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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This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it very much. Big Lies In A Small Town is a story of two women……Anna’s in the past and Morgan’s in the present. The dual timeline and dual points of view work well in this story full of mystery, unanswered questions, secrets, lies, heartbreak, and healing. I was totally captivated by Anna and Morgan’s stories and loved the way they unfolded and we learn how everything ties together. A beautifully written story that kept me turning the pages.
Diane Chamberlain did a masterful job of weaving two time periods and different, but strong women’s stories together in Big Lies in a Small Town. Not only were Morgan and Anna very interesting and strong, but their stories hooked me quickly. I found myself very much looking forward to jumping back into the opposite time line of the one I was reading, longing for the rest of the story.
Big Lies is a unique story and one that was engaging, well told and eye opening. If you’ve ever read anything by Diane Chamberlain you will enjoy this and if you haven’t, pick this up and give her work a try!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for granting my request for an ARC. My thoughts in this review are my own.
A stunning and magnificent piece of literary work. The story is told in the present from two vastly different eras. The author chronicles the life of Anna and Morgan through there challenges. It is a journey of actions and consequences and how they can affect generations to come. It mixes history, mystery and love to form a perfect mosaic. The depth of emotions tied in with the characters stories as they discover all the things they didn’t know about themselves or other connected to them is tangible. This will definitely a book you want on your bookshelf to read several times.
I received the ARC Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and this is my fair and honest review.
This is my second book read from this author. This was truly an amazing book, although I am not a huge fan when a book moves back and forth between time periods with one than one main character but in this instance it actually wasn’t to bad. Once I actually got started reading the book it was very hard to put it down.The storyline is compelling and very well written. I would certainly recommend this book to others.
“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!
My Rating: 5 ’s
Published: January 14th 2020 by St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 400
Recommended: 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.
The lives of two women intersect through a mural. One woman created it; the other woman is restoring it. Both women have constraints in their lives; one from societal pressures, the other from a prison sentence. How their lives and art come together makes for a beautiful story-sometimes a sad, hard read but beautiful nonetheless.
BOOK REVIEW: Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (ARC)
First let me start by saying~ this is my first ever read by this very talented author. Why you ask? Well, I’m not SURE why, but I do know that after reading this wonderfully crafted story of humanity, it most certainly won’t be my last.
Ms. Chamberlain weaves a tale of historical fiction, small-town southern life, in a dual time-line format to include the mysterious, the haunting, and the gripping, as well as the romantic, the entrancing and the delightful.
This story will grab your attention immediately with relevant issues to the time period, its strong characters, twists and turns, it’s secrets, and its ease of connections as the narrative grows…
I highly recommend this novel as it touches the heart and soul of its reader. A perfect read for those who enjoy a story of substance~ meaning and purpose.
Thank you Diane Chamberlain for the gift of Anna and Morgan, two strong women I hope I’ve not heard the last of…
5 Stars
#BigLiesinaSmallTown
#DianeChamberlain
#NetGalley
Wild Sage Book Blog
Novels and Latte Book Club
A real winner in my book!! This story touched me in so many ways, I felt like I was living it through Anna Dale and Morgan Christopher. The description of these characters and different situations is truly amazing. Definitely a must read!
Two timelines, two lives intertwined. The first in 1940 Anna Dale, the winnizng artist in a contest to paint the mural that isto be hung in the post office of a small southern town. The second in 2018, Morgan Dale, out on parole from prison to restore the mural that was never hung and displayed in 1940. Very interesting storylines and author weaves a great story incorporating them together in the end. I enjoyed this book. Thank you Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for this Digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.
/ 5
Big Lies in a Small Town was my first time reading a Diane Chamberlain book and HOT DANG! I literally feel an instant need to collect and read all of her books now and forever and ever, amen.
I completely loved the setup of Big Lies in a Small Town, which switches back and forth between Morgan in 2018 and Anna Dale in 1940. I was really intrigued by both of the women’s stories, but especially Anna’s. 1940 in Edenton, NC was full of racism and sexism, but also a lot of culture and heritage. I am very impressed with the way Chamberlain made that period of history come alive in this novel, and I felt like I was right there.
Both of the women’s stories were heartbreaking, but also there were so many times that I laughed out loud at something that happened. The humor, compassion, sadness, and tragedy were also amplified by the short chapters which really packed a punch. Big Lies in a Small Town is beautifully written with so much emotion and detail, that it makes me wonder what took me so long to read one of Chamberlain’s books. The infusion of historical fiction into contemporary was perfectly done, and I adored how both stories wrapped up at the end.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Ready When It Comes by Jamie O’Neal
Final Thought: I could sing praises for Big Lies in a Small Town all day, that is how much I loved it! With this one book, Chamberlain has already become an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to collect and read all her novels. If you love books that mix contemporary with historical and combine the lives of the characters to make something perfect, you MUST read this book. The addition of art and art restoration was also enlightening, and I would like to think you like me will learn something as well.
Thank you to the publisher for my advanced review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Two women- Morgan and Anna
Two timelines-2018 and 1940
I story that will leave you guesses at every turn of the page.
I was captivated by this book within the first few pages. following the trials and triumphs of these two women in two different timelines was extraordinary.
