A quick fun gumshoe detective - urban fantasy mashup. The world building was interesting, but it was too big for this small novella. Good excuse for me to read more in the series.

"Housetrap" could have been better and it could have been worse. It could also have used better editing too - there were quite a few errant commas and the occasional misused word.

As a YA novel, you expect a certain level of... straightforwardness. You might not get the same depth of character or complexity of world building as you might with adult fiction, but you should, in exchange, at least get a rollicking good story. There was something about "Housetrap" that was lacking for me. It seemed rushed. A little more care could have been taken over the details that would have fleshed it out more and made it come to life. Instead, you had a whole heap of magical beings crammed together, with outer space travel thrown in just because, when it really didn't add anything to the plot. It was a bit too much for such a short story. Simplifying would have allowed the mystery to thicken and the characters to breathe,

As it stands, this is just okay.

A very enjoyable, witty quick read full of some interesting and memorable characters that will make sure I read the other books in this series. Its just a shame it is only a novella!
Recommended to any Fantasy readers