This was my first Phillipp Schott book. Fifty-Four Pigs is a Dr. Bannerman vet mystery. It is a part of a book series but you do not have to read them in order. I like that this was a quick read and entertaining in a simple way. I also enjoyed the exposure of Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and Swedish culture although this book is based in Manitoba, Canada. The author is very knowledgeable and made me want to learn more about the people in these countries.

Fifity-Four pigs is about a veterinarian, Peter Bannerman, that has a part time sleuthing hobby. The story starts out with a death. While Peter is at his home, he notices a fire break out on his friend Tom's property. He immediately calls it in. His brother-in-law, Kevin, gets the notification and goes to investigate to find a dead body and Fifty-Four dead pigs. The investigation starts off as normal, until small burglaries start occurring in the neighborhood. Peter's house is broken into, and the strange thing is not only did they take jewelry and a tv but they also steal the pig ribs that he was storing for his friend Tom. And then another local from New Selfoss a small town in Manitoba resident's house is broken into. Peter has a knack for getting involved in all investigations in New Selfoss so of course, he wants to help especially when his friend Tom goes missing and another murder occurs. This of course is to the chagrin of his wife Laura because he finds trouble easily and does not always read people or their intentions properly. To help Peter with his investigation he has a trusty side kick, his great sniffing dog, Pippin. Peter has trained his dog to be able to sniff out blood, food and people.

As more pig ribs, are stolen from properties and mounting deaths Peter is hot on the trail. We learn that Tom is a person of interest in the murder investigation. Tom's ex-wife starts to tell Peter stories and rumors about his friend which of course fuels his investigation to clear Tom's name. When Peter's vet clinic is broken into and the thief cut themselves and bled in the clinic, he gets a hunch and has Pippin use his awesome nose to find the blood scent. Pippin finds a missing note in the fields behind Tom's house from the blood scent. Peter finds that there is Korean writing on the note. Of course, Kevin, is giving him information in hopes that Peter will no longer continue his own investigation. This does not stop Peter and he gets in over his head once he has figured out the final standdown begins.

The big mystery is solved, Peter is saved from danger, and we learn if Tom was really involved. And we are given a preview of the next book in the series called Six Ostriches.

A few things I liked about this book. Among them are the quirky personality of Peter. This character is so doggone smart, too smart for his own good. He is able to look at the mysteries of this investigation and many other aspects of life differently, but easily finds trouble. I also liked that the animals are humanized in some ways, we can imagine what they are thinking and feeling. I think this was a cozy mystery and a fun read. It was a nice break from intense thrillers. Yes, there was a bit of gore, but it was not intense.

I was able to enjoy this book as an ARC copy from NetGalley. I truly appreciate being able to review this book. I would recommend this book for people that like simple mysteries and want a change of pace from psychological thrillers. It was a quick read and gives the opportunity to learn about Canada and its settlers.

Fifty-four Pigs is the first book in the Dr Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Canadian veterinarian and author, Philipp Schott. The audio version is narrated by Miles Meili. Due to his hyperrational brain and his eye for detail, veterinarian Dr Peter Bannerman has a bit of a reputation in his Manitoba hometown of New Selfoss. He quite likes being thought of as a quasi-PI, and has solved a mystery or two, to the occasional embarrassment of the local RCMP. So an explosion and fire, practically in front of his eyes, at his friend Tom Pearson’s pig barn has him intrigued.

Tom believes it’s the animal liberationists who have been sending threatening emails about his bear hunting activities, but Peter’s brother-in-law, RCMP corporal Kevin Gudmundurson reveals there was a human corpse in with Tom’s fifty-four pigs. They come up with theories about it, but soon after, Peter and Laura’s house is broken into. Some valuables are gone, but the bizarre aspect is that the thieves emptied their freezer of meat. Is this somehow related to Tom’s fire?

Outside of his usual work at the New Selfoss Veterinary Services clinic, Peter likes to drink perfectly-brewed tea, forest bathe, walk the frozen lake and scent train Pippin, his lab-husky-border-collie mix, who has proved himself as a champion scent dog in various competitions.

Even though the RCMP mark Tom as a suspect, especially when he suddenly disappears, Peter is convinced his friend is innocent of any wrongdoing, actually surprising himself by leaning away from his usual logic and towards loyalty, to try to prove this.

It turns out that body in the barn is murder victim and, in fairly quick succession, another break-in, a brutal murder, and a pursuit through the forest by the probable killer, result in warnings by Kevin and pleas from Laura to leave the investigating to the police.

But when he’s objective, Peter can see it’s like an addiction for him, stubborn intellectual pride, “a compulsion to solve a problem himself and reaffirm to the world that Peter Bannerman was indeed the cleverest boy in the class”. Pippin (via nose) ably assists in proving a few of his suspicions, but it’s when he and Pippin are out on the frozen lake in a blizzard, being chased over ice and snow by a gunman, that he realises the error of an early assumption.

