The Illusion of Simple

by Charles Forrest Jones

In a dry Kansas riverbed, a troop of young girls finds a human hand. This discovery leads Billy Spire, the tough and broken sheriff of Ewing County, to investigate and confront the depths of his community and of the racism, the dying economy, the lies and truths of friendship, grievances of the past and present, and even his own injured marriage.

But like any town where people still breathe, there is also love and hope and the possibility of redemption. To flyover folks, Ewing County appears nothing more than a handful of empty streets amid crop circles and the meandering, depleted Arkansas River. But the truth of this place—the interwoven lives and stories—is anything but simple.

Genres: Fiction

273 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2022

About the author

Charles Forrest Jones lives with his wife and dogs in Lawrence, Kansas and Creede, Colorado. He has a BS in Biology from Kansas University, an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School, and spent the majority of his professional life in public service. From 2003 to 2014, he served as Director of the Kansas University Public Management Center and taught MPA ethics and administration.

Reviews

[MarilynW · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Illusion of Simple by Charles Forrest Jones

I liked how the story started out. A young woman is taking a troop of poor young girls on an outing. These kids wouldn't be able to be in one of the established kids' troops because of lack of money and other things but that doesn't mean they can't have some of the same fun and experiences that other kids have. But one of the little girls finds a glove with a hand in it so the sheriff is called. I really like Sheriff Billy Spire. He grew up poor, getting constant beatings from his brutal dad. He was always in fights, and because of his background, once he started fighting, it was in a blind rage. From his description, he was born ugly and got uglier with every punch and every year that he lived. He was so ugly that he felt bad that people had to look at him.

Published May 18th 2022

Still, even though Billy feels like he will die never amounting to something, he really has made a difference in this town. He was a top high school football player and when his family moved away he was allowed to live with a prominent family of the town. He made good grades and had a successful career in the military. Then he came home and was elected sheriff. About the time he became sheriff, Billy had an epiphany and vowed to be a nicer person, to see the good in others, the help make things better. It's hard being this nicer, better person sometimes, he doesn't always make good on his vow, but he never gives up trying.

Now he has to run down the body that goes with the hand. Rumors abound, keeping them quashed is impossible since the town loves to talk. I wish the story was mostly about Billy and the murder and the townspeople because that's what I enjoyed. The narrator does a great job of narrating the story, His voice and manner of delivery are excellent.

But the story is so one sided against certain groups of people and certain beliefs. When a story goes so far to vilify groups of people the way it does, I lose interest. It felt like the characters, and there were many interesting characters, got lost in the causes.

Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ewing, Kansas during the farm crisis of the 1980's, "farms failed, families moved, depopulation began. Large machines offset vanishing workers, then displaced those who tried to hang on...The local economy serve[d] only to sustain that which has endured." Stonewall Hospital, formerly a clothing store, was staffed by an old physician, Don Howard and his nurse wife "Mama Doc". The Ewing County Sheriff's Office had no budget to hire deputies.

Ayesha Perez was the champion of a needy girl troop, trying to provide the girls with unburdened freedom and adventure. "She is offended by affronts to the humanity of others." A trip to the depleted Arkansas riverbed...girls playing soccer with a clump of leather, a work glove. "Somebody lost a glove and left their hand inside."

Billy Spire, Sheriff of Ewing County, was called to the scene. "Billy Spire's appearance suggests a brutish and plodding intelligence or a serious drinking problem...he scarcely drinks." [Diet cola, please] "Billy learned distrust and physical toughness from a father who "showed his drinking buddies what true toughness looked like." Two "self-appointed" deputies came to assist. Owen Middleton, President of Stonewall Savings and Loan, "learned business at his daddy's knee, the intricacies and interplay of wealth, power, information and opportunity." Leo Ace, self appointed local historian, ran Ace's Auto Repair, the only repair shop in town. He sported an Elvis pompadour.

Ace found the pickup truck with a flat tire, a truck belonging to Russ Haycock. The Green Dodge truck sat unseen, on an elevated curve, between two straight stretches of highway. "There was one thing for sure, 'bad trouble and Russ Haycock always had a way of finding each other." The ties that bound the residents of Ewing, Kansas were told through backstories; tales of friendships, made and broken, dreams and reality, realized or crushed.

"The Illusion of Simple" by Charles Forrest Jones is a multifaceted mystery, part detective story, part commentary on issues including inclusion, joblessness, politics, love, hope and redemption. Detailed character development created a thorough understanding of the populace in this one horse town. This reader was left with feelings of hope for the small, midwestern, fictitious town. Highly recommended.

Thank you University of Iowa Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A human hand is found by a troop of young girls. Ewing County, the sheriff leads the investigation and with it comes many other discoveries which leads to deep questions around his own life and the town's folk's individual stories.

