The three Porch sisters now reside in a basement prison chamber in The School for Failures, in Austria. This school is like any other, with tests to pass, which the Porch sisters… don’t.

Again they are saved from oblivion by the enigmatic, completely bonkers, science genius who is of course – Millicent Quibb. Whisked away from the school by Millicent in yet another travelling invention, they soon end up in another adventure. This time they are helping Millicent unravel a mystery in the Purple Pearl Hotel.

The hotel is a swanky resort for the rich, and named after a giant purple pearl found in the nearby lake. A poem tells the story of the pearl, and how it was lost once again to the depths.

Millicent and the girls are up against the KRA ( Krenetics Research Association) again, as they are after the purple pearl for themselves.

The Purple Pearl Hotel is a special place of biggest, longest, or shortest attractions. “The biggest teabag, the world’s shortest racing track, and the greenest golf course,” are just a few of these places within the hotel grounds. But unfortunately there are many places cordoned off from the guest with Caution tape. What happened there?

Why does The Purple Pearl Hotel feel familiar to Gertrude? What is Millicent Quibb hiding, and how will they stop the KRA?

Millicent Quibb and her proteges are back! Secrets of the Purple Pearl is just as bonkers as the first book in the series, but incredibly funny and clever at the same time.

For the sequel I listened to the audiobook version. Kate McKinnon narrates her book, and it is hilarious! Every character, every line and every gag is all the richer coming from Kate’s prowess in telling the story. There are many quips and comments alongside the story which add even more, and the accents for each character are seamless and funny.

This series really has something deliciously silly but remarkably plotted, as three orphans try to make the best of a world that think they’re just plain weird. It’s true. They are. But their weirdness is what helps them solve the mysteries, battle with the KRA once more and bring them a little closer to who they really are.

The book version is brimming over with diagrams, illustrations and explanations for many of the creatures, scientific terminology and other conundrums in this next adventure. A PDF comes with the audiobook, which Kate McKinnon refers to when necessary. Again – hilarious.

Thanks to Harper Collins & Libro Audio for the review audio copy. Loved it.

Author – Kate McKinnon

Illustrator – Alfredo Ca´ceres

Age – 10+

Find the first book in the series here

(2025, Harper Collins, Narrator talks directly to reader, Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Historical, Humour, Mystery, Science, Secret, Series, Funny, Bonkers, Monsters, Lake Resort, Purple Pearl Hotel, Cousins, Villains, Sequel)