Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey

Title: Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping

Author: Craig Silvey

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 30^th September 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 416

Price: $26.99

Synopsis: The sequel to Runt, the phenomenal bestseller and family favourite, by award-winning author Craig Silvey.

Six weeks have passed since Annie Shearer and Runt competed valiantly at the Krumpets Dog Show.

The town of Upson Downs is rejuvenated. The grass is green. The rivers are flowing. And a Tournament of Champions has just been announced, with the world’s best canine talent invited to showcase their skills in the Grand Ballroom of the abandoned Robert-Barren estate.

But as preparations for the event get underway, Runt mysteriously goes missing, and a trail of suspicious clues surround his doghouse. Annie’s worst fears are confirmed when she discovers a ransom note with a peculiar demand: she must win it all to see her friend again.

It’s up to Annie and her brother Max – now an intrepid investigative reporter with the Upson Downs Speculator – to rescue Runt before it’s too late.

Endlessly charming, deeply funny and bursting with heart, Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping is an engrossing mystery filled with twists and surprises. A beautiful, tender and moving sequel to the bestselling, multi-award-winning classic, Runt.

AWARDS FOR RUNT:
Winner, Dymocks Book of the Year for Younger Readers, 2022
Winner, Best Children’s Book, Indie Book Awards, 2023
Winner, Book of the Year: Younger Readers, CBCA Awards, 2023
Winner, Book of the Year, Indie Book Awards, 2023
Winner, Children’s Book of the Year, BookPeople Book of the Year Awards, 2023
Winner, Book of the Year for Younger Children, ABIAs, 2023
Winner, Best Fiction for Older Readers, Young Australians Best Book Awards, 2024
Shortlisted, Children’s Literature Award, South Australian Literary Awards, 2024

~*~

Runt and Annie Shearer are back. Sort of. After their success at Krumpets, and rescuing Upson Downs from Earl Robert-Barron, the pair have been invited to the Tournament of Champions. Except, Annie and Runt aren’t sure. Under pressure from the community, they agree to and start to prepare. But Runt goes missing, and all clues point to him being dognapped. Especially when the ransom notes start to appear, and the new editor of the Upson Downs Speculator gets involved.  The editor, Rupert Broadsheet and his daughter, verity, are constantly updating the town, and Sergeant Bayleaf is sure that Annie’s nemesis, Fergus Fink is behind it all. The story grows, taking place over several weeks as everyone searches for Runt and helps Annie find a new way to win.

Because she has to win the Tournament of Champions if she wants to see Runt again. And that means working with Little Annie, Bernadette’s blue heeler in a new category. Dog Dancing. But they need help from Cha Cha Galore so they can compete. But Annie’s heart isn’t in it, not without Runt. She can’t do it, but everyone else seems to think she can. Because Annie is the one who fixes things.

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping takes place several weeks after the first book, and things have changed for everyone in Upson Downs, a very Australian country town with a single-person police station, quirky characters, and an incredible sense of community. Well, for the most part. Because everyone is sure they know who dognapped Runt, and even as Verity and Max research the initials from the little scarf Runt usually wears, every clue is pointing to Fergus Fink. Everything in the media is planting so many seeds of doubt everywhere. It’s a mystery that plods along with Annie’s reluctant quest to learn to dance. Because all she wants is her friend back.

And things feel utterly hopeless throughout the novel. Annie’s grief is palpable throughout, and the bittersweet story of her connection with Little Annie. There is always a sense of hope, because everyone is working hard to find Runt and reunite him with Annie. It feels like Annie is carrying the weight and expectations of everyone and everything in her tool belt again. The glimmers of hope start to shine through as we find out about characters who are mentioned and then become relevant at different points in the story. It’s a good follow-up, one that whilst uses sparse language, feels very Australian. The sparse language suits the characters and story though, and sits well with the first one which has won multiple awards since its publication three years ago, and appears on the Dymocks Top 51 Kids Books list again this year.

This is a very good sequel with a heartwarming and hopeful ending.