I loved this book and have been a long time fan of Diane Chamberlain's. Her writing style is so detailed and sucks you right in every time! I loved how this book went back and forth between the past and present and the story got more deep as it progressed. I will recommend this book to our book club and friends for sure. Another winner for Diane!

Amazing. Fascinating. Heartfelt. The story of Anna years ago and Morgan present day are intertwined with Morgan restoring a mural once painted by Anna with some very odd elements discovered in the painting. Why were these disturbing things there in an otherwise representational mural of a small town? Why did Anna seem to fall off the face of re earth? Why was Morgan chosen for the restoration? Those are just a few of the elements making this a memorable read the relationships of the characters and the social climate add more layers. One fabulous book
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc.

Ok, it was very hard for me to get into this book. It didn't lure me in like most thrillers. I'd like to say I completed this book, however I did not.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2883187420

This story is told between 2 different time periods - 2018 & 1940.

2018 is the story of Morgan. Morgan starts out in jail for a crime she was part of but did not commit.

1940 is the story of Anna. Anna is an artist chosen to paint the mural for Edenton, NC post office.

Morgan, while in jail, is made an offer to restore the mural by Anna in exchange for time served. Morgan becomes infatuated with learning everything she can about Anna. Eventually the two stories intersect.

I thought the story was a little too long but very well told but hey, it's Diane Chamberlain, the master story teller.

Bigs Lies in a Small Town is so good. Thank you Diane Chamberlain for yet another wonderful story. It Is gripping and you pull for the characters and you just cannot put it down until it's finished.

Told from two points of view and in two different times (present and 1939-40) this story unfolds in a small southern town. Morgan is presented with a surprising and seemingly impossible task, restoring a huge mural in a short time.

As she begins this new job she's weary and unsure, but along the way she learns about the original artist and in turn, also learns about herself.

Highly recommend this book for anyone looking for their next favourite book.

Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in return for an honest review.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. In typical Diane Chamberlain fashion, the reader is drawn into the character's stories separately and it all comes together at the end. She is the master of feel-good mysteries!

The story alternates between Anna, a young artist commissioned to do a mural for a small down in the 1940's, and Morgan, a young wanna-be artist who is asked to restore said mural in current times. Both characters are likable and relateable, despite their flaws. Chamberlain does a good job of weaving in minor characters and giving you enough information to empathize with them as well without making the story too complex.

I rarely give out 5 star ratings and was thinking of what I wish was better, but ultimately couldn't think of anything I would change. Would strongly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A+ mystery, F romance, and one huge plot hole that I’m willing to ignore because the rest was so good.

Recommended: yup!
For fans of dual narrative, for fans of social-intrigue kind of mysteries, for a well-done blend of then-and-now storylines that weave together. Must be able to suspend disbelief for one serious plot hole, and be aware the romance is weakly developed

Thoughts:
The feeling of doom that hung over this was critical in its success. You don’t know what happened to Anna, but you have a feeling the answer is nothing good. Without that foreknowledge of her insanity, the first half of this book would read as though nothing was really happening. For some, that may still be the case, but trust me: once you’re about halfway, events start happening quite quickly and with significant urgency.

Having dual narratives can be a tricky angle to work, but Diane fit them like a charm. Cliffhangers on one led you into the answer on the other, and little clues between the two of them helped put the full story together. I was impressed with how they built upon each other instead of taking away from each other. Admittedly I liked Anna’s story FAR more, but there were entertaining bits of Morgan’s side, too.

Ok, I gotta say it though, the “romance” was not only unimpressive, but uncomfortable. The three main Moments of Romance were:
1. Morgan telling her guy “I would have given anything to have a dad like you,”
2. a hug she “could only describe as brotherly,”
3. and at the final confession dude tells her he loves her, “and not as a big brother.” The consistent references to him as a male family member were weird for someone with male family members. Even besides that, it was weakly developed at best, and didn’t feel like it added much to the story besides giving Morgan that someone-who-loves-me point in her life. Which also annoyed me, because did she have literally zero friends? She says her parents never loved her and neither did her boyfriend. Girl – there are other relationships besides parents and boyfriends.

