#bookreview
From the book's blurb:
"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?"
My thoughts:
Let me be up front with you, I loved this book. Two artists, one painting. For a dual timeline, it was very well done and easy to follow for the two timelines were essential to understanding the plot. The intrigue presented by the decrepit painting carried both time lines. The characters were real, folks you could see in your mind, and folks that you wanted to know more about.
The changing painting mystery had me invested in this story. Why was this painting important and why had it been hidden for years? How did the painting change each night? Was someone changing it? Who? Why? What did all the gross symbolism mean?
Who was Anna Dale, and what was her connection to this grotesque painting? Was she the painter as some believed. If so, why type person was she to paint such a scene, one that she knew would not please those who had commissioned it. Why was Morgan Christopher plucked from prison and chosen to unveil the secrets of Anna's life? Was she in danger?
I enjoyed and understood the two main female characters...women from two time periods, but with much in common. I learned a great deal about art restoration. It was evident that the author either has a background in art and restoration, or she did in-depth research and listened to experts when needed.
I highly recommend this book. Publication date is Tuesday, January 14 from St. Martin's press. Available on most online and brick and mortar outlets.
You can read the first two chapters here: https://dianechamberlain.com/books/big-lies-in-a-small-town/
