Chiefs

By: Stuart Woods

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1919, Delano, Georgia, appoints its first chief of police. Honest and hardworking, the new chief is puzzled when young men start to disappear. But his investigation is ended by the fatal blast from a shotgun. Delano's second chief-of-police is no hero, yet he is also disturbed by what he sees in the missing-persons bulletins. In 1969, when Delano's third chief takes over, the unsolved disappearances still haunt the police files.

Author Stuart Woods' riveting novel spans three generations while also probing deep into Southern small-town attitudes and behavior. The residents of Delano, with their reluctance to disturb a familiar social order, provide the perfect backdrop for this tale of dark secrets and murder.

Over 40 years ago, Woods found a battered chief-of-police badge in his grandmother's house. It had belonged to his grandfather, who had been shot in the line of duty. The story of the lawman's death inspired Woods to write Chiefs, which won an Edgar Award and was made into a popular TV miniseries.

©1981 Stuart Woods (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

"A riveting story of the Deep South that mixes murder mystery with political intrigue." (Publishers Weekly)
"A fascinating, compelling tale." (The New York Times)
"The homey wisdom of [Hammer's] voice, coupled with Woods's engaging story, makes this audiobook memorable." (AudioFile)

Travel to the Deep South of mid-20th century

Having grown up in Alabama, I could clearly see the realism in this book. The characters are extremely well-drawn and portrayed. I found that I would take the longer, slower ride to work and back just to make sure I got enough listening in on my drive. Excellent book, wonderful reader, intriguing story that grabs you and doesn't let go. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book.

GOOD BOOK BUT WRONG NARRATOR

ENJOYED THE STORY BUT NARRATION MADE ALL THE CHARACTERS SOUND MUCH OLDER THAN THEIR AGE.

Great Book

Wow! I really liked this book. Intelligent, well written, characters were great. Definitely recommend even though I rarely read books like this. It is a treasure.

Great Story

This is a deeply engrossing story that spans the early 20th century ending shortly before JFK's assassination. It follows the tenures of three Police Chiefs in rural Georgia searching for a serial killer. Il loved
every minute of the book. It was hard to quit listening. I highly recommend it.

A Slow Burn

Chiefs is the best kind of police story— one that wraps an unfathomable (serial) crime inside a compelling and gripping character study of three generations of “chiefs” of police in rural Georgia. Mark Hammer did a fine job with the reading. This isn’t fine literature or anything, but it is a large step above beach reading.

Enjoyable

This was my first Stuart Woods book and will not be my last. I really enjoyed the story. Good little mystery.

Great read - best in a long time!

I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention right from the first to the end. The narrator was excellent and brought the story to life.

Terrific Entertainment!

Would you consider the audio edition of Chiefs to be better than the print version?

The narrator is so good he brings every character to life. His accents and inflections put you right into the story. Parts of the story are slow, but he is so gifted that you are completely entertained despite the slowdowns.. It has to be better than the print version because of this. I have never heard a better narrator than Mark Hammer.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

THe last third of the book tied it all together wonderfully - and had just enough suspense to keep me listening in the garage, after the ride home. Every subplot meshes in the end.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending of course! You know it is all coming together after many twists and many years,

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I wish they would make a movie of this book - it would be a winner. Tag line???
Small town intrigue through three generations of Police Chiefs in the old South

Fabulous!

Unbelievable book. I have over 800 books in my library and this is definitely in the top three.
Narrator is good with the accents but I often felt drenched in a saliva spray.
Don't let this pass you by. Get it now!

Chiefs was a page turner!

Some of the important characters were not developed well enough, but I thought the main characters and their motives were well explained.
The ending was sudden but satisfying.