I have really enjoyed every Diane Chamberlain book I have read, and this one did not disappoint. They usually touch on some societal issues, and this one scratched the racial surface, but not in a beat you over the head way. It is a well-researched work of historical fiction set in the South, and the story is told in alternating timelines from the past and present. Her characters were fully developed, and I enjoyed the strong women characters. Small town settings always appeal to me, and I particularly enjoyed the storyline of restoring a piece of art. The storyline felt true to me, and I could envision the time and place the story was set. Another winner by Chamberlain.

I did receive a review copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Another fully engrossing winner by Diane Chamberlain! I was totally captivated by both stores and timelines and thought the author did a wonderful job with each and all together! I felt all the feeling and loved this one!

This light mystery had two main characters, both women, years apart, a mural, the thread that ties them together.

Anna, the past timeline character, is a woman artist who wins the post of painting a town mural. She’s strong and independent in a time when single woman were still not normally in positions of power or leadership. And certainly in a small town, where the beloved local painter didn’t win the post, there is much animosity that Anna must work through. The mural was never provided to the town and Anna went missing, leaving a mystery that has yet been unsolved.

Morgan, the current timeline character, has made poor decisions that have taken away her ability to have control over her own life. She is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to clean and restore the mural that Anna had originally painted, under very specific circumstances.

As she works on the restoration, she uncovers the secrets that surround Anna’s disappearance.

The story is intriguing, a light mystery that beings with questions surrounding why Morgan would be offered this opportunity, grows into what happened to Anna and end with a resolution to both. The characters are well developed. Anna was very likable and I connected to her right away. Morgan, less so.

I tried not to run ahead of the storyline to guess what might be happening, although that was a bit hard as the storyline often plodded along with no real urgency.

I felt that overall, it was a decent story, but didn’t require the length to tell it.

Thank you to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

As usual, Diane Chamberlain creates a character-driven story with complex moral dilemmas. I read the book within 48 hrs. Highly recommended.

Fantastic. Exactly what I have come to expect from Diane Chamberlain. This is a story of redemption and love and family. Could not stop reading it!

I was given an Arc by NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read several Diane Chamberlain books and enjoyed them. I liked this one, it’s told in two different timelines and was a suspenseful mystery, well written.
I recommend reading this one.

I can't believe this is my first book by Diane Chamberlain! I have a couple of her novels on my Kindle but time and massive TBR piles keep getting in my way. I was drawn to this book right off the bat as historical fiction is my jam, and I love dual narratives and timelines. I also love art and stories about artists and their process, so I enjoyed how vividly those aspects were captured both in Anna painting the post office mural as part of the New Deal Public Works of Art Project, and in Morgan's restoration of Anna's work decades later. I am impressed with the research that the author did on these subjects, as well as the local history of the very real Edenton, North Carolina. I always say that the best historical fiction has me Googling the historical events surrounding it, and Chamberlain had me reading all sorts of extra information.

Character-wise, she pulled me into these two young women's lives immediately, both are lost and at a crossroads, and both have tragedy in their pasts. I found myself happy to flip back and forth in the chapter perspectives, equally interested in both story lines. There was enough tension built in wondering what happened to Anna that I sped through the book and didn't want to stop reading it, but I wanted to savor it too. I also liked how well Diane Chamberlain tied the stories together, particularly at the end of the book. My only very minor complaint is that the ending and epilogue had me wanting even more of both women's stories. That's testament to how much I enjoyed Big Lies in a Small Town. I would recommend it to any fans of historical fiction, southern-set fiction, art, and mystery fans. I am going to be investigating Chamberlain's The Silent Sister next as, it's on my Kindle and ready to go.

As usual, Diane Chamberlain managed to grab me, I love good dual timeline, and this one didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the basis of the story, based around a mural.
It's hard not to give the story away and when it all gets tied together, you can't help but be impressed with the authors sheer talent to tell a story and one that captures so many readers.

This is my first Diane Chamberlain book, but it definitely will not be my last!

I absolutely loved Big Lies In a Small Town! What a beautifully sad story. The way Diane weaved the two stories of Morgan and Anna had me sucked in from the beginning. The book is so poignant, especially now with racism and the forefront. These two woman are brought together through a piece of art, finding it hard to finish with the many challenges they find in a town filled secrets and lies.

