Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific and popular authors. He has won numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Award's Author of the Year and a CBE for services to literature. His titles include The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street series.||Sam Usher spent most of his childhood reading, drawing and forgetting to do school work. He still likes to spend his time playing around with ink, watercolour and washing-up liquid. If the opportunity arises, he loves to make a mess! Sam’s first book – Can You See Sassoon? – was longlisted for the Greenaway Medal.
<p>Roll up! Roll up! The Shortbread Family Circus is in town! Introducing the first tale in The Big Top Mysteries, an exciting new series from Alexander McCall Smith and illustrator Sam Usher.</p><p>Billy, Fern and Joe Shortbread are the stars of their family circus, but they also have another talent … they're experts at solving mysteries! When their circus moves into a new town they soon make friends with a young boy named Tom. But Tom can't enjoy the circus because his granny has disappeared and he's worried he'll never see her again. With the help of their astonishing circus skills can the Shortbread circus stars crack the clues and find Tom's granny? A brilliant McCall Smith adventure story, brimming with wit, wisdom and larger than life characters.</p>