A very intriguing story with a wide range of topics questioned and answered. Charles has a very deep way of telling this story. It is full of questions, hope and light. Truly magnificent!

The narration was excellent with a male voice that really spoke of how deep this book goes. My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for this ARC.

[Kylie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used the Audiobook version of this novel. I found the narrator was not engaging, and my mind tended to wander a lot, and it was very difficult to concentrate of the book itself. The story seemed like a good one, but I honestly couldn't even tell you what was happening after the first two narrated pages.

Thankyou Netgalley and University of Iowa Press for my advanced copy of The Illusion of Simple.

This book is just not the right book for me, I would prefer to move onto another book, then waste my time on a book that wasn't engaging.

1 Star: I did not enjoy the book and may not have been able to finish it. I would not recommend this book to others.

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[Gwendolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

We can’t give half stars but this is more of a 2.5 stars.

I think I did myself an injustice by coming into this book assuming it was a mystery/thriller because during the whole story I was waiting for something thriller like to occur. I thought maybe it was going to be a slow burn like some of the less action packed Stephen King novels but this was not quite the case. It starts out with a girl troop finding a severed hand in the woods during their camping trip, but it doesn’t really go beyond that in the aspects of the mystery/thriller genre. So I think that the mystery & thriller tag should be removed and just be labeled as fiction.

But if you look at this book from a literary fiction point of view, than you will enjoy it more. The title is a play off of the the complexity of the characters’ outer and inner turmoil. Speaking of characters, if I’m going to be honest, there were way too many. It was hard for me to keep up with them all. Every time a new character appeared their whole backstory was given even if they weren’t relevant to the plot.

I received this ARC book from Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Christine Cauthen · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book for my honest review. i love thrillers and being from the midwest i was very interested in this book.

unfortunately i didn’t end up finishing the book. i lost interest pretty quickly and after pushing through to almost halfway i couldn’t make myself finish the audiobook.

the character list is extensive and kind of hard to follow. based on the synopsis i read, i wish the book itself were a bit more focused. i received an ARC audiobook and i had to pause multiple times to reorient myself in the story.

i kept asking myself is it a character study or a murder mystery/thriller? either answer is fine but i would be sure to market it clearly.

from what i read it seems to be a part of a trend i’m seeing in books about redeeming small-minded characters. i believe people can grow, but so far i don’t know that this book conveyed that storyline in a believable way for me. i hope that it did that later on but i wasn’t interested enough to reach that point.

[Isabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given this arc in exchange for an honest review: 1 star

Well the title gets it right because this book is complicated for seemingly no reason. There is such a large cast that I keep getting characters mixed up. I’ve had to actually write down character names and descriptions so hopefully I know what’s going on. This book was listed as a mystery/thriller and it’s not. It’s more about everyone’s regular lives in town than about the literal murder. The finding of the hand happens very early on in the book but nothing happens?? We spend very little time on FINDING A HUMAN HAND and just learn about everyone in the town. Learning about the victim is interesting but why am I learning about a bunch of random people who have very little to do with the case?

Also this might be nit picky but the women in this book are written really badly. Very sexist 2D depictions of women. Example: “…in her late teens she wears a sleeveless blouse and short shorts. Her legs are slender and flirty” later it goes on to say “there is something compliant and sweet about her” that is a CHILD.

TW: abuse, racism, antisemitism, terrorism, fat phobia, misogyny, gun violence, poverty, addiction, cancer, murder, etc.

[Peggy Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Illusion of Simple is not a Simple story but the complications highlight the vagaries of human nature. For me, individual sentences brought this book to life—especially this one which captures the essence of the story--“the first pulse to take is your own.”

An interconnected Kansas town where young girls out scoutin find a human hand in a glove—an auspicious beginning of a rambling murder mystery filled with personalities, racial biases and political intrigue. Our protagonist, sheriff Billy Spire, follows the leads to understand the murder of a VietNam vet who lives in isolation with his Vietnamese wife.

The funeral, performed by a young, naïve Catholic priest and attended by most of the town sets the stage further with intriguing characters with small town, political, and religious characters. The dying town has been given the dilemma of developing enterprises, justice, and virtue.

A deep look at human nature, contrasting innocence and greed; hope and desperation; authenticity and deceit. A book that will make you want to take your own pulse first.

[Sara Aoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's only January 9th but I do believe I have already read the book that will be my top read of the year!
I love grit lit and the best grit lit is set in Texas or Kansas. The Illusion of Simple is set in Kansas and as someone who once lived in Kansas, I was immediately drawn to this book and the descriptions of the small towns near Topeka. The people, the place, the situations, the diners--it's all here with a gripping story of a murder and how it all came about. Most of all, I think it is about identity politics. At least that is the message that rang clear for me. But every reader will walk away with something different and that truly is the hallmark of a darn good book. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

[Sarah Banks · Rating 1 out of 5]

- DNF @ 72%
- sexist - bad woman representation - adding to patriarchy
- starts intriguing but then you get a history lesson about
- see into way too many characters backstories that were absolutely page fillers which is quite sad considering the book is so short
- theres almost no storyline and its not uniform - plot where?
- is this even a mystery?

- Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall Rating

Story Telling - 2
Characters - 2
Writing - 3
Intrigue - 1
Plot - 2
World Building - 3
Enjoyment - 2
Overall Average -

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty crime drama set in small town Kansas? Yes, please. Where many of the like stray towards caricatures, The Illusion of Simple builds genuine characters you can almost reach out and touch. The story is certainly meandering at times, but worth the journey.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Illusion of Simple is a good title for the book because that is what it is. There is quite a bit happening that has been occurring for generations, and the trailer is a great example of that. I really enjoyed the political scenes and having been a long time resident of the Capitol City I had no issues visualizing many of the scenes. Why it did not get a four star is there are some things bothered me - for instance the Sheriff felt that people always looked at him - not as a figure of authority but apparently he was not an attractive man. Outside of having red hair and I imagined a pox scared face, but I wondered what really made him so unattractive. Just details like that prevented me from really liking this book, otherwise the writing was great.

How did this book find me? It was a mention from the Kansas Book Festival. However, I did not see Jones at the Festival held in September.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
n a dry Kansas riverbed, a troop of young girls finds a human hand. This discovery leads Billy Spire, the tough and broken sheriff of Ewing County, to investigate and confront the depths of his community and of himself: the racism, the dying economy, the lies and truths of friendship, grievances of the past and present, and even his own injured marriage.

But like any town where people still breathe, there is also love and hope and the possibility of redemption. To flyover folks, Ewing County appears nothing more than a handful of empty streets amid crop circles and the meandering, depleted Arkansas River. But the truth of this place—the interwoven lives and stories—is anything but simple.

The illusion of simple, really is an illusion the story is far from simple, in all honesty I struggled to keep up with all of the characters and their back stories (which I should probably add isn’t a negative, too many times I’ve read books and thought, wait who is this, so the backstory’s were great) unfortunately it just had a bit too much going on for me, and I confuse easily. The author tended to write a little one sidedly perhaps you could even say with bias. The writing itself is brilliant, the narration excellent it just wasn’t for me, but I’d not consider rating less than 3 just because it wasn’t a good fit.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Illusion of Simple is a beautifully written and relatable story about life, love, friendship, loyalty, right and wrong, politics and its means to reach an end, deceit, and prejudice in general. It also shows a face of America that is very rarely spoken about in books with the seriousness that it deserves. The author has the power of using words to embellish a description of the good or the bad, and that is a powerful tool. I really enjoyed reading this book, what should be simple is, in fact, rather complicated, because we, human beings, have difficulty understanding and respecting each other.
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my unbiased opinion.

[Kristin Knisley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery and complexity of small town life in rural Kansas is written about beautifully in this novel. A word of caution - Do not come to this book to read a mystery, but instead to fully understand a functioning rural community. Ewing, KS, could be any small town in the US. The descriptions and stories of the characters are beautiful, and they can be visualized easily. Some more technical parts of the book move slowly, but overall this is a well-written story focused on the characters in a small town.

[Lacepaperlife · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it… I wanted to love it! I enjoyed the characters as they were introduced however the deeper we got into the story the more virus if he came. Felt so one-sided. Khatibi and incessant degradation towards multiple groups really turned me off.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 three stars full of potential or a book that Was written with a bit too much malice.

[Manisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook.
I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.
SO GOOD!!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well written book. It’s not one I would usually read and at times I almost stopped reading but something kept pulling me back. That’s what good writing does and it did.

[Briony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and The University of Iowa for this ARC in exchange for an honest review… here are my thoughts.

This book started off as a promising read, the first 50-80 pages I was interested and loved where it was heading… the rest of the book… I can’t say the same. The whole plot of the book is a mystery (or so I thought) and yet I felt as though the majority of it was description of the town and community. Description of the town and community including main characters is important yes, but should it overshadow what is pitched as the main plot? No. I wanted more of a mystery, more suspense… less focus on characters who I felt minimal connection to.

If you care for description, character dialogue and all the interpersonal connections of a small town, you might like this one but don’t expect much of a storyline to follow especially easily.

Don’t get me wrong, the description of the town was painted clearly with a middle western vibe in a small town. The type of town that sweeps all their problems under the rug and are ill equipped to deal with a possible murder.
I enjoyed that perspective but there is a little bit of irony considering the title is ‘The Illusion of Simple’ and this book was anything but.

The storyline has potential but just wasn’t executed how I would have liked.
2/5 ⭐️

[Rebecca Raney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often that I open a novel and feel that not only do I know the characters, but that I have lived part of my life alongside them. That’s exactly what happened with “The Illusion of Simple,” and I felt haunted by it, not just by the story, but by my own experiences as well.

