Peter Bannerman is looking forward to a vacation, and has one planned with his wife Laura, brother-in-law Kevin and his partner Stuart, and of course Pippin, sniffer dog extraordinaire, to a fishing lodge in northern Manitoba for a canoeing trip. Before they plan to leave, Pete is urgently called there to treat the lodge's owner's sled dog team, who have all been poisoned. When Pete arrives by float plane, he finds the dogs suffering to differing degrees, but knows they need immediate health, which is better provided down south at home.

At the same time, another float plane crashes into the lake, with the pilot and two passengers all dying. The RCMP are called, and it's discovered the pilot was shot from somewhere near the lodge.

When Pete and family arrive some days later for their vacation, all seems well, but the next morning after setting up camp, they are greeted by a forest fire, and what follows is a terrifying trip through forest and water back to the lodge while the fire grows ever closer. Though they get separated and Pete is injured, luck is thankfully with them all.

Once reunited back at the lodge, Pete comes to realize that whoever shot the pilot is at the lodge with them, along with various other guests al equally trapped by the fire, a lack of power, and no way to communicate with the outside world.

I found this entry to have genuinely terrifying moments, especially as the Pete and family must find a safe path through a terrifying spectacle. I could practically feel the crackle, roar and heat as Pete was lying in a shallow bit of muddy water, trying to figure out a way past very fast approaching fire.

The murder mystery was interesting, but honestly not as engaging as the flight to safety. Pete's moments of camaraderie with Stuart (bighearted Kevin's partner) were wonderful, as they both tend to approach the world in similar ways, though Pete's obsessiveness and inability to deal with certain types of behaviours are much more pronounced than Stuart's.

I loved Kevin's dwarven braided beard (it's just like this character to find humour in a every situation) and appreciated the character more than ever with the way he went from relaxed vacationer to RCMP officer when things started to go bad at the lodge.

The poisoned dogs, while seeming to have little to do with the downed float plane, are actually just one of a number of terrible things the murderer does in this novel, and it's actually because of Pete's observation and deduction skills that the killer is finally unmasked.

I enjoy this series for its quirkiness, Pippin (keep giving me more Pippin!) and the gentle humour paired with some fairly dark moments, which this book had plenty of. I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

My year’s wishes are not fulfilled until the latest book in this series arrives.

Unfortunately, due to ill health, I was not able to post a review in time for the publication.

Veterinarian Peter Bannerman, his wife together with his champion sniffer dog, Pippin choose to holiday in a remote fishing lodge in Northern Manitoba. He’s no sooner arrived when his veterinarian skills are urgently called upon as the Huskies used for the lodge’s sled team all show signs of being poisoned.

No sooner have they more-or-less recovered from this when a floatplane crashes, killing all three people on board.

The final straw is when a fire forces them to canoe at speed back to the lodge. Peter Bannerman is convinced that the killer is hidden amongst the people resident at the lodge. He needs to find the person as quickly as possible.

I love this series of books. Each book features an unusual animal, demanding Dr Bannerman’s immediate care and attention while having a murder or two included needing to be solved

Dr Peter Bannerman, veterinarian and amateur detective, is planning a holiday at the Dragonfly Lodge in northern Manitoba. But, just days before, he receives an urgent call from the Lodge. Their champion sled dogs have suddenly become very ill. Peter has flown up alone in response and quickly realizes they have been poisoned. While there, he hears of another recent deadly mishap. A plane has crashed not far from the Lodge, killing everyone on board. Later, it is discovered the pilot was shot.

For once, however, Peter puts his love of sleuthing aside, determined to have a normal quiet vacation and returns to the Lodge with his wife, His RCMP brother-in-law, Kevin, Kevin's significant other, Stuart, and Peter’s prize winning sniffer dog, Pippin. But things don’t go quite as planned and, soon, they find themselves in an even worse danger than a simple poisoning or homicide.

Eleven Huskies is the third novel in A Dr Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Philip Schott, Canadian author and veterinarian and this has fast become one of my favourite series. I love the main characters all of whom are well-drawn. I also enjoy how the stories open with the thoughts of one of the animals referred to in the title and that, often an animal, in this case Pippin, becomes the real hero.

