Infinite Books

It’s winter, and the flock of sheep from “Three Bags Full,” the first book in a series “The Sheep Detective Stories” by Leonie Swann, goes to France, together with their shepherdess Rebecca and her eccentric, tarot-reading mom. They stay on a snowy meadow, with Rebecca’s trailer close by and a majestic chateau in the distance. And there is a forest.  Sheep are a bit of vary of a forest, especially after hearing that there were some unexplained deer deaths, and the creature named Garou – perhaps a werewolf – might be the one to blame. This Garou character sounds scary and mysterious. He might be after the sheep, and as far as the flock knows, he is only afraid of silver and holy water. Sheep can get hold of a piece of silver, but holy water would be harder to get. After all, they have never seen water with holes in it…

I enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited to learn that the second book has been translated into English. It is a pleasure to read. Each sheep has its distinctive character and voice. There is Othello,  the black lead ram; Miss Maple, “the cleverest sheep in the flock and maybe even the world,” Mopple the Whale, Zora, and others. Together, they have a lot of “wool power.”

“Big Bad Wool” is more a thriller than a mystery, as the first book was, and it’s not just an idyllic story with cute animals. I followed the plot with genuine interest and loved how the sheep interacted with each other, as well as with the group of goats and with people.  It’s a delightful novel, written with a great sense of humor, and I can’t wait for the next sheep detective story!

BIG BAD WOOL by Leonie Swann, Soho Crime, 2025