Stuart Woods, author of at least 90 novels, passed away quietly in his sleep at the age of 84 at his Connecticut home.

He burst onto the scene in 1981 with his Edgar Award-winning CHIEFS, about three generations of lawmen and the murder of a teenager in a small southern town. This was later made a CBS miniseries starring Charlton Heston, Danny Glover, Billy Dee Williams and John Goodman.

By the end of his career, he was churning out five mysteries per year, most of which featured the attorney Stone Barrington.

Stuart Woods will be missed by his legion of fans.