Reviews

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

jo_books_i_love4's review against another edition

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5.0

This story gripped me from the very beginning! I loved how the story went from Anna back in 1940 to Morgan in present time. Anna is an Artist picked to do a mural for the North Carolina post office. She begins her work on it and never finishes. Morgan present time is released from prison on the condition she must restore Anna Dales mural, only she doesn’t know how, but takes it on anyway so she can be released. Morgan finds herself needing to know why Anna didn’t finish and why she just vanished. Everything came together perfectly and I loved the end! Diane Chamberlain is fantastic every book just keeps getting better and better!

jennitarheelreader's review against another edition

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5.0

Another five star read from one of my faves! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Diane Chamberlain is a favorite author of mine. Her style is uniquely her own, and she is a gifted storyteller. As a North Carolinian, I am familiar with the setting of book, and that’s just another perk of reading her novels, the North Carolina settings.

Big Lies in a Small Town has more of a mystery slant than many of Chamberlain’s books, and I LOVED that. I felt the tension early on, and it never let go.

Sometimes with dual narratives I’m drawn to one over the other, but not here; both had me fully invested. So many social issues are addressed in a way only Chamberlain can. She creates characters who live and breathe and think and feel, and it’s easy to believe in them, to even lose sleep over them and their difficulties.

This was another five star Diane Chamberlain read for me, and I highly recommend it.

Many of my reviews can be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

madladym's review against another edition

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4.0

not what I was expecting. Very Good

monsterreads's review against another edition

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Morgan's life has fallen apart. She has been arrested for a crime she didn't commit and has served a year of her time. Her future prospects seem slim and she wants nothing to do with her past. Everything changes as the daughter of a famous author, Jessie Williams, comes to her with a lawyer and says that she will be released on parole if she can complete a restoration of an art mural, for her late father's gallery opening in two months time. Though reluctant and surprised, Morgan wants her freedom and agrees, though her knowledge of restoration is non existent. She begins her work through the help of Oliver, but so little is known of the original artist of the bizarre mural, Anna Dale, that Morgan sets her self on a journey to find out more about her and learns more about her self in the process.

The novel takes us through the racism, sexism and bigotry of the 1940s in the South, in which Anna is painting her mural, all while intersecting it with the trials of modern times and Morgan's journey. Big Lies in a Small Town is different from anything I have read and it had me hooked the entire time. I found myself really connecting with the characters and their stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

p2warner's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a enjoyable tale with a duel timeline about a painting that is being restored in the present time. The past timeline tell the story of the painting/painter. I enjoyed how with each part of the painting that is revealed in restoration, we learned its significance in the other timeline. The there a few twists, some I guessed and other’s I did not see coming. 4.5/5

nweem218's review against another edition

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5.0

10 stars!
What a great little mystery!

chattycathy55's review against another edition

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4.0

Enjoyed this story of two different woman morgan in the present and Anna in the past. My only complaint would be things come together a bit to easily in the end and morgan’s romance feels like like a forced plot device. But an enjoyable read.

cindilm76's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars easy. I really enjoyed the book overall, but the details of Morgan's experiences, the extra details of her family and their influences really hit home with me.

Received an eARC of this book. Thanks to netgalley, author & publisher.

tex2flo's review against another edition

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3.0

Young artist is cajoled out of her prison sentence with the understanding that she must restore a mural painted in the 1940s. Premise of the idea is a bit convoluted as the time restriction and the labor limitations seem odd. Interesting to learn how murals are made, though.

mandamarie17's review against another edition

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5.0

Audiobook
It was a bit slow at first and a tiny bit confusing going back and forth between times, but it honestly became one of the best books I have read this year. I really enjoy all of Diane Chamberlain books but this one might be one of my favorites. Great book.