The books are listed as cozy mysteries and there are certainly elements of that including the main protagonist as amateur sleuth. But there is also elements of a thriller in the amount of action and violence. And, in the case of this story, there is even a touch of the adventure story as they are confronted by a fast-moving and out-of-control wildfire.

Throughout, there are plenty of twists and turns and tension to keep the reader flipping pages. All this, along with likeable characters and a satisfying ending, makes Eleven Huskies a very enjoyable read and I look forward to more Dr Bannerman mysteries in the future. I read an eARC of the book while listening to the audiobook narrated by Miles Meili who does an excellent job.

I received the eARC from Netgalley and ECW Press and the audiobook from ECW Press Audio

We have come to know Dr. Peter Bannerman as the slightly quirky but adorably sincere veterinarian who solves cozy mysteries around his small town in Manitoba. Cozy-ish might be more apt, as some of the crimes are brutal. This installment of the series loses none of the charm but adds enough danger and suspense to feel almost thriller-like, which to my mind is the best of both worlds. Peter has traveled with his family to a remote northern area, expecting to enjoy some time off. When a floatplane crashes in the lake, our hero (with help from his talented sniffer dog, Pippin) ends up investigating a dramatic murder—and also the poisoning of a bunch of huskies. For purposes of the book, the vacation setting has two advantages: first, it (temporarily) solves the improbably-high-body-count problem afflicting mystery series set in small towns; and second, it gives Peter a whole new set of obstacles, unfamiliar suspects, and natural dangers. The threat of wildfire looms over the group at the lodge and leads to compelling and drama-filled scenes. The ending is satisfying on all fronts.

Thanks to Netgalley and ECW Press for a digital advance review copy.

3.5 stars

Dr. Peter Bannerman, a veterinarian in the lakeside town of New Selfoss, Manitoba, is an amateur sleuth who can't help getting involved in criminal investigations. In this third 'Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery' - which works fine as a standalone - Peter is called into action when his acquaintance, John Reynolds - owner of the Dragonfly Lodge in Northern Manitoba - calls with an emergency. Reynolds team of eleven huskies, the fastest team in Manitoba the last three years in a row, have become terribly ill.

Peter hops on a plane to Northern Manitoba, where he finds the huskies suffering from liver damage. Peter ships the four sickest dogs to New Selfoss for treatment, the rest of the team being left to recover in Northern Manitoba. It turns out the unfortunate canines were poisoned, and amateur sleuth Peter immediately wonders whodunit.

While Peter is at Dragonfly Lodge, he learns that a private plane crashed nearby that morning, and three people were killed: Ned Fromm - the pilot; Brendan O'Daly - a bitcoin entrepreneur; and Monique Gagnon - the lead singer of The Queenston Heights band. The police determine the pilot, Ned Fromm, had been shot with a rifle, by someone on the ground.

As it happens, Peter is already planning to return to Dragonfly Lodge in a few days, for a vacation with his family and friends. These include:
Peter's wife Laura - who knits and sells items inspired by TV shows and movies, like Game of Thrones and Harry Potter;
Laura's brother Kevin - a detective with the Royal Canadian Mounties;
Kevin's Nigerian partner Stuart - an accountant and excellent cook;
and Peter's dog Pippin - a renowned sniffer canine.

Peter and his companions are planning an extended canoe trip, and Dragonfly Lodge will be their home base.

Peter's mind is always making connections, and he suspects the dog poisonings at Dragonfly Lodge and the plane crash near Dragonfly Lodge are linked somehow. To Peter's satisfaction, he even gets to participate in the investigation when the police recruit sniffer dog Pippin to look for the rifle used to shoot the pilot.

