The career of Malcolm Cromarty, D.V.M., was finally settling into a routine, despite his recent divorce and being new to the valley. After all, life among cows, stoic dairy farmers, a steadfast dog, and an occasional 'wee dram' of single malt tends to be rather mundane. 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 control the outbreak.