Dr Peter Bannerman has never operated on an ostrich (who has?) but now he's done so and removed a sort of Viking artifact from the creature's digestive system. Even as he's contemplating how this happened, his neighbors begin to find mutilated animals. Something is afoot, for sure, and his brother in law Kevin, an RCMP officer as well as his wife Laura don't want him investigating but of course he must. Peter is neurodiverse and it's been well incorporated into the story, as has information on Icelandic traditions. And then there's Pippin the dog! Yes, this is a cozy but it's a little different. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Phillipp Schott has written another delightful mystery featuring quirky vet Peter Bannermann. Peter lives in Manitoba with his wife Laura, in a small town on the shore of Lake Winnipeg. The novel starts with his visit to Big Bird, an ostrich with a blocked digestive system. An X-ray suggested he had eaten something metallic, which turned out to be a finely made replica of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Peter is puzzled as to how it came to be in the paddock where Big Bird was grazing, however the town is in an area originally settled by Icelandic immigrants. Vikings have also been rumoured to have settled there earlier and Laura discovers some local cult-like groups in online chat rooms who worship Odin and dabble in Viking mythology.

A puzzling series of strange deaths of local animals, first a sheep, then a pony and a goat lead to Peter to wonder if someone is making animal sacrifices but both Laura and her brother Kevin, An RCMP officer discourage him from getting involved in the investigation and putting himself in danger, like he did before with the explosion of the piggery. But of course Peter can’t help himself doing just a little snooping, especially when his own dog, Pippin, nearly dies after being shot with an arrow.

This was another entertaining novel in this series. Peter is slightly autistic and his love of facts, logic and precisely made teas provides some gentle humour, as does the way Laura and Kevin both understand his quirks and interact with him. Peter (and Pippin) once again contribute to solving the puzzle of the sacrificed animals and help the RCMP uncover the culprits. The mystery is an intriguing one with some good twists and an action packed ending.

Six Ostriches is the second book in the Dr Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Canadian veterinarian and author, Philipp Schott. While Manitoba vet Peter Bannerman claims no experience with exotic birds, some research and a quick call to an expert allows him to treat the digestive problem Dan Favel’s ostrich is suffering.

When Big Bird’s impacted proventriculus is cleared, it yields a small metal item, something that Peter’s wife, Laura, with her Icelandic heritage, identifies as a mjolnir. It turns out to not be a cheap tourist trinket, but, according to Professor Grimur Sturulson, a genuine Viking artefact. Why it was lying around in the late Jim Thorkelson’s field is a mystery that greatly interests the University of Manitoba’s Archaeology Department.

Not long after, a mystery of a different sort: Rose Baldwin’s prize ram, Patrick has had his throat cut, been bled, and had certain bits of his nether regions removed. Peter recalls that some Icelanders have a taste for these, but who and why remain unknown.

As a Shetland pony, then a billy goat suffer similar fates, Peter makes sure each case is reported to his brother-in-law, Kevin Gudmundurson of the RCMP, but he can’t help wanting to set his champion scent dog, Pippin on the trail, even as Laura and Kevin sternly warn him not to get involved.

Laura’s birthday gift of a metal detector sends him looking in a different direction: Old Jim Thorkelson’s field, where might there be more bits of Viking metal? But what he and a former classmate find is much more grisly.

When Peter spots more than one local with distinctive dragon tattoos, Laura’s research uncovers an extremist group that seems to want land rights for early Norse settlers of the area, and quietly infiltrates their online message boards. Of course, codenames make identification near impossible.

Peter’s hyperrational brain warns him that these three: a Viking artefact, animal mutilations, and an extremist group, might be completely unrelated, but it’s hard not to look for connections. Then there’s a threatening note, and it seems that Pippin’s talented nose has made him a target.

Before all these mysteries are solved, Peter is surprised to find himself enjoying competitive darts; he has to hide with Pippin in a wardrobe; Pippin is asked to use his nose in an official capacity; someone falls foul of an angry ostrich; and Pippin saves Peter’s life (again). Animals and people, a body count of six.

Peter is a quirky protagonist, and the following illustrates, a little, how his mind works: “As was his habit with so much else in life, if there was a scientific consensus regarding the correct approach to something in life, then he abided by it. It was that simple. (A) Find out what the right thing to do is. (B) Do it. That others didn’t follow this uncomplicated strategy continued to confuse him. Even Laura, who was at least as smart as he was, followed her feelings and scientifically unfounded inclinations far more than seemed advisable. But curiously, she was at least as happy and satisfied with her life as Peter was, so somehow her shambolic approach also seemed to work.”

