If you’re looking for a fright this fall, consider the Ghosts & Legends of Downtown Bend tour from Bend Ghost Tours, created by mother-daughter mystery writers Jools Sinclair and Meg Muldoon.

“I’ve been writing about Bend ghosts now for like 11 years,” said Sinclair, who’s written a variety of books, most of them in her “44” series of paranormal mysteries whose central character is a ghost-whisperer. “I wrote the first book, and then it went viral on Amazon about 10 years ago.”

Her fondness for writing began when she was 6 and her story about a dragon earned accolades from her family.

“I got critical acclaim because my grandmother and parents loved it, and I never stopped,” Sinclair said, laughing.

Muldoon is the nom de plume of her daughter, Meg Kehoe, who worked on The Bulletin’s City Desk for five years as a reporter. She began writing books while still a journalist.

“I started writing mysteries when I was at the newspaper, and then, right when I left, my books took off,” Muldoon said via email. “It’s been great, and I owe a lot to those years of writing articles and sweating it out to meet deadlines.”

Mother-daughter collaboration

Aside from Bend Ghost Tours, her full-time gig since departing The Bulletin has been penning mysteries. She has several cozy mystery series to her name, including the Christmas River and Dog Town USA.

“Meg writes cozy mysteries. She doesn’t write about ghosts. As she says, hers aren’t as scary as mine,” Sinclair said.

The two have also coauthored a book together, the 2017 witch tale “Ginger of the West” (note, their books are available at Amazon). Bend Ghost Tours is their latest collaboration.

“Almost all of my books take place in Bend, so I just love the city,” Sinclair said. “We just kind of came up with this idea last year.

After a deep research dive into downtown Bend’s scariest true stories, Sinclair and Muldoon began leading the tours in June. Though they’re fiction writers, the tour deals in the facts, and for that, Muldoon’s former newspaper career proved handy.

“Everything is real,” Sinclair said. “She’s our researcher. She reads the books. She goes to the (Deschutes) Historical Society. She reads everything. On top of that, we talk to people. It’s a combination of everything. Everything is very well-researched and accurate.”

That is, to the extent such words can describe the occult and the unprovable.

“I mean, obviously, you have to believe in ghosts to make that claim,” Sinclair said, adding brightly, “But we do.”

True believers they are. The two even walked with a local medium to get another perspective.

The route

The tours begin in Drake Park, heading on to such edifices as the Pine Tavern and the O’Kane and Downing buildings. Bond Street had a particular reputation for trouble and debauchery in the early-to-mid 20th century.

“In the old days, Bond Street was really wild and crazy,” Sinclair said. “If you were a woman of a certain respectable nature, you weren’t supposed to be seen over there. … It’s super-historic and super-spooky in parts over there.”

They conduct the 90-minute foot tours together, each having their part in the presentation. The tour are offered year-round, weather allowing, and though they’re booked up through Halloween, they will be offering the tours all through the month of November.

Make that approximately 90 minutes, Sinclair said.

“We always run a few minutes over,” she said. “Honestly, we could do it for like five hours. We really could. We’re always like, ‘OK, we have to cut this, because it’s just too long.”

What: Bend Ghost Tours Ghosts & Legends of Downtown Bend Tour

When: The 90-minute foot tours are offered year-round, weather permitting

Where: Drake Park and downtown Bend

Cost: $25, $19 for kids 12 and under. Not recommended for very small children

Contact: bendghosttours.com, bendghosttours@gmail.com or 541-350-0732