Tortured Truths is a very different book from Heart Chants. Phillip McGuire is the main character in both books, but Tortured Truths is the story of how the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist found his way back to Lawrence, Kansas, and decides to revitalize a local bar. Of course, you can never take the hound out of the newshound, and so McGuire soon finds himself investigating some odd local goings-on: the disappearance of some local kids whose bodies end up in the river with traces of drugs in their system; the strange behavior of the guy who heads the university foundation; and where that same guy is getting all his money. On top of that, he gets romantically involved with a journalism student named Sheila Perez who comes to the bar to do a story on him, and convinces her to write a story about the foundation's funding. Of course, the bodies and the money are tied together, and things get dicey for McGuire, as well as those he cares for, before it's all wrapped up.

I had two quibbles: McGuire occasionally calls Sheila "Signora Perez," using the Italian honorific -- but Perez is a Hispanic surname. I wasn't sure whether he was kidding around, or whether it was a mistake. My other quibble involved McGuire's decision to put Sheila in the middle of everything. I wondered whether that move was morally defensible -- but maybe only another old journalist would have a problem with it. Those two things aside, McGuire is an appealing character whose pain is very real, and the small-town political atmosphere was spot-on. I would recommend Tortured Truths as an enjoyable read.

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Philip McGuire is a jaded, cynical and burnt-out journalist that gets captured by the Hezbollah. Under torture he reveals his knowledge of the Marine compound in Beirut and after they bomb it, killing 237 Marines, they let him go. After getting extensive treatment and rehab on his tortured hand, Philip heads back to the States. Deciding to get out of journalism for good he heads back to his college town to open a bar and hopefully heal inside and out. But just as he’s feeling nearly normal again, trouble pops up and his instincts tell him there’s more to the story than is seen on the surface. Can he figure it out without his past haunting him?

The book begins in 1983 and it took me a bit to get my head wrapped around the Marine compound bombing, Reagan as President and everything that went with the 80s. I typically don’t read history this fresh.  When I do step into a bygone era I prefer the far distant past. However, once I got into the right mindset I was off and running.

Philip is a pretty good character to follow around. His mind is interesting and since he’s been a journalist for years he’s fairly knowledgeable. The torture itself is not on page. The story begins right after and how he deals with his mutilated hand, the surgeries and rehab. Then his quest to open a bar and the renovations are all interesting. Then shit gets real with killings in his new/old town. When someone he knows is killed he can’t help but dig into the reason why. Along the way he finds a lovely brash lady, meets old and new friends, builds a business and, most importantly, faces his past. The story is not a fast-paced thriller, but is a slow build, one brick at a time, providing a solid story with a solid character. I would definitely read more about Philip and all of his friends.