Crazy Like A Fox (Louisiana)

By Anne Stuart

Left broke and all but homeless by her shiftless husband, widow Margaret Jaffrey turns to his family in hope of a better life for her daughter . . . until she realizes the decaying family mansion in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373471688
• Release Date: November 1997
• Publisher: Harlequin
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

great gothic romance

Do not judge this book by its cover. Honest, the hero is not an ape-man. To be fair, the heroine might well have had big hair--it was written in 1989, and, well, a lot of us had big hair then. We didn't know any better. The cover of the reissue has better-looking people, but it has nothing to do with the story, unless it's trying to show us what happens after the story ends. Yes, they do end up at Mardi Gras, but not like that, and not with the kid. Also, the kid is a girl, and that sure looks like a boy to me. So, the cover gods used to have it in for Anne Stuart. But she showed them. She put a fabulous story inside anyway. When the book opens, Margaret Jaffrey, widowed and destitute (her husband was a gambler, and not a very good one), decides as a last resort to take her daughter Carrie to Louisiana, to Dexter's family home. From there, the story is pure gothic. There's the extended family with the forceful matriarch, the big house, the gothic atmosphere, the mystery, but most of all there are the cousins Peter and Wendell. Both are handsome, in the same way Dexter had been, but Wendell is a charming lawyer, and Peter is cynical and unemployed... because he's under house arrest, kept locked in the attic (okay, a suite of rooms on the top floor), after being acquitted of his wife's murder by reason of insanity. Margaret finds herself drawn into the family's web, blocked every time she tries to assert her independence, and unsure of their safety when the whole family seems convinced that Peter is dangerously insane. However, she's reluctant to take her daughter from the happiness and stability she's found after so many months of living hand-to-mouth. Wendell has given her a job, and offered a marriage proposal her mind tells her would ensure Carrie's and her futures, though her heart says otherwise. For such a short book (typical Harlequin--251 pages), a lot is packed into it. Each member of the family has an agenda, and you're never quite sure what's true. There's intrigue and the mystery surrounding Peter's wife's death, and in the middle of it all, Margaret is falling in love with the very worst choice--a crazy man who'd confessed to killing his wife. I'm slowly collecting Anne Stuart's backlist, but there are so many books that it's been slow going. This book convinces me to try to speed up the process a bit.

A Murder, Mystery, Mardi Gras and a Masquerade.

Peter Jaffrey is a hunk. But, he's also a killer; isn't he? Margaret is destitute, and worried about her daughter; before, she is even willing to meet her dead husband's family. One day in the home of this family, and you understand that Margaret might be better off worried about destitution! Add to the mystery, a masquerade, Mardi Gras, a family mansion, weird relatives; you really have a marvelous old-time gothic.

A true modern gothic by the very best in romance authors

This is a very unusual read. It's like taking a trip to the " big easy" with a very entertaining family! Peter, (the crazy one) is under house arrest, when Margaret comes to stay. She, and her daughter might be the cure that Peter needs. The mystery, sexual tension, and the fun of Mardi Gras add to the spice of this great book. It truly is a keeper!

Suspend disbelief!

Who wouldn't love Peter Jaffrey, sexy, handsome, and sensitive and "crazy" about Margaret Jaffrey. Peter, under house arrest for a murder he didn't commit, is so vulnerable you can't help but love him. Margaret, battered widow, homeless, single mom sees the potential in her late husbands sweet but sad cousin. My heart was with Margaret every step of the way, particularly at the voodoo madam's grave sight where, with all her life is lacking, she uses her one wish to ask for Peter's sanity. Peter in turn risks all, even his life, to be with the women he loves. The sexual tension between these two is only the beginning. This is not your run of the mill romance. With convoluted plot and serious obstacles to overcome, you can't help but pray these two make it. Anne Stuart is a master who knows how to create empathy with her hero's and heroines (in spite of their dark secrets).

Crazy in love, Big Easy style!

Anne Stuart is amazing! She can take characters and make you love them so much that you never want the story to end. This is one of those stories. And this book is filled with characters who you wish you never had to say goodbye to. Peter is crazy (in love), smart, sexy and witty. Margaret is attracted to Peter despite his reputation for being a 'lady killer'. A fierce tigress trying to keep her wits about her, her daughter safe and herself sane in a house full of nutty relatives, she is a character you can wholeheartedly root for. The Mardi Gras scenes are enough to make you wish you were there. This remains my favorite of Anne Stuart's many wonderful stories, for the humor, the mystery and most especially for the romance between Peter and his Marguerite! A definite keeper!