The Edgar Award-winning mystery that launched the career of bestselling novelist Stuart Woods.In the bitter winter of 1920, the first body is found in Delano, Georgia; the naked corpse of an unidentified teenager. There is no direct evidence of murder, but the body bears marks of what seems to be a ritual beating. The investigation falls to Will Henry Lee, a failed cotton farmer newly appointed … cotton farmer newly appointed as Delano’s first chief of police. Lee’s obsession with the crime begins a story that weaves through the decades, following the life of a small southern town and the role of three police chiefs in unraveling the crime.
Chiefs is the best kind of thriller, where the investigation plays out against the drama beneath the surface of a seemingly placid community, seething with the pressures of race, love, hate, and; always; political power, extending from the town fathers all the way to Washington, DC.
Includes a new foreword by the author on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its publication.
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First book I read by Woods. Loved that it set in GA.
Stuart Woods has long been one of my favorite authors. It is almost an honor to have found and read this tale, the beginning of the Will Lee series and his first published book. It may be lacking some of the prose and style of his subsequent books but it is apparent that his ability to capture a reader’s interest and hold it all through the book has been a trait of his since day one.
This book is a page turner and it is riveting. Don’t plan on any early bed times until you have completed it. I love the way that he ties together 3 generations of Chiefs to the ongoing mystery in Delano, Georgia. The intertwined tale will captivate you till the end.
I highly recommend this book!
I don’t reread books often because there are so many new ones on my “want to read list”! But Chiefs is one of the ones I want to reread. It was the first Stuart Woods novel I ever read and it is the one that got me hooked on his books. I also think it is one of his best. Since I live in Georgia, I love all the connections to my home state. This book is filled with mystery and suspense, and the storyline keeps you guessing until the end. So, now my dilemma is which new book do I put off so I can go grab this one off the shelf? 😉
Very good depiction of the decades involved in this saga of a southern town.
I read this book many many years ago, and it has never left my mind. It is one I would go back to 2 or 3 times. The writing is rich with character development and the passage of time is believable. Stuart Woods has written many good good novels and given me many hours of reading pleasure but this book is the best. It is one that, at some point, I will have to get on my e-reader because I’m feeling the itch again and I have no idea where my paperback went during our last relocation.
Woods has never failed in his writing. His books are always interesting, with deep characters and excellent plots. Have enjoyed reading all his books.
Stuart Woods best book.
I enjoyed every page. A bone chilling story that you never saw coming!!
I recommend this book to everyone. I suggest people read Chiefs first, then the entire Will Lee series.
First saw this as a mini-series way back in the 70’s. Very enjoyable. Decided to read the book and was delighted. Good read. Never read anything else he wrote though.
Fast paced and a very entertaining read.
Really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down
One of his earlier works. They are worth reading. Chiefs is also great.
Nothing That Woods has written since this book can hold a candle to it! It’s that good!
One of his very best books
Still re-read. the mini-series was very good.
This is not just one of the best first novels ever, it’s an amazing piece of work. I consider it to be of the 100 best U.S. novels of the 20th Century. It’s a shame. Woods had degenerated into cranking out mediocre potboilers for the money. He hasn’t written anything good since Grass Roots.
Loved this early Stuart Woods. Read many more but have given up on Stone Barrington after it started feeling manufactured and I refuse to support franchises written “with”.
This was my first Stuart Woods novel. I enjoyed it immensely. I have been reading Woods ever since.
This book has been a favorite of mine since the ’70s. The characterizations and the complex storyline are handled with attention to detail. Woods also provides a sense of the historical time in which these characters are operating. This was my intro to Stuart Woods and I’ve read almost everything he’s written.