Circus Quest Series

Roll up Roll up...
Join the Circus Quest to save the traveling circus... 
Kestrel and Skye are on a circus tour filled with codes, villains and danger.

All books available in ebook and print online. (see below)


The Circus Quest Series follows a traveling circus on tour, 
as they hunt down and solve clues to become Circus Challenge Champions. 
With codes, circus stunts and slapstick humour these books are sure to delight
 beginning independent readers. 




Introducing   Accidental Aerial the newest book in the Circus Quest Series.

Why does saying ‘Break a Leg’ mean ‘Good Luck’ in show business?

When the Circus is plagued with accidents, everyone is on edge. 

They need Good Luck but is it worth the cost?


To Buy Accidental Aerial
Amazon $2.99 -print and ebook
Kobo $2.99
Apple $2.99
Google Play $2.99



Book Four: Tumbling Town

Tumbles, trips, and falls. The circus games are here. 
Kestrel and Skye each face their biggest challenge when
Circus Charles bumps into The Rainbow Revels. 
May the best circus win.


To Buy Tumbling Town 
 Book Depository - print
Amazon - print and ebook
Kobo ebook $2.99
Apple ebook $2.99
Google Play $2.99



Book One: The Playbill
A strange letter and code propels the circus into a tour they will never forget.
The mysterious Puzzle Master has invited Circus Charles to
once again compete to find the best circus in the world.
But not everyone wants them to win. Win they be stopped like last time? 



To Buy The Playbill 
Kobo Ebook FREE
Google Play FREE



Book Two: Magician's Moustache
Skye discovers that hanging upside down isn't always magic.
With a guide rope on the Big Top snapped, the first show of the new tour is off to a bad start. 
The next clue is hidden in a clock. Unfortunately, the town of Papenton is filled with clocks. 


To Buy Magician's Moustache
Kobo Ebook $1.99
Apple Ebook $1.99
Google Play $1.99

 Book Three: Performing Poodles
Kestrel is outperformed by a poodle?
The clues are getting harder.
When Pepper the performing poodle is dognapped, Kestrel races to the rescue.
Is he out of luck as well as out of time?


To Buy Performing Poodles
Amazon ebook $2.99
Google Play $2.99

If you are in New Zealand you can buy or order them in print from


or order them from the publisher Marmac Media




What reviewers are saying...

Monsieur Charles’ Circus Quest, #1 The Playbill, #2 Magician’s Moustache, by Maureen Crisp, illustrated by Irina Burtseva

The first two books in Maureen Crisp’s Monsieur Charles’ Circus Quest will delight puzzle-loving 7-9-year-olds. Skye and Kestrel, two friends in a travelling circus community, are charged with solving a puzzle challenge that will determine the future of the circus and its performers, and solve a mystery about Kestrel’s missing mother along the way.

Crisp’s writing is full of show, not tell; great for making children think a little deeper about the book. Readers do need to be paying attention, as the solutions to each puzzle will not be handed to them on a platter, they’ll have to work at it a bit. There’s lots of detail about circus life and performances to intrigue readers, and some interesting character name choices (for example, the sons of the Falcon family are Peregrine and Kestrel). 

Crisp’s writing is full of show, not tell; great for making children think a little deeper 
about the book.

The illustrations and overall book design are well done and will engage younger or less-confident readers who are not ready to transition to straight-text chapter books. At 78 pages each they won’t overwhelm a reader with their length, which is really important as children develop their confidence. These would be great to slip into a Christmas stocking next month.



A new, fun series set in the lives of circus performers. Young readers will discover what 
goes on behind the scenes of all the acts. There are routines to be learnt, tricks to perfect, 
hard work to be done preparing the equipment and safety gear, 
not to mention the packing, erection and unpacking of the Big Top itself.
But there are devious people among them. Kes and Skye could be in real danger as they try to work out who is causing the circus’ troubles. 

Intriguing and exciting, drawing the reader from chapter to chapter; this will be a popular series for emerging readers.

Adele Broadbent- What Book Next 

This is the first of 10 books from the Circus Quest series for junior and newly confident readers. Each novel has a clue to solve which leads to the next one.
Easy to read with big font, short chapters and only about 80 pages per book. 

A great way to get youngsters into reading.
Another good thing about the series is that the characters are drawn at the front by 
illustrator Irina Burtseva who captures the characters, the circus 
and the action very well in black and white pen drawings.
A series to keep an eye on.

Bob Docherty from Bobs Book Blog

Book 1 and 2
Roll up, roll up! The circus is in town! Monsieur Charles’s circus to be exact, with a cast packed full of performers and interesting characters, a mystery and an exciting quest to be fulfilled. The first two books in this new series for junior readers draw us into the world of circus friends Kestrel and Skye, and we join them in their challenge to solve the clues that will ultimately save their circus. In the first story, the quest is introduced; an invitation to compete for the title of circus champions; if they don’t win, the circus will be no more. While the whole circus group of families are keen to take on the challenge, it is Kestrel and Skye who are put in charge of solving the clues to find where the competion will be held.

The second book sees the quest continue, with Skye using her aerial skills to find the next clue. Added to the quest are subplots aplenty; Kestrel's determination to find his missing mother, Skye's wish to finally get her chance to perform in her family's act, and a member of the circus working to sabotage the tour, to name a few. 

Written for young readers, the stories are engaging and accessible, with a good pace and a plot that keeps you turning the page to see what happens next.  Set out in manageable chapters and supported by illustrations, they are perfect for readers who are newly confident reading on their own. The layout and design are gorgeous, with bright coloured covers which fit in so well with the circus theme. I loved all the clever design details - the letters on the spine that will eventually spell out ‘Circus Quest’ and the stars on the front cover which denote which number the book is in the series

All in all, a well written, fun and appealing story that will keep kids entertained and begging to join the circus. The only thing I didn’t like… was that I now have to wait for book 3 to come out to see what happens next!


Book 3
This is Book 3 in the Circus Quest series; the previous two titles are The Playbill and Magician’s Moustache. Fans of the series won’t need much of an introduction, but readers coming new to the series with Book 3 might be better starting with Book 1 – because of a few important plot strands involving codes, a missing person, and the future of the circus. It’s a short easy-to-read tale written for early primary readers who will appreciate the child-friendly layout and the numerous cute line drawings by Irina Burtseva. There’s enough action and suspense (a dog-napping!) to keep young readers happy, especially those who like a circus setting.