The Illusion of Simple

Written by Charles Forrest Jones

Narrated by Chris Henry Coffey

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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705064238

Reviews for The Illusion of Simple

[timbazzett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, absolutely LOVED it! And found it hard to believe that this is Charles Forrest Jones's first book. It has all the elements of what should be a bestseller, starting off immediately with a murder mystery. Then there is its setting: a dying small town in western Kansas, flyover country that could sure use an economic boost. There is treachery, greed, venal local and state politics, faith lost and found, betrayal and, of course, love, in all it many guises.THE ILLUSION OF SIMPLE is actually a very complex novel, literary and character-driven - my favorite kind of book. And the characters, so richly realized, all ring so true, none of them perfect or heroic, nor are any of them completely evil. The protagonist, Billy Spire, is the Sheriff of Stonewall, a town too small and too poor to afford even a deputy. Desperately poor and abused by a brutish father, Billy becomes a fearsome football hero in high school and is rescued by the town banker when his family leaves town. After a twenty-year career as an Army MP, he has returned to Stonewall to become sheriff. His closest friend is the banker's son, Owen Middleton, the current banker and a senator in the Topeka statehouse. Both are married, neither happily. Billy's wife, Nadine, is an alcoholic. Owen cheats on his wife.Then there is Russ Haycock, the murder victim whose backstory is equally intriguing - a Vietnam war vet who could never seem to adjust, or hold a job, and his Vietnam war bride, whom he treasures beyond words. His bitterness and various failures drive him towards white supremacist and hate groups. There is Melvin McQuitty, a greedy, crooked politician. And there is Ayesha Perez, a tall, proud woman trying to come to grips with her own sexual identity, who lavishes her love on poor, neglected children. Oh, and Father Turney is a morbidly obese Catholic priest who has lost his faith.Billy and Owen are the central characters here, but so many other minor characters are brought to vivid life here by an omniscient narrator that functions so seamlessly that you are hardly aware of him. And yes, all of these characters and their stories come together in a gripping conclusion and denouement that will leave you shaking your head in admiration. Billy Spire is a multifaceted character that I would definitely like to see more of. His character brought to mind other similarly complex figures from the fiction of the late Frederick Busch, a prolific writer whose work I have admired for nearly thirty years. Spire also compares favorably with James Lee Burke's now legendary crime solver, Dave Robicheaux. Yes, Jones belongs in this company.Bottom line: there is nothing simple in Charles Forrest Jones's first novel. This is a masterful and stunning debut. Bravo, Mr Jones. My very highest recommendation.- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER