Library Journal Review

Starred 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 Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.