From New York Times bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes a novel of chilling intrigue, a decades-old disappearance, and one woman’s quest to find the truth… “A novel about arts and secrets…grippingly told…pulls readers toward a shocking conclusion.”–People magazine, Best New Books North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher’s life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did … life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, her dream of a career in art is put on hold–until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will get her released from prison immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to be free, 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 in great need of 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?
“Chamberlain, a master storyteller, keeps readers hooked, with a story line that leavens history and social commentary with romance and mystery.”–Lexington Dispatch
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Couldn’t stop reading! Diane throws in the BEST twists and turns. I can’t even share what I loved best without giving something away. Just read it. Trust me.
Wow, what a story told by two main characters 78 years apart. I was so captivated that I read 60% of the book in one day. Every moment I could I was stealing time to read a few pages here and there until I could sit down with the book and read until the end.
As I read, I would forget that both Anna Dale and Morgan were only in their early twenties’ They both seemed so much older. They both experienced such tragedies at a young age that forever changed their futures. I don’t think I had that much bravery at their age.
Big Lies in a Small Town has a few triggers for sensitive readers. It deals with mental illness, alcoholism, rape, suicide, and foul language (the F word). Everything pertained to the story and made it the excellent book it is.
This book is available from your favorite retailer on January 14, 2020. I am already getting it for my mama to read.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
I’m going to keep this one short and sweet because doing anything else would lessen how much I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
First I need to admit this is my first book by this amazing author… I know, where have I been??? The minute I read the synopsis for this book I KNEW I HAD to read it and OH MY STARS what a story this is!!!
It’s a story full of history, drama, angst, horrific treatment of people and consequences of actions and a JAW DROPPING ending!!!
I can honestly admit I’m now on a mission to read so many more of Ms. Chamberlain’s books because her storytelling is gripping in its intensity and I can’t wait to read more of her books!!
I’m a huge Diane Chamberlain fan (NECESSARY LIES is one of my all-time favorite books) and I tore through an advanced reader copy of her latest, BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN.
The fascinating premise is told through the perspectives of two strong female artists struggling–80 years apart–to move beyond prejudice, loss, and bad circumstances. Their lives connect through one piece of art, but why?
What happened to Anna, the artist commissioned to paint the mural in 1940? Why did she disappear? And why must Morgan, a young art student in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, restore it? And where has the mural been for 80 years? Even more intriguing, why are the separate threads connected through the bequest of a famous, black southern artist?
Read it and find out!
I am a huge fan of this author. She can get me out of any reading slump, and rejuvenate my love of reading. Her writing is flawless, her stories unique. Again, this book did not disappoint.
Told in dual timelines…one from the 1940s and one current day. Anna is an artist, just awarded a bid to sketch and paint a mural in a small southern town. Morgan is a young woman who made a horrendous mistake and is incarcerated. She is given a get-out-of-jail card that she cannot refuse. All along, you are wondering how these two lives intersect. Chamberlain, in her gifted way, unwraps this story piece by piece, making this book flow easily and unable to put down. You are totally vested in both stories, whether it’s the inequality of the South in the 40s or the injustice of the court system, both still going on current day. The characters are likable, flawed and totally realistic. Both storylines are time appropriate given the time and settings. I was disappointed when the book ended, as I wanted to know more and wasn’t ready for Morgan’s story to be over.
If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t read this author, I highly recommend you start. Dream Daughter is still my favorite, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced page turner that does not disappoint.
I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about this book; it’s probably now my favorite read of the year. It kept me up way past my bedtime to finish it; submerged in a story of an artist from the 1940s to the current story in 2018. All wrapped up in a nice surprise at the end. It was so so good!! Thanks to Goodreads and St Martins Press for the ARC.
The town of Edenton, North Carolina is front and centre of this dual timeline novel and what a surprisingly gripping historical mystery it is.
Morgan Christopher, once an art student is in jail for a crime she didn’t commit, when she is released on bail to restore a post office mural in time for the opening of a gallery in Edenton. She has no training on restoration and has a short deadline to complete it or she faces returning to jail. She sets to work on the mural and as she cleans and restores it, the painting reveals more than she expected.
Anna Dale, a young talented artist wins a contest in 1940 to paint the mural for the Edenton Post Office and we follow her story. Coming from the north near New York, she confronts prejudices and secrets in the small town. She disappears and so does the mural until it turns up in 2018 for Morgan to restore and the questions mount throughout the book until we reach the satisfying climactic end.
