The 10th book in the Sister Jane series. Can stand alone, but best if you are familiar with this author's work. Overall, I did enjoy this one, but at times it was easily skimmable. Would recommend this book and author.

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65707> For some reason this needs to be 100 characters long but in fact I am sending the link to the review.

Rita Mae Brown takes a break from heer Sneaky Pie Brown series for the stand alone Crazy Like a Fox that follows the misadventures of the fox hunting set in North Virginia. The ghost of a former hunt master Weevil Carruthers turns up and the members of the hunt try to figure out what happened to Carruthers whom everyone thought had been murdered. A wonderful look at the hunt animals, the foxes, the hounds, the horses and the humans who hunt. Enjoy.

Rita Mae Brown’s novels are always entertaining, and Crazy Like a Fox is no exception.  The characters, both animal and human are fascinating, and the story is unique.  There is a murder, which lies at the heart of the story - but that isn’t where the plot begins or ends.  The dapper, charming horseman Wesley Carruthers disappeared in 1954.  Rumors flew, but noone knew the truth.  Now, a man who is the spitting image of Wesley, down to his carriage and voice has stolen Wesley’s hunting horn.  “Sister” Jane Arnold doesn’t believe in ghosts, but someone very like Wesley is visiting those who were present at the time of his disappearance.  It is an unusual mystery rich in Virginia history and fox hunting lore.  Before I read Crazy Like a Fox, I did not realize that fox hunters didn’t seek to kill the fox and that some did all they could to maintain the wildlife living within the bounds of their hunting territory.  As in all of Rita Mae Brown’s novels, the animals each have unique personalities and are able to communicate with each other.  Their commentary, as well as the important role they play, make her novels particularly attractive to animal lovers.  The novel is evenly paced and makes for a relaxing read.  If you are looking for dramatic tension and fast paced action, look elsewhere.  But if you are looking for a well developed story filled with history, local color, and plenty of fascinating characters, Crazy Like a Fox is a superb choice.

5 / 5

I received a copy of Crazy Like a Fox from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Crazy Like a Fox is the 10th book in the "Sister Jane" series by Rita Mae Brown.

I've long been a fan of the author, and enjoyed her cozy Mrs. Murphy series as well as her more serious writing. The Sister Jane books are cozies and full of the American foxhunting traditions and culture. If you don't know anything about riding to hounds, you will after reading this book.

The dialogue and writing are pitch perfect (including such southernisms as 'carrying' someone when giving them a lift in your car). Typically for Ms. Brown, the writing is solidly comfortable and engaging. Reading her books is almost like visiting with an old friend you haven't seen for a while; you just pick up where you left off the last time, even if you haven't seen them for ages.

I had read the first couple of books in this series, then sort of lost track of it and hadn't read any of them for several years. I didn't have any trouble following the story or keeping the main characters straight in my head whilst reading. There is a comprehensive dramatis personae section at the beginning of the book in case the reader needs to sort of who is who. That being said, it is the 10th book in the series and would probably be best read in order.

I personally love anthropomorphic mysteries, but fair warning, if talking animals bug you, this probably isn't the series for you. The book also does a superlative job of giving a glimpse into Virginia hospitality and etiquette and the riding subculture.

Four stars (I've put books 3-9 on my TBR pile, that's pretty high praise from me).

I'v read other books by Rita Mae Brown, but this is my first in the "Sister" Jane series. I am not a fan of fox hunting so I was unfamiliar with the terminology. I found the explanations difficult to understand which made the entire story difficult for me to follow. As mysteries go, it was not a bad mystery, but it also did not leave me anxiously turning pages as I figured out the identity of the horn thief almost immediately. It was not much of a stretch from there to guess the ending.

