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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Big Lies in a Small Town was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed the story and storytelling style. I loved how the author kept me guessing right till the very end. It was like unwrapping little tiny clues to a giant mystery throughout the entire story.
This was a book told in two narratives. One told by Anna Dale, an artist in 1940 and the other in current time by Morgan Christopher, an art student serving a prison sentence for a DUI charge.
This is an awesome mystery and page turner. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.
-5 Stars!-
Yet another compelling riveting book by Diane Chamberlain. When this was available from Netgalley to read and review I automatically requested it after quickly reading the editors blurb. When I started reading the book I had a deja vu’ moment. Has anyone read the book “The Me I Used to Be” by Jennifer Ryan? The initial premise is incredibly similar to this one. Young woman is convicted a crime she did not commit and is sent to prison. She is abandoned by a horrific family and they leave her to languish in prison. Then out of nowhere comes an angel who gets her out well before her time is up. Hmmm. So though the initial concept is quite similar and wonderful that is where the similarities end. They’re both wonderful, but the stories are so very different.
Big Lies is written beautifully. It toggles back and forth between current time of 2018 and 1940 North Carolina. A time when people wore their bigotry and racism on their sleeves shamefully with pride. When people were property, women in the south had no say in just about anything and men could get away with just about anything. Morgan Christopher is serving a sentence because the man she loved and thought loved her turned out to be a horrible jerk and ran away from the scene of the crime leaving her to to alone face the consequences of jail. In 1940 Anna Dale wins a wonderful nationwide contest and is gifted the honor of painting a mural in small town Georgia. She is from “up north” New Jersey so is somewhat shocked about how very different things are.
We meet beautifully written people. All damaged in their own way and we join them on their journeys to live their dreams, let go of the past and the anger that goes along with it. Ultimately we discover the connections in the most genuine and delicate way while they all find their way to healing.
This is a must read for anyone who is literate! I absolutely loved it and very much look forward to whatever is coming next from this incredible beloved author.
When I was approached to review Big Lies in a Small Town, I was a little hesitant to read it. I knew from reading the blurb that this was going to be a dual plotline book, which I am not a fan of. I also knew, from reading the book, that this was going to be an emotional read. I have to be in a certain mood to read a book that I knew was going to make me cry. I ended up accepting the review because I was curious. I wanted to know how the mural and Morgan were tied together.
Big Lies in a Small Town had two fast moving plotlines. I didn’t have an issue with following either plotline. What I liked, and what made the book enjoyable for me to read, was that the flow of the book wasn’t disturbed when going from 1940 and 2018. The author clearly marked those chapters with the names of Morgan or Anna at the beginning.
I had a hard time connecting with Morgan. Her attitude at the beginning wasn’t the best. But as the author got into her backstory, I understood why she acted that way. By the end of the book, I loved her. She was committed 100% to finding out what happened to Anna and to refinishing the mural. I liked that she was able to keep her head on straight during certain situations (the bar fight was one) and that she was able to admit that she had major issues. Her character grew so much during this book and it was wonderful to read.
I didn’t feel the same way about Anna. I liked Anna right from the beginning. She was determined to paint that mural the way she wanted it, not the way the influential men wanted it. I loved that she didn’t care if her friendship with Jesse was causing issues with the “good folk” in town. I also loved that she didn’t back down when Marvin Drapple’s wife and her friends were douchenozzles.
I do want to throw in a trigger warning. There is a somewhat graphic rape scene that ends with the death of the rapist. To be honest, it took me by surprise. I was not expecting it. I wasn’t expecting the aftermath either. What I was expecting was the blatant racism shown when it was in the 1940’s. It was the South. There were derogatory names used. There was the threat of violence (lynching was discussed). So, a warning.
There are a couple of twists in the plotline that took me by surprise. The first one involved Morgan and her release from jail. The other, well, it happened at the end of the book. I should have seen it coming but I didn’t. So, I was taken by surprise.
There was a romance angle to the book. I’m not sure if I like it or not. The only reason being what was happening in the other plotline. Both started about that time.
I learned more about art restoration than I ever wanted to know. I will admit, it was fascinating to read about how to do it. I never thought that much work went into restoring old paintings. But then again, until this book, I never had to think about that.
The end of Big Lies in a Small Town was bittersweet. The 2nd plot twist happened towards the very end of the book. Like I said above, I was taken by surprise. I shouldn’t have been. The very end of the book was a bit frustrating. Only because it ended and I wanted to see that meeting!!