Once again, there’s plenty of intrigue, a few red herrings, and a good helping of humour leading up to a nail-biting climax, and even the most astute reader is unlikely to pick the perpetrator. This second dose of Peter Bannerman and co is at least as good as the first, and fans will be pleased to know it includes an extract of the third book, Eleven Huskies. An entertaining Canadian cosy crime read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and ECW Press

It's only been a couple of months since vet and amateur sleuth Peter Bannerman's playing detective almost got him killed, but it seems serious crime is afoot once more in sleepy rural Canada, and Bannerman has the means to investigate. Is it plausible? No, of course not. Does that matter? To some readers, yes, but anyone who enjoys cosy crime - or indeed, any crime - needs to suspend their disbelief to some degree. So it's unlikely to be a significant barrier to fans of the genre enjoying what is an entertaining and quite gripping mystery with a loveable central character (and his even more loveable dog).

The case opens with an ostrich (yes, an ostrich, in Canada. Apparently some people farm them there) swallowing a small metal object, which Bannerman later surgically removes. It appears to be a Norse symbol - could it have archaeological significance? But more disturbingly, a number of animals are found mutilated - perhaps by a cult. Soon Bannerman is on the trail of white supremacists, some of whom will stop at nothing to get what they want.

An internet search confirms that the basics are not imaginary, there really are far right groups both in Scandinavia and overseas who use Norse mythology and symbols as part of their ethos. There's something about setting things in quiet rural areas that makes outlandish crimes seem more plausible - maybe that's just years of watching Midsummer Murders and country-house set murder mysteries. Although the story is gentle rather than gritty, there are some serious themes here and the author doesn't make light of them.

Bannerman is a really likeable protagonist, surrounded by likeable supporting characters, and of course Pippin the dog is there for readers to fall in love with. It's an easily readable book, amusing but not hysterically so - it doesn't play things for laughs even though it's far from 'gritty'. The mystery is complex and although I did work out 'whodunnit' it was late enough in the book to feel satisfied it hadn't been too easy to guess. I read quite a bit of 'cosy crime' and these stories have a freshness about them.

If you like old fashioned mystery stories set in modern times, this is definitely worth reading. It's nicely written and whilst you have to suspend your disbelief to some degree, it's worth it to get to enjoy the story.

I enjoyed the first book in this series a great deal, but was unable to finish this title. I have a very difficult time with violence against animals being used as plot elements in fiction. The beheaded and exsanguinated pony that came after the castrated and exsanguinated ram was more than I could handle.

Animals and people are killed in this story. Good thing the vet has a dog that can protect him.
Net Galley and ECW Press let me read this book for review (thank you).It will be published on May 23rd.

His dog is a sniffer that can find animals and people both. The dog gets shot with an arrow and he does his best to keep him alive.

The animals have been drained of blood. Some have been mutilated. He's trying to find who did it.

The cops wish he wouldn't. It gets dangerous.

Will he manage to stay alive?

3.5~4★
“He would say that he was just trying to help his grieving clients, but Laura would be suspicious that his intellectual pride as a problem-solver had been activated again.”

I haven’t read the first book in this series, Fifty-Four Pigs, but it is referred to in this book. I know that Peter is a vet with autistic characteristics, who can’t ignore a problem he thinks he can solve, as I gather he did in the pig case.

His practice is in New Selfoss, Manitoba, a fictional Icelandic-ish community near Winnipeg, where he lives with his wife, Laura. The book opens with a call about a sick ostrich. That’s a new one for Peter, but an x-ray (he has a mobile unit) shows that Big Bird has swallowed something metal that will need to be surgically removed.

Big Bird is one of six ostriches, and luckily, he’s the calm one. The owner warns Peter to be wary of them when he walks through their paddock to investigate where Big Bird would have gobbled up what looks like an Icelandic medallion.

Then come more distress calls from clients whose pets or livestock have been brutally mutilated. There seem to be cultists and bow-hunters on the loose.

I have to admit that a slightly obsessive vet is an excellent medium to use to feed us information. After all, vets deal with patients who can’t describe their symptoms, so they are always looking for clues.

Peter has learned to try to keep his mouth shut around people who don’t really want to hear his reasoning, and readers can skim or skip his thought processes, just as you can the following excerpt.

“Some people referred to clues like this as puzzle pieces, but he visualized them more as Lego pieces. Puzzle pieces can only be placed together in a specific way… With Lego, on the other hand, every piece can be stuck to every other piece. But if you don’t have the instructions, and you don’t even know what the final product is supposed to look like, you could easily build the wrong thing and convince yourself that it was right.”

The history was unfamiliar to me, and therefore interesting. I enjoyed the complicated story about Icelandic sagas, and the part Icelanders have played in Canada’s history, including the friction about the ancient past and modern day freedom protesters. For example, Laura does some research.

