I absolutely adore Diane Chamberlain and her books. Big Lies in a Small Town was published in January 2020 and I've only just got around to reading it.

Set in a dual timeline, this story follows Morgan Christopher in North Carolina in 2018 and Anna Dale in 1940.

This is a heartbreaking historical fiction with a huge dollop of mystery and suspense thrown in.

I was really enjoying this book except for the fact that every word beginning with fi or fl had those two letters missing. I thought that I could just fill in the missing letters as I read but discovered that it broke the flow and was too distracting for me. I'm sure that this was just the ARC copy and I look forward to finishing the book in the future.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing the advance copy.

As usual, Diane Chamberlain managed to grab me, I love good dual timeline, and this one didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the basis of the story, based around a mural.
It's hard not to give the story away and when it all gets tied together, you can't help but be impressed with the authors sheer talent to tell a story and one that captures so many readers.

Diane chamberlain is fast becoming one of my favourite authors of all time

I am working my way through her books and this one did not disappoint

Total page turner highly recommended

I took every spare moment to read this book. The past and the present were carefully interwoven.
A lightbulb moment came to me towards the end as I figured out the ending but it only added to the intrigue. Fascinating story and well written.
Would recommend this one.

Big Lies in a Small Town was yet another great book by Diane Chamberlain. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a story of two women in the same place at two very different periods of time. Amazing story that I devoured in one sitting.

Another great read from Diane Chamberlain. ,

You are always guaranteed a good read and this was no different. She’s a great writer and tackles deep issues within a winning plot. I did find this slow to start with and it took a while for the plot to get going but once it did I was hooked. It’s told by 2 narrators , set in both 1940s and 2018. Diane deals with issues such as mental illnesses, racism, rape, physical abuse along the way so it’s not an easy read sometimes but it will have you gripped and the title of the book sums it up well.
Thank you netgalley and Macmillan for this good read

It took me a while to get into this book, set both in the present day and the 1940s, but as soon as I got into the story, I couldn't stop reading. Another excellent story from Diane Chamberlain.

Diane Chamberlain is a wonderful writer and her novels excite and entice the reader as they are always so beautifully crafted. Big Lies in a Small town tells the tale of Morgan Christopher, a young girl imprisoned for drunk driving alongside Anna Dale a young painter in Edenton, North Carolina in 1940. Out of nowhere Morgan is approached. by the daughter of the famous painter, Jesse Jameson Williams. Quite inexplicably the lately deceased painter left one final bequest in his will, Morgan was to be released early from prison, into the care of Jesse’s daughter Lisa, for the specific task of restoring an old mural. The mural must be fully restored and on display by the fifth of August in time for Jesse’s new gallery opening. Morgan is not an art restorer and Lisa will not be dissuaded. Anna Dale has won a competition set up by the United States Treasury Department’s section of fine arts, she is to paint one of 48 state murals to be hung in state post offices. In December 1939 Anna travels to Edenton to research and begin work on the mural, unaware of the town’s true feelings about an female outsider winning the competitor over a local male artist Martin Drapple. As Morgan becomes engaged in the restoration she becomes more and more obsessed with discovering what happened to Anna and why the mural was never displayed. As Morgan’s story unfolds so we learn what happened to Anna, but what happened to the artist and why does Jesse have the mural?
An incredible book, beautifully written by a gifted writer.

The usual fantastic book we have come to expect from Diane Chamberlain, interesting, realistic with characters you cannot fail to fall in love with, or not!! Great story with a great ending.

I received a copy via Netgalley.

This book is set in North Carolina following two different timelines as two artists try to complete a community mural. The present-day timeline is focused on Morgan who is restoring the mural that Anna worked on in the past timeline. Morgan is uncovering the secrets of the past as she does her work.

This story is a slow burn mystery. Particularly at the start of the story that the plot moves very slowly as the characters and the plot are established. As I read more into the story I did become more invested in the characters. However, I did find some of the plot points a little predictable.

Overall this was a good read. Although it was not what I was expecting as I thought that this was going to be more of a fast-paced mystery.

Another brilliant book by an amazing author. The stories from this lady keep you gripped from page one to the last. Fast becoming a favourite author.

I just love Diane's books. She always writes her books with so my love and always beautifully written throughout. So when her new book came out to read I had to find a quiet place and open my kindle and I was not disappointed! Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain was just beautiful, she is number one author for Storytelling and has a great talent.
Once you find this brilliant author you will be hooked and want to read more of her books. I know I am. I was hooked on her Lastest book and just wanted to stay up and read more. So word of warning, don't start reading it when you're about to go to sleep!!!! So be warned!!!

This book is told by two main characters and in the past 1940 and the future 2018. The main characters are Anna Dale and Morgan Christopher who are young artists and looking to find their way in this area. Before finishing a mural project Anna started in a small town Edenton, North Carolina, she goes missing. No one knows where she is..........Nearly eighty years later, Morgan is asked to restore and finish the mural that was not finished back in 1940. The whole town is looking forward for Morgan to finish this mural off so it can be displayed for others to come and see it. So many hidden secrets are lurking in the background that will soon come out in the open when Morgan starts to research the mural she is restoring!

What happened to Anna Dale all those years ago? Why wasn't the mural finished?

Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural?

Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?

WoW! What a book....I was hooked within the very first few pages. Before I knew it the sun was coming out again! So glad I did not have work that day!

Within this book Diane covers some great topics of physical abuse, rape, racism, harassment, mental illness and tells the story of each topic well within this brilliant book. Hence a great name for this book.....BIG LIES.....in a small town.

I highly recommend this book and all Diane's book. They are all a great read and make sure you have some tissues handy. You may need them!!!

Big thank you to Pan MacMillan Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Review on Goodreads, Amazon UK and book purchased for my Sister who is a fan as well.

