Esme Dooley and the Kirkkomaki Circus

"A dead person?" asks eleven-year-old Esme. How intriguing She has just learned that she is going on a journey in search of a dead person. Was she going to a cemetery? Or maybe to a funeral?

By train, by gypsy wagon, and even by ostrich, Esme takes a summer journey. She and her grandmother and her cousin Tommy meet up with a circus that is going through harrowing times, for someone is pulling wicked shenanigans Caught in the conundrum, Esme and Tommy eagerly don their sleuth hats to try to solve the mystery. When tragedy strikes, they learn the importance of friendship, and they begin to understand the value of forgiveness. This historical adventure portrays another humorous season in the life of Esme Dooley. It is set in rural Minnesota in 1904, where love is definitely in the air.

This middle-grade tale of two cousins received a gold medal in the Mom's Choice Awards. The Midwest Book Review says, "Exceptional, original, and inherently entertaining from cover to cover."

Please note that the illustrations inside the book are black-and-white (grayscale).