Everyone at Dragonfly Lodge is a suspect for the pilot shooting/plane crash, including the guests, the staff, and the owner - and Peter can't help but search for clues to unmask the killer. One of my favorite characters is a guest named Pyotr, who's with a group of Belarussians who say they're in Manitoba to hunt mushrooms. When Peter thanks the Belarussians for some of their morels, Pyotr says: "Is nothing! We are pleasured!" And later, when the lodge is endangered, Pyotr says, "What is plan? We are sitting goose up here." 🙂

In the midst of the police investigation, Peter and his party embark on their canoe trip, which involves paddling down waterways and carrying the canoes overland (portages). Unfortunately, a massive wildfire spreads through Northern Manitoba during the canoe trip, and much of the book is an adventure tale as Peter and his companions try to stay ahead of the flames and get back to the lodge.

The crimes are solved in a satisfying finale, and I look forward to the next book in the series, 'Three Bengal Kittens.'

Thanks to Netgalley, Philipp Schott, and ECW Press for a copy of the book.

I really love the Dr. Bannerman Vet Mysteries. I think Peter Bannerman is a great protagonist, who is very self-aware and thinks deeply about things. I appreciate that he is aware of his shortcomings and that, as the series progresses, he is coming to rely more on the people around him rather than taking everything on himself. It is nice to see that kind of growth in a character. The secondary characters are also great fun. I love the patience of his wife, Laura, and the boisterous nature of his brother-in-law, Kevin. Even Kevin's partner, Stuart provides a nice balance and steadiness to the foursome. And, of course, Pippin the dog is the star of every book.

The main reason why I rated this book four stars rather than five was because I felt as if the mystery surrounding what happened to the huskies ends up being secondary to the other mystery in the book. While the huskies do remain top of mind because Peter is always checking in on them while he's away, the fact that he's away from them for most of the book led to that mystery seeming to fall secondary to everything else that was happening. I would have like a little more focus on the animals in this one. However, it is not going to stop me from reading the next installment!

Eleven Huskies is the third Dr. Bannerman veterinary mystery by Dr. Philipp Schott. Released 14th May 2024 by ECW Press, it's 256 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a credible follow up to the first two books in the series, featuring an amateur sleuth who is also a veterinarian and somewhat neurodivergent (but high-functioning) protagonist alongside his trusty canine sidekick Pippin, a husky/lab/border collie mix with a gifted sense of smell and an unusually high degree of intelligence to go with it. Dr. Bannerman struck me as an odd guy, generally likeable but also stubborn and often pedantic. Readers who enjoy nerdy culture references with which the author liberally sprinkles around in the story will find a lot to enjoy here. Additionally, it's cool that Bannerman's wife is a nerdy fibre artist and knitting designer.

The book is well plotted and moves along at a good clip; definitely action driven and engaging. Unusually in this case, the characterizations are above average and believably rendered. There were a few places in the book where the dialogue didn't ring true at all, but all in all, well written and enjoyably readable. The overarching mystery is heavily foreshadowed and not a surprise, but there were motivations and hidden aspects which definitely are unexpected and twisty. The climax, denouement, and resolution had a bit too much deus-ex-machina to be entirely satisfying, but overall it's an enjoyable, readable mystery set in rural Canada.

It's not really a cozy mystery at all and shares more in common with modern medical thrillers than "James Herriot". The author is clearly familiar with rural Manitoba and he does a great job describing the weather, the area, and the history of the place. There is some on-page violence as well as some mildly graphic descriptions of blood, shooting, poisoning (including animals) and *long* and harrowing descriptions of forest fires and danger of immolation. Language and dialogue are mostly PG rated shading toward the R-rated end of the spectrum. Also, there's explicit violence toward animals and very sensitive readers might want to check the discussion threads (spoiler: the dog doesn't die).

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours and 31 minutes and is capably narrated by series narrator Miles Meili. He has a rugged and rough-edged baritone which suits the dialogue very well. Sound and production quality are high throughout the recording.

Four stars. Very enjoyable, looking forward to seeing what comes next for Peter, Laura, and Pippin (&co). The author/publisher have included a sneak peek at the fourth book in the series, Three Bengal Kittens at the back of the book.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a great blend of a mystery and a truly engaging drama. The level of detail included on the environment in which the story is set, from the physical surrounds to the various activities of the characters, adds so much and really draws you in. I loved the detail of the family and the animals - it seemed so real. The mystery itself represents a solid plot line and I am sure this book will appeal to readers of many genres.

