Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

Hello everyone.

Have you ever checked out your genealogy? I started looking at my family and hubby's years ago. We had a 486 computer with a dialup modem. I could literally brew a pot of coffee and make a cup while waiting for a single census page to load. Thankfully, we've come a long way. If you haven't coughed up a couple of dollars and joined a company that holds all those family records, stop being a cheapskate and do it for at least one month. You will be surprised what you find. While I am definitely a Yankee, hubby has firm roots in the south. His family is one of the North Carolina's first settlers and founders.  We had a bit of problem with one set of great grandparents, finally finding them and a long line of predecessors in a tiny town called Edenton.

Edenton has been named prettiest small town in America. It is one of those places where shop keepers can leave merchandise on the sidewalk outside their shops overnight. Nothing disappears and people wanting to buy something just leave the money. Yes, places like that do actually still exist. They have a noise ordinance to keep the peace, a highly active downtown, and have voted Walmart out. Many of the houses date to the 1700's and range from modest to enormous. Amazingly, most are perfectly kept despite their age and the amount of work that goes into an old house. Indeed, Edenton is a beautiful town.

I recently read the newest offering from Diane Chamberlain, Big Lies in a Small Town. This entire story takes place in Edenton, North Carolina, where we follow two artists at two different periods of time. In 1940, Anna, from New Jersey, wins a contest through the WPA to paint a mural for the Post Office in Edenton. We also follow Morgan, a former art student and convict, suddenly let out of jail thanks to the will of a recently deceased famous artist. He had a way of taking people he doesn't know under his wing and improving their lives. This mysterious benefactor has left a wish in his will that Morgan restore the 1940 mural painted by Anna. There is so much to discover in this story, I don't want to spoil it for you.

The characters in this book are imperfect, yet enthralling. Art plays a huge role as does the town, yet neither is overwhelming. So much care has been done to research the artistic endeavors and the real town of Edenton. Anyone going to this southern sanctuary would easily recognize it from this story. The pacing is perfection, just fast enough to spur you through pages but slow enough to let you savor the story. This is a good one, happy and sad, light and dark, and highly memorable....a Diane Chamberlain trademark.

If you vacation on the Outer Banks this summer and have had too much sun, take a little trip to Edenton. You'll find this town as charming as this book.

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

Hello everyone.

Have you ever seen someone you thought you knew but it wasn't that person? Awkward to say but you know what I mean. Of course you have, everybody has. My husband told me about how they were on vacation when he was a kid and were 2,000+ miles away from home, and his sister thought she saw someone from her elementary school class riding their bike. When I lost my parents, I swear I saw each of them everywhere. I still often think I see my dad, he just had one of "those" faces and heads, especially from the back...you know...dad-ish. In the case of grief, I am sure it is very common especially shortly after your loss. Otherwise, I am sure someone has caught your eye. Some of us have a good memory for faces.

I recently read Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson. In this story, a woman, Hen (short for Henrietta) and her husband, Lloyd, have moved into a new house. They have dinner at the neighbors house directly across the street. A pretty normal and pleasant thing to do. While they are being given a home tour Hen sees a trophy that reminds her of a murder case. Although she doesn't know the murderer's face like I was yammering about earlier, Henrietta knows the trophy. She remembers the murder of years ago so clearly because she lived on the street where it happened. The trophy, for fencing, was taken by the killer as a grisly souvenir. Although their charming host has a perfectly logical explanation for having the award, Hen has a sense that all is not well. As they story progresses we find out not only did Hen live on the street where the murder was committed but has had mental health issues in the past. When she becomes absolutely positive that she is now living on the street with the killer, she goes to the police but who will believe her with her past? Even Lloyd doubts his wife, fearing another mental break. Ahhh, I've given you plot which I vowed not to do, you've likely already read the book jacket. I just couldn't help myself. This story is just what a thriller should be, twisty. It leaves you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages like a mad woman. It forces you to eat frozen pizza for dinner! Oh yes, gasp you should, this book is too good to even contemplate time away from it to make dinner...and the resulting dishes...forget about them!

Do yourself a favor, get your favorite take out pizza, some paper plates, and this book. You will savor them all!