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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Love Stuart Woods, not his best book, but enjoyed it. Love the characters!
I read the book 25 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it then.Unfortuantely, I found it less enjoyabl and compelling than I did first time around. However, it turned me back onto Stuart Woods and, although I found this selection too dark for my taste, I would recommend the author.
i really enjoyed this novel; it kept my interest all the way through to the very end. The story follows three generations of a sheriff’s department in a small southern town. There are lots of interesting side stories and characters and one thread that becomes the main mystery and continues throughout the years. I appreciated that the 3 protagonists (the 3 sheriffs) were regular guys and not super-hero (unbelievable) types. To sum up, it’s a good enjoyable read.
Really enjoyed this book. The multi-generational story with the history of the south was informative & moving. Both my husband & myself recommend it.
Stuart Woods is another of my favorite authors, I have read, and enjoyed many of his novels. This is an older story from Mr. Woods, but I had never read it. I’m very glad I did! This book is a liitle different from the usual murder/mystery. It takes place in one small town in Georgia over the course of several generations. I love Stuarts character development. Here he followed the lives of several families in this small town, from the 1920’s into the 1960’s, weaving in elements from history during that time. It was a fun surprise to discover where and from which family the police chief came.
Interesting premise but I kept trying to figure if the timeline in the stories of the characters was reasonable which distracted me. Characters were rather one dimensional.
Liked the characters. Easy read.
Enjoyed this book very much. Kept my interest and re-opened my eyes
Great read by Stuart Woods!
Another good book by Stuart Woods. Enjoyed every word of it.
I adore Stuart woods books, they catch my interest right from the beginning
Loved this book. I read it many years ago, and when it was offered again, I re-read it. Sad view of bigotry in the South, but masterfully written.
Well written. Wish I had read before visiting.
I loved the characters and I loved the end, although I hated for it to do so.
i AM A BIG FAN OF STUART WOODS. HIS BOOKS ARE VERY ENTERTAINING AND ALWAYS A PAGE TURNER. I HAVE READ MANY OF HIS BOOKS AND NEVER FOUND ONE I DIDN’T LIKE. PLEASE OFFER MORE.
Just when you think karma is going to catch up with a character the author takes you down a different street but in the end “all roads lead home”. It was a great read!
In the segregated south a black man succeeds a popular police chief who was killed while investigating why a black man, alllowed to leave prison overnight to care for his ailing father had not returned in the morning. The black chief is a good man who establishes his authority while earning grudging respect from townspeople. He has the respect and friendship of two eminent town residents, a bank president and a man running for Governor. The author successfully presents the maidenly dreary yet menacing face of deeply ingrained prejudice.
I bought this book with narration to listen to at the gym during my workout, but after I got into it I had a hard time not reading it at home as well. It’s a story about a man’s struggle with alcoholism and guilt, but also about redemption and grace. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s not a chick book, men would really enjoy it as well. Contains an environmental case or two with big businesses. Good read.
One of the best I’ve ever read
Stuart Woods never fails to entertain. The story Chiefs takes us through three generations of police chiefs in a small town in the south during the time of great discrimination through the the civil rights movement. At times Woods leaves us on the edge of our seats wondering what will happen next. It is this kind of writing which leaves me coming back to Woods’ books again and again.