Chiefs: A Novel (25th Anniversary Edition)

Stuart Woods

Jan 2012 · Will Lee Novel Book 1 · W. W. Norton & Company

About this ebook

The compelling thriller that launched the career of best-selling novelist Stuart Woods in an anniversary hardcover edition. 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 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. With a new foreword by the author, this volume will be a collector's treasure for all fans of Stuart Woods.

Ratings and reviews

I enjoyed this book, so much of it applies to every state in our union, unfortunately. I wish that I could say that it couldn't happen here but sadly in this day and age, it could.

My husband told me about the movie 10 years ago, and we could never find it until 2 weeks ago. It was a great movie and as always the book was so much better!

Great read. Have read almost all of Woods' books and this is one of my favorites. Although I do not care at all for Woods' politics (he is way too far left for my liking), he IS a great writer.

About the author

Stuart Woods (1938—2022) was the author of more than ninety novels. A native of Georgia, he began his writing career in the advertising industry. Chiefs, his debut in 1981, won the Edgar Award.