In a cleverly-plotted cosy mystery that stars a quirky protagonist with an equally quirky cast of support characters, Schott manages to include a pair of bear poachers, a mystery watcher, an elusive black F150 truck, an enigmatic scrap of paper filled with Hangul, a number of interesting veterinary consults, and a smart, heroic dog. Plenty of intrigue and a good helping of humour lead up to an exciting climax.

Schott does include a soapbox moment on boutique grain-free dog food, a subject about which he is clearly passionate. More of Peter Bannerman and Pippin is most definitely welcome: luckily Dr Bannerman Vet Mystery #2: Six Ostriches will follow. hopefully soon.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and ECW Press

This is a cozy-ish murder mystery set in Winnepeg, Canada. It begins with a barn full a pigs exploding. Authorities find the bodies of fifty-four pigs and one adult male. Vet Dr. Peter Bannerman has previous experience of helping out with police investigations, and when his friend Tom becomes the prime suspect, he feels compelled to get involved.

Peter is obsessed with logic and measurable facts, and I really enjoyed his methodical approach, which reminded me a lot of Poirot. I liked the fact that Peter is quite possibly a person with autism, but that the author didn’t feel the need to label him. His wife, Laura, is equally happy in her own company, and I liked their relationship.

This was a decent murder mystery story with lots of interesting details about animals. There are some lovely scenes in Peter’s surgery which add both interesting details and also a little comic relief. Schott knows his stuff when it comes to animals – he’s a vet himself – and I think that the novel could have absorbed even more of these scenes.

In the publicity information for this novel, it is suggested that this is for fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books. I’m not sure that this comparison really works; there isn’t as much humour in this book, nor is there a team of investigative senior citizens cracking the case – I think that the comparison stops at them both being cosy murder mystery. However, this novel is a good read in it’s own right, and animal lovers in particularly will really enjoy it.

Miles Meili narrates this audiobook in a suitably deadpan style. I appreciate that they have used a narrator who originates in the area where the novel is set, and this attention to detail helps bring the novel alive with authenticity.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Interesting protagonist, fairly standard murder-mystery plot..

3.5 stars from me, but 4 for the genre.

I should probably leave well alone, I recently tried The Thursday Murder Club and felt similarly - I just don’t really like murder mysteries. But I am always sold on a protagonist.

Thing is, I want to read about THEM, their story, and whatever’s going on in THER life. The murder plot to me just feels like it gets in the way, even when it helps/explore their character.

Here Peter Bannerman is charismatic, he’s an organised and quite set-in-his-married ways vet. I’d have happily listened to more about his life as a vet, his married to the equally quite fascinating Laura. But the story uses his unique skill set as an animal doctor to delve into the mystery of 54 burnt to a crisp (sorry) pigs in their barn, alongside some human remains, on a nearby farm.

I wasn’t invested in the story at all, I listened for Peter. I really must leave this genre alone to people who take more pleasure in it. This will be well-liked however, Peter they vet makes a great amateur detective and his background gives him a great advantage solving crimes.

This also made a wonderful audio read, and the setting came through quite keenly in the descriptions of the cold and the locale through the Canadian narrator.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

3.35/5⭐

This cozy mystery series-starter is written by a veterinarian living and working in Winnipeg about a veterinarian living and working in Winnipeg. The fictional veterinarian and amateur sleuth, Peter, is introverted, a bit nerdy, logical, kind, and perhaps a bit too trusting.

The set-up progressed slowly. Much of the book was low-key. The action and excitement are limited to quite a short time near the story's conclusion. When the pace finally picks up, it's a big escalation.

I especially liked Peter's relationship with his dog, Pippin; the fact that Peter and his wife, Laura, are introverts (noting that she is a more social introvert than he); that Laura is a professional knitter; and that there are LGBTQ representation, discussion of nonbinary pronouns, and characters from multiple countries/cultures. It's not important to the story, but the fact that Peter and Laura play the cooperative board game Pandemic tickled me. We were introduced to it by Number One Son and Darling-In-Law, who received it from dear friends as a creative wedding gift.

Thank you, NetGalley and ECW Press Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected April 19.

I had to DNF the audiobook at 40%. I don't know if it's the story itself or the narration but I just wasn't drawn in. I didn't care at all about what was happening in the plot. It's just so slow and mundane despite being a murder mystery! The writing is good, the author has obvious talent, this just isn't my style.

The title of this book is a real attention grabber and this, coupled with the detective vet mystery element, had me requesting this early copy (thanks to NetGallery and ECW Press Audio for approving my request). The mystery itself is OK and the characters are relatable - Peter seems amusingly eccentric and his sidekick dog Pippin is pure cuteness. It's a relatively short audiobook at around 7 hours, but I think it would benefit by being shortened further - there is an excessive amount of background information which detracts from progression of the story, making it feel like it really plods along. This book will probably appeal to cozy mystery fans - the animal sidekick element may also factor in it's appeal. For me it was an OK read - nothing exceptional, but nothing objectionable either.

Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book by Philipp Schott.

This book is part of the Dr. Bannerman Vet series. It is the first of the series that I've read/listened to. So it is my introduction to Dr. Bannerman, who considers himself quite dorky and without friends, his wife and all the animals he tends to. A blurb says that it is for fans of light-hearted mysteries.