The prologue opens with three black children discovering a dead white man setting the scene for a deliciously slow unveiling. I so enjoyed this book, particularly the last half and was unable to put it down. The character development of Anna and Morgan was very well done. The two find themselves and each other with art.
Chamberlain does an amazing job with both timelines and her research into the real town and its history, good and bad, was very enlightening. Both stories are compelling and heart-breaking fully engaging the reader from start to finish.
You won’t be disappointed reading this one and I’d heartily recommend it.
Excellent! I so enjoyed this book. Some predictability but a satisfying read even when you can connect the dots. I love this author’s storytelling.
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is an intriguing story. I like how the story is laid out in the two different timelines. As Morgan Christopher works on the mural, we get to follow Anna as she works on creating it. It was interesting learning about the mural competition along with what it took to create a mural and restore one. This is the first novel I have read by Diane Chamberlain and it will not be my last. I thought it was well-written with developed characters and a lovely, Southern setting. The descriptions allowed me to imagine the setting and the characters. I could picture the small Southern town with its “powerful” men (to me they were overweight men who were indulging the little lady) and uptight ladies who did not appreciate Anna’s unique artistic ways. I felt for Morgan who took the rap for a crime she did not commit because love led her astray. I thought the author captured the feel of the south in the 1940s. I found it humorous how scandalized people were when Anna wore trousers. I liked the two mysteries in the story. We wonder what happened to Anna and why was Morgan chosen to restore the mural. I became engrossed in the story because I was eager to learn the answers. There is some offensive language along with violence (murder, violence against a female) as well as racism and alcoholism (so you are forewarned). I enjoyed how it all came together in the end (just as I hoped it would). Big Lies in a Small Town was a fascinating story with an ending that did not disappoint.
I love Diane Chamberlain’s books and this one does not disappoint. The fact that the story is based in Edenton, NC was a delightful surprise. I spent many days in this lovely small town in Eastern North Carolina during the late 70’s and early 80’s. I fell in love with the town and many of the landmarks mentioned in the story were ones I recognized from the time I spent in Edenton.
I really enjoyed the back-and-forth time periods. While this can be confusing in some books, the author does a wonderful job of melding the stories so that you are pulled into the two stories from the different time periods and how they are connected.
Such a well written book and a delightful story that has you holding your breath and wondering what will happen on the next page. You will not be disappointed from the first page you turn and how the book will draw you into the lives of the two main characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait for the next book Diane Chamberlain will write.
This is one of my favorite Diane Chamberlain novels. I cared so much about the main characters, I told my husband about them. It’s hard not to cheer for a female artist in the1940s south, facing sexism and oppression despite her talent. I also loved the modern character who gets released from prison in order to restore a mural created by the artist from the 1940s. It’s very interesting learning about each of their stories and trying to figure out what their secrets are.
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is a dual era mystery. This is not a favorite writing style for me as I tend to lose myself in one time and have difficulty switching myself back and forth.
That said, this was a good storyline with mysteries in both time periods. The book was well-written and the pace is steady. There are several twists that took me by surprise. The characters are believable and it’s easy to understand their motives and personality.
I recommend this book to readers of women’s literature, mysteries, and historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book to review. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.
I love this book! I’ve read a lot of her books! I think there should be another book to this! Like another to this one! There should be more to this one!
Big Lies in a Small Town was an emotional and riveting novel! I really enjoyed the characters and how their stories were told. Morgan has been in prison ever since she made a big mistake one night. Two women show up one day at the prison with a work opportunity that will give her a release from prison. It seems that the one woman’s father left behind an offer when he died for Morgan to restore a very old mural that will be displayed in his new gallery. As Morgan works in the mural, she heals from her past. And she stumbles upon more details about the original artist and the man who gave her the opportunity to do the restoration. The story is told alternating between the original artist in the 1940s and Morgan during the present time.
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is a split time novel set in North Carolina in the 1940‘s and 2018. What a story of art, mystery, secrets, lies, racial strife, life and love. It is a story of how lives are changed and restored. The characters influence each life they touch for good or evil. There is so much depth to this book and what comes to light in the end is unbelievable. I think it will touch most hearts.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
Each time I read a book by Diane Chamberlain, I think it is the best she has written. This novel is now my favorite and her best ever!
This is an amazing dual timeline where two young ladies seventy years apart work on a mural for a small town in North Carolina. One creating and the other restoring so many years later. Their backgrounds are unique; but the
similarities in Morgan and Anna are uncanny as we weave our way through the pages learning of their personalities, traits and talents.
