Fifty-Four Pigs

by Philipp Schott

Small-town veterinarian Dr. Peter Bannerman is returning home from a house call early one morning when he sees a pig barn on fire.  Before rescue services can arrive, the building explodes, killing all fifty-four heritage breed pigs inside.  A serious enough loss to the owner, Peter’s long-time friend Tom, but things get serious when the police discover fifty-five bodies in the ashes.  Peter sets out to discover the identity of the body, clear his friend’s name, and discover who would want to hurt Tom in the first place.  Supporting cast includes Peter’s brother-in-law Kevin, who is the investigating officer, Peter’s loving wife, Laura, who runs an online knitting business specializing in nerdy knits, and Pippen, his champion scent-trained sniffer dog. This is a fun first in a new cozy mystery series set in rural Manitoba.

review by Leah Rozendaal