The author, Leonie Swann, is German so this was translated from the original. I had no idea it was a very popular novel 20+ years ago.
An Irish shepherd, George, is found dead, having been impaled with a spade, and his flock sets out to find the killer armed with the deductive powers gained from George having read them detective novels.
I thought it was a really enjoyable read.
Normally it's the mystery and seeking a solution that lures me into these kinds of tales but here the sheep proved irresitably fun. In one scene a trio of them are eavesdropping in on a conversation outside a person's home. It's a fairly serious scene with clues being given to us but one sheep just couldn't help himself and has to start snacking on a nearby shrubbery.
There is plenty of amusing ovine commentary on we humans too - our strange fodder, the way we assemble in herds like sheep, etc. And I liked how the sheep used their sense of smell to discern human characteristics and dispositions.
George's flock has nearly 20 sheep in it and, while not every one of them has a prominent role here, enough do to keep things interesting and Swann endows them with enough character to distinguish one from another. Miss Maple is the Sherlock Holmes of the bunch, for instance. Sir Ritchfiled may be the lead ram but he's getting on in years. There are also a couple little lambs who are not incredibly articulate but inject some colorful/humorous commentary now and again.
That the investigators here are a flock of sheep may put Three Bags Full into the post-modern mystery category but it is not a dense, intellectual effort like many such novels. Some easy going commentary on humanity and a lot of concern over grazing territory make for a boat load of fun.
I saw this little lady yesterday and now I may be getting a cat sooner than expected. We shall see...
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