I love Philipp Schott's mysteries that are always entertaining, engaging and informative.
This is one is excellent and full of surprising twists. Had fun and it kept me hooked and guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another wonderful addition to the series,Dr.Bannerman solving another mystery.Well written engaging a series I highly recommend.# netgalley #elevenhuskies

I received a review copy of this book from ECW Press via NetGalley for which my thanks.

This third in the Dr Peter Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Canadian veterinarian and author Dr Philipp Schott is rather different from the first two in that it sees Dr Bannerman and his family head out for a vacation, canoeing and camping in Manitoba, but while even before they start their holiday a mystery, in fact two have cropped up, the mysteries stay somewhat on the sidelines as they take their trip, another source of danger becoming far more threatening than even the murderer. But that isn’t to say that the murderer doesn’t intend further harm!

The story opens with Peter travelling to the Dragonfly Lodge where he with his wife Laura, brother-in-law Kevin and Kevin’s partner Stuart are to vacation in a few days as the Lodge’s husky team has suddenly taken very ill, some of them serious. Alongside a plane has gone down in the lake but this turns out not to have been an accident as the pilot was shot. Who could have done this? While Peter starts off the dogs’ treatment, sending the more serious ones on to his clinic, he finds the only possible cause of their illness to be poisoning. Could it be that the killer and poisoner are the same? His mind begins to work on the puzzle and there are some suspicious happenings at night.

Nonetheless he returns with Laura, Kevin and Stuart (and Pippin the dog of course, now famed for his tracking skills) and the four head off for their two-day canoeing and camping trip. Forest fires have affected areas at a distance but the Dragonfly and its surrounds were safe enough, yet right amidst their trip, the fires catch up with them trapping them and putting them in danger of their lives. But that isn’t the only danger for the murderer too is lurking.

This was an enjoyable entry in the series and in its setting and the vacation plot takes us into the Canadian wilderness as Peter and the others enjoy some time out under the stars (with some very beautiful views of the sky) in the midst of First Nations Territories. I enjoyed these descriptions and their holiday though it doesn’t last long for them with the forest fire catching up and they having to escape. Pippin plays a hero’s role here by helping them find a safe path, but getting back o the lodge itself isn’t so easy.

The mysteries or the actual sleuthing as a consequence takes more of a backseat, with Peter’s mind going to them off and on, and some discussion with Kevin and it is only in the later part of the book that it comes front and centre again. There are plenty of suspects but we don’t really get to know them or possible motivations here so it is mostly Peter working out the puzzle from the information he collects. Pippin plays his part here too, with his tracking skills leading them to answers.

It was fun catching up with the characters from the previous books including from the clinic (even Peggy and her dog Emma find a mention—these two I always remember because I too have dogs called Emma and Peggy) as also Laura’s knitting of LOTR and Potter themed things; there’s also some exploration of their town New Selfoss’s Icelandic heritage as some tourists are guided by Laura, keen to be in touch with her own roots. We also get to see Kevin and especially Stuart more closely. Introduced in this book are some mushroom-hunting (morels, specifically) Belarussians staying at the Lodge who make friends with Peter; and some other guests we don’t really get to know.

While I would have liked the mystery/mysteries to be a little more prominent in the book and one part of the solution felt a bit of a letdown, I still thought the book made for a very good read, with plenty of excitement, nature and animals and of course, the characters we now know and feel like old friends.

p. s. While this may count as a spoiler, I will reveal that the huskies themselves come through ok. There are mentions of hunting trophies, hunting and also some taxidermy which may bother some readers, but nothing that is dwelt upon too much.

