Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
385th out of 921 books
—
867 voters
Chiefs (Will Lee #1)
by
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 as Delano's first chief of police. Lee's obsession with the crime begin...more
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published
March 17th 2006
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1981)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,858)
For some of my "light" reading over the years I've enjoyed several murder/mystery series. I've gone through all the Rita Mae Brown "Mrs. Murphy" mysteries set in Crozet, VA (a real town where my mom once actually lived that's outside of Charlottesville), all the Rita Mae Brown "Sister Jane" mysteries with their fox-hunting themes, all the Susan Alberts "China Bayles" mysteries with their herbal themes set in the fictional town of Pecan Springs, TX, all the Michael Connelly "Harry Bosch" and "Mic...more
Jun 09, 2013
Will
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Mandatory Woods' fans
Recommended to Will by:
Wisest reviewer in the world
Shelves:
mandatory-read
Stuart Woods first and favorite book. Following the creation of Delano in 1920, William Henry is the first police chief which pisses off Foxy Funderburke to no limit and starts a lifelong blood feud with authority and a psycho killer. William Henry is killed in a cluster fuck shooting and Willie Cole escapes while his father is caught and fried. Sonny Butts takes over and cannot escape his deep hidden avorice toward violence. When he suspects Foxy of kidnap/torture and confronts him at his home,...more
I first encountered this story when I saw the mini series back in 1983. Twenty years later I spent a small fortune on ebay to get the VHS tapes and am still waiting for it to come out on DVD. To be honest I didn't know it was based on a book until I started looking for the videos online and I ordered it instantly. It's a very good read. A murder mystery that spans over fifty years. The book is presented from the perspective of a small town councelman played by Charlton Heston in the mini series....more
Started reading this book because when I got pregnant i needed something that wasn't to graphic. It's long, and detailed oriented. You know who did it very early on but somehow up till the very end due to different circumstances the person gets a way with it for years. My mom recommended Stuart woods, I remember years ago hearing bits and pieces of his books when I would ride in the car with my mom while she listened to him and Patricia Cornwell. And since I have a very active imagination and it...more
Dec 26, 2010
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those Looking for an Entertaining Mystery
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
This tells the story of three police chiefs of the small fictional town of Delaney, Georgia and their involvement in trying to solve a series of murders. The novel is divided into three parts, each named after a chief. The first, Will Henry Lee, was police chief in the 1920s; the second, Sonny Butts, was briefly chief right after World War II, and the third and final part of the novel deals with the first black police chief, Tucker Watts, in 1963.
I enjoyed the television miniseries of this nove...more
I enjoyed the television miniseries of this nove...more
I will read anything Stuart Woods writes. For the most part, I find his work to be light and entertaining, and yes, formulaic. This book, which appears to be his first novel, is strikingly different. To start with, it's long; there are three sections, each of which would equal one of his later works. But the biggest difference is the level of detail Woods creates here. In the first section, I was reminded of Burns' "Cold Sassy Tree." Not that it's a coming of age story, but it has that feeling o...more
Stuart Woods' Chiefs traces the history of Delano, Georgia from 1920 through 1963 through the eyes of three very different men who become chief of police in the small town. Over the forty-three-year time span of the book broods the shadow of a serial killer whose existence is only briefly suspected at different times but whose reign of terror continues throughout. Will Henry Lee, a WWI veteran, becomes the first chief in 1920 and dies in the line of duty. The second chief, Sonny Butts, is a vete...more
CHIEFS is probably one of the best mystery novels of all time. Set in Georgia and covering three seperate periods of time and the careers of thre very different Cheifs of the Delano police Department who all try to solve a string of issing person casing involving young boys.
The final Chief stumbles upon the answers and the grisly killer in a shocking and twisted tale of Southern Gothic proportions.
This was the first novel of Stewart Woods' long standing career and still remains his best by far...more
The final Chief stumbles upon the answers and the grisly killer in a shocking and twisted tale of Southern Gothic proportions.