“ ‘I did a bit more digging online after you left,’ she continued. ‘Specifically, I decided to do a deep dive into the Canadian 8kun folkist message boards. And bingo, . . . on these message boards the members openly talk about how the Norse need to be considered among the original peoples of Canada and be accorded rights as such.’

‘Ha!’ Peter laughed. ‘So, they wish they had had the “right” ’— Peter used air quotes — ‘to be sent to residential schools? The “right” to have their culture considered inferior? The “right” to be given crappy little parcels of land in the bush in exchange for their freedom?’ He laughed again.”

I liked seeing them work together. She is attuned to his quirks and he is aware just enough of his seeming insensitivity to appreciate that. He knows he takes her for granted.

“She was so integrated into his life that she sometimes felt like just another component of his identity, like his height, or his profession, or his passion for geography … ”

I can’t call it a cosy, since it gets pretty gory and there is an actual police investigation, but it’s an entertaining, small-town mystery with an interesting setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for a copy for review. It is still available on NetGalley (no archive date yet), and I thought other readers might like to read the first book before this is published in May.

The cover of this book was what drew me in and I loved that the opening lines were the inner thoughts of the ostrich!

This was a really clever book and I didn’t expect to become quite so hooked as I did. There were some brilliant twists and turns although some of the historical references did make it a harder read at times purely down to my lack of knowledge in those areas. Having said that I would say that I’ve learnt a great deal and I felt a real fondness for the lead character and his sidekick.

I thought I was going to read another book abut the mishaps of a country vet. At least the book began that way, with of all things an ostrich that swallowed some ancient Nordic symbol on a chain. The ostrich got sick. The vet did surgery. The necklace was ancient or a fake. Everything and everyone becomes a suspect.

In Manitoba, Canada, in a town that bills itself as New Little Iceland, hell should be a long distance call. It isn't. Bring in Nordic myths, Icelandic history, Connections that should never happen, bizarre animal ritualistic deaths, a head on a stick, and you won't believe what or who is behind it all.

Six Ostriches is a strange name for a mystery that more suspects than animals. You won't want to stop ready until you understand how to pronounce the Icelandic names.

I sincerely thank NetGalley and ECW Press for this ARC in return for an honest review. I previously read and enjoyed the first book in the Dr. Peter Bannerman Vet mysteries, Fifty-four Pigs. Philipp Schott has written a compelling sequel. This is a delightful and quirky story. His books have often been described as light-hearted, but there was plenty of fast-paced action and danger towards the end of a complex plot. Dr. Schott has many years of experience as a veterinarian and has published several books featuring essays and anecdotes about his experiences in clinical practice.

There is a vivid sense of place. The setting is a small town in Manitoba. The historical and ethnic background of the town where Dr. Bannerman lives and resides is well described. The earliest settlers were Icelandic, followed by Finns and later an assorted mix of other nationalities.

Dr. Peter Bannerman is a proficient, capable and caring vet who is well-liked and respected by pet owners. To many in the town, he is considered odd. He has obsessive-compulsive traits with some aspects of autism. There is difficulty socializing and reading people. He feels emotion but submerges it with rational, logical thought and is guided by order, routine, numbers, and lists. He indulges in a vast assortment of teas, with a precise time for brewing each variety. Peter loves puzzles, and his work with animals occasionally leads him to interfere with criminal investigations.
This infuriates his brother-in-law, Keith, who is a member of the RCMP but has to acknowledge that Peter has helped solve crimes. Peter's wife discourages his amateur sleuthing, concerned for his safety. He feels it is his duty because the crimes involved his animal patients.

Peter is called to attend to an ostrich on the Flavel farm. It has swallowed an object that, when removed, appears to be an old Norse Mjoinir, a medallion perhaps dating back to Viking times. The operation on the ostrich goes smoothly, but another ostrich in the group of six is known to be bad-tempered and dangerous. We meet him again later in the story. Dr. Peter's wife has given him a metal detector for his birthday, and he aims to look for other ancient buried artifacts. However, he is interrupted by a series of disturbing animal mutilations. First, a ram named Patrick died after having its throat slit and was castrated. Next, Missy, a Shetland pony, was beheaded, and Stinky, a goat, was found dead with his throat cut. The unfortunate animals had been drained of blood. It becomes personal for Peter when Pippin, his trained tracker dog, is injured by an unknown person.

Rumours are that an old Norse settlement has been uncovered on nearby land. Now a person has been murdered. As Peter tries to connect all the unfortunate events, he discovers an internet site frequented by white supremacists and followers of an old religion devoted to the ancient god, Odin. Have these Odinists been performing blood-letting rituals and animal sacrifice? Why are members set on terrifying the community? There are several suspects but no proven perpetrator. Keith is injured, and Peter has to frantically run for his life from someone wielding a gun. There is an excellent twist at the end. After the conclusion, there is an introduction to the next book in the series 'Eleven Huskies.'
I am looking forward to reading it.
Publication date for 'Six Ostriches' is set for May 23rd.

