Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | Fic (m) Swann, L. 2007 | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Swann, L. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | MYSTERY SWANN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stayton Public Library | M SWANN | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd. On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George's killer. The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the "bad-boy" black ram; Mopple the Whale, a merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime and wild metaphysical speculations, and they embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. There's Ham, the terrifying butcher; Rebecca, a village newcomer with a secret and a scheme; Gabriel, the shady shepherd of a very odd flock; and Father Will, a sinister priest. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love. Three Bags Full is already an international hit. "It's rather as if Agatha Christie had re-written The Wind in the Willows, and I ended by loving it, "Jane Jakeman wrote in The Independent. Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful breed of detectives to American readers.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Adult/High School-Like smart sheep everywhere, those of Glennkill, Ireland, cherish their routines. They want their pasture time, their barn time, and their romance-novel time. Well, perhaps they are unique in that last desire-most sheep never develop a taste for the genre. But George's animals owe much of their understanding of the world, and particularly their knowledge of those strange human flocks that inhabit the nearby village and countryside, to his regular reading of the "Pamela novels." They are content in their world, and extra happy because they have a dream they share with their good shepherd: to go to Europe, where there are endless fields of fresh grass and orchards of ripe apples. Then the unimaginable happens. George is pinned to the ground with a spade. Their shepherd is dead. Outraged, his charges set their minds to finding his killer. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and perhaps the world) summon their considerable talents and, bit by bit, piece together the puzzle. First-time novelist Swann had tons of fun writing this, and all of it transfers seamlessly to readers. Teens will laugh out loud as the sheep decide who God is and what goes on in God's house. They also contemplate the nature of the Abyss, and Cloud Sheep, and why humans spend so much time, effort, and money hiding foul-tasting dried-up clumps of grass from one another. This lighthearted mystery is fresh, bold, engaging, and a joy to read.-Robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The mysterious death of their shepherd has sent a flock of sheep into a frenzy trying to piece together "whodunit." Overcoming their "sheepish" ways, the members of the flock realize that they may be the only ones who can solve it. The more intelligent sheep, who have better retention or the intuition to ask the right questions, develop a list of potential suspects. As the investigation continues, the sheep quickly find the conspiracy is quite large, including a significant number of residents of Glennkill, Scotland. The delightful story is chock-full of metaphors and analogies about human behavior, interaction and memory that provide provocative insight. Bailey keeps an excellent pace and tone throughout in a light-almost benevolent-tone that keenly projects the slightly naive perspective of the sheep. She makes indisputably clear voices for all her characters, including male voices that most would be hard-pressed to discern as coming from a woman. Tantor Media conveniently includes a handy pamphlet that lists the numerous sheep integral to the story along with a brief description of them. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday/Flying Dolphin hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 9). (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Just when you thought you'd seen a detective in every guise imaginable, here comes one in sheep's clothing. For years, George Glenn hasn't been close to anyone but his sheep. Everyday he lets them out, pastures them, reads to them and brings them safely back home to his barn in the guilelessly named Irish village of Glennkill. Now George lies dead, pinned to the ground by a spade. Although his flock haven't had much experience with this sort of thing, they're determined to bring his killer to justice. There are of course several obstacles, and debut novelist Swann deals with them in appealingly matter-of-fact terms. Sheep can't talk to people; they can only listen in on conversations between George's widow Kate and Bible-basher Beth Jameson. Not even the smartest of them, Othello, Miss Maple (!) and Mopple the Whale, can understand much of what the neighborhood priest is talking about, except that his name is evidently God. They're afraid to confront suspects like butcher Abraham Rackham and Gabriel O'Rourke, the Gaelic-speaking charmer who's raising a flock for slaughter. And even after a series of providential discoveries and brainwaves reveals the answer to the riddle, they don't know how to tell the Glennkill citizenry. All these problems are handsomely solved at the unsurprising cost of making the human characters less interesting than the sheep. But the sustained tone of straight-faced wonderment is magical. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
It's morning in the seemingly bucolic Irish village of Glennkill, and a flock of sheep has just come across the murdered body of its shepherd. Initial consternation (there's a bit of panic about wolves, although the crime was clearly committed by a human) gives way to resolve--the flock will solve the murder. Led by the very smart Miss Maple, Othello, Melmoth, Mopple the Whale, and the rest of the group struggle to understand who killed George and why. The sheep are not cuddly sweet or highly anthropomorphized; they approach each problem in the investigation from a sheep's point of view, which makes for a fresh take on the mystery genre. The outsider perspective is reminiscent of that portrayed by Mark Haddon in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time--often amusing but frequently hinting at a much darker reality, unlike Jasper Fforde's lighter nursery crime mysteries. Swann peppers the text with literary allusions that add humor and lighten the existential gloom of both people and sheep. An international best seller, this quirky philosophical mystery is highly recommended for all public libraries.--Devon Thomas, DevIndexing, Chelsea, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.