Crazy Like a Fox by Rita Mae Brown is the tenth book in the Sister Jane series. Jane Arnold and Marian Maggiolo are at Museum of Hound’s and Hunting in Morven Park. They talk about Wesley “Weevil” Carruthers. Wesley disappeared in 1954 and his body was never found. His horn is on display in the museum. After enjoying dinner, they return to the museum to retrieve Marion’s phone. They discover Wesley’s horn missing, but the thief left a selfie behind on Marion’s phone. It appears to be Wesley Carruthers on the phone holding his horn. Who is the man on the phone and why did he steal the horn? Jane sets out to get answers with the help of her trusty animal sidekicks and return the horn to the museum. Jane delves into Wesley’s past to discover what happened back in 1954. But someone does not appreciate Jane’s investigation and sets out to halt her progress.

Crazy Like a Fox is a confusing novel. I had not heard of this series prior to picking up a copy of Crazy Like a Fox. I quickly discovered that it is not a standalone novel. The book starts out with a long list of characters (including many animals) and terminology (not a promising start). Who wants to keep flipping to a list to figure out how this person knows that person? The author did not provide the backstory needed. I found the writing awkward and the dialogue between the human characters to be stilted. I felt the author tried to cram too much into one story. I believe it is supposed to be cute with all the various animals investigating and talking, but I did not find it appealing. It just lent to the confusion. I could not get interested in the storyline. I was bored and could not wait for the book to end. The information on fox hunting was confusing. I thought it was too technical for the average reader. The mystery was simple and can easily be solved (if you can stay interested). I am rating Crazy Like a Fox 2 out of 5 stars.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Animals, philosophy, plot and action
ByMaggie on November 8, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Another two of the many Rita Mae Brown fans, my husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed Crazy Like a Fox! We love all the animals and the bits of philosophy mixed with good plot and action. Can't wait for the next ones in each series!

I am a big fan of Rita Mae Brown's and I thoroughly enjoyed CRAZY LIKE A FOX. It was another great tale of Sister an her cohorts - inventive and amusing. The only caveat I would make is that this is not the first in the Sister series you should read. The characters are already so developed at the beginning of this book that it might be hard to follow without having read some of the earlier books. Looking forward to the next, though!

I have been a fan of the Mrs. Murphy/Sneaky Pie Brown series but, to be honest, I have a hard time getting a grasp of the Sister Jane series. Maybe reading it as an ebook makes it harder for me to flip back and forth to the list of characters but, for whatever reason, I found Crazy Like a Fox hard to keep straight. The writing is very good and I do enjoy the ghostly element and the animals. Sister Jane is someone I would enjoy knowing. I think less of the hunting details would have made for a better story from my point of view. The mystery itself was good - I just had a hard time staying focused on it.

Latest book in Rita Mae Brown’s “Sister” Jane Arnold hunt mysteries focuses on a mystery from the 1950s when the local hunt’s Master of the Hunt disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Wesley Carruthers, “Weevil” was quite the ladies’ man who made several enemies as a result. Weevil’s “ghost” turns up to collect his cowhorn and starts being heard, via the horn, at the end of each hunt. Sister Jane and her friends, investigate to see what has brought this presence back.
The details on the foxhunts, the clothing, the etiquette, the hounds and the various elements surrounding hunting is extremely detailed. Quite enjoyable, but definitely a focal point of these Sister Jane books and possibly not for everyone.
The book also has A LOT of characters (both human and animal) in the story. This can be quite overwhelming. Especially if you haven’t read some of the prior books as the characters and their relationships build through this series. I found, at times, the thread of the writing was not the easiest to follow. Even though I enjoyed the story (I ride horses and lived in hunt country Virginia for over 10 years – so maybe nostalgia), I couldn’t overcome some of the flaws in the writing. I give this book a 3+ stars rating.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books for the ARC.

If you've read Rita Mae Brown before you know that there are going to be talking animals in the mix. That can be a tad confusing, as can the large cast of characters which is why I recommend reading this in hard copy vice on an e-reader so that you can more easily flip back and forth to the very helpful who's who list. As with all of her tales, no animals are harmed- only people. In this case Jane and her pals are trying to solve the mystery of Weevil, who disappeared 60 years ago but might be back as a ghost or ........This is as entertaining as are all Brown's books because of the sprightly dialogue and lightly complex mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Recommend this to those who have read earlier installments of the Sister Jane series.