What are six ostriches doing living in Canada?

Dr Peter Bannerman must examine Big Bird, one of the six ostriches Dan Favel owns. It is a big shock to both Peter and Dan when they discover that the blockage is an ancient Norse religious symbol called a Mjolnir, usually worn as a pendant.

Rose Baldwin asks Peter to visit after discovering her ram’s mutilated body. Patrick, the ram’s throat cut, and his penis and scrotum removed. However, there is no noticeable blood where Rose found Patrick.

Shortly after the ram’s butchery, it’s not long before another mutilated animal is found on the Favel’s farm because their Shetland pony, Misty, has been discovered with her head chopped off. The head and blood from the pony are missing.

Using Pippin, his trained tracker dog, Peter sets about tracing the area for the heads. Will they be successful before more bodies appear?

Philipp Schott has written a truly brilliant novel. It is a crime novel with plenty of action and a great history lesson on how Norse people came to settle in Canada—something I had no idea had occurred.

Rony

Elite Review Group received a copy of the book to review.

Admittedly, I'm a fan of Philipp Schott; after reading The Willow Wren, I was hooked. Although The Willow Wren (historical fiction based on his grandfather and WWII) is very different from his other books that are heavily influenced by his background as a veterinarian.

Six Ostriches is a book in his Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery series; although I've read the first book in the series, I don't feel that you would miss much by reading this book first. Dr. Bannerman is a bit quirky and doesn't always pick up on human social norms; and he has a wonderful dog with a spectacular nose. His brother-in-law is on the police force and gets a bit annoyed with Dr. Peter Bannerman dabbling in the investigations.

Debating between 4 and 5 stars on this one, but because Philipp Schott is a favorite author and I was hooked, I'm going to round up.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Six Ostriches in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Philipp Schott and publisher ECW Press. Please ... keep on writing! (And thanks for including the first chapter of your next book at the end of Six Ostriches, looking forward to reading about huskies.)

I especially like that I learn weird quirky facts that by reading Philipp Schott's books; like ostrich (and bird) digestive tracts for example.

Delightful, quirky, and satisfying. Six Ostriches by Philipp Schott is a cozy mystery, while avoiding the worst of the cozy genre.

Peter is a vet in rural Manitoba. After being called to care for an ostrich (part of a flock named after Sesame Street characters), who ate a potentially rare artifact, Peter becomes enmeshed in the unwinding of a white supremacist group that is terrorizing animal owners in the area.

Enough elements specific to Manitoba are included to make the story interesting, engaging, and cozy. Specific cultural issues are explored, but it does not feel like attending a lecture.

The writing is accessible without being simplistic. Each character was well developed, without over doing it or providing unnecessary filer. The story flows well, without feeling forced or halting.

I've been burned by cozy mysteries recently. There's too much of the cozy and not enough of the mystery. The writing often feels clunky- focused on describing the scene or the author's perception of an idyllic life. I find many of these bogged down with too much detail (for example, the exact type of scone each character prefers). I found none of that in Six Ostriches.

I am eager to read the next novel in the series.

Suspicious Dealings…
The second in the Dr Bannerman Vet Mystery series and a delightful addition indeed, Whilst this is the second book, it can happily be read as a standalone as the reader finds Bannerman, a sometime amateur sleuth, on the trail of another mystery alongside sniffer dog Pippin. Needless to say, Bannerman is soon knee deep in suspicious dealings. Wholly enjoyable with some wonderful descriptions of the locale and a gloriously well done cast.

I had read two of Dr. Schott’s nonfiction books and loved them, so I decided to try one of his fiction books. This is the second book in his “A Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery” fiction series, but it works very well as a stand-alone. I didn’t read the first one but I don’t feel like I missed anything. The book was a fun read. I liked the characters and the descriptions of life in rural Manitoba. I also found the book very informative and loved Schott’s take on science. The mystery was intriguing and it was hard to put the book down. Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for the advance reader copy.

4 stars

This is another delightful story by veterinarian Philipp Schott. His protagonist Dr. Bannerman lives and practices in New Selfoss, Manitoba. He is a Canadian veterinarian who solves mysteries when he is not tending to a variety of characters who are his patients.

I like that Dr. Bannerman treats all kinds of animals, ostriches or bees - doesn’t matter. I did not know that one could give antibiotics to bees. I always manage to learn something new while reading Dr. Schott’s books.

The book is written in a casual, easy style. Anyone can read it. The descriptions of the Manitoba countryside are wonderful. There are so many places in Canada I want to visit. (I have never been further east than Saskatchewan.) I truly enjoy Dr. Schott’s little novels and will continue to read them.

I want to thank NetGalley and ECW Press for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.