Inspired and beautifully written, author Paul D. McDonald brings to us "Mystery at the Haunted Castle" which promises to be the first of many offerings in his series' of riveting, new adventures.

Well defined adolescence characters showing 'smarts' and courage in the face of life threatening dangers in which they find themselves in, brother and sister twins Pat and Patty Flaugherty just can't seem to resist solving the intriguing mysteries presented them, taking them on wild rides filled with adventurous twists and turns.

"Mystery at the Haunted Castle" is a captivating 'visual' read for ANY age who are still in touch with the imagination of their youth.

Paul D. McDonald craftily weaves into "Mystery at the Haunted Castle" nonstop, page turning 'cliff hangers'. Th is tale evoked in me a sense of nostalgia and enchantment transporting me back to my youth when FANTASTICAL WORLDS first opened up to me...JUMPING off the pages of the books I devoured in my adolescence.

Paul D. McDonald's Mystery at the Haunted Castle" ignites the reader's imagination...I was enchanted!

(FYI: Would make a GREAT movie series!)

The story kept me guessing until the very end. Good read for tweens and adults!

Twins Pat and Patty Flaugherty have a knack for getting themselves in some serious situations and their distinct personalities combine to make them the perfect team for solving mysteries. You will enjoy their journey as they discover what's behind the strange events happening at the haunted castle.

I read this book before passing it along to my 10 and 12 year old. I can’t wait for them to read it. It was a great and exciting book and certainly appropriate for my kids to read.

Can’t wait for more to release in this series!

“Mystery at the Haunted Castle” is the first “Flaugherty Twins Mystery” introducing Pat and Patty, teenage fraternal twins.

Overall, I enjoyed this tale. It reminded me of some of the mysteries I read when I was young (like The Babysitter’s Club Mysteries or Nancy Drew stories). The structure of the writing was similar and definitely geared toward a younger crowd. It’s an easy read and moves quickly. There’s also an opportunity to follow the mystery and guess the culprit along the way, which I loved. The story follows the twins along their adventure. The twins are very different in personalities and approaches.

The Flaugherty Twins Mystery series begins with this engaging story that blends teenage romance, family bonds, and classic mystery elements.

“‘Why are you being so mysterious?’ 17-year-old Patty Flaugherty asked her boyfriend as he pulled his dark brown Mustang to the curb in downtown Temple City.

“Because it’s something very special,’ Bob Daily said as he ran his hand through his straw-blond hair, then turned to face the girl. ‘Just like you.’ With that, he leaned over to kiss her.”

He brings her to Weinberg’s Jewelers where at the door, an older man bolts out past them.

What begins for them as a sweet moment at Weinberg's Jewelers quickly transforms into something far more sinister.

Inside the jewelers Bob presents Patty with an engraved promise ring.

“‘It’s all I can afford, and besides, we’re too young to get married now anyway.’
He removed the ring from the box.
‘But this is my promise that I’ll always be yours. Will you accept this from me as a pledge for our future?’”

The tender scene shatters when two armed masked men storm in to rob the store, even demanding Patty's new ring from her finger.

This opening pivots from intimate character moments to high-stakes drama, immediately drawing readers into the mystery.

When the young couple return to the Flaugherty home, they find Bob's father Sam visiting with Patty's mother and her fraternal twin Pat, who also happens to be Bob's best friend. The family dynamics here feel authentic and warm.

Sam, who became a surrogate father figure after the twins lost their father at a young age, owns an air freight service and offers to take the teenagers on his next business trip to Paris.

This sets the stage for the central mystery that involves “a mysterious doll everyone seems to want, a legacy involving a cipher, and a ghostly knight haunting an old castle.” The twins find themselves committed to helping a newfound friend, launching them into their first official mystery-solving adventure.

The author demonstrates considerable skill in his characterization of the fraternal twins, allowing Pat and Patty to emerge as distinct individuals despite their shared investigative instincts. His decision to ground these characters in their Irish American Catholic heritage adds meaningful depth without becoming heavy-handed. The pacing proves to be one of the novel's strongest assets, as the author maintains steady momentum from the jewelry store robbery through the Parisian adventure, never allowing the story to lag or the mystery elements to overwhelm the character development.

The dialogue feels authentic for teenage characters, capturing both their enthusiasm and occasional uncertainty as they navigate complex situations far from home.

What sets this mystery apart is the author’s commitment to creating a believable foundation for his protagonists' sleuthing abilities. Rather than simply stumbling into mysteries through convenient coincidences, Pat and Patty demonstrate genuine observational skills and logical thinking. Their complementary personalities, with each twin bringing different strengths to their investigations, create a dynamic partnership that promises to serve the series well in future installments.

The French setting provides an atmospheric backdrop for the supernatural elements, particularly the haunting presence of the ghostly knight. The author handles these otherworldly aspects with restraint, allowing readers to question whether certain events have natural explanations or truly supernatural origins. This ambiguity enhances rather than detracts from the mystery's appeal, creating an engaging and well-crafted introduction to the Flaugherty twins.

The combination of family dynamics, teenage romance, international adventure, and supernatural intrigue provides enough variety to appeal to a broad range of middle-grade and young adult readers. The author's respectful incorporation of faith-based values into the narrative adds a distinctive element without alienating readers from different backgrounds.

This book delivers a complete mystery that stands on its own maintaining its grip through to the final page.

At the same time, it effectively launches a promising new series in which Pat and Patty Flaugherty can have many more adventures.

I am an adult who doesn't normally read children's mystery stories, but a friend gave me a copy of this book. I was asked to read it and let them know what I thought. I will admit, that I was delightfully surprised and found myself unable to put it down. I resonated with some of the character’s personalities to those in my own family. It was even exciting to receive life lessons in a hidden way. I will not spoil the book in getting into the story but I highly recommend this book for children and even adults as it is an easy read and written in such a way that I had to catch myself from entering into the storyline itself many times. I am looking forward to continuing the journey with these characters as I have come to understand that it is part of a series. I am looking then forward to obtaining the next in line.

Curious what a more modern Child's mystery book would be all about...

Oh, to be old enough to drive a car! It was the dream of every middle schooler to come of age and take that next step toward freedom. Until then, my explorations were made possible by the adventure books that I read. Mystery series was my favorite genre, and I gobbled up every one that crossed my hands. There were many things that drew me: older, more mature characters that were exploring their young-adult freedoms; the challenge of trying to solve the mystery that was unfolding; and what always kept me coming back to it: real-life knowledge that came along with every story. I could explore exotic places, learn foreign customs, awaken my mind to new technologies. But more than this, it was a tool to maturity: I could sharpen my detective skills to recognize evil before it could harm me, develop stratagems to get out of difficult and dangerous situations, and ruminate on the many different faces of good and evil. The Mystery of the Haunted Castle is just the beginning. It brings to the stage new faces of endearing characters, challenging life circumstances, and a chance to learn while having fun. Can’t wait for the next in the series to come out!