When I opened this book on my Kindle, I was eager to start my first by this author even though it's not in the "Sneaky Pie Brown" cat series I've been wanting to sample for quite some time now. But when this one began with a lengthy list of character descriptions - not just of people, but hounds and foxes - my heart sank a little. I'm not young any more, and my short-term memory isn't even close to what it used to be. How on earth, I said to myself, will I ever keep all of them straight?

And at first, that really was an issue; flipping back and forth to the lists to jog my failing memory would have taken too much time and distracted me from the story (it probably would be easier on a "real" book, though I wouldn't have wanted to do it there, either) - so for the first several chapters I felt more than a bit lost. That the switch from people talking to animals talking isn't clearly delineated made it even more difficult; I'd be halfway down a page before realizing that the conversation I'd just read was between a couple of pooches or owls, not people.

The story, though, not only is well crafted but interesting to me because I know (make that KNEW) next to nothing about fox hunting. An extensive glossary of terms at the beginning was helpful, but then again, I forgot most of the definitions once the story got going. But I decided to forge ahead and not worry that I couldn't always remember who's who and what's what. And by golly, I'm glad I did. Not only did I learn that the state of Virginia is a hotbed of fox-hunting activity (I thought it to be a sport in which only the English partake), but the intricate plot caught me up in intrigue and the thrill of the chases as well as perspectives on topical issues such as race relations, politics and drugs. There was humor as well; consider, for instance, this description of a particularly talented cat:

"Her marvelous ears could hear a rat piss in cotton."

Now about that story: Around 1954 - the year I was 13, in case anyone thinks I was lying about being old - an accomplished fox huntsman and noted ladies man named Wesley Carruthers (better known as Weevil) disappeared, never to be found. Rumored to have stolen valuable jewelry from one of his also-rumored lovers, it was assumed that he'd been murdered even though his body never turned up. Fast forward 60 years to a museum near the Jefferson Hunt Club in rural Virginia, when an etched cow horn goes missing from a display case and someone "sees" Weevil at the scene. When his distinctive horn echoes at a hunt, all kinds of questions emerge - not the least of which is whether or not ghosts really exist.

Along the way, readers meet a cast of colorful characters like "Sister" Jane Arnold, master of the hunt club; Tootie, a young heiress who gave up on a prestigious college education (and was disowned by her richer-than-God father) to find her true calling working with hounds and horses at the club; and Yvonne, Tootie's former supermodel mother, who's in the midst of dumping her cheating husband and hoping to make a new life near her daughter.

But the overriding issue, so to speak, is Weevil: Who is he, really, and why has he come back? While I correctly guessed the who part fairly early on, the why eluded me until all the details were wrapped up cleverly at the conclusion. My own conclusion? Well done! And many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is more concentrated on the business and activities of hunting than previous books in the series. That makes sense because it concerns the disappearance of a womanizing huntsman in 1954. No he appears to have returned, looking as he did at the time he disappeared. Is he the real thing? Why has he come back?

This book, while presenting lots about hunting in the fall, presents an intriguing mystery that is easy to solve once most of the pieces are in place.

humor, amateur-sleuth, animals, suspense, mystery

This is my first foray into the Sister Jane series, and it was fun! I am always glad that her stories are always American hunt rules which is simply sport of chase without harm. The tale moves along briskly, the characters are engaging and intriguing, and there is plenty of mystery, suspense, and humor. No need to recap the book nor add spoilers, just skim the publisher's blurb and enjoy!
Many thanks to NetGalley for granting my request.

I have been reading Ms. Brown's books for years. I eagerly await new entries in both the "Sister" Jane and the Mrs. Murphy series. Reading her books, one would think that she was a Virginian born and bred. She knows the social, political and economic history of the state and weaves the information cleverly into her books. Not true, from what I can find she was a transplant in the early 1980's but has certainly come to understand and love her adopted state. Some of her delightful characters are present in most books and some just stop in for a novel or two. Either way the characters are interesting, true to life and immensely entertaining. I like the interactions among the animals and would like to think they actually exist. As another reviewer said, I saw the answer to the mystery early but I still enjoyed the journey as the pieces came together. Definitely a feel good read when you want to escape to a different world.

