Secret of McKinley Mansion

By: K.F. Breene

Narrated by: Nicole Poole

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

It's no easy job being the town nutcase. Ella knows from experience. She's grown up in a quaint little place with people who pretend the extraordinary isn't happening around them. They ignore the bumps in the night and won't talk about doors closing by themselves or items moving mysteriously.

They also won't talk about the old woman who haunts the streets, long in her grave but for the nights when a particularly bad storm blows through. Those who do are fibbers, begging for attention.

But Ella knows it is no lie - when the lightning cracks and the rain thrashes, someone goes missing: a child, lost to the night. There is no breaking and entering, no foul play, and no clue as to where they've gone.

Urban legend says that if the old woman stops in front of your house, you're next.

Well, Ella has been next for years. She's resisted the urge to run out into the darkness with everything she has. She’s resisted that old mansion up on the hill, beckoning her. She’s resisted giving into people saying she's crazy.

But then a handsome new boy with a troubled past moves across the street. Suddenly Ella isn't the only one haunted by the old woman. But it's not clear if the new boy is here to help Ella...or help the woman drag Ella up to the mansion.

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Not what I expected

One of my favorite authors, however, this book was just okay. Seemed the first half dealt with high school social horrors I would love to forget hehe. The second half took place in the dark with whining girls always tugging on someone’s arm or pushing each other. The only interesting part was the last 10% where it finally started to take off with some suspense and mystery, then it was over. Meh.

Loved it!

I could listen to another 10 books with these characters and this narrator. This was a very entertaining story and not the same ol' same ol' of other books that have been boring me to tears lately. I will miss Ella and Brayden.

Disappointed

Nicole Poole knocked it out of the park yet again but even she couldn’t bring back this story. I’ve read other K.F. Breene books and this was such a huge let down. This was such a slow pace as well, characters weren’t as interesting, and it didn’t have the same energy as other books by the same author.

wrong narrator

I usually love this narrator, but with this story being a Young Adult book, a younger sounding narrator would have made better sense.

Good story, narrator not for me.

The story was good. I like haunted house books.

My problem was the narrator. Litterly she sound like a robotic computer voice. You know the text to speech voice. I wondered if they altered the narrators voice electronically? It was bad. When she was doing supportive character voices it was fine, inflection when appropriate. However, during the main character and descriptive parts of the story it was completely monotone with little to no inflection. I tried adjusting speed and changing equalizer setting on phone to no avail. Just listen to a sample before deciding to make sure you can handle it.

Love This Story

Nicole poole is an amazing Narrator. she did an outstanding job with this Novel. The scare factor is fantastic. K.f. Breene did a fantastic job keeping the suspense going threw the entire story. If you are reading this review buy the book.

Not your normal Breene

The story was bland for Breene. She’s my favorite, so this disappointed me. Nicole Poole was as brilliant as ever. Breene is still high up on my list, because she deserves it. This is very teen romance. Nerdy girl get hot guy. Not my genre, however, the paranormal aspect keeps it alive. Until it doesn’t. Very conflicted on this.

NOT Horror

i have been disappointed by several books lately solely due to genre misrepresentation on Audible's part. This book was listed as "horror." This is a teen ghost mystery - makes me think of Scooby Doo while writing this. Most of it is about teenage drama among the "cool kids" and some "nerds." I stuck with it as its not a very long book and the narration was well done. The main event in the story actually skips over many of the potential horror, by only telling us very briefly what had happened after it was all over.
It's not a bad book, but it's certainly not horror!

Hooked from the start

I was hooked from the beginning! It normally takes me a few chapters to get into a book but this one had me in chapter 1!

Great suspense, mystery, thriller!

I really enjoyed this book! Poole really brings it all to life! It’s filled with paranormal suspense and a few laughs with the banter between Ella and her bestie Scarlet. Classic K. F. Breene humor. The storyline held throughout, mystery surrounding the mansion and its lore, the missing kids, and all over activity within the town of Larkin. Definitely worth the read.

Buy a different KF Breene book instead :(

This is a kids book, about 17 year olds, who act and talk like 12 year olds, voiced by a middle aged woman (who is brill in other audiobooks but jarringly the wrong age for this) with a FOUR HOUR long chase scene in the middle.

Other books by this author are fab: read/listen to them instead.

Secret of McKinley Mansion

This is a brilliantly funny scary ghost story, with loads of tention, great characters, with even a who's done it thrown in. Loads of fun to listen to, read brilliantly as always by Nicole Poole.

An easy listen

It was a lovely story, a very interesting easy listen. I could count stitches and keep up with what was going on which was perfect for me. Having listened to Nicole in the Levelling Up series I was worried some would sound like those characters, however she did herself proud and all were different.

Okay read / listen

Not as good as authors other books . Narrator excellent as always. Not a bad book but I just didn't feel the connection to characters or the "just another chapter forget the house work" that I get with the authors other books.