Mystery at Devil's Paw

The eerie location adds so much atmosphere — I wonder if it was based on a real place or purely fictional. Did the setting influence how the mystery unfolded?

I was guessing the culprit pretty early, but some friends thought the clues were well-hidden. Was the balance intentional to keep middle-grade readers engaged?

Their dynamic felt authentic and fun, but I wonder what the author considered most important about their relationship in driving the plot.