The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch

The Adventures of Punkin and Boo #1

by Patrick E. Craig

The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch is the gripping story of two teenage cousins who are thrown together for the summer at their Grandparents' ranch in California. While exploring the old ranch, the girls stumble on a mystery that involves desperate crooks, the ghost of a long-dead Sioux War Chief, a young Native American man on a mission to save his tribe, and secret tunnels and caves left over from an old Spanish Mission. Throw in a guardian angel who protects the girls from some evil spirits that want to bring the story to a bad end, and you have The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch, the first in a series of faith-filled mystery adventures for kids, featuring Punkin and Boo.

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2008

About the author

Patrick E. Craig is an award-winning author with twenty-two published books. He has won six Chanticleer International Book Awards, a Selah Award, and a Word Guild of Canada Award. His work includes three Amish murder mysteries, six Amish novels, three World War II historical novels with a short story sequel, two anthologies of Amish stories, a standalone novel, a memoir, two western novels, and two YA paranormal books.

In 2013 Harvest House published the first of his Apple Creak Dreams series, A Quilt For Jenna, followed by The Road Home and Jenny's Choice. All three books have been on bestseller lists in Amish and Mennonite Fiction on Amazon since then. In 2015 he self-published The Paradise Chronicles series which included The Amish Heiress, The Amish Princess and The Mennonite Queen.

In 2020 he began the Award-winning Islands series with co-author Murray Pura. The series included Far On The Ringing Plains, The Scepter and The Isle, and Men Who Strove With Gods, all CIBA award winners.

Now he is publishing his Amish mystery series, The Porch Swing Mysteries which includes The Quilt That Knew, The Boy in Blue Denim and the newly released 3 X 3.

He lives in Idaho with his wife Judy.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading and waiting to see what the girls would uncover and I also enjoyed learning about the Indians as well.
I thought that Patrick did a wonderful job in weaving his characters together and making them into a family who loves the Lord just as much as I do.
Patrick tells us that God loves everyone no matter the nationality you are.
I gave this a 5 star because I enjoyed a different read than what I'm used to.
Thank you Patrick for another wonderful read!
I received a copy of this book from Patrick in exchange for an honest review He's also in progress with a sequel to The Amish Heiress so we have that to look forward to reading it.

[Marta Aldrighetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah and her cousin Jacie didn't see and know each other, they meet at their Grandparents, at Ghost Dancer Ranch, in the summer holiday.
They play around and in the old house and discover their ancient history and legacy.
Interesting, haunting, easy and fast to read book, love PatrickECraig books!

[Carol L. Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is especially appealing to me because I am familiar with the area it takes place. It's always fun to see place names you know and can picture in your mind. It makes the story seem all the more real. I appreciate the native American history in the narrative.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter will love this book. It has just the right amount of suspense and terror that would appeal to her, but not scare her.

[Luke Tendick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I listened to this book, it is about a couple cousins who go to there grandparents house for the summer. While they are there, mysterious things happen and they meet a ghost who wants to help them. There is also evil spirits trying to take property. The girls work in an epic adventure to save the property and continue working towards being successful.

The book to me was interesting, it was fun to listen to. I liked the book alot and I would read it again because it was interesting. The book made me ponder what it might be like to meet a ghost, and it gave me impressions of knowing a friendly ghost, I liked the ghost in this book. I liked the girls because they were fun to have around while reading.