That was one aspect holding it back from 5 stars, but more significantly was the way Morgan’s main barrier of time and inexperience was addressed–or, perhaps, completely ignored rather than being at all addressed. I was very frustrated with the way this issue was brought up multiple times, and then suddenly not an issue. More than anything else, that made it hard to really be immersed in the story, which kept it from hitting the fabled five.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Big Lies in a Small Town#NetGalley
Diane Chamberlain ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this new novel by Diane Chamberlain. This is her 3rd novel I have read and I definitely am a fan of her writing. Her books all touch on the family, relations, life’s trials and tribulations with a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. Her latest novel, Big Lies in a Small Town is set in the South in a small town full of racial tensions, that has not accepted the mixing of the 2 races. The story alternates between 1940 and 2018. It is easy to follow the changing of the time periods. Diane Chamberlain’s writing style is so easy to follow and everything just flows along. The complete mystery is not revealed until the end of the book and it’s a very satisfying ending. This is an author I follow and look forward to each new book she publishes. This book definitely ranks as one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Diane Chamberlain strikes again with a wonderful story. This one involves two artists decades apart. In the present day, Morgan is in prison for a DWI where someone was injured. She is released on parole to restore a mural that was painted in 1940 by Anna, a young artist who won the opportunity to paint a mural to be placed in the Post Office of Edenton. We learn a lot about these two women and their lives. This author is a master at character development. As the mural is restored and strange things show up in the original painting, we learn how alike these women really are. This is a must read. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book for my opinion.

I am honored to have had the chance to read this book before it’s published. Honestly, it was just that good! From the prolog until the last page, it gripped me. Rich, believable characters draw you into to the artistic worlds of Anna/Jesse and Morgan/Oliver. Told by two narrators, one from the 1940’s and from from 2018. Sometimes you have to face your past, forgive yourself and move on. Do not miss this masterpiece from Diane Chamberlain

Interesting and different.. I like the mural story as it unwinds. We have the history and every other chapter tells the story of the restoration and the restorer. So 2 stories in one book. I like how the author ties if all together at the end. Well done!

This book grabbed my attention from the very first page. The stories of both main characters, Megan and Anna, are very interesting and I came to care about both of them. The mural at the center of the story was fascinating as it is revealed one section at a time. I have read all of Diane Chamberlain's books and for me this was one of her best!

This mystery kept me engrossed until the very end. It was well written, flowed well and had a great storyline. The characters were so well described and I think it would make a great movie.
Morgan is in prison, but has the chance of getting out if she agrees to restore a mural for the small town of Edenton. As it involves art, which is her dream, she accepts. When she finally gets to see the mural she is shocked at its condition and feels that she cannot take on this huge project, but slowly she uncovers the secrets held under the layers of peeling paint, and the story that the picture tells.

Diane Chamberlain is a great author and I love her books. This one did not disappoint me. This is an awesome book! I got into it from page 1 until the end.

I really loved this book. There were so many things that made it worth reading and I really loved the details that Ms. Chamberlain threw in. Put this one on your TBR list, you won't regret it!

This was my third book from the author and I think I will place it in between the other two, not my favourite (the dream daughter will probably retain this position for a long time) but I probably loved it better than Cypres point.

As always Diane Chamberlain is very good at portraying characters that I will remember for a long time, they have their own stories and personalities and they are likable and relatable. This is her strong point, in my opinion, that makes her book a pleasure to read, even if I have to admit after my third novel that I'd like them a little shorter. There wasn't any place where the story dragged or went out of the plot, but still it was a very slow read.

In the end I was left satisfied, the conclusion being sweet and neatly tied up, exactly as I expected (that doesn't mean I had everything sorted out before I read it, just that I knew things will be tied up in a good way because I know the author likes them that way!). The last chapters were impossible to put down, even if I wasn't suprised by how things unfolded I still needed to read!

I would recommended to people like me who can appreciate a slow burner and don't need to be suprised by the ending as long as it's sweet, happy and a bit moving.

I loved this book!!! Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint. I loved the story from the past and the story of the present. I loved how the stories were brought together. I cant wait for this book to come out because my patrons will love it.

Recently I have discovered I enjoy books that are written in a dual timeline format and Big Lies in a Small Town didn't disappoint. The story started when Anna Dale won an art contest back in 1939 and was commissioned to paint a mural that was to hang in the Edenton Post Office. Then we meet Morgan Christopher, a recent parolee that was chosen to restore Anna's mural in time for the grand opening of a recently deceased artist. This was my first book by the author Diane Chamberlain and you can bet it won't be my last. I loved the story, and the characters, and the ending had a nice little twist, too.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance e-reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I LOVED it! I was immediately intrigued by the alternating chapters: one telling the story of an artist who painted a mural in 1940 and the other a art student hired to restore the same mural in 2018. The mural holds some secrets, both literally and figuratively.

Review also posted on GoodReads

Past and present entwine in a rich and compelling novel glittering with Diane Chamberlain's hallmark signatures of character and poignancy. The heartbeat of this story is its suspense, but what will linger in the reader's mind are its wonderfully nuanced characters.