Luck Runs Out

When Belinda of Balaclava, prize sow of Balaclava Agricultural College is pig napped, Professor Peter Shandy is called in to investigate. Peter is even more disturbed when the body of Miss Flackley, farrier, is found by Belinda's pen. Armed with only twenty-six sunflower seeds as a clue, Peter must solve the murder before the Senior Plowmen's Competition takes place. He also has to play matchmaker for his wife's friend, the delightful Iduna Bjorklund. This is a gentle mystery with a slightly wacky cast of characters. The first (and in my opinion, the best) in this series is Rest You Merry.

This is the second humorous mystery involving Professor Peter Shandy, his wife Helen, and the folks at Balaclava Agricultural College. This time, the local farrier, who tends to the college's horses, has been murdered, and the college's prize sow, Belinda, has been pig-napped! Can the two events be related? And are these two heinous crimes linked to a robbery and kidnapping? There is certainly a lot for Peter Shandy to investigate. MacLeod also provides romantic suspense, as new and recurring characters in several generations become attracted to each other. MacLeod seems to have had as much fun writing this book as I had reading it, especially those scenes involving the Viking-like college president, Thorkjeld Svenson. This is a book that should leave you with a smile on your face and is an excellent example of writing that combines mystery, suspense, and humor.