The Case of the Haunted House by Douglas Quinn, a Mysterious Review.

Review: 5th grader Quinn Higgins's new friend wants to learn more about the supposedly abandoned house at the end of a nearby lane but when they go investigate they find themselves more than a little spooked in The Case of the Haunted House, the third mystery in this series by Douglas Quinn.

Vaughn Taylor has just moved to Quinn's North Carolina coastal community and is curious about their neighborhood. A bike ride along the surrounding streets brings them to a decrepit house that fronts Albemarle Sound. Looking in a window they see a strange shadow inside, indistinct enough — and scary enough — that they put off further exploring until they have reinforcements. But Quinn, known locally as the boy detective, later decides to investigate further on his own … and discovers an old crab pot and two men acting very suspiciously …

The Case of the Haunted House is a well-structured story populated by an engaging cast of characters. Possibly more importantly, the principal characters have character, if you will. It is more of a boy's adventure than mystery, as the resolution to the "case" is handled quite rapidly at the end with input from Quinn but without any deductive reasoning on his part … but this all seems quite appropriate, since an illegal activity was taking place with Quinn and his friends letting the authorities handle the capture and arrest.

There are a couple of narrative sidetrips, including one about dealing with bullies, but on balance the main storyline and reading level seem suitable to and appropriate for 8- to 10-year-old boys.

Acknowledgment: the author provided a copy of The Case of the Haunted House for this review.

The Case of the Haunted House

A Quinn Higgins Mystery by Douglas Quinn