At my age, I indulge in reading murder mysteries. They suit my attention span and always have a happy ending where the killer is identified and justice is served. Over the years, I’ve read the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly, the Mas Arai series by Naomi Hirahara, the Chee and Leaphorn series by the Hillermans, the Cork O’Connor(Anishinabe) series by Willilam Kent Kruger, and the Joe Picket series by CJ Box. Among others. (And if you have never looked at mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle or Dorothy Sayers, shame on you.)
So a late 2025 reading of Leonie Swann’s Three Bags Full came as a surprise…it is one of my favorites of all time!
Three Bags Full is a murder mystery solved by a flock of sheep. Yes, a pastoral, peaceful, quiet flock of sheep. Of course, these sheep have some magical powers: they understand human language, can read human emotions better than humans can. And they are well cared for by a gentle shepherd who is the murder victim. Out of love and loyalty, they seek not vengeance but to find the killer.
This is not a fairy tale nor is it an obvious allegory. The sheep have no real understanding of human society. They also have to deal with the problem of how to get around to investigate. And so they do the best they can with the innocence and worldliness of a bright 5 year old.
Three Bags Full is as detailed and thorough as a police procedural and it has a happy ending…AND there is a sequel: Big Bad Wool!