Circus Runaways

One dog was locked in a garage. One boy had no choice but to run.

John Emery Phillips slips out in the dead of night, saddles his old horse Roanie, and disappears into the dark Australian countryside with his blue heeler Blue at his heels. The reason? Blue has bitten two grown men, his father has five stitches in his shoulder, and the order has come down: the dog dies in the morning.

What begins as a desperate escape turns into something John never imagined. Swept up by a circus train heading deep into the country, he finds himself in the extraordinary world of Archie Shuggs travelling circus: three roan horses that waltz in the sawdust ring, acrobats in silver tights high on the trapeze, elephants that help raise the big tent, and a pair of quarrelling clowns who tumble through every performance.

But circus life holds more than wonder. Someone is trying to burn Archies circus down. As a series of fires creeps closer, John, Fred and Leonard must move faster than the flames to find out who, and why.

And meanwhile, Blue keeps proving there is more to a condemned dog than anyone back home ever believed.

Circus Runaways is the second book in the Jumping into Trouble series. A warm, funny Australian adventure for animal lovers and mystery fans aged 8 to 12.