This was the first novel of Stewart Woods' long standing career and still remains his best by far...more
2 likes · like · see review
Great read ... the ending seemed a little contrived, deliberately pointing to the sequel, but that's a minor quibble. Will Henry Lee is like that uncle or friend we would all like to have had. I have just recollected that I kind of used a similar phrase (with a gender switch) to describe Carol Burnett in a recent review. Odd. They are totally different is so many ways, not least being the fact that one of them is fictional. But there's a commonality that resonates. Anyway, enough maundering (is...more
Chiefs was the first Stuart Woods book, and the first I read, and I was enthralled. A mystery spanning fifty years, a portrayal of a small Georgia town, it was great. I've continued reading Woods with, unfortunately, growing disappointment. His newer books are written by rote, he'll have characters make major, unexplained changes between books - the heroine in one becomes the villain in another - so I've pretty much given up on him. For a while they were like chocolate bars - quick, easy reads -...more
Chiefs is a well written, but slow moving book written about pre-integration Georgia in the early 1900's. It covers two generations from the stand point of three individuals with lots of supporting characters in the background of the southern town of Delano. The background for the book is politics on the local, state, and federal level. The Chief of police is the major focal point from which all else revolves.
It was hard to take in spots when the bad guys seem to win, but overall it was a good r...more
It was hard to take in spots when the bad guys seem to win, but overall it was a good r...more
Chiefs, by Stuart Woods, is a suspense crime novel, not unlike other crime books and crime shows on TV. There are two main reasons why this book is worth reading and deserved of a four star review.
First, when reading crime books and watching shows on TV like Law and Order or CSI, there is usually a simple order that takes place: crime takes place, killer is shown nonchalantly early in the story, and some twist at the end reveals why he was the killer all along, not the supposed main suspect. Tha...more
First, when reading crime books and watching shows on TV like Law and Order or CSI, there is usually a simple order that takes place: crime takes place, killer is shown nonchalantly early in the story, and some twist at the end reveals why he was the killer all along, not the supposed main suspect. Tha...more
Beginning in 1920, this classic follows three police chiefs from a small Georgia town throughout the decades. The characters are superbly written, and the metamorphosis of a small, southern town over time until the 60’s is compelling. The book centers on the disappearance of teens in the town, but the actual mystery plays second fiddle to the changing characters, politics and issues of the individual chiefs.. Such a great read and story. Way more intelligent and literary then your average “whodu...more
Chiefs was a very interesting read for me. It was recommended to me by CP, the assistant manager of the Waldenbooks I used to work at, and a voracious reader of mystery fiction (and romance novels, but you won’t catch me reading one of those any time soon). When I left, she put four mystery novels in my hands; this is the second one I’ve gotten to (the first was Black Echo. This is a much better novel, but not necessarily as good a mystery, depending on what it is you’re looking for.
Chiefs is th...more
Chiefs is th...more
This book is set into three seperate catagories one for each of the police chiefs in Delano Georgia throughout the story. Will Lee, Sonny Butts and Tucker/Willie. When I was 80 pages into this book I was all ready to give it a bad review. It was sorta slow moving and seemed to skip around a little. But by the midway point in teh Sonny Butts chapter I started enjoying it a little. And the final section of the book confirms it as a must read for all Stuart Woods fans.
One of my favorite mysteries. Every one of the characters in this book is interesting and well drawn. I do not usually like novels written in parts over the years, but this was so engrossing that I did not mind at all. Actually I hardly noticed, I was so spellbound by this story.
It is hard for me to write reviews without giving away the story, but I would highly recommend this book not only to any mystery reader, but also to any reader of good fiction.
It is hard for me to write reviews without giving away the story, but I would highly recommend this book not only to any mystery reader, but also to any reader of good fiction.
I'm a big fan of Stuart Woods books so I just had to go back and read his first offering - Chiefs. There is a certain depth to Chiefs that his current series lack. The characterization is robust, the physical and cultural settings are very crisp.
That said - I did not find it the quick read of a Stone Barrington or Holly Barker novel. So - if you're a big fan of the later Stuart Woods novels, this is a very good book but it is a significantly different style.
That said - I did not find it the quick read of a Stone Barrington or Holly Barker novel. So - if you're a big fan of the later Stuart Woods novels, this is a very good book but it is a significantly different style.
Simply one of the best crime dramas I have read. Even reading it again 20 years later I'm captivated with this story of a serial killer and the three generations of chiefs that try to stop him. Of course the real story that holds it together is the story of a young man growing up in rural Georgia. The racial strife he deals with as he tries to do the right thing for the people of Georgia and his political career is the foundation that makes this such a powerful book.
Wow.
Stuart Woods may be my new favorite author.
