain credibility but it didn’t dampen my enjoyment.

Chamberlain tackles the racism of the earlier time and does it in a believable fashion. Make sure to read her Acknowledgements which explains the help she was given.

This was probably my favorite of her books that I’ve read and will ensure I read more of her work. It was so compelling that I read it in a single day.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

In 1940 Anna Dale had been won a competition to paint a post office mural. She had hoped to do it in her home town, but instead she was told her mural would be hung in the Edenton, NC Post Office. In order to understand the essence of the southern town, she made what she thought would be a practical move to Edenton and began work on the mural. As a result, circumstances changed her life in a way she would not have imagined possible.

When readers first meet Morgan Christopher the year is 2018 and she is in prison for a crime she did not commit. Her art career will have to wait. Suddenly she is offered an early release that comes with a condition. She is to restore an old mural. Even though she has no experience in restoration and no idea why it has been stipulated that she is the one to do this, she accepts the offer. In way over her head, Morgan accepts help from an unlikely source and begins work on the mural. Gradually, the mural takes on a life of it's own. There are disturbing depictions that don't make sense. Morgan has questions. Who was Anna Dale and what became of her?

Told in alternating voices during two different times, the author skillfully guides readers through the past and the present. The past is superimposed on the present. Expertly woven are the complex characters and their secrets. Their stories are engrossing, each with distinct life altering moments. With a steady pace the mystery of the story behind the mural deepens. The author brings it all together with a link to the past and a memorable ending.

I found this book to be masterfully written and well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and St. Martin's

Not my favorite of hers (Hello, Dream Daughter!) but a very solid story from Diane Chamberlain. It did take me about 100-150 pages to get into it, but as things started coming together I was totally invested. I read this in less than a day.... her writing is magnificent, and overall this is just a captivating story. Would recommend to fans of hers for sure!

Title: Big Lies in a Small Town
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arla Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Big Lies in a Small Town" by Diane Chamberlain

My Rationalization:

All I can say is what an excellent compelling, engaging, emotional, riveting, read 'Big Lies in a Small Town' was that this author gives to the reader. I loved how well this author's writing style provides us with a read that presents the past and present [alternating viewpoints, timeline] in this well-written story with some well-developed characters. Indeed Morgan Christopher's [2018] and Anna Dale's story [1940] was very intriguing that will keep you engrossed, turning the pages to see what was coming next as you read, seeing how the story comes together. I like how this connection with the mural on a wall in Edenton, North Caroline that bring out prejudices, small-town secrets, conspiracies, violence, murder and then disappearance.'

I found all of the questions answered as to just why Jesse would seek out Morgan and help her and to why was this 70-year-old mural canvas so significant for the opening of his gallery. I enjoyed seeing how this truth that was present changes her life in the struggles that she has gone through as she does try to make amends.

By the end of reading this historical fiction story, the reader is given quite an exciting read that is centered around art, artists, and its history. As we are given a little bit of it all from some 'mystery, art, racial tension, women's equality, abuse, lies, mental illness, family bonds, secrets, love and oh yes, a little bit of romance' involving two strong women.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is only the third novel of Diane Chamberlain's that I have read, but I wish I could just dedicate all my time to reading the rest of her novels. (That wouldn't be fair to everyone else though!) I just know that whatever else her name is on just has to be great!

The entire story was really interesting. Both characters were easy to feel sympathetic toward. As the story unfolded, there were a lot of surprises. I only was able to guess one thing, but everything else I didn't see coming at all. I really liked the way the story came together and how the mural played into everything and connected Morgan to Anna's truth.

This novel was really well written and captivating, but that's not a surprise knowing who the author is. I couldn't put it down and now I can't wait for it to be published so that others can share in my reading experience. I already am eagerly awaiting whatever Diane comes up with next!

Movie casting suggestions:
Morgan: Elle Fanning
Oliver: Liam Aiken
Anna: Alexis G. Zall
Jesse: Niles Fitch
Pauline: Bella Thorne
Martin: Sam Heughan
Lisa: Regina King

In 1940, Anna Dale wins an art contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton NC. When she goes down there from New Jersey to get a feel for the town and decide what to paint, she discovers that a local artist by the name of Matin Drapple also entered the contest, and she was chosen over him. Many in the town are bitter about that fact, and about the fact that a northerner will be the one painting their mural. Anna continues to stir up trouble when she enlists the help of some of the local high school art students and one of those students is a black male. Rumors start that Anna and the teenager are in an illicit relationship together and Anna discovers just how deep prejudices run in small southern towns in the 40's.

