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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Two troubled young artists’ lives are intertwined in a mystery that begins in 1940 and unfolds in 2018. Morgan Christopher finds her passion and herself as she becomes immersed in restoring a painting that had been stored away after its original artist, Anna Dale, mysteriously disappeared. Suspenseful page-turner.
Diane Chamberlain has written another amazing book!!! This book follows 2 different women in 2 different time periods. Anna Dale is an artist from New Jersey and in 1940 she is commissioned to do a piece for a Edenton, North Carolina post office. In 2018, Morgan Christopher is released from prison early in order to restore a piece of art from a post office in North Carolina. Both stories are separate but tie together wonderfully well. There are quite a few twists and turns in both of the women’s stories and I found myself reading well into the night as I just couldn’t put the book down. I loved this book and can not wait for the next Diane Chamberlain book!!!
The story takes place in 2018 with a young woman Morgan Christopher, who is serving time for a crime that she did not commit, I know everyone says that! She is given the opportunity for an early released with parole if she agrees to restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. There are a few problems with this request mainly she knows nothing about restoration or conservation of oil painting.
1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Anna finds herself immersed in the town drama where secrets are kept and prejudices run deep.
This story reminds me of something you will see on Ancestry or who do you think you are, so many secrets, so many twists and turns not only about who we are, what’s happened to us during racial segregation, but also mystery surrounding this mural, the painter, the artist?
I would love to see this story turned into a screenplay!
A most excellent read! I was engrossed from the first page on. I’ve read a few of this author’s books and I just really enjoy her way with words. This book takes us back and forth between the late 30s/early 40s and today, intertwining art, culture, and every day life in the small, bayside town of Edenton, NC.
Depth of characters, superbly plotted twists and turns, and easily imagined descriptions make this another good read by Diane Chamberlain.
That was a good book. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the early read!
Oh my goodness! This book was so very good! It was told in two time lines both very interesting! Loved the characters and the story. I wasn’t quite ready for it to end! Definitely recommend this book and author! I love her books! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early
What can I possibly say… there is not a Diane Chamberlain book that I didn’t like … this is no exception, I loved this book!
The book is two stories in one ,
Anna Dale moves to a small town in 1939 to paint a mural for the post office , part of a government grant, she is met with resentment, distrust, bigotry and small town ways she isn’t used to . However the mural never gets to be hung .
Morgan is doing time in prison for a crime she didn’t commit , she is released on early parole to restore the mural so it can be hung in a gallery .
What happened to the mural, what happened to Anna, what will happen to Morgan ?
This author weaves the past and the present in a way that completely captivates the reader , how can these two stories possibly be connected ?
These two stories held my attention and I couldn’t put this book down. I fully recommend it!
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review .
This was a compelling read! It’s told from two different perspectives from the past to present.
Morgan Christopher is serving time in the North Carolina Correctional Facility for women, when she is told she has visitors. Morgan is greeted by two women, Lisa Williams and Andrea Fuller. Lisa has a proposition for Morgan, Lisa’s father, Jesse Jameson Williams, was a famous artist who had passed away. Jesse left strict instructions for his daughter involving Morgan. Morgan accepts the challenge to restore a mural from the 1940’s, but there is a catch, Morgan has until August 5th.
Morgan had to live in Edenton, and live with Lisa Williams. She has no experience in restoration, but learning how to is better than the alternative of going back to prison. As she works on the mural, she gets curious about the artist, Anna Dale. As the mural is cleaned, it reveals tidbits that appear out of place, and rumor is that Anna Dale went nuts then disappeared.
Anna Dale is twenty-two years old, who entered into the 48-States Mural Competition, although her entry was for the post office in New Jersey, the judges awarded her to create a mural for the Edenton post office. A small town, that wasn’t enthusiastic about having an outsider, and female create a painting of their town. Anna encounters segregation, which doesn’t go well with her. Anna, also encounters opposition from the big wigs of the town, who are all male, regarding her choice of what to include in the mural.
I loved how this story was revealed through the retelling of Anna Dale, and Morgan’s curiosity that lead her to dig up information. There was several times reading that I gasped as something was revealed. I, especially loved how the ending tied everything together. This is one you wouldn’t want to miss reading.
I received an ARC from NetGalley via St Martin’s Press and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.