All about the Mural
A young art student Morgan was at a party with her boyfriend Trey. Morgan and Trey had both been drinking, but Morgan gave her keys to Trey and he drove. A horrible accident happened and they T boned a car. Trey ran and Morgan let the police think she was driving. The girl in the other car was paralyzed from the waist down and Morgan was sent to prison for a minimum of one year and a maximum of ten years. At the end of her one year a lady named Lisa Williams and her lawyer came with a proposal for Morgan. If Morgan would restore a painted Mural for her late father’s gallery she would be given her freedom and fifty thousand dollars. Morgan took the deal and was released to Lisa.
The story begins here. It goes between Morgan restoring the painting and Anna the original artist actually painting it in 1940
Morgan struggles with her challenges while researching the Artist Anna. The painting is a painting of Edenton a small town and was to be hung in the post office.
Morgan notices small oddities in the painting such as a skull in a window, a knife in a ladies mouth, a bloody ax , a hammer, a broken teapot, and an iris in the artist’s signature.. The reason for these odd items is the story of Anna and the horrible things that happened to her. Morgan’s story is of a young lady trying to find herself, trusting in people, staying sober and falling in love with the art gallery curator Oliver.
I loved the stories in this book, how they were separated, how they became part of the larger story and the ending was wonderful. I would definitely recommend this book, it was very good.
Thanks go to Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Press and Net galley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book.
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is a gripping, deep, suspenseful, but fabulous dual timeline novel that sucks you in from the start.
Ms Chamberlain has a gift to be able to interweave 1940s and 2018 timelines in NC, and wrap them up nicely in the end.
This subject matter is definitely not for the faint of heart. Heavy material is presented (violence, abuse, alcohol addiction, the negative way women were treated in the past) is mentioned, however it is necessary and appropriate.
This is a great book and does not disappoint.
5/5 stars
BOOK REVIEWu2063
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlainu2063
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-DESCRIPTION-u2063
A girl, serving time in prison, has just been given the opportunity for early parole if she abides by the rules to restore a mural for a gallery soon opening. She soon begins to realize that this was just by chance.u2063
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1. This story is told from two points of view and it was done wonderfully. We have the story of the original artist of the mural, Anna. How she came to do the mural and her story. Then we have the point of view of Morgan, the artist who was asked to restore the mural. Both of these views were so different. u2063
2. The story is gripping and become a page turner. I wanted and needed to know the story and how they were all connected. Chamberlain is an amazing story teller.u2063
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I highly recommend this read.u2063
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-SIMILAR RECOMMENDED READS-u2063
This Tender Landu2063
Miracle Creeku2063
Beyond the Pointu2063
Another captivating and engaging book by Diane Chamberlain. I’m amazed more and more with her writing style every time I pick up a book by her. The dual timeline here was very well done and it pulled me in right from the start. This had some suspense and mystery to it that kept me glued to my seat, and it had me wondering how and if the characters from the past and the present were connected in some way. The ending did not disappoint. An excellent read that is the first to go on my Favorites for 2020. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
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“Big Lies in a Small Town” by Diane Chamberlain
“When I read Diane Chamberlain’s books, I feel like I am safe and warm – and all is right with the world. With each book, I feel like I know the characters and that they are sitting next to me, telling me their story. This book, like Chamberlain’s others, is fabulous!-Green Gables Book Reviews
Everything is perfect about this book. The setting, the style it is written in, the era’s, and the story. The way the two stories flow is amazing. This is a book I will remember.
“Big Lies in a Small Town” centers around the lives of two women. Morgan, who is in prison for a crime she did not commit. Her life has been put on hold, her dreams of being an artist taken away. She feels she has no one. When two strangers show up to visit with an offer to get her out of prison, she can’t say no. But, what did she get herself into?
In 1939, Anna has no one. Her family is gone. She is alone and must find her own way. She needs a job and when her art wins a contest that will take her to North Carolina to paint a mural for the post office, she goes. She has no idea how the decision will change the course of her life.
The condition of Morgan’s release from prison is for her to restore an old mural. Morgan doesn’t know how to do this, but she has been chosen for the task-and it gets her out of prison. When she sees the condition of the mural, she does not know how she will be able to do it within the time allowed! It is dirty and in very bad shape. When Morgan starts cleaning it, she cannot believe what she finds.
Anna is settling in. She’s a little afraid of being in the old Warehouse alone, where the town has set aside for her to work. But the town has accepted her and she is a bit famous. There is a dark cloud, though, a local man, Martin Drapple, also entered the contest-but Anna, an outsider won instead. Anna is realizing that some people don’t want her in their town.
