Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann

Big Bad Wool

Leonie Swann

Soho Press · Hardcover · May 6, 2025

In the highly anticipated follow-up to the breakout offbeat hit Three Bags Full (now a major motion picture: The Sheep Detectives), an enterprising flock of sheep must get to the bottom of just who—or what—is leaving a trail of grisly destruction in its wake.

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Who it’s for
A sheep-sleuth mystery pairs oddball logic with an eerie question and real peril.
Themes
Amateur animal detectives, Fear of the supernatural, Courage and teamwork
Pacing
Fast

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About this book

In the highly anticipated follow-up to the breakout offbeat hit Three Bags Full (now a major motion picture: The Sheep Detectives), an enterprising flock of sheep must get to the bottom of just who—or what—is leaving a trail of grisly destruction in its wake. With one solved mystery under their wooly belts, the time has come for the sheep of Glennkill to explore Europe.

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Together with their new shepherdess, Rebecca, they move into their winter quarters in the shadow of a French chateau. But their new home is far from idyllic. A number of sheep from a previous flock have disappeared, and deer are dying unnatural deaths in the forest. The strange goats from the neighboring pasture have a theory: a werewolf. Could that be real, or just a fantasy? When a human falls victim, it becomes clear that even fantasies can be fatal. And the last thing the sheep want is to lose another shepherd. With the help of the goats next door, they follow the werewolf’s trail in a desperate attempt to save both themselves and Rebecca with sheep logic, courage, and woolpower. This clever, tense mystery features the ultimate amateur sleuths as they ponder curious human motives, attempt to change their fortunes by eating tarot cards, and borrow a harebrained scheme from a not-so-secret spy in an attempt to thwart the beast that’s been stalking them.

Woolly Sleuthing

A sheep-sleuth mystery pairs oddball logic with an eerie question and real peril.

Come here for

  • Sheep applying their own logic to curious human motives
  • A werewolf question with more bite than you might expect

Expect

  • Wry, woolly sleuthing alongside genuine danger
  • A flock willing to try tarot cards as a change of fortune

Where it sits

Cozy Mysteries with Pets77%
Animal Fiction39%
Cozy Paranormal Mysteries35%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Amateur Sleuths
  • Cozy Mysteries with Pets
  • Suspense
Authors
Leonie Swann
Publisher
Soho Press
Published
May 6, 2025
Format
Hardcover
Theme
Amateur animal detectives · Fear of the supernatural · Courage and teamwork
Reading lane
Amateur Sleuths