Pizzles in Paradise is well-known Southland vet John Hicks's collection of anecdotes from more than 30 years of tending to bird, beast and pet-owner. It ranges from the wilds of New Zealand to the Yorkshire Dales, from the Scottish Highlands to the fjords of Norway. Whether abseilling off a cliff to perform a post-mortem on a horse or contending with hysterical owners of pets in a city surgery, John's stories are lively and good-humoured, occasionally poignant and often hilarious. He also tells stories of childhood pranks, the trials of adolescence and courtship, the pains and rewards of emigration and the sobering experience of dealing with cancer.