Morgan is lucky to have found Oliver, who is teaching her about the restoration. She is painstakingly cleaning the mural, inch by inch. When more and more pieces are revealed, she begins to wonder what happened to Anna. Why is the mural so different than her submission to the art council?
Anna knows she is in over her head. She reaches out to the local school and soon has student helpers. She never thought having Jessie as a helper would cause so much life long pain, for both of them.
As Morgan works on the mural, she feels close to Anna. She wonders about Anna’s life and where she is now. She’s done research and Anna seems to have simply disappeared. She continues to wonder how she was chosen for this project.
You will love reading this book! The ending will surprise you-and it is wonderful!
File Size: 4520 KB
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (January 14, 2020)
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Sold by: Macmillan
Language: English
ASIN: B07TBW8RLR
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many years ago I was an avid Chamberlain fan but something pulled me away; I’m glad I’m back. Chamberlain has spun a tale of intrigue, adventure, and suspense in this book.
I did find the beginning a little difficult to get into but then the story took off! This is a definite recommend to anyone wanting a variety in the plot. Enjoy!
Big Lies in a Small Town, written by Diane Chamberlain, is a story that spans over seventy-five years and connects two women that seemingly have nothing in common. There are secrets, lies, violence, and small-town prejudices that run deep. However, there is also love and redemption. Sometimes the subject matter was disturbing and dark to read, but it was so well delivered that it just made this story stand out. Ms. Chamberlain not only gives us this excellent mystery but infuses a dash of art and then wraps it all up in a bit of American postal art history.
Written in dual timelines, 1940 and 2018, Big Lies in a Small Town tells the story of two different women, Anna Dale and Morgan Christopher.
Ann’s story is told from the past; she is a talented artist who is the winner of a national art contest. Anna, a city girl, goes to the small town of Edenton North Carolina to paint a mural representing a town she knows nothing about. Half the town is fascinated by Anna, and the other half is resentful of her because she won the art contest over a local artist. Getting to know Anna was a delight; she is a woman trying to find her place in the world since her mother has passed away. I loved how Ms. Chamberlain had Anna faceoff with the smallminded people of the town. Everything is seeming going well until Anna befriends a young black artist. She starts to notice small things that aren’t quite right.
Morgan has made some terrible mistakes in her life, but the biggest was not of her own doing. She is in the North Carolina Women’s Correctional Center presently paying for someone else’s crime. With her future art career derailed, a stranger makes her an offer that is difficult to turn down; get out of jail by restoring a mural painted by the obscure 1940’s artist Anna Dale. Morgan finds herself in the small town of Edenton, NC, totally alone and out of her element. But what does she have to lose? What she never expects to happen is that as she restores this bizarrely painted mural, she becomes wholly immersed in Anna’s life. Morgan becomes obsessed with trying to figure out why this promising artist disappeared never to be heard from again.
Big Lies in a Small Town is a well-constructed story that builds suspense slowly while at the same time, the reader becomes consumed with the lives of the two main characters. Then when you least expect it, Ms. Chamberlain drops the proverbial bombshell. More than once, I didn’t see multiple twists that were revealed. It is evident that Ms. Chamberlain has put a great deal of time and effort into researching this book. I came away with a greater appreciation of art and art restoration after reading this book.
Ms. Chamberlain writes both of these women in such a way that you feel like you know their innermost thoughts and feelings. She surrounds them with well-thought-out supporting characters, some of which you will love and others you will despise. She weaves these two women’s stories seamlessly throughout this book connecting them in many ways. In one moment, you are crying for the tragic events in their lives, and in the next moment, you are cheering them on in the hope that maybe things will work out for these two women. Both are strong in different ways but also imperfect, the perfect combination, and that made them very likable.
Big Lies in a Small Town is the first book by Ms. Chamberlain that I have had the pleasure of reading, and as I am sitting here writing this review, I am wondering how I missed reading any of her previous work. This book was a joy to read, and I highly recommend it.
*** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. ***
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Big Lies In A Small Town” by Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Press, January 14, 2020
Diane Chamberlain, author of “Big Lies In a Small Town” has written a captivating, intriguing, suspenseful, intense and thought-provoking novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Suspense and Mystery. The story takes place in North Carolina, and there are two different time-lines between 1940 and 2019. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated.