I did not like the narrator first off and I'm sure that will color much of my feedback. The tone of voice of someone learning there has been a murder (even of animals) makes a lot of difference in how one approaches a book. It was way too light-hearted as far as I was concerned. And some of the voices, the brother-in-law who was the police, for example, were just awful. Even with an Icelandic/Canadian accent, if that exists, the voice was so off-putting, it was hard to want to move forward.

The story starts off with a fire bomb that kills the fifty-four pigs of the title and, as they soon discover, a human as well. No one is missing from the community so the identity of that human, known as 'jawbone' stays a mystery for quite awhile. The clues are revealed and it became so obvious what was underlying the murders that it was hard to believe that Peter (Dr. Bannerman) and Kevin (the policeman) had any smarts at all.

Of course, there were the little intrigues that introduce the reader to the whole community and they were fun but, again, the narrator's rendition of the voices was just awful in my opinion. I actually felt embarrassed for the narrator at one point.

This is a fairly short book. I have no desire to read any more of the series. I'll backtrack and say if I read another, I will read it with the voices in my head. I'd like to see how much of a difference that would make.

So I'd like to make clear that this review is greatly impacted by the narrator's voice. I have nothing against light-hearted mysteries.

What a fun, unproblematic read. It was just a nice wholesome mystery, and I am here for it. It’s the first time I’ve ever read a book from Philipp Schott, and it officially won’t be my last.

Fifty- Four Pigs starts off with a bang, we first learn about a fire which reveal’s to be a murder and that is only the beginning. Slowly more and more strange occurrence begins to occur in this small town and little by little we get sucked in. I loved how it was up to the veterinarian with a love for mystery to find out what is going on. It was a slow burn, but very entertaining with bouts of comic relief.

I would recommend this book to lovers of mystery and those who enjoy trusty animal sidekicks.

Thank You to Philipp Schott and ECW Press Audio, for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This murder mystery is an inoffensive tale of a veterinarian who solves crimes as a hobby. It is the first of an intended series by author Schott, a vet himself. Narrator Meili did a fine job overall.

Nothing about the characters is exceptional, while the story itself follows the standard formula. The protagonist is purported to be intelligent, but makes some really bad decisions that are not believable. I saw the outcome of one such decision way ahead of time.

Three and a half stars for an okay story. I wouldn’t rush out to get the second installment, but it was an easy read. My thanks to ECW Press via Netgalley.

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I’ve never read anything by this author before and I loved that he’s a veterinarian and is branching out into writing a fiction book about a vet with an interested in solving crimes! A detective veterinarian? Yes please.

It was a slow but steady starter and slowly begins to add little details and additions as you go along. Starting with a fire in a barn, leading to a murder and further strange occurrences in their town as the mystery depends. I was intrigued as to how this would conclude and it was compelling. It was a bit of a slow burner for me and plodded gently along, which was a bit of a break in pace for me as I’ve just finished reading a bunch of very fast paced dramas, so it took some getting used to! That’s more of a reflection on me though than the book, it just took me a while to get my head into it!

I would definitely be interested in reading more of these. The idea of a detective vet is such a good idea. If you’re looking for an entertaining murder mystery, this one fits the bill!

This book is a must read for animal and mystery lovers. The story is sharply told and entertaining. The mystery was interested and well paced, and the characters were likable. Schott gave a really good sense of place. A new favorite!

Having read and loved Philipp Schott’s marvellous novel “Fifty-Four Pigs” in print, I was happy to learn that an audiobook version had been produced also. Miles Meili’s narration makes what is already a wonderful book even better. He has a very pleasant and clear voice that is easy to listen to, with just the right tone to draw you into the story, and I found myself having listened to ten chapters without realising. The whole book lasts about seven hours but you will hardly notice.
It has been a joy to revisit this fabulous story. Dr. Peter Bannerman is a rational and methodical, mathematically-minded vet in a small Canadian town who often helps his police-officer brother-in-law to solve crimes. The death of fifty-four pigs in an explosion in a farmer’s barn takes on a sinister turn when a human jawbone is found amongst the porcine carnage, and Peter can’t resist investigating in this Philipp Schott’s joyously enjoyable mystery novel, “Fifty-Four Pigs”.
The book is a cozy-ish (there is some strong language) mystery and is really quite excellent. The story is very easy to read with an engaging and quirky lead character; often funny and deliciously offbeat, it is a joy to follow Peter as he doggedly uncovers the truth with the help of his remarkable sniffer dog, Pippin. The town’s various inhabitants are vividly brought to life and we learn much about its colourful history, a favourite subject of Peter’s. The story has plenty of twists and turns and will keep you gripped until the nail biting finale.
What a breath of fresh air this book is! Funny, charming and original, “Fifty-Four Pigs” is irresistible and truly unputdownable. A preview of the next title in the series, “Six Ostriches”, is included at the back of the book, which, on the basis of Philipp Schott‘s superb opener, I am eagerly looking forward to.