Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
Three Bags Full is the first novel in the Sheep Detective series from German author Leonie Swann. First published in 2005, it’s an international bestseller with a movie adaptation starring Hugh Jackman scheduled for May 2026. The movie trailer caught my attention, but I like to read the book before seeing an adaptation so I decided to give it a go.
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann summary
In the picturesque Irish village of Glenkill, George lives a reclusive life in a caravan, surrounded by his flock of sheep. While the locals know him, he’s too distant to be considered a friend. But with such a small flock, rumours spread about how he could afford his exceptionally fancy watch.
One morning, George’s flock crowds around his lifeless body, staring at the spade pinning him to the ground. They know he’s dead; thanks to George’s habit of reading to them, they’re smarter than the average sheep. They also know someone must have killed him. But why?
The flock does what it can to gather clues and stalks the comings and goings of the caravan following George’s death. They loved him and are scared for their future with the local butcher sniffing around. But even though they’re smarter than normal sheep, that’s not saying much. Can this group of shaggy sheep really solve their shepherd’s murder? And if so, can they avoid becoming food themselves?
Top 5 Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann quotes
“You shouldn’t believe what you don’t understand. You should understand what you believe.”
“Maple thought optimistically that human beings, on their good days, weren’t much dimmer than sheep. Or at least, not much dimmer than dim sheep.”
“Cordelia was thinking how human beings can invent words, how they can line up their invented words side by side on paper. It was magic.”
“Imagine you’re living in a flock, and one day you find out that the others aren’t sheep at all — they’re wolves.”
“This God sounds rather suspicious to me.”
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann review
Three Bags Full is a quirky take on the cosy crime genre. While the story is focused on George’s murder, there’s absolutely no gore or shock value involved. It’s perfect for those who fancy something that draws you along with slow intrigue, rather than a fast-paced plot.
The flock makes for a fun pack of characters, with a handful named and focused on due to their exceptional skills in memory, intelligence, storytelling, and more. My favourite character was Othello, a smart black ram with a bleak but feisty history.
While Three Bags Full opens with the flock discovering George’s body, it does take quite a dip in the middle, and I had to remind myself to go back to it. The overall ending is carried out in a heart-warming style, but lacks a real reveal or ‘ta-dah’ moment. It’s a plodding style of reveal that I didn’t find truly satisfying.
Is Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann worth reading?
I hate to say it, but Three Bags Full wasn’t for me. I’ve enjoyed cosy crime in the past, and while the overall plot really intrigued me, its execution and ending weren’t particularly satisfying. I could’ve put it down halfway through, and easily not gone back to it. It’s only my completionist tendencies that got me to the end.
Overall, I feel that Three Bags Full doesn’t quite go far enough for me. It’s funny, but slightly. It’s crime, but fluffy; I was just left wanting more.
Watching the movie trailer below, it seems to include several characters and plot points not included in the book. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this is a rare occasion where an adaptation outshines the novel.
Buy your copy of Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann now.
If you enjoyed this, you’ll love my review of This Lovely City by Louise Hare
The Sheep Detectives – Three Bags Full movie trailer
