Books: Three Bags Full By Leonie Swann (2005)

“Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world). Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe—just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God.” 

An odd book indeed is Three Bags Full. It’s a murder mystery told through the perspective of sheep, lead by (perhaps the smartest sheep ever), Miss Maple and her other fellow sheep, Othello, Mopple the Whale, Zora, Maude, and the elusive Melmoth. 

Brought up on a plethora of Disney films (and Bugs Bunny cartoons), the idea of a flock of anthropomorphic sheep trying to solve a murder does not require too much a suspension of belief. Sure, they seem smarter than most, but it’s still a delight to see them puzzle they through human motivations, emotions, and fear to try and solve George’s death. Part of the charm, as well, is that George used to read all sorts of books to his sheep, so they kinda of grasp the human animal in ways that help them along. 

It’s a slow-burn tale, often funny and stirring. The only issue I have with the book is how the clues are laid out, as the author (via translator Athena Bell, from the original German) makes it difficult to piece the translation from human to sheep and back again. Much of it does not add up and I found myself frustrated by the lack of clues I could put together and identify the killer (and that it turns out disappointing in the end). 

In the end, it works, because the sheep are pretty funny and book is often philosophical with sheep trying to interpret human motivations. The author wrote a sequel in 2010, and British made adaptation of this book is due in May 2026.