This is a mass murder mystery over 40 years in the making. In the process, you are exposed to the culture of this southern Georgian town throughout the decades. Can someone say discrimination? How did people deal with it back then - as gently as possible.
Now, throw in politics and pressure on the police chiefs. What a great story!
Stuart Woods may be my new favorite author.
This is a mass murder mystery over 40 years in the making. In the process, you are exposed to the culture of this southern Georgian town throughout the decades. Can someone say discrimination? How did people deal with it back then - as gently as possible.
Now, throw in politics and pressure on the police chiefs. What a great story!
After reading a book , I almost always wonder where the idea for the story came from . What possessed the author to tell the tale the way they have ? How much of the story is from personal experience ? I loved that Woods, in his forward , shares that he was inspired to write Chiefs after finding his Grandfather's badge in an attic .
The prologue was awesome as well - a very short , very vivid , very "pull you in" couple of pages .
The characters and details of a small southern town in the 192...more
The prologue was awesome as well - a very short , very vivid , very "pull you in" couple of pages .
The characters and details of a small southern town in the 192...more
I really loved this book. For a reader of the Will Lee series, this book tells the story of Will Lee's family and his father who happens to become the first police chief of Delano, Georgia. The story starts in the nineteen teens and goes through 1963 and revolves around three police chiefs, a serial killer and black/white race issues. There was enough mystery and drama in the book to keep me hooked until the wee hours of the morning. This is probably one of the best Will Lee books to date.
Excellent mystery thriller! It takes more than 40 years to solve the mystery of the missing boys. Every Chief of Police of the little town of Delano, Georgia has tried and something bad has happened to each of them. Finally, the latest Chief finds the killer, and it's very ironic that it should be Tucker Watts that solves the cases. A very good read.
Stuart Woods is one of my absolute favorite authors and this is one of his best books. Chiefs is an easy-to-read and very engaging story that bridges generations in a small Georgia town spanning from about 1915 until the early 1960s. It deals with historical events of the time, including several Presidencies, World War II and racial tensions in the south.
To tell the truth, this book was a lot better than I anticipated. It was an interesting historical take on a small southern town that spanned over decades through 3 different police chiefs that had an impact on the community. Woods created great characters: some of them I loved and some not so much, but all weaved a profound life through the book. The story begins in the early 1900's covering a lot of political and racism issues and ends during the Kennedy era with a very satisfying conclusion.
I read this book many years ago and remember being enthralled with it. It was my first suspense murder mystery book. I loved the characters and his depiction of a small southern town in Georgia. All the twists and turns kept you guessing. I never found another novel of his that I liked as well as this one.
This is the best of the Stuart Woods books. He admitted that fact also before he passed away. It has much more substance than his other "mysteries." It covers an interesting time in our country. Many incredible characters with different personalities. Not too grizzly so okay for most adult readers.
A murder mystery involving 3 chiefs from 1919 to 1962. Since they told you that at the beginning it was something of a spoiler since you knew the first two wouldn't solve it and probably because they would die trying.
What's best about the book is the period feel of small town Georgia during those years.
What's best about the book is the period feel of small town Georgia during those years.
This book travels the generations between 1920 and 1963 in a small Georgia town, Prohibition to Camelot. Showing the impact of the outside world while maintaining authenticity in the story over that length of a span makes for a huge challenge. The author succeeded. Finishing the book is saying goodbye to a close friend you may not see again.
6 likes · like · see review
Can't believe I'd forgotten to add this one before now.
This is one of my favorites of all time, read first when I was back in college, and now from time to time just to remind me how brilliant it is.
...and there's ants in his eyes." That line has stuck with me for YEARS.
This is one of my favorites of all time, read first when I was back in college, and now from time to time just to remind me how brilliant it is.
...and there's ants in his eyes." That line has stuck with me for YEARS.
The first of the "Will Lee" series. (Although his character later shows up in the Stone Barrington and Holly Barker series.) This was a great read, with some surprise twists/turns, and an absolutely amazing (and quite satisfying) ending. Justice did prevail!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Stuart Woods is the author of forty-four novels, including the New York Times-bestselling Stone Barrington series and Holly Barker series. The last twenty-eight of them have been New York Times best-sellers. He is an avid private pilot, flying his own jet on two book tours a year. His latest novel is Santa Fe Edge,to be published on September 21st. You may see his tour schedule and learn more abou...more
More about Stuart Woods...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
Jun 01, 2013 04:37am