Tamer Alexander's "Colors of Truth" - Carnton, book 2

In 1866 Catriona O'Toole arrives in the town of Franklin, Tennessee, searching for her younger brother, Ryan, who, according to his last letter, was headed for Franklin only days before the catastrophic Battle of Franklin. Wade Cunningham, one of ten operatives in the newly formed United States Secret Service Agency, is on the hunt for counterfeiters. A tip leads him to Franklin and to Carnton. As evidence in the case mounts, it eventually points to Catriona, but Wade is reluctant to believe it.

Tamera Alexander always delivers a rich, detailed historical novel, and Colors of Truth is no exception. 

The history of Carnton here on the page brings to life the aftermath of war in ways that I hadn't seen before. It's a year following the battle, and the bodies of the Union soldiers have already been exhumed and sent home to be buried, while the bodies of the Confederate soldiers--many buried too shallowly--are rising to the surface, and the federal government won't lift a finger to deal with them. Thus the McGavocks and local leaders themselves must raise the funds and provide the land for a cemetery. I can't imagine the work to exhume nearly fifteen hundred bodies and rebury them properly, keeping meticulous records on everyone that they could identify. 

Of course, the main plot line follows Catriona and Wade and the counterfeiting, which is well-rooted in history as well. I very much liked Wade (once past his self-righteousness early in the story); he's a good guy, yet I really liked that he crossed Tempy early on and is forever in the doghouse with her--it just struck me as really funny. All the little ways Tempy shows her disapproval of him cracked me up. Catriona and her sister Nora were more challenging to like; both are hot-tempered and lacking in tact, which is fine when dealing with bullies but harder to stomach when being a jerk to someone who is legitimately trying to help and has personally done nothing to earn their disapprobation. When Catriona finally lets down her guard to be vulnerable, then she's a lot more likeable.

Carnton
0.5: Christmas at Carnton
1. With This Pledge
2. Colors of Truth

Related Nashville Novels (contain some cross-over characters/connections to Carnton):

Belmont Mansion
1. A Lasting Impression
2. A Beauty So Rare
3. A Note Yet Unsung

Belle Meade Plantation
1. To Whisper Her Name
2. To Win Her Favor
2.5 "To Mend a Dream" (part of the novella collection Among the Fair Magnolias)
3. To Wager Her Heart