'An engaging, well-researched, and sometimes thought-provoking art mystery.' -Kirkus '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 '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 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? 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. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. 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. 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. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. 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. 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.

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. 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? ( From the publisher.From bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel. Living in New Jersey, alone in the world and in great need of work, 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.Īnna Dale, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina.

Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to be free, she accepts. 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. Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed.

Lies in a small town