Chiefs

Rating:
Summary: masterful...
Review: My God! Is this the same Stuart Woods who writes the Stone Barrington books? I have read some of his other novels and enjoyed them all, but this book (Chiefs) is far and away his best yet. An absolute page-turner, my heart actually raced over and over again as I read! I don't know if my ticker can handle another one of this quality, but I can't wait to find out.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: One of Woods' earlier works, CHIEFS, reads like the work of a veteran author. Woods is one of the masters at pacing and it is obviously a skill he possessed early in his career. If you are a fan of his more recent books like THE RUN or DEAD IN THE WATER, you will surely not be disappointed by this one.

A serial killer exists virtually unsuspected over the span of three generations of police chiefs in the small farming community of Delano, Georgia. CHIEFS is divided into three separate books, one for each police chief, but the divisions are more complex than merely who is running the department. Delano, the town itself, experiences its own changes in each phase of the story. We see the town flourish in times of economic prosperity, and then struggle as its farming inhabitants grapple with the blight of the boll weevil which destroys their cotton fields. There is the ever-present race clashes, the black and the white fighting for their dignity and place in the rural desegregated South. And Delano's proudest son aspires to establish himself as a viable candidate for the Governor's seat in Georgia.

All this provides an intricately textured backdrop in front of which the killer is defying both time and the law. Each new chief of police stumbles across clues left behind by his predecessor, but will the third one figure it out? The killings and the killer's ability to go undetected so long are certainly the focus of the narrative, but the reader becomes just as fascinated by the political, industrial, and cultural development of Delano as well.

Once you get into it, you can't help but get hooked. You can read CHIEFS in a weekend's time, because you won't want to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: A mastery of suspense and plot weaving
Review: Stuart Wood's mastery of plot weaving was never so evident as in his first novel, Chiefs. Woods has successfuly woven fact and fiction together to produce one of the truly great novels of the 20th century. The TV mini-series exemplifies in the mind of the reader the brilliance of the author in skilfully bringing his story to a powerful and conclusive ending. Most certainly the very best book of its type I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Col Bailey, Tasmania; Australia.

Rating:
Summary: More Depth from Woods
Review: Stuart Woods hit a home run with this book. Much deeper than his stock Stone Barrington series (which is pretty good, for what it is). Woods does an excellent job of following the lives of three Chiefs of Police over the first 45 years a small Georgia town's existence.

His characters, dialogue, culture, etc. from 1919 forward are very believable and offer something more to the reader than just a 'mystery.'

I haven't read Woods latest book yet, but I intend to soon. I just hope it has the richness and body of "Chiefs."

Rating:
Summary: Stuart Woods best novel
Review: Stuart Woods is an author who can be depended on for a good read. Chiefs is better than that, and is in fact a great read. The story, the characters, and the setting will hold your attention. If you haven't read this book, then you haven't read Stuart Woods best novel.

Rating:
Summary: Very good reading
Review: Stuart Woods is great again. I thought it was one of his more current books, only to find it was written some time ago. I must say I enjoyed the book very much. I love the character development and the speed of the action. I would recommend this book to anyone who even thinks they like Stuart Woods.

Rating:
Summary: True to life!
Review: The audiobook of this award-winning novel is superbly read by Mark Hammer. While his manner is slower than most narrators, it lends to the story, by making a listener impatient, as one just can't wait tio hear what happens next!(no skipping paragraphs on an audiobook) Woods does an excellent job of portraying small-town southern life stretching across four decades that not only changed the face of Georgia and the south, but the nation as a whole. His understanding of the attitudes of the times is reflected in Hammer's narration.

Highly recommended-a story that will stay with you!

Rating:
Summary: A great southern novel
Review: The characters in Chiefs are without a doubt some of the most interesting and well-developed characters that have ever surfaced in any novel to date. Woods does a great job creating such a diverse group of people all the while keeping them realistic and life-like. He paints a very accurate picture of what the south was like in the early 1900's and the 1950's. Since he created such life-like and believable people, I found myself either hating or loving the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. The three Chiefs that are the focal point are all very different, and they all have amazing qualities that make them come alive. Aside from holding the same position at one time or another, they also were committed to solving one of the worst series of crimes the south had ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: CHIEFS
Review: THIS BOOK IS INTENSE AND SUSPENSEFUL IT KEEPS THE READER IN THE STORY,ALWAYS WANTING TO READ MORE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.I ALWAYS HAD TO KEEP READING EVEN THOUGH I WOULD FEEL MY EYES GETTING HEAVY. IT FEELS LIKE YOUR IN THE ACTUAL STORY. IF A BOOK CAN MAKE YOU FEEL THAT YOUR ACTUALLY IN THE STORY THEN IT IS A GREAT ONE.

Rating:
Summary: LOOKING FOR THE TV MINI-SERIES
Review: THIS BOOK IS PHENOMINAL! AND THE TELEVISION MINI-SERIES IS JUST AS GOOD. I AM LOOKING FOR A COPY OF IT. THIS IS MY APPEAL TO AMAZON TO FIND THIS VIDEO!