In the present, Morgan Christopher is in prison for a crime that she is not directly responsible for. She has a short time left on her sentence when she has 2 visitors make her an offer that is hard to refuse. Morgan has to restore a painting of a mural that an artist, Anna Dale had created in 1940 to go be placed in the Post Office.
Morgan really knows nothing of art restoration but is given funds for materials, and is free from prison. The mural that Anna Dale had painted is in terrible shape and is dirty and first requires cleaning. There is a mystery as to what had happened to Anna Dale. There are rumors and secrets in this town, but it seems that she just disappeared.
The visitors that came to the prison are an attorney and the daughter of a well known black artist, who is now deceased but has given generous opportunities to other North Carolina artists. In order for this artist’s daughter to get her inheritance, the mural must be finished by a certain date. How is Morgan Christopher going to be able to accomplish this? What is the importance of this mural, and who and where is Anna Dale?
I appreciate that the author discusses how prejudice, dark secrets, rumors can destroy. Diane Chamberlain is an amazing writer and storyteller and vividly describes the mysterious artistic clues. Also mentioned is the importance of communication, self-worth, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this wonderful thought-provoking novel to readers who like to ponder, question and think.
Two women in charge of a mural but not at the same time.
Anna had won a contest to paint a mural of Edenton for the post office, and Morgan many years later was hired to restore the mural.
Why were two women commissioned for the same mural?
We find that Anna started the mural and abandoned it and disappeared with no one knowing why she left or where she went.
Morgan had the job of restoring the photo, and she actually had no idea how. Morgan finds a badly ruined canvas, and as she cleans it up, finds many disturbing scenes.
BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN has mystery, marvelously portrayed characters, and a storyline you don’t want to end.
If you are an artist or are artistic, BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN will definitely appeal to you. I enjoyed learning about art techniques….especially what pouncing is.
This book is a WOW read!!
Ms. Chamberlain has given readers another marvelous book that fans will adore. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Two artistic women connected through time and a mysteriously macabre mural!
4.5stars
Diane Chamberlain has created a fascinating tale with two female artists, both damaged by recent tragic events, yet united by a work of art that’s survived in the shadows for almost 80 years. It took me a while to get comfortable with the constant back and forth between 1940 and 2018 in this story, but by the second half of the book I was hooked and really could not stop reading. Anna, the young artist who wins a competition and earns a commission to design a mural for Edenton, North Carolina’s post office in 1940 was the more interesting of the two heroines for me. Her fearless defense of a young black student’s artistic dreams in a small southern town in the late Depression era when Jim Crow dominated made her heroic. But her actions were also reckless for the time and place with tragic results. After getting accustomed to the frequent time changes in the telling of the story, I really liked the continuous, slow build-up to the revelations at the end.
Thanks to publishers St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
In 1940 Anna Dale won the chance to paint a mural that would be displayed at the Edenton, North Carolina Post Office. This was a dream come true. It was her first job and it gave her the chance to start over after the death of her mother. Unfortunately Ann quickly learned that joy can become a nightmare that will destroy her sanity. In 2018 Morgan Christopher gets a chance to rebuild her life after a DUI injured a innocent victim. She is offered a chance to restore Anna Dale’s never displayed mural. In his will Jesse Jameson Wilkins stipulated that only Morgan can do the work. If she agrees she will be give parole. Her pain and despair quickly turn to hope. The past and the future are joined together by this mural. It connects Anna and Morgan together. Will the truth of Anna’s brutal betrayal finally be revealed by Morgan’s determination. Diane Chamberlain pulled me into this emotional drama. I experienced the joy and the heartbreak. Anna and Morgan are women of courage, strength and determination. I cared for them. I wanted them to succeed against the prejudice and the evil that they faced. Hopefully even find love and friendship. Big Lies in a Small Town is an exceptional book that I highly recommend.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
Welcome to Edenton, North Carolina. Small town USA. As with most small towns, everyone knows everyone and everyone has an opinion about everything.
The story revolves around a State Mural Competition during the late 1930’s. When a northern artist is picked to do the mural over the hometown boy, people are visibly upset. The story toggles between Anna, the artist, and Moran, the girl hired to do the restoration of the mural in 2018. Morgan is hired by the estate of her favorite, now deceased, artist.
The twists and turns of the plot start out slow, but pick up fairly quickly. The characters are well-developed. You want to cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys. And you will certainly want to figure out how all of this is connected.
This book is definitely worth a read!
Mysterious, engaging, and thoroughly absorbing!
