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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Great book! Raised in the South in a very rural area and this was an insightful look into the cultures of the times.
A very good book i highly recommend it. If you like mystery’s you will enjoy this book. Once you start reading it will be hard to put down.
Good beginning Woods. Actually more traditional storytelling than in his Barrington product.
Watch the mini-series filmed in a small southern town in South Carolina, Chester. I hope this will be created to a DVD who saw this mini-series when it first came out years ago. It’s a good read.
I,ve read a lot of Stuart woods books He is a very good wrighter
Best book by Stewart Woods! I have read EVERY book he has written.
etherho tylthgiUneven writing. Never tied plot t
Stuart Woods is such a good author and this is one of his best. Different from his usual Stone Barrington novels. Different era, different type story, so if you are looking for a thriller among the super wealthy, you will be disappointed. But if you are looking for a well written mystery, you found it here. You will remember this book for a long time.
Been many years since I’ve read the book and this series. Trying to complete my library with hard copies of all Stuart Woods books but have been unable to find any of this series (Will Lee) at a reasonable price.
Chiefs is an exceptional historical novel, spanning generations in the American South. Wonderful characters, both good and bad, give this story a depth you won’t find in many books.
Though not a pure mystery, Chiefs is a riveting crime novel, one which you’d be hard pressed to put down before the last page. Recommended for readers of crime fiction and historical fiction.
Woods is always good. Weaves a complex story that keeps you tuned in.
I loved this book the first time I read it (about 20 years ago) and to this day I still recommend it to others!
One of the most haunting books I have read. Master storyteller.
One of Stuart Wood’s best books. It is so twisted but I could not put is down because I was so sucked in.
I read it many years ago So now I’m going to read it again
Stuart Woods at his best. Told through the tenures of three police chiefs of a small Georgia town. Tightly plotted with believable characters and just generally great writing that keeps the reader guessing (and unable to put it down.) I have re-read this book twice and still find it gripping.
Had read many books by Stuart Woods but never this is first
Enjoyed enough to start reading in order
An interesting tale that covered several generations in the fictional town of Delano, GA. Not a classic who-done-it but still a compelling read. I am a fan of Stuart Woods.
It was a fast reading book with filled out characters. Great storytelling.
Anyone who is new to his books should go back and read this one.