Both women are fighting their own personal demons and it leaves you wanting more to ask for more. I kept wanting to know more about each woman and found myself rooting for them.
The plot switches between timelines (then/now) and follows the two women as they are connected by a painting/mural project that they are both working on in different capacities.
As you read clues and hints are given as to the big ending but whether or not you catch them is entirely up to you.
Overall a very good book that will keep you turning the page.
Diana Chamberlain has a way to connect two stories and keep you turning page after page.
At first I was anxious and ready to know what happened but while you read you need a moment to think about what will happen.
Morgan’s life took a 180° turn when she got in prison after a crime she didn’t commit but yet she feels guilty about it. When an opportunity to get out comes her way she takes it and will do everything to stay out of that dark place, even when she has no idea how she will do the only job she needs to do to stay that way.
Soon, she will be feel connected to this assignment in every possible way and will change her life completely.
This story is about finding the truth and somehow, heal, through art. This is my second book by this author and I love the mystery amd anticipation she puts in her stories.
Big Lies in a Small Town grabs ahold of you from the title, to the first page to the last page.
You get quickly caught up in the story of Anna Dale in the the 1940’s who was commisioned to produce a mural for the post office in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina.
In 2018 Morgan Christopher is, under unusual circumstances, given the job in the same town to restore the mural.
You are caught up in the two stories. what happened to Anna Dale and can Morgan delve into the story and secrets behind the mural that have stayed hidden for so long.
Life in a small town back in the 40’s and now in the present is so well done.
I so did not want this book to end and I will be buying my hard copy on publication date.
Put this on the top of your TBR pile !!
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Marin’s Press for letting me get lost in Anna and Morgan’s world.
Two female artists, separated by almost 80 years, are linked by a WPA mural designed for the post office in a small North Carolina town. In 1940, Anna Dale won the right to paint the mural, not in her home state of New Jersey, but in Edenton, North Carolina, in a culture she was totally unacquainted with. North Carolina in the 1940s was still rife with prejudices, color barriers, secrets and fear of the unfamiliar. Anna’s Northern sensibilities and attitudes do not endear her to the political and social elite of the town. The resulting conflict resulted in the disappearance of the mural, the town’s favorite artist and Anna herself.
In 2018, Morgan Christopher was in prison for a crime she didn’t commit but was paroled to work on the restoration of the mural at the behest of her favorite painter, Jesse Jameson Williams, an African American man she admired but had never met. The mystery around the mural, the reasons why Morgan had been selected to handle the restoration, and some of the mural’s unusual iconography will take serious research to unravel. Fortunately, the project manager for the art gallery being built for the William’s art collection is able to teach her what she needed to know about restoration and life and love.
I loved this book. I requested and received this book from NetGalley based on the author’s reputation. Living in 21st California and Midwest, I was aware of the historical racial divides in the South, but Diane Chamberlain brought the conflicts to life for me. Her characters were so real. Anna’s naivete, Morgan’s conflicts, Lisa’s desperation, Jesse’s fear and strength. Complexity of events and personalities as the chapters alternated between events happening to Anna and to Morgan made the book one that I couldn’t put down.
Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press and most of all the Author Diane Chamberlain for this ARC.
This book went to the top of my favorites! I absolutely LOVED it. I love the way it was written chapter wise from one protagonists point of view “then” to the second protagonist point of view “now”.
I loved the characters, the setting and just loved the story and how it all came together.
And the Authors notes were very interesting as well.
I will definitely be following and reading more from Diane.
Diane Chamberlain is an amazing writer. I loved how she went from Anna’s story to back to the present with Morgan. She keeps you wondering what will happen next! There was never a dull moment in this story and the words flowed making it a great read! This is a book I would definitely be recommending!! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it!
I received an Advance Readers’ Edition of “Big Lies in a Small Town”. Author Diane Chamberlain weaves the stories of present day Morgan Christopher and the long ago life of Anna Dale into an intriguing mystery. By the middle of the book I couldn’t put it down. Release date is in January. I highly recommend you put this on your to be read list!
This is the first book written by this author that I have read.. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. The story was well written and kept me turning the page. It was hard to put down.. I kept wanting to know more! I can’t wait to read more by this author!
This is the first book I have read by Diane Chamberlain. I will now be checking out her other books.
This is a story of two women living in different times, 1940 to 2018 in the same small town. Facing challenges and issues and as you discover have more in common than you think.
This is a Wonderful book and I really enjoyed being able to read it.
Poverty, secrets, racism, mental illness make this a heartfelt and intriguing story.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.
I have read quite a few of Chamberlain’s books and loved everyone of them. But I must admit this one is now my favorite. I am not a fan of the ending (that’s just me) and almost gave it 4 stars because of it. But after pondering it for a while, I realized the story itself was really worth 5 stars.
It hit me in the heart. Such a warm story which switches back and forth between Anna (1940) and Morgan (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.
This description alone got a hold of me. But when the story jumps back to Anna in the 1940s and her part in the mural, what heartaches she went through…I was totally hooked. The story kept me turning pages way past my bedtime to absorb more of this amazing story.
This is a must read. I thank #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and Diane Chamberlain for writing such a powerful book that makes you think about love, family, consequences, relationships and the extents people will go through to survive. Place this on your TBR list. (Available January 14, 2020)