Things to watch for
-Supernatural

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Mystery Of Ghost Dancer Ranch" by Patrick E. Craig is a mystery that draws the reader into the story from the first chapter. Ok, so it's written for kids ages 8-17 but I loved it and so has other adults. I am looking forward to the next book in this series (The Adventures of Punkin and Boo.)
"The Mystery Of Ghost Dancer Ranch" reminds me of the "Nancy Drew" books that I loved as a young teen girl but this book has Biblical Truth interwoven into the story. I was a little doubtful with part of the story at first when it was describing the evil demons but then I realized that there is evil in the world and we cannot hide from and hide them from our children and I am happy to say that Patrick Craig dwelt with this scene wonderfully in showing what happens when we apply God's words to the evil in our world. And besides, today kids watch all sorts of movies that have evil and demons without any mention of the truth about God's words.
"The Mystery Of Ghost Dancer Ranch" is a short 113 page book and I recommend it for Christian kids and parents as well as any reader that loves mysteries that want a clean read. The scenes are well detailed that you can see them in your mind as they are happening on the pages.
I am thinking about buying another copy for my 10 year old grandson. I was given a copy for my honest review by the author and I am giving it five stars. Don't let my mention of the evil stop you from enjoying the story, I am sure that young readers thats likes mysteries will want to be like Boo and Punkin. And if my church had a church library I would recommend "The Mystery Of Ghost Dancer Ranch" be a part of it. In fact, I am calling my local liberty to request it be a part of it as soon as I finish writing this review.
I love that Boo and Punkin are just normal girls that have to visit their grandparents farm against their wishes and aren't happy at first. This fact just makes the story more believable and isn't that why we read fiction because we want to believe it could be real. There is also real life characters from history interwoven into the story, like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and the Battle of Little Big Horn and the uprising at Wound Knee. These history facts are just mentioned, not the actual story. I think this is going to be a wonderful new series to be caught up in for all mystery lovers.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Punkin and Boo, two adventurous teenagers, both more than a little upset that they had to spend part of their summer at their grandparents when they really wanted to spend it with their friends. Much to their chagrin the plans were already set so each met at their grandparents ranch and began an adventure that led us through caves beneath their home, through mountains, through empty rooms that had obviously been used before, through secret entryways, all of it held my attention throughout. From the first several pages, I have to say that I enjoyed every page!

I have read every book written by Patrick E. Craig and enjoy how he takes the time to develop the characters and the plot, the mysteries that pull you along and cause you to not want to put the book down. This one did not dissapoint, either. I liked the length of the book, not too short but long enough to develop the plot well, without being an extremely long novel. And although it also would appeal to and interest younger readers, the mysteries and breath-catching moments will appeal to adults, as well. I certainly loved it and hoping that there will be another to follow along after this one, as I have read that there will be.

Read for yourself and learn what the Ghost Dance is, what it signifies, who does it. Why does one man need a special shirt to do the Ghost Dance, why would he be more special? Why does he have men wanting to harm him? What is the old Indians purpose, why would he stand near the home and at times dissapear? You must read and try to figure out the role of the old Indian man. I simply loved this book. Loved the Indian man's purpose.

I was given a copy for review with no expectations for a favorable review; this is my honest review.

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly love Mr. Craig's adult Amish fiction stories. His gift as a writer is fantastic and I love his way with imparting the story, characters, scenes, and truths. He is truly a word-smith that excels at his craft. I was curious about his capacity to write for a younger audience but felt he would bring authenticity to his stories and yet be able to entertain these young readers. That is not an easy task because Middle-readers are difficult to engage.

I love the two girl characters in Ghost Dancer Ranch - Punkin and Boo. They are cousins and are really getting themselves into some interesting situations during their summer break at Grandma's and Grandpa's ranch. Their escapades remind me much of the old Nancy Drew mysteries.

The story shows how easily a mixture of native Indian spiritual worship and that of basic Christianity can become a confusing mixture. The story also shows the insidious determination of gambling and casino elements creeping into the Indian culture. I especially love the grandparents. And the two girls are spot-on for young teens. Love the Christian elements in the book and the good clean read this is.

A real plus in Patrick E. Craig's Ghost Dancer Ranch stories is that all the historical information is true and the only fictional Indian characters are Red Bull and Jack Wilson. The rest of the Ghost Dancer History including Sitting Bull, Wavoka, Kicking Bear, the Bole Maru, and even Richard Taylor are real history and characters.

Patrick E. Craig, we are looking for more adventures of Punkin and Boo!

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated.

[Nana]

Patrick E. Craig has opened up a whole new world in his career, Christian mysteries for young people. I would recommend this book and future books in the series for avid readers ages 10-18. As an adult I loved it! Reminders of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys came to mind, books that I loved as a youngster. I certainly wouldn't discourage adults from enjoying this book either!

This adventures of cousins, Punkin and Boo, is a story of family and their connections to the past. As cousins evolve into friendships the two share mysteries discovered inside their grandparents' home. Danger lurks as the girls' curiosity gets the best of them. Hidden corridors and rooms are revealed as a hidden wall space is discovered. It's mysteries and adventure from there on, as the suspense continues to build.