In present day, Morgan Christopher is released from prison, where she is currently serving time for paralyzing a girl in a DUI accident. She has been named in the will of a well-known artist, who has a mural that she is to restore for a gallery opening. Morgan was an art major in college before the DUI, but knows nothing about art restoration. Since restoring the mural is a condition of her release she has to learn, and learn quickly. As she starts working on the mural, she uncovers some disturbing things painted on it which make her want to dig into the artist's past and find out what would possibly make her want to paint those unsettling images into the mural.

I could not put this book down. The story was told in alternating parts between Morgan and Anna, so as Morgan uncovered new bits of the mural you were reading about things that happened in the past. It was a wonderful mix of fiction & suspense, and the twist at the end brought it to a perfect conclusion. I highly recommend this excellent read!

Morgan Christopher is astonished to be released from jail early at the behest of Jesse Jameson Williams, an artist whose work she’d always admired, but she’s mystified why he’d choose her—a former art student with no experience in restoration—to restore a mural by an unknown artist.

Anna Dale is elated to be chosen as a muralist by a federal agency in 1940. Escaping recent personal tragedy, she travels to Edenton, NC, the site of her mural. She’s persuaded to stay, mainly welcomed by the small city’s residents, whose lives she’s drawn into.

Under curator Oliver’s tutelage, Morgan discovers she loves restoration work, but she makes unsettling discoveries, which lead to more questions. Why did Anna Dale disappear? Why did Jesse Williams want to feature her work in his gallery? And why did he choose Morgan to do the work?

Told in the alternating points of view of Morgan and Anna, this story is a riveting mystery, historical, and romance all wrapped up together. Chamberlain accurately portrays 1940 life (with its flaws and prejudices) in a southern town, and creates two sympathetic protagonists in Morgan and Anna. #NetGalley #BigLiesInASmallTown

This wasn't my favorite D Chamberlain book, but it was still a really good read... 4.5 stars altogether.

I became invested in Anna's world the same way Morgan, in the book, did. In fact, both main characters are extremely well developed and both storylines kept me glued to the pgs and up until the wee hours of the morning. It took me 3 days in all to complete. I really appreciate how the ending wrapped up the loose ends, like what ended up happening to Anna and why Jesse chose Morgan in the first place. I could have done without the epilogue and it's sorta-cliffhanger, but I know others will enjoy that aspect of it, leaving a little tidbit of the unknown.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced PDF so that I can share my opinions with y'all

Big Lies in a Small Town is a gem of a book! I was so surprised by this one. I was able to form a connection to all of the characters and just could not put this book down.I had forgotten how great of a storyteller Diane Chamberlain is. Told in dual timelines we meet Anna and Morgan. Two women who have to face many challenges years apart. Anna from the 1940’s has been chosen to paint a mural to hang in a post office in a small town in North Carolina where prejudice runs deep and there are many secrets to be kept. Morgan, living in 2018, has just been released early from prison to to restore an old post office mural from a small town in North Carolina. Once Morgan unrolls the mural she is determined to figure out the secrets it has kept for so many years.

“Big Lies in a Small Town” is a realistic and sometimes heartbreaking historical fiction / mystery. Two different timelines and several very different people are linked by their love of art and a mysterious mural.

Anna is a lovable young artist, rumored to have lost her mind while painting the mural for the town post office. Jesse is a young black student that is assigned to help her, during a time filled with prejudice. And their taboo relationship doesn’t sit well with the narrow-minded residents of the small North Carolina town.

So much mystery surrounds the strange mural that never makes it onto the post office wall. The story of it’s disappearance and reappearance, so many years later, make for a unique read. We see some of the uglier sides of human nature..ugly rumors and misconceptions that tear the close-knit community apart.

Told in the past—1939 / 1940—and the present, I found both narratives evenly irresistible. A lot of the subject matter is disturbing, but the story is told so beautifully, I didn’t want to put it down!

