SHEEP are dying in a remote part of the Alps. When a woman is savaged, rumours emerge that a werewolf of gigantic proportions is on the loose.

A trio of unlikely detectives sets out to track the chief suspect, village oddball Massart, and so begins a road trip that offers us mystery, comedy and romance against the backdrop of the French countryside.

There's the beautiful Camille, who leaves behind her hunky Canadian lover to embark on the journey and is forced to face her past when the group ask the policeman Commissaire Adamsberg for help; shepherd Watchee, who calls home every night to talk' to his sheep; and Soliman, the dead woman's adopted son, who has a never-ending supply of amusing moral tales to share.

The atmosphere gets bleaker as more killings take place, and it didn't surprise me that I was hooked by the cat and mouse-style chase as this book was loaned to me on good authority by somebody who knows my penchant for guessing twists and turns.

What did surprise me was how much I enjoyed the enchanting narrations of the simple banter between the main characters.

I have read so many crime novels over the past couple of years that offer nothing but murder and misery, it was nice to have something to smile about!

I wouldn't put this in my top 10, but it was well worth a read and I'd definitely take a look at more of her work (yes, Fred is a she!)