Big Lies in a Small Town
Ratings6
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings6
Average rating4.2
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 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
Reviews with the most likes.
In this book Diane Chamberlain creates an enthralling story about two female artists decades apart and the complicated mural that connects them. The story is perfectly paced with enough detail to bring the time periods and artwork to life without being overdone. Though the story touches on some hard-hitting topics, it is a beautiful piece of work.
This book tells the story of Morgan Christopher and Anna Dale. Morgan is a young woman paying the price for a crime she did not commit when a stranger offers a deal she cannot refuse. She must restore a mural painted in 1940 in time for a gallery opening, a task for which she is untrained. The artist of the mural, Anna Dale, disappeared in 1940 before the mural could be installed. The mural also disappeared, but somehow shows up in the hands of another artist who insists that Morgan is the only person who can restore it. Through the restoration process, Morgan begins to unravel the mystery that is Anna Dale.
The story is told in dual perspectives in dual timelines. The chapters alternate between Morgan in 2018 and Anna in 1939/1940. The chapters are relatively short, keeping the pace quick. Each chapter reveals a bit more of the Anna mystery. Chamberlain builds suspense nicely, keeping the reader engaged.
The characters are well developed and dynamic. Anna is a Northern woman in a Southern town, unable to really understand the racial climate in which she finds herself. Her artistic spirit and strong will are admirable, but they end up causing her grief. Morgan is troubled by the car accident she and her past boyfriend caused. She does not know how to move past the guilt. Restoring the mural gives her some purpose and helps her to resolve some of her feelings. As a reader, I found myself really caring for these characters.
The ending is satisfying, even though some aspects of it are a bit predictable. The plot concludes in a way that provides the answers to the questions put forth throughout the book such as what happened to Anna Dale and what connection does Morgan have to the mural.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction with dual timelines and multiple perspectives. The writing style is easy to read and the plot is engaging and fulfilling.
Solid Tale Solidly Told. This is a solid story of two women and two timelines. In 2018, a young lady is released from prison on parole on the condition that she restore a mural from the 1940s. In the 1940s, another young woman is painting this mural. The present day timeline is told in first person and the past timeline is told in third, which makes it easy to pick up and know which period you're in. I personally suffered some family tragedy and what felt like a pretty significant reading slump while reading this book, but I managed to get through it and finish the book within the month. And let me be clear, I do not feel that this book itself had anything to do with the slump, it really is a solid tale with an interesting curve at the end. Very much recommended.
