Fifty-four Pigs: A Dr. Peter Bannerman Mystery

Veterinarian Schott (The Accidental Veterinarian) makes his mystery debut with this charming series launch Peter Bannerman, an amiable, introverted, tea-drinking, obsessive vet, who converses more with his dog, Pippin, than with his wife, Laura, or anyone else. When Peter’s friend Tom Pearson’s swine barn explodes near New Selfoss, Manitoba, 54 pigs and one human die. Tom, who’s suspected of setting the fire that caused the explosion, has disappeared. Peter has assisted the police in the past and sets out to clear his friend. He believes the deductive skills he uses to make diagnoses of his uncommunicative patients can help solve the case. Some inexplicable break-ins follow, including into the garden shed of an elderly gentleman who turns to Peter because the police won’t bother to investigate. Pippin’s particularly sensitive nose proves invaluable to Peter’s sleuthing, which Laura and her RCMP brother discourage because they fear Peter is putting himself in danger. A second murder raises the stakes, and the action builds to a dramatic showdown on icy Lake Winnipeg. James Herriot fans will want to check out this one. (Apr.)