This is another hit by Ms. Chamberlain! I’ve only read one of her previous books—“The Dream Daughter”—and I loved it! So when I had the opportunity to grab this one, I didn’t think twice. She has a unique writing style that not only pulls me in, but makes me feel connected to her wonderful characters.

I highly recommend this wonderful book and author!

<b>My Rating:</b> 5 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> January 14th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
<b>Pages:</b> 400

<b>Recommended:</b> Absolutely!

#BigLiesInASmallTown #NetGalley #MustRead
@D_Chamberlain @StMartinsPress

My review can be found on: Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and BookBub.
It will be added to Amazon and BN.com when published.

A totally gripping story that I had to read in one sitting once I started it. The jacket description sounded good, but the story!!!! Diane Chamberlain moves between present day and 1940 where two artists not connected but anything except chance, find themselves pulled into a project that will test them and the reader to get through small town politics and lies. BIG lies. I'm already planning which of my friends should read this. My gift to them will be to not spill the ending...this is truly a great book.

As is always the case with anything Diane Chamberlain writes, I couldn't put this book down! Each of her books seems better than the last.
Morgan Christopher is a young artist serving time in a North Carolina prison, taking the rap for her former boyfriend. She is approached by a woman and her attorney insisting that Morgan must come to Edenton to restore an old post office mural. They promise that they can get her out on parole and even pay her for her work. Morgan's not sure it's something she is capable of doing, but if she can get out, it's worth it.
On the other side of the coin back in 1940, we get to follow the story of Anna Dale, the artist who painted the original work.
Secrets and truths emerge as the story continues and takes a dramatic turn.

Told in the past and present, this story is about two young artists, Anna and Morgan, and a commissioned mural. I loved the writing and the flow of the story. Sometimes books told in the past and present can be clunky, but that was not the case here. Diane Chamberlain does a beautiful job of intertwining two beautiful and well-researched stories. Both Anna and Morgan are strong leading characters who persevere with passion and grit.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m so happy that I received an ARC of Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. I haven’t read a book by this author yet, but this won’t be my last.

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher is in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. She gets bailed out by the daughter of a local artist, Jesse Jameson Williams, who before his death helped troubled artists get their lives on track and art careers started. There are conditions to her parole, the main one being that she needs to restore a mural painted in 1940, which will be hung in Jesse Williams’ art museum in Edenton, North Carolina – a small town with a history. This museum is opening in two months, and Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she agrees.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, a young artist from New Jersey has just won a national contest to paint a post office mural in Edenton, North Carolina. Her mother has recently passed away, and since she is basically alone she moves to Edenton while working on the mural. Not knowing much about Edenton, Anna starts to get to know the locals to see how they would like their town represented in the mural. She enlists the help of two young students, one white and one black, which leads to many prejudices in this small town being revealed.

I loved how this story was told from both Anna’s and Morgan’s perspectives, and the fact that I loved both stories was great. Normally, when books are told like this, I prefer one story to the other, but not in this case. The two women’s stories blend perfectly together in the way the story is told, and I was enthralled right from the beginning. I loved Anna’s story of painting the mural while she learns to survive in the South in 1940, and I loved Morgan’s story of restoring the mural while she learns to live with a past she isn’t proud of.

I was invested from page one of this book and loved seeing how it would progress. Chamberlain did a great job of drawing the reader in and wrote a beautiful story where I felt transported to Edenton. I look forward to reading more of her books. The way she brought everything together at the end was great. My only complaint, if you can call it that, was the epilogue which left me wanting more closure. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher’s description: 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?

************
I can’t believe that I am just now discovering Diane Chamberlain. “Big Lies in a Small Town” is my first by this prolific author, and it will definitely not be my last. Told from the two points of view of Morgan in 2018 and Anna in 1940, this story captured me from the very beginning. Edenton, North Carolina, is your classic small town, where everyone is up in everybody else’s business and everyone has their secrets. The characters have so much depth, and the author did such a great job placing the reader in the town. The chapters are short, so it makes it feel like you’re getting through the book quickly, but the dialogue and the descriptions give you that slow southern small-town vibe. And I loved how everything came together at the end. This was truly an amazing journey worth taking. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be available for purchase on January 14, 2020.