I love this series!
Peter Bannerman is called up to Dragonfly Lake where a team of huskies are ill. He realises that they have been poisoned and sends the worst of them down south for treatment. He is back at Dragonfly Lake with Laura, Kevin and Stuart for their summer canoeing and camping holiday.
However, there is a murderer lurking and the imminent threat of wildfire as it has been a very dry season.
Will Peter and Pippin, his wonder dog, solve the mystery?
An enjoyable read and has several nods to other books. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Peter Bannerman, veterinarian and amateur detective, is called to a remote lodge in Northen Manitoba where the lodge’s team of sled dogs has been poisoned and, in the same timeframe, a floatplane crashed into the lake, killing the pilot and both passengers. While Peter works to save the huskies, it's discovered that the plane crash wasn’t an accident. A few days later he and his wife and her brother and his partner return to the area for a long-planned fishing and camping trip.

This is the 3rd book in this series featuring Dr. Peter Bannerman but can be read as a standalone. I didn't read either of the others. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a cozy mystery but it isn't a genre I normally read. It sounded cute and just what I needed after some pretty intense books so I requested it from Netgalley and was approved.

I enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't go back and read the first two. I liked the characters and the setting, a part of Canada I've never visited. There are some pretty tense moments as Peter and his family try to escape a large wildfire, a very real threat in this area. There were so many suspects that I couldn't even make a wild guess at who was responsible for all the mayhem. At one point near the end Peter goes into an reverie about matter and atoms and elements and I'm not sure what the point of that was although he is mildly autistic and his mind is always active. Supposedly the daydream helped him take a guess as to who was behind the murders but I didn't get the connection. The poisoning of the huskies may discourage some people from reading the book but everything works out in the end plus it isn't even a large part of the story despite the title. I thought the little sketch of a husky dog to separate passages within the chapters was adorable.

The book contains an excerpt from what I assume is Book 4, "Three Bengal Kittens" but no publication date. I'll keep an eye out for it though.

Thanks to ECW Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Veterinarian Peter Bannerman is called to an upscale fishing/hunting lodge on Dragonfly Lake in Northern Manitoba after the owner's champion sled dog team is poisoned. His float plane flight in is also carrying two Transportation Safety Board investigators who are coming to investigate the recent crash of another float plane, which killed all aboard. A bit of an amateur detective himself, Peter wonders whether the two incidents are related after the crash is deemed murder, but his focus is on treating the dogs. When he returns a few days later with his wife and other family, as well as his own dog Pippin, for a long-scheduled canoeing and camping vacation, Peter finds himself in the middle of the action of the murder investigation as well as a fast-moving wildfire. The characters are quirky and interesting, the plot is well-paced, there are many suspects to keep the reader guessing, and the detailed descriptions of the Northern Manitoba landscape brought the setting to life. I haven't read the first two books in the series, and while those plots are referred to (in relatively vague terms), I didn't feel like I needed to have read them to enjoy this book.

Unfortunately, this was a flop for me. The writing isn't awful. I did like the premise of how it was going to play out. It just missed the mark for me in the end.

In Eleven Huskies by Philipp Schott, Peter Bannerman, Veterinarian, ends up at a fly in lodge in Manitoba to find out why the lodge owners dog team is sick. With the addition of a fatal plane crash and a canoe trip with family, (and of course his dog Pippen) a forest fire almost ends everything. The descriptions of the fire and it's movements is frightning and the final denouement in the midst of the fire is very well done. This series just gets better and better and the lives of the characters are well thought out.

Eleven Huskies is the third book in the Dr Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Canadian veterinarian and author, Philipp Schott. Shortly before he is due to go there on a family canoeing trip, veterinarian and part-time sleuth, Dr Peter Bannerman is called to Dragonfly Lodge to examine some very unwell huskies.


When he arrives, he learns that a float-plane has gone down on the lake that morning, with the loss of three lives and, as he puzzles over what is ailing the dogs, the RCMP report that the pilot was shot, making this a triple murder. As he organises transport to New Selfoss for the sickest dogs, apparently poisoned, he wonders who might have wanted to harm John Reynolds’s prize-winning dogs, coming up with theories that range from credible to utterly outlandish as he uncharacteristically indulges in wild speculation with no basis in fact.


Before returning home, he observes the interplay between Lodge staff, notes a pre-dawn canoe crossing the lake, and is shot at when he visits an old friend at the Dragon Lake First Nation settlement. He can’t help wondering who might have been the target of the plane crash: aside from the pilot, there were a flashy entrepreneur and a local indigenous politician on board; and, not believing in coincidence, he wonders if the poisoning is somehow related.


