Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story (original German title: Glennkill: Ein Schafskrimi) is a 2005 novel by Leonie Swann. It is a detective story featuring a flock of Irish sheep out to solve the murder of their shepherd. Written originally in German, the novel became an international bestseller, and has been translated into more than 30 languages.
Plot
In the Irish village of Glenkill, George Glenn is a shepherd who is a loner, estranged from his wife, and is fond only of his sheep. Every day, after he lets them out to graze, he reads to them from romance adventure novels and textbooks on sheep diseases, and he promises that one day he will take them to Europe. One day, the sheep find George dead, pinned to the ground by a spade. Miss Maple considers herself the "cleverest sheep in all of Glenkill" and encourages the sheep to investigate the murder. Mopple, a "meat breed" sheep that George rescued, is the memory sheep of the flock and the main one who can hold events in his head longer than a brief period. Othello is a black ram rescued from the circus. Sir Ritchfield is the lead ram who has a lost twin brother named Melmoth, who has become legendary in the flock. The core group help Miss Maple investigate the murder. A new shepherd, Gabriel, soon brings his sheep to graze near the flock, and while they are initially hopeful about getting a new shepherd, they quickly grow to dislike Gabriel due to his lack of interest in reading them stories. A conversation with his flock reveals that Gabriel raises them for slaughter. This revelation leads Mopple to develop an intense phobia of Ham, the town butcher. Led by Miss Maple, the sheep travel into town and spy in people's windows in order to gain information on George. Their exploits lead the church priest, who the sheep mistakenly believe to be named God, and Ham the butcher to think they are being haunted by George's sheep, particularly Othello, who as a black ram looks satanic. Rebecca, George's estranged daughter, returns to reconnect with George and discovers she is too late. The sheep grow immediately fond of her. Beth, a Bible-obsessed woman who frequently attempted to convert George, is among the most devastated of the townspeople and gives information on George's estrangement from his family. Sir Ritchfield begins exhibiting strange behavior, until it is revealed that his twin brother, Melmoth, has returned, and the sheep have been mistaking his identity. Melmoth and Ritchfield joyfully reunite, and Melmoth tells the story of how he left. One day while he had wandered off from the flock, George and Ham discover the dead body of a man named Wesley McCarthy, who was hated by the town and they believe was killed as part of a conspiracy they weren't in on. This led to Ham's paranoia of the townspeople. Melmoth begins teaching the sheep how to focus and how to resist being herded, skills he learned from his wanderings. Othello was taught by Melmoth at his time trapped in the circus, which enables him to fight off dogs' attempts to herd him. The rest of the flock work to learn to fight back. George's will is read in court, in which it is revealed that he set money aside so the sheep could get a trip to Europe. Gabriel offers to be the one to take them, to the sheep's dismay. They gather around Rebecca in the court room and she is given custody. To their delight, she continues the storytelling tradition according to the demands of the will and begins reading them Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights gives Miss Maple inspiration for the answer to the murder mystery. Knowing that Beth was obsessed with souls, she concludes that Beth is the murderer, trying to steal George's soul and planting a spade in him to prevent his ghost from taking vengeance. The sheep conspire to reveal this to the townspeople. Glenkill hosts an annual "Smartest Sheep in Glenkill" contest as a tourist trap. Mopple, Othello, Miss Maple, and a sheep named Zora attend, putting on a play that re-enacts George's murder. Mopple is chased by Ham, who believes Mopple is tormenting him, but he stands up to Ham and overcomes his phobia. The townspeople fail to understand the play, but Beth recognizes a cloth of hers that the sheep brought and confesses the truth of George's death. Beth had fallen deeply in love with George. George became suicidal through his isolation and confessed his intentions to kill himself to her. He begged her to plant the spade in his body, which she did. As the sheep prepare to leave, Ham approaches Mopple one final time and gives him his respect. The mystery solved, the sheep are hailed in the town's newspapers for helping uncover the truth. They prepare to travel to Europe with Rebecca, their new shepherd. Melmoth leaves before they go, as he prefers a life on his own. Sir Ritchfield steps down as lead ram due to his age, and Othello takes over leadership, having learned from Melmoth.
Characters
Sheep Miss Maple: Known as the smartest sheep in Glenkill, she leads the investigation into George's death. Sir Ritchfield: Head ram, sometimes seems to have a wandering mind. Forgets things easily, especially when worked up over something. Othello: The literal black sheep of the flock, is somewhat mysterious. He has not been with the flock long, and hints at a dark and troubled past. Mopple the Whale: A merino who remembers everything, and likes to eat. Zora: A pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for clouds and abysses. Melmoth: Sir Ritchfield's long-lost twin brother.
Humans Below is a list of notable human characters and their roles. Contains plot details.
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