The story of struggle in the collapsing corners of America is central to this moment in history, and it’s a story that’s far too rare in literature and in the popular culture. We are unbelievably lucky in having Charles Forrest Jones as a guide to this moment. He brings insights that are harsh but fair, like the landscape of western Kansas itself.

I finished the book feeling that these characters, so exquisitely shaped by the wind and the driving sleet, did exactly what people in that bleak, hard-to-love territory would do. If you didn’t come from a collapsing society, you might think they had a choice. I don’t think so. I will read this book again. And again.

[Samadhee Ismail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good and controversial book. The story starts with a group of girls discovering a human hand and then from then on the story starts. The story is set in the small town of Kansas.

The story is really written in a realistic way of what the life was really like during the 1980s--racism, politics, betrayal of friendships and loyalty, bad economy...it feels like you are thrown back into that time. Though it's a work of fiction, you actually feel like you are a part of the story. There were some parts of the story that were only boring but then the story soon grew into me. I really like the author's style of writing and he did a good job of making the story as realistic as possible.

Overall, it was a good book--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

[Kathleen Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cleverly written book free of the usual artifice. It provides a thoughtful, intelligent narrative of the dendritic nature of life, ever changing, yet paradoxically constant, roots binding our connections, often times hiding uncomfortable truths for the greater good. What’s more, It’s not just the intelligent, often times amusing interactions of the characters that draws me in but the author has a mastery of description that is striking and authentic. I can envision each character. I know who they are and insights are developed slowly, succinctly and methodically. It is a novel worthy of the read.

[Susan Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inhaled this book over a weekend. It faces down the illusion (the myth? the dismissal?) that small towns are "simple"--- less complex, less interesting, with 'simple' people and 'simple' problems or issues. Sure, there are fewer people but their issues are real. I found myself slowing down to re-read sections because I loved the language, with as much held back as expressed. Mirrors both accurate and distorted. How they see each other as much as how the readers sees them.
It's a book to be savored again in six months, and I plan to re-read for what I missed when tracking plot the first time around.

[Elisa Speranza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Forrest Jones has given us an important and timely gift. The Illusion of Simple does what the best fiction is supposed to do: it creates empathy and understanding through masterful storytelling. The characters are well-developed and Jones’ keen rendering of place—sometimes lovingly, sometimes shining a harsh light on truths we need to see—makes this an exceptional and compelling read. Highly recommended.

[Nancy Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the main character, Sheriff Billy Spire. He was definitely the heart and soul of this book, but there were other interesting characters as well. It was fun to come across places I’m familiar with throughout the book like Topeka, Manhattan, and other surrounding places. Also, since I grew up in a small town, I appreciated how the author captured the essence of small town life in Ewing county and the people in it. The title was perfect!

[Danny Ramones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book. From the beginning I was hooked but confused about all the different lives and points of views. I loved how at the end it all came together and tied together. Felt slow at points, but nothing was invaluable. Everything worked together to serve a purpose.

[Lobstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow burn ending quite nicely.

[Robin K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio version is excellent!

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2022 The University of Iowa Press published Charles Forrest Jones mystery novel “The Illusion of Simple.” The novel features leaders of a small western Kansas Ewing County township of Stonewall and the political relationships of House and Senate politicians in Topeka. The mystery begins with a Girl Scout troop discovery of a severed hand inside a glove found in a pine woodland adjacent to an Arkansas River trail. The gloved hand is given to Billy Spire who is Sheriff of the Ewing County Kansas police force. Billy suspects the hand is from the body of a dead person (Russ Haycock) who was found shot and lying in a ditch. Billy Spires immediately begins a search for the perpetrators of the crime. With the help of Stonewall citizens, business leaders, and State government officials including the Kansas Bureau of Investigations and Kansas Department of Administration Billy Spires discovers an amazing chain of events that solves the crime. These chain of events includes investments funded by government grants, riots sparked by members of a political ultra conservatives coalition (called Wings), arson destruction of a residence, bow and arrow activities of a religious leader, ethnic bias, attack dogs, and the building an automotive and distribution center on a former contaminated cattle ranch close to Stonewall. Although Russ Haycock’s shooting and “severed hand” death is befuddling, Billy and his research team are frequently farcical, at times unethical, and often very theoretical. Jones’ mystery novel is also full of illusions that are complex and at the same time surprisingly simple to comprehend . (P)

[Kindle Worm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not one I ended up enjoying. Started out listening to it, but the narrator was just too dry, causing me to loose interest. There were parts of the story that were very good, but somehow they got lost along the way and there was quite a bit of finger pointing at certain groups of people. Switching to book form didn’t help much as I just didn’t resonate with the overall story. Thank you to RB Media, University of Iowa Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.