The depth of this story made me take my time reading. I needed to fully immerse myself in this plot and then pause to think about it.
A mystery, suspense and a beautiful tale of friendship, second chances and love that will have you glued to each page!
“You have to make peace with the past or you can never move into the future.”
I absolutely recommend “Big Lies in a Small Town”.
It is perfect!
This is only the second novel that I have read by Ms. Chamberlain. This book is quite different from “The Dream Daughter” which involved time travel and a woman’s decision about the fate of her unborn child. What this book shares with the previous book that I read is a dual timeline once again and strong character development. I would classify this more as a mystery with a very unique story. I found the flow to be wonderful and it was easy to move from one timeline to another, I really enjoyed it.
We first meet Morgan Christopher as she is serving a sentence for a crime that she didn’t actually commit, in Raleigh, North Caroline, but I will leave you to discover the details of that crime, it is 2018.
What happens next sets us up for the entire story. Two women, one the daughter of a famous painter, Jesse Jameson, named Lisa, and her attorney, Andrea Fuller. They have a proposition for Morgan. They want her to restore a mural that had been painted for a post office and has been hidden in Jesse’s home and now is a pivotal issue in the details of his will as he has recently passed away. There are strict guidelines and dates for when the mural must be restored and placed in a new gallery and he wanted Morgan Christopher to do the restoration. We don’t know how or why he insisted that Morgan do the work at this point. Even though she has never done any work of this type she was an art student for 3 years and or course wants to be released from prison. We will follow Morgan as she lives with Lisa and proceeds to restore the mural which is badly damaged and so grimy they can hardly make out the scene it depicts.
In the other timeline we are introduced to Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey who has won a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina, it is 1939. She was not actually expecting to win the contest so she drives there to see what the area and the people there are like. She finds the “south” to still be small minded with lots of racial prejudice and ideas of where a woman should be at home! They are unhappy that a local man, Martin Drapple, didn’t win the contest and we will find out just how many obstacles that Anna has to face in proceeding to paint the mural. We are also left with the question of what happened to Anna? Why wasn’t the mural ever installed?
Without giving away any more of the plot I can tell you that this book has strong, competent and complicated women who “rise to the occasion” and many issues will be addressed including, racism, abusive family situations, mental illness, injustice and the deeply seated prejudices of the town. There are other strong characters in the book which are all believable and I cared about the outcome of the story.
I can highly recommend this book. I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley. It is set to publish on January 14, 2020.
Diane Chamberlain has been one of my favorite authors since I read Necessary Lies in 2013. Diane lives in North Carolina and most of her novels take place in this state. Her characters are always so well written that they feel like people you know in your life and you wonder what happened to them after the novel ended. Diane’s new book Big Lies in a Small Town continues her streak of fantastic novels that will be popular among readers. My prediction is that this book will end up on most of the ‘best books of January, 2020’ lists.
This is a dual narrative and often I find that I like one story line better than the other but in this novel, I was equally interested in both stories and curious to see what the outcome would be for both Anna and Morgan.
It is a page turner and I found myself up way past bedtime to find out the answers to all of my questions. Diane Chamberlain has added another book to her list of fantastic novels. I finished the book a week ago and am still thinking about Anna and Morgan and this fantastic novel.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Our book club chose this book to read and I can’t wait to hear everyone’s thoughts! This is a dual timeline story about a 1940s young female artist selected to paint a mural for a small town post office in North Carolina and a modern day artist in trouble with the law who was selected to restore the mural. Neither woman felt qualified to do their job, but both had the grit and determination to make it happen. The intersection of the timelines isn’t clear until later in the book, and there is enough to keep the reader guessing.
The stories of Anna and Morgan deal with many difficult issues including mental health, racism, cultural norms and expectations, violent crime, and deeply buried secrets. The development of true friendships in both storylines helped reveal so much about the characters. The author does aa great job of building up to revealing the lies and secrets in the story.
This was a book I couldn’t put down, and I read it in 2 1/2 days. I highly recommend this title!
Diane Chamberlain knows how to put a story together that holds onto you until the very end. This one kept you guessing until the end about what really happened to this mural painting of Anna Dale’s. I loved how the author used the dual timeline. The characters were interesting and the plot was unique. The only thing I kept wishing was to actually SEE this mural – both in it’s original glory AND with it’s Imbedded clues that ultimately lead to the answers. Great read!