Big Lies in a Small Town is a pensive, suspenseful tale that sweeps you away to Edenton, North Carolina during 1939, as well as 2018, and into the lives of Anna Dale and Morgan Christopher, two troubled, talented, young women whose strength, compassion, perseverance, and artistic abilities will be extremely tested by a small town with a history brimming with secrets, tension, prejudices, narrow-minded mentality, and violence.
The writing is seamless and descriptive. The characters are intelligent, multilayered, and creative. And the plot, alternating between timelines, unravels and intertwines into a sweeping saga of life, loss, family, self-discovery, expectations, friendship, heartbreak, addiction, mental illness, discrimination, jealousy, and the beautiful, intricate details involved in the process of creating and restoring artwork.
Overall, Big Lies in a Small Town is thought-provoking, alluring, and incredibly intriguing and with its rich characterization and impeccably detailed storyline, it’s another stunning example of why Diane Chamberlain is one of my all-time favourite authors.
What a wonderful, delightful, satisfying read this is!! I could continue, but you get the idea; I absolutely LOVED this book. It is thoroughly engaging, and I would’ve read through it much more quickly had not the holidays, guests, and illness intervened (for those date-checkers among you)!
In June, 2018, young Morgan Christopher is in a North Carolina prison for a crime that she didn’t commit. One day she is told she has visitors. Two women she has never seen before, Lisa Williams, a real estate agent and her attorney, Andrea Fuller, want to talk with her. She has been chosen by Lisa’s late father Jesse Jameson Williams, a famous contemporary artist to restore a mural. She will be paroled and paid for her services if she can complete it by 8/5/18 when a gallery of his works is scheduled to open. Morgan who didn’t even complete her degree in art, has never done a work of this size, and has no background in restoring art at all. Surely, a mistake has been made. Assuring her, that she is the one hand-picked by her father, Morgan decides to do her best. She’ll do anything to get out of prison.
In December, 1939, young Anna Dale of Plainfield, New Jersey is chosen from entrants in the Special 48-States Mural Competition sponsored by the United States Treasury Department, Section of Fine Arts. She had submitted a mural proposed for the Bordentown, NJ Post Office, but instead is to create a 12′ x 6′ mural to hang in the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. The mural is to be completed by 6/3/40. Having never been in any part of the south, Anna wonders how she’ll be able to capture the essence of a town she has never seen. Wanting experience as an artist, she decides to give it a shot.
Thus starts Big Lies in a Small Town. The chapters alternate between the two women, disclosing layer by layer the richness of each of them and their incredible stories.
Dianne Chamberlain shows her writing expertise by creating fully human and believable characters and situations. The depth of her characters and scenes kept me spell-bound. Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR pile!
My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Morgan and Anna’s story is compelling and draws you in right from the start. Morgan is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. When she is offered a deal that would free her immediately, she takes it never expecting the devastating effects it would have on her life. She and Anna have art in common and when she gets into the restoration it has her thinking about what truly happened in the town filled with secrets. This story is an emotional twist that will truly have you thinking in terms of what was going on in that point in time and the mind frame of people from the town of Edenton, North Carolina and its effects on the community and how someone from the outside relates. You definitely identify with Morgan who hops you captivated throughout this story. I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.
The characters in this book come alive under the pen of Diane Chamberlain. Small town living in the South in 1940 with all its racial tension is well depicted The book alternates chapters between Anna Dale who was painting a mural for the Post Office in Edenton, NC in 1940 and Morgan Christopher who is restoring the mural in 2018. Anna disappeared in 1940 with the mural but it was found in a closet of famous Edenton artist Jesse Jameson Williams. Jesse, noted for helping young artists, in his will has charged that the mural be restored by Morgan and completed by the opening of his gallery in Edenton in 2 months. Morgan, who completed only 3 years of art school, is currently in prison and knows nothing about restoration work. She knows of Jesse but had never met him. Why did he choose her? How did he end up with the mural? Who was Anna Dale and what happened to her? Why is it so important that the gallery open on August 5? You can stay up until 5 AM like I did, reading “just one more chapter” to find the answers to these questions. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I loved it and I highly recommend it.
Wow! Just wow! I just finished Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. Chamberlain has created a Masterpiece. Set in Edenton, North Carolina, the story is set in two time periods through the voices of Anna Dale (1940) and Morgan Christopher 2018. I love how I always learn a little history in Diane’s novels. The story is full of strong characters. This story could be described as a mystery and characters seeking redemption. You owe it to yourself to read this amazing story. I am sure bookclubs are going to love this story as there is lots to discuss. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.