I really enjoyed this book, the story was enthralling. I love all this authors books and this one did not disappoint

I love Diane Chamberlain, can't get enough of her work and this was no exception. Women's fiction at its best. Great characters, unusual premise, well researched and gripping. I loved the historical point of view character Anna and even though I'd never heard of the post office murals I was completely transported to the setting and would love to see them in real life, they sound fascinating.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I give it 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Diane Chamberlain writes a well researched, deeply woven novel with Big Lies in a Small Town.
It flicks between two characters in two different time periods. 1940 North Carolina, Anna Dale has won a competition to paint a post office mural in a town called Edenton however never manages to finish it in time for its big reveal.
2018 we meet Morgan Christopher who has been in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. She mysteriously and suddenly gets released on the basis that she is the person to restore and complete the mural. This was a subject I had never heard of and although I wasn’t totally fascinated with the restoration detail I did love Chamberlain’s ability to write amazing fiction. Anna and Morgan’s life become entwined and there are plenty of mysteries along the way.
The novel also approaches some tough subjects such as racism, rape and abuse.
I’m so thrilled to have received an advanced copy of this book so thank you.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping, poignant novel - I read it in one sitting. My only wish is that I could give 'Big Lies in a Small Town' more than 5 stars. You know when you read a Diane Chamberlain novel that you are in the hands of a master of her craft. This book is further evidence that Chamberlain is at the height of her powers. It s a compelling tale of two women bound together through the ages by a curious mural. It is the story of Anna Dale, artist, appointed in 1939 to pain a mural on the wall of a post office in a small Southern town. It is also the present-day story of Morgan Christopher, fledgling artist, released early from prison for the sole purpose of restoring the disintegrating mural. Morgan has no experience of restoration, but its recently deceased owner, Jesse Williams insists that she is the only woman for the job. Why? Moreover, why did Anna deviate from the original design of the mural to include what can only be described as some very bloody and disturbing motifs? There are big lies in the small town of Edenton, and with the deftness of touch of a born storyteller, Chamberlain conjures her customary magic to write an absorbing tale about the secrets and lies at the heart of a small community in the racially segregated South. This a story of contrasts: the ugly face of endemic racism and the beauty that only art can inspire. It is also unashamedly about the power of women, even when cultural mores and formal edicts of 'the feminine' render them powerless as subjects, lacking agency. This is the metaphorical umbilical cord that binds Anna and Morgan stories together- the redemptive and inspirational power of art. This is a mystery novel, yes, but it is also a tale of redemption and an astute observation of the human condition at the intersection of gender and race.. A powerful, compelling novel from the unique voice of Diane Chamberlain.

It's 2018, and Morgan's life has gone off the rails. Coerced into taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, her dreams of being an artist are on hold until she completes her 3 year sentence. That is, until a shocking offer is made that could change her life forever - restore a mural by the mysterious artist Anna Dale, who vanished without trace in the 1940s, and left behind a mural filled with clues as to what really happened all those years ago...

Now, I am a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain. I've read most of her books, and I generally love them without question. But I did find this one to be somewhat lacking. I absolutely loved Anna's chapters - her voice was so strong and gripping, and her storyline was truly engaging. Morgan on the other hand... I struggled to connect with her, and it did feel to me at least like her chapters were just filler. There wasn't a huge amount to her story, and compared to Anna, she just felt quite lacklustre. In most dual narrative novels, there is one character who stands out more - for me, it was a clear preference to Anna.

All in all, it was a good enough book. It just lacked some of Chamberlain's characteristic magic. It felt a bit too long, and then the ending was a bit too rushed - for example, I felt like the resolution to the question of why Morgan had to be the one to restore the mural was a bit forced and shoehorned in right at the end. It just wasn't what I expected, and so I was a bit disappointed. It would not put me off of reading one of her books in future though, as I still class her as an extraordinary author. I just found this book to be a bit ordinary.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Another really good read by Diane Chamberlain. Two stories on two different timelines that intwine in so many ways. The characters and their stories are believable and a compelling read. I would definitely recommend this book and any other book by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This was my first Diane Chamberlain novel and it certainly won’t be my last.
Big Lies In A Small Town was an entertaining story set in two time frames.
It is initially about Morgan Christopher who is in prison for a crime she did not commit. One day Lisa, daughter of famous black artist, Jesse Williams appears and makes Morgan an offer she cannot refuse. Jesse has died and in his will he has named Morgan to restore a mural to hang in a new museum to be founded in his name. Morgan has dropped out of art school when imprisoned and although she has long admired Jesse she has never met him nor does she have any experience in restoration. However she readily agrees in order to leave prison and soon she is shown the mural which had been commissioned by the government in 1940 to adorn Edenton post office. Edenton is a small Southern town which Morgan has never heard of. Why has Jesse decided on her to carry out the work?
As she begins to restore the mural with the help of museum curator, Oliver, she starts to wonder about Anna who was the original painter but is so obscure she can find no more of her work.anywhere. Why has she disappeared so completely?
The second time line is about Anna and is set in 1940. Anna has won a competition to design the mural and visits Edenton to gather information. Lonely after the untimely death of her mother, Anna gradually makes friends in the town.
However there are many small town jealousies and secrets which are gradually revealed. Why has Anna added some very strange images to the mural such as blood covered hammers, knives and skulls?
As well as being about the art restoration this is also about two lonely women separated by decades but both looking for something in Edenton.
This is also about the racial discrimination in the 1940s as Jesse’s early life slowly comes to light.
I loved Morgan and Anna but the true hero of the book was the mural itself which reached across the years to unite the two women.
There were several twists along the way and even some romance.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book and I shall definitely be recommending it as a five star read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.