There is so much more to this story, but I never want to give anything away in my reviews. I highly recommended this book to anyone, it is beautiful written and Diane did a great job with the sensitive nature of the many topics in this book.

Diane Chamberlain writes excellent books, and this one is no exception. This book takes place in the present, with journal entries from Anna Dale taking place in 1940. In the present timeline, Morgan has been released from prison under the condition that she restores an old mural from 1940 (painted by Anna). She has a tight timeline and no experience with restoration. It seems impossible, but she's up for the challenge.

In 1940, Anna has no family and is now living in Edenton, North Carolina. Coming from the north, she is unaccustomed to the way the South works... which results in trouble for her at times.

Without going into the ending, this one captured my interest even though I figured out what would happen. It was predictable, but still enjoyable.

In the past a girl named Anna is chosen over a local artist to paint a mural on the post office wall. To make matters worse she also chooses an African American boy Jesse to help her. This does not set well with the town and soon the people start talking and taking sides. The town, Anna, and Jesse all have secrets of their own which carry over to the present lives of Jesse's daughter and a troubled art student named Morgan who is serving a sentence in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Morgan must restore the mural or else Jesse's daughter may lose everything.

Ms. Chamberlain does a great job of weaving the past and present lives of a small town. The story is told from multiple points of view and the reader finds themselves on the edge of their seat wanting to know what happens to the mural, Jesse, and Anna. The past and the present stories are very well connected and their are no gaps in the storyline.

Diane Chamberlain's' books are not really my choice genre, but sometimes I need to read a book of hers just to get balance in my life. Her books are so beautifully written, full of love and sympathy with the characters that the reader is left with a sense of true satisfaction and warmth inside. This book was another brilliant offering by a very talented author, and I can't wait to read the next one by Diane. Highly recommended.
TB

This book is a great book, the author describes the life of a famous past artist and a modern day artist, with such great detail that you feel like you are living with them. Anna the artist in earlier times is dealing with prejudice in the south. She is originally from the North and doesn't deal with the same type of issues. She is from the 1940's and the more modern artist Morgan is following Anna painting and restoring the art. The use of past and comparing to the present is well written, I could not put this book down.

What a fantastic book!
Diane chamberlain created a flawless back and forth between 1939/1940 and 2018.

Truly a beautiful story, addicting, and so heart warming.

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

This was a historical story of the past coming back to the present. A story about an artist who is freed from prison by a dead man who sets her on an impossible project to resurrect a town mural. Morgan is set in a small town to restore an old mural in exchange for a release from jail. She accepts the offer and is soon finding herself learning about the past and secrets of the small town she is now residing in.

This was a fantastic mystery and thriller that was well written and weaved together. Recommended for all fans of mysteries, thrillers and Diane Chamberlain.

Diane Chamberlain books are the BEST! Such rich characters and great storylines. #netgalley #bigliesinasmalltown

This started out rather slow and it wasn't until well past the half way mark that I felt invested in the characters. I'm glad I listened to it as an audiobook, rather than read it on my Kindle. I probably would have DNF'ed it and by sticking to it, I was entertained.

Fantastic 5 star Read, a story that pulled me in at the start and spat me out spent at the end, cracking read, really was

I have read many of Diane Chamberlain’s books and whilst I enjoyed this one, I did not find it had the same sense of urgency or intrigue as others I’ve previously read. The dual timelines was easy to follow and gave insights into the two main female characters.

What a book! I enjoy reading about small town drama and was intrigued because of the mystery aspect. How these two women’s lives intertwine was brilliantly written. Chamberlain does a great job sucking you into both stories, and by the very first chapter I was hooked.

This is the second book I’ve read by Diane Chamberlain and I still can’t decide if I like this or The Dream Daughter better. I love how this book read as a historical fiction, weaving dual timelines perfectly together, and introducing me to some interesting information about art restoration. The characters were all well-developed, where some you are rooting for and some are quite infuriating. As things occur, I really wondered what I would do in the situation and had no clue how the lives of these women would end up. There were some issues regarding race and mental health that were touched on, with elements of friendship, overcoming mistakes, and even romance. Overall a very well-rounded book and I feel it would appeal to everyone. I would definitely recommend to others, especially for a book club since it contains lots of good topics for discussion. The author is a great writer and I will definitely be reading more of her books.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.