In 1960s Ireland, Barry Laverty becomes the local doctor for Ballybucklebo, a village of endearing eccentrics. Drawing upon his own experiences as a physician in rural Ulster, Patrick Taylor brings a sense of authenticity and plenty of dry wit to these charming novels.

Young Doctor Barry Laverty can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there, but in this series debut from 2000, he knows that there is nowhere he would rather live than in the emerald hills and dales of Northern Ireland. Then he meets pugnacious Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, who is either the biggest charlatan he has ever met—or the best teacher he could ever hope for.