When I saw Crazy Like A Fox offered on NetGalley, I leapt at the chance to read this new offering by one of my long-time favorite authors. I read Rita Mae’s first book, Rubyfruit Jungle, way back when. The book came out in 1973, and she’s been writing ever since. I’ve been reading her books ever since. I’ve become a fan of her Sneaky Pie Brown series, but this is the first time I’ve read anything in the “Sister” Jane series. Too bad, because this is number ten, and I think I’d have gleaned a lot more understanding of the characters if I’d started from the beginning. Granted, Ms. Brown lists a cast of characters, human and animal, but in this case, it is overwhelming. The index of animal characters includes hounds, horses, and foxes, reds and grays. Then there are birds, plus Sister’s house pets, followed by a list of useful terms, that is to say, fox hunting terminology. OVER. WHELMING.
Thank goodness I was using a digital device and could readily flip back and forth, because I found myself looking things up quite often. This broke up the flow and limited my enjoyment, at least until the story got rolling.

The plot is pretty basic. Back in 1954, a debonair ladies’ man named Wesley Carruthers, known as “Weevil,” disappeared. He was presumed to have been murdered, but his body was never recovered, and no culprit was ever arrested. Now, some sixty years later, Weevil – or his ghost – has returned to visit friends and foes from his past. To what end? It’s not too difficult to figure out, but Sister, Tootie, Tootie’s soon-to-be-divorced mother Yvonne, and their friends have quite a time gossiping and guessing as to what the “ghost” of Weevil is up too.

What I liked: The characters are rich and diverse. There is humor, caring, and community amongst them. While I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about fox hunting, I could see that to these folks, it’s serious fun. As in the Sneaky Pie books, the animals talk and have some entertaining comments. Happily, the foxes are not killed in the hunts. (I mean, who could kill a fox that talks – or any fox, for that matter – for sport?)

What I did not like: Despite the aid of the lists, I was quite confused as to how the characters were related to one another in terms of past relationships and so on. This is what happens when one comes into a series at book number ten. The author didn’t do much to fill in the back-stories. Also, while fox hunting was the scenario, for me it was too much. It was overly detailed and felt like filler, as there was not much of a plot as far as the mystery went. Yes, it’s a cozy, but the narrative was too long and drawn out. I almost did not finish, but at the 25% mark, I decided to push on. The story had moments of entertainment, mainly in the characters, but overall, I felt it was a disappointment.

Crazy Like A Fox? Rita Mae, Rita Mae...Maybe? Maybe not.

Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

2.5 stars

Sister Jane is my favorite series from Rita Mae Brown. I really enjoyed Crazy like a Fox with lots of animal talk and fox hunting, just a little less mystery than some. I was happy that Ms. Brown didn't get too political or preachy as she sometimes does. This mystery is a murder that happened in the mid 1950's that was never solved. It's wonderful to catch up with all the hunters and friends of Sister Jane and it's especially fun to get re-aquainted with all the animals.

Fans of this series will be thrilled with this latest offering.
I recommend reading the previous books in the series first.

I would call this a cozy mystery, similar to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories. Its' the first book I've read by Rita Mae Brown and I liked it. The story immerses you in the world of fox-hunting in a small Virginia community - and when I say immersed you really were. There were in-depth descriptions of the fashions for the hunt, the genealogy of the hounds, training of the hounds and the positions of the hunters. Now I can recognize what a whipper-in does. There is a mystery, though, a horn disappears and a ghost of a fox-hunter who disappeared many years ago starts making appearances and playing that horn at the end of the hunts.

I enjoyed the way the animals talked to each other during the story. I also liked that no foxes were killed during fox hunting - they just 'go to ground' (go to their dens) and when that happens the fox hunt ends.

I would say this is a 3 1/2 star book - rounding up to 4 stars. The atmosphere and feeling of being there was prevalent throughout the book and that has to be difficult to achieve.

Thanks to Rita Mae Brown and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.