Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann

Three Bags Full is another one of those books I would never have found had it not been for Quality Paperback Books (QPB). I joined the book club on a whim back in college and have consistently found books there that were in a word, awesome. I mean awesome in the true sense of the word, too, not the overused "awesome" people say today. Three Bags Full is just another in that long line of satisfying impulse purchases.

In this very amusingly titled book, the sheep of Glennkill have a problem. One morning they are out and about, grazing the fields like normal, and they find their beloved shepherd, George, dead with a spade through the heart. Of course, the sheep can't rely on the humans of the village to investigate the murder thoroughly. The sheep know someone in the village had to have a reason to want George dead...if only they can put it all together. Now it's up to Miss Maple (named not so much to mimic Miss Marple, but she is the cleverest sheep in Glennkill) and her fellow flock to uncover whodunit. After all, George was more than just a shepherd. He was their friend. He read stories to them. He promised to take them to Europe. They want "justice."

What I love most about this book is that, yes, it can seem like a silly premise. It is funny. But the sheep truly care for George. The author thinks enough of her characters to create individual personalities for each sheep or ram in the flock, weaving together true sheep characteristics with human so that each character is memorable, each provides a part to the greater good of the flock, and each in their own way helps solve the mystery. The flock's interpretations of strange words and the villagers' actions sometimes are way off base but sometimes they are terribly accurate. The author uses these funny, sweet, goofy sheep to point fingers at her human characters, uncovering the darkness within, but also uncovering what makes each of us human. It's very effective, amusing, and sad. The mystery is simple (no Agatha Christie Then There Were None here), but the journey is what makes this story so worthwhile.

The best scene - when the sheep try to communicate "whodunit" to the humans at the "Smartest Sheep in Glennkill" contest. I was in tears I was laughing so hard. Seriously. Pandabob didn't know what to do - he didn't know if he should pull the car over so I could breathe (I read this on the way back home from New Mexico).

I won't forget Miss Maple, Zora, the winter lamb, Mopple, and their friends for a very long time. I never thought I would read a book that had me rooting for the sheep, but this one did. It was a perfect vacation read - funny, engaging, bittersweet, and worth every page.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars - it meandered a bit here and there but otherwise it was perfect