"How are you feeling?
Annie looks down.
Nobody looks back up at her.
Because there is a Runt-shaped hole in her world."
Recently Craig Silvey spoke at an event here in Sydney and a few days later I bought myself a copy of his new book (sequel to Runt). I started my reading that day but after just 31 pages I stopped. I first read Runt back in 2022 and since that time I have read hundreds of other books and so many small plot details from Runt have evaporated from my memory. Thank goodness the library where I work as a volunteer had a copy of Runt and so on Tuesday last week I revisited the first installment of Runt. With 342 pages, and a few detours into other books on my enormous to read pile, I finished Runt for the second time on Sunday morning. It is now Tuesday afternoon and I have just finished Runt the Diabolical Dognapping which has a whopping 406 pages. Readers do need knowledge of the first book about Runt to really appreciate all the twists and turns and motivations and drama of the second installment.
Craig Silvey has done it again. He kept me reading and reading desperate to discover how all his disparate story elements could possibly reach that all important happy ending. This is also one of those books where the clock is ticking - Annie only has one month to win another competition and hopefully be reunited with her precious friend.
This latest book is filled with heroes, tales of past deeds, deceptions, new friendships, puns, jokes, determination, and of course it culminates in another all-important dog competition. The story rips along because it stars Annie who we all adore from the first book but in this tale Runt is missing. As the title tells you - he has been dognapped. Of course, this new story does need a dog - we met this puppy at the end of the first book. She arrived with Bernadette Box - her name is Little Annie. Oh, and there is also a new competition - have you heard of this - it is called "dances with dogs" and yes, it is a real thing. Craig Silvey explained in his Sydney talk that he watched hundreds of hours of competitions so that he could include accurate details in his story.
BUT wait there is more to Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping. If you have read Runt you may have been left with a few questions - the answers to all of these and many more form the framework for the second book. I wonder if Craig Silvey is a plotter - did be map all his story threads out before writing his book?
Here are some of the questions that you might want answered (but there are lots more):
- Where was Runt before he met Annie?
- How did Runt learn to perform 'tricks'?
- What makes Runt such a loyal friend?
- Why does Runt adore Mush dog food?
- And there is question (spoiler maybe) about the real fate of the terrible villain - Earl Robert- Baron?
I love the cast of characters from Upson Downs. The policeman Detective Bayleaf reminded me of the bumbling policeman in the television show Doc Martin: Joe Penhale the local police officer in the town of Portwenn. The Mayor Barry Casserole made me think of the local politician Bill Heslop from Muriel's Wedding and also one of the pompous judges from Strictly Ballroom - Barry Fyfe with (in the movie) his silly toupee. It is easy to see that this second book is very cinematic - I know there is a movie of Runt and a play will be presented in 2026. After reading this second installment I'm sure there will be a second movie.
In this book I also enjoyed all the puns, funny names with double meanings, foreshadowing, subplots, flashbacks and side stories, and the way Rupert Broadsheet sounds like he has swallowed a thesaurus.
Another thing that Craig Silvey includes in his book are heaps of wonderful descriptions of clothing - they are all so 'over the top' and yet it is funny that at every author event Craig himself always wears the same plain long-sleeved navy tee shirt. Here are a few examples:
"Camilla is resplendent in a cream satin dress and a silver necklace. Doreen is vividly tropical in a teal polyester pantsuit, neon mango lipstick and polished brass seashell earrings. She has a fresh perm, a teased fringe and a voice like a started macaw."
"Barry wears a yellow shirt tucked into high brown shorts. His head is host to a thick and conspicuous toupee. His large glasses slide slowly down his nose, causing him to periodically scrunch his face in a manner that reminds Annie Shearer of a nervous rabbit."
"He wears a peach short-sleeved shirt, a eucalyptus green tie, mustard coloured shorts, white knee-high socks, black leather sandals and his official chain of office."
"The man wears a powder blue seersucker jacket, plum corduroy pants, a crisp cream shirt and leather loafers. He is tall, with ivory skin and a sensible haircut."
Publisher blurb: 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.
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