Cover Illustration by Coralie Muce
Published by Chicken House Books
The House Trap is a deliciously scary, intriguing mystery that is spine-tinglingly thrilling: an adventure that kept me utterly enthralled throughout.
Deliah McDeery is visiting her best friend Claude before his move to Cornwall but, rather than spending time with him, she finds herself alone whilst he plays Escape Room II with his new best friend, Sam. When Claude’s mum sends them outside to spend some time together, they are joined by his younger sister, Amity.
Whilst the older children become involved in an argument, Amity wanders off into Badwell Woods (which is strictly off limits due to dangerous sinkholes and missing children) to find wood to build a den. Once the others realise that she is missing, they go in search of her, and soon find her scarf close to a large, dilapidated, ivy-covered house. Although Claude senses that something is wrong, when he hears a scream from inside, he nevertheless rushes in followed by Deliah and Sam.
They find themselves in an opulent entrance hall laid out for a party, a hall with no stairs and locked doors – and there’s an invite to play a game with riddles and puzzles to solve. When Deliah accidentally finds a way to unlock one of the doors, they find a frightened Amity hiding under a bed. After she shares that she is hiding from the ghosts of lost children, the group are eager to leave, but the front door is now locked, and they are trapped in the house, caught in a deadly game that they have no choice other than to play …
Oh my goodness! This is the most incredible story that took me on a heart-racing adventure as the children learn the secrets of the house that has stood still in time since the 1930s, a house that seems to be alive, and intent on stopping them leaving. I was completely fascinated by the mechanics behind the moving house and the engineer who lost himself to his work coupled with the notion of a curse and a lost daughter. I really felt the tension, building of fear and the sense of running out of time as the house changed as time seems to have caught up with it. There are definitely some moments that sent shivers down my spine with the eerie atmosphere, the screams and unexpected twists and turns. Oh – and the insects – and the dolls! This is a story where friendships are tested, danger is around every corner and where it is unclear who is friend and who foe. It’s a brilliantly twisty, creepy mystery, with both poignant and heart-warming moments, that kept me entranced and eagerly turning pages.
The characters in this story are all brilliantly captured from the more instinctive Claude to clever, logical Deliah with her love for maths and puzzles. Whilst they had been best friends, they have grown apart when they started secondary school and this had led to both awkwardness and arguments. Will it take being trapped in a dangerous house to bring them back together? Sam, Claude’s new best friend, enjoys playing computer games, football and has a bit of a tough-boy exterior, but is there more to him than meets the eye? Then, there is Amity who is just adorable – impulsive with a heart of gold and an inner strength. All four children show great courage and determination despite their fear, and learn that teamwork makes them stronger.
This is an unputdownable, exhilarating, spooky adventure that is sure to delight and spook readers of 9+: will you dare accept your invite to play against the house trap?
Author Information
Emma Read was once a very sensible biologist, and now writes children’s books. Milton the Mighty was her first novel and was shortlisted for the 2017 Bath Children’s Novel Award. She lives in Bath with her young family and many, many notebooks.
Twitter: @emmydee73
Website: https://www.emmareadauthor.com/
Thank you so much to Laura Smythe PR and Chicken House for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour and for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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