Punkin and Boo are so typical of young girls in the early teen years. They're curious, fun loving, and adore their grandparents who set a wonderful example for these youngsters. Genealogy is a part of this story, and some wonderful secrets emerge as the plot continues.

I highly recommend this book for young girls and boys. I think that young boys would enjoy the mysteries discovered in this story as well. My copy of this book will remain in my library for my granddaughter as she approaches the age where she will undoubtedly love reading it!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Patrick E. Craig in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boo is not thrilled about spending her summer at Grandma and Grandpa's Ghost Dancer Ranch in California until she discovers a hidden wall and cave. Punkin is not happy about having to go to visit at Grandma and Grandpa's to meet Boo and spend time with her. Boo hopes that she and Punkin can become friends and not just cousins. She also hopes that Punkin will help her solve the mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch. They don't hit it off at first, until Boo shows Punkin what she has discovered. Then they are off on a great adventure, but it's a dangerous adventure too. Will they solve the mystery together? Will they remain safe or will someone get hurt?
This is a wonderful piece of literature that is designed for young adults but I could not stop reading it myself. As a former middle school teacher, I am sure that children of that age would enjoy this book greatly. It is Christian based fictional work. Private Christian schools would be able to use this in the classroom and it would make an excellent addition to a classroom library.
I rated this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to readers.
I received a copy of this book from the author and P & J Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

[Sunnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very happy to get a chance to read another book by Patrick E. Craig. This book was focused on teen readers and I believe it will be a good read for this age group. Despite that fact, I found it intriguing and it held my attention throughout. I love a good mystery and this also involved another topic I am most fond of, that of genealogy and family. I loved it how it shared a family history that the two cousins in the book grasped and enjoyed. History is fascinating and family history is wonderful.

The theme of the story brought in love of family, love of home and love of Christ. There was a definite Christian theme and I liked seeing that as these days, so many influences are taking people in the other direction. I believe books such as this one show that there is no shame in knowing what our beliefs are and that with Christ all things are possible.

The story theme of the Indian heritage of the family and the secrets that were hidden keep you turning pages till the end. I enjoyed it very much and will definitely have my granddaughter read this.

I received a paperback book copy from the author for my honest review.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced and easy read. Written for children of elementary/middle-school age, the author did a great job of writing a story that keeps the reader's attention and is full of mystery, suspense, and family.

The story centers on two cousins staying at their grandparents' house during the summer. I liked the way the author wrote the interactions between the cousins. Their interactions seemed genuine and sincere and added a layer of believability to the story.

The story is well-written and is quick and easy to read. I can easily picture kids wanting to read this book again and again. I also think that the reader will find new things to like and new clues throughout the book with each reading of the story.

If you have a youngster who is into history or mysteries I think they will enjoy this book. Well-written with emphasis on family this book would be a perfect summer read.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch by Patrick E. Craig is first in the Adventures of Punkin and Boo series for young teens. Two young cousins have their summers rearranged for them and off to their grandparent's ranch they go. Each is upset to be away from their friends and to have to stay with a cousin she hasn't seen in a very long time. But the mystery draws them in right away and their friendship renews quickly. Dark caves and tunnels, beating drums, guardian angels, crooks who are determined to get what they want any way they can, and palpable, frightening evil makes for a great book for kids who like a mystery. With fast-paced scenes and ongoing suspense of how in the world will this all turn out, the author does an excellent job of keeping a reader's interest from the first chapter to the last. There is a strong Christian theme throughout the book as the subjects of genealogy, American-Indian history and casinos are dealt with. A good read for youngsters and adults alike.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is intended for young readers but for adults like me it was a great read and a great mystery. The book is about two girls, Boo and Punkin, who are cousins and had to spend part of the summer at their grandparents place called Ghost Dancer Ranch. While there they discover a secret passage way under the house that leads into tunnels in a cave. The secret passage way was used by Red Bull, a Native American Indian. The book is really full of mysteries that had me reading more and more, it also told the history of the family which I enjoyed because I like reading about Native Americans, and also believing in God when through prayers He is there and with you. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Boo and Punkin and would recommend this to anyone who likes to read a good clean mystery, young and old.
I received a copy of this book from the author and P & J Publishing in exchange for my honest review.