Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel in Big Lies in a Small Town.

North Carolina, 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. 

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 desperate for 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’s depictions of creative beauty and perseverance across time and in the face of inevitable obstacles will keep readers turning the pages.”—Publishers Weekly 

“Chamberlain’s writing is reminiscent of a quilt made up of pieces from different people, places, and times, stitched together into a single, emotional story.”—Booklist

Review

This story is told by two different narrators in two different time periods, Anna, set in 1940s and Morgan set in present day. Anna has been hired to create a mural for a small town post office. Morgan has been hired to restore this mural. As Morgan begins her restoration, she uncovers some serious idiosyncrasies within the painting. Well, of course this leads her to try and find out more about Anna.

Morgan is a character which cannot help but pull at your heartstrings. She has a past she is trying to overcome. She has been in prison for something she did not do. So this mural is her redeeming grace. She is determined to do the best job she can. But these peculiarities are just something she cannot over look. I enjoyed her tenacity and her warm heart.

Well, I am off to a fantastic start in 2020. Diane Chamberlain has tons of books. I have only read a handful. I did not discover her till a couple of years ago…WHY? How have I missed this author…I have no idea! BUT! I have completely fallen in love with her talent. She spins a tale like no other. This story is complex and totally engrossing. Need a good book to start your year off right…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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