R.J. Erskine will be in store at MacIntosh on Wednesday, February 27th at 12 p.m. for a meet-and-greet and to sign copies of his new novel, Casting Demons into Swine.

Despite his recent divorce and being new to the valley, the career of Malcolm Cromarty, D.V.M., was finally settling into a routine. After all, life among cows, stoic dairy farmers, and a steadfast dog tends to be rather mundane, especially when bolstered by an occasional 'wee dram' of single malt. However, the daily grind veers off course with the arrival of a disease outbreak that seemingly doesn’t stay on message with the textbooks. To cope with this challenge, Malcolm must rely on a patchwork of inhabitants to guide him through the peculiar culture in which he lives. The problem is, while some of the locals are helpful, others have their own motives, engage only within their limits of religious dogma, or are outright hostile. With each passing day, Malcolm stumbles deeper into a community that holds science, change, and outsiders under a high degree of suspicion, and a family feud with a dark and malevolent past. Hardly a promising path to resolve the outbreak and avoid tragic consequences.

RJ Erskine has served as a large animal veterinarian for 35 years. From working among farmers and the rural community, he has developed an agriculturist perspective in a society that is increasingly distant from food production. He is especially interested in the natural and cultural forces that not only impact farming, but the inertia of rural communities.