A few days later, Peter arrives for his trip, this time accompanied by his wife, Laura, his RCMP brother-in-law, Kevin and Kevin’s partner, Stuart, and of course his champion scent dog Pippin. And while Kevin is on vacation, he and Peter can’t help discussing both of the so-far-unsolved mysteries, postulating that everyone at the Lodge, staff and guests, are potential suspects.

In this instalment, Schott subjects his characters to a terrifying ordeal when a natural disaster cuts short their canoeing trip, gives Laura’s seemingly bumbling brother a chance to shine, deprives Peter of a classic locked-room denouement, and has Pippin using his sensitive nose on three occasions, one of which saves the lives of four people.

Peter eventually figures out who the killer is: “This process was always mysterious to him. His mind would meander somewhere that was pleasant but felt irrelevant, and then it would leap across a void to an unseen path that had been running in parallel all along. He wished he understood it so he could harness it properly, but at least it existed at all.” Or does he?

As usual, the prologue is from the perspective of the creatures requiring Peter’s veterinary expertise, and there is a preview of the fourth book in the series, Three Bengal Kittens. This is an entertaining and very enjoyable cosy mystery series, and more of quirky Peter Bannerman, Pippin, and their support characters, is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and ECW Press

Fans of quirky amateur sleuths will love the Dr. Bannerman series. Peter Bannerman is a veterinarian, practicing in a small Manitoba town, close enough to Winnipeg for day trips. He has developed a reputation for being an amateur sleuth (see books 1 and 2 in this series). In Eleven Huskies, he is called to northern Manitoba to see about some very sick huskies. It seems they’ve been poisoned and no one can figure out why. At the same time, a small plane is shot down nearby on Dragonfly Lake. Again, no one can figure out why someone would do that. Coincidentally, the location is where Peter and his wife are scheduled for an upcoming canoe and camping vacation (Peter has friends in the area, and has enjoyed being there before.)

There are some very frightening scenes as Peter and his friends and family are caught in a wildfire while on their camping and canoe vacation, which elevates this story from a “typical” cozy mystery. (The author notes that this was written before the horrific wildfires of the summer of 2023.)

There are a wide variety of people in this story, including visitors from Iceland (Peter’s town has a solid Icelandic heritage), his Nigerian friend Stuart, some mushroom-hunting men from Belorus and First Nation people, including Peter’s friend Lawrence. Peter’s dog, Pippin, plays a large role in the story, with his excellent sense of smell and tracking capabilities.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. Miles Meili narrates the audiobook and does an excellent job with the many voices and accents.

Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book and to ECW Press Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

🔥Exciting action, baffling happenings in Manitoba wilderness setting👨‍⚕

The Eleven Huskies had me hooked throughout, with memorable main characters and a fast-paced plot.

I love the Dr. Peter Bannerman, DVM, character with all his quirks, especially his love for LOTR, mathematics and unusual facts, the way he has to push himself in social situations and how he interacts with his tolerant wife and his boastful RCMP brother-in-law Kevin. He's a pretty unique and appealing amateur detective.

But it's the mysterious illness of a team of huskies and murder and mayhem in the backwoods that really cinched my appreciation of the story. Dr. Bannerman finds himself in the thick of mystery, danger and drama even on his canoeing and camping vacation, and takes his family into it with him. I couldn't stop reading even before the action and danger in the woods! I liked the mix of suspects and how the author kept shifting suspicion around and build the tension.

I never did guess whodunit but I had a great time speculating along with Bannerman. Recommended.

Thanks to ECW Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This one didn't hold my attention the way that Six Ostriches, the second book in the series, did. Of course I was worried about the poisoned dogs, but the actual murders? Those were felt like an isolated event that had little to do with Peter and his wife's canoe trip. What did pull me in and keep me turning pages was a harrowing scene about halfway through the book. Suddenly I was very interested in what was going to happen next. I love the characters and the way they feel more like real people than your usual cozy mystery protagonists, but I can barely remember who died or why they were killed.