The Trap

by Mary Jane Staples

When Jamie Blair took lodgings at Larcom Street, he had no idea he was walking into a trap. The house was owned by Henry Mullins, who made life hell for his four stepchildren, especially seventeen-year-old Kitty, who took the brunt while trying to protect her siblings. When Mullins suddenly died, Kitty realized the authorities would split the family up. She wasn't having that, and Jamie Blair was the one to save them. Soon Jamie found himself with a ready-made family and a stubborn and fiery young termagant called Kitty who was determined not to let him go.

Genres: Family Saga

381 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Mary Jane Staples is a pseudonym used by British author Reginald Thomas Staples (1911-2005). He is also published under the name Robert Tyler Stevens, R.T. Stevens, and James Sinclair.

Reviews

[Rhona Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A goodish book.

In this book we follow Jamie Blair and his life in Walworth. How he inveigles himself into the household, finding himself responsible for the step children of the man of the house, after he dies. The police think it suspicious and act accordingly. We have the awful step father's sister just as bad, and she gets her own come uppance.
Not for me as good as the Adams family books but good enough. Nothing bad about it. Usual humour that you find in her books.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a string of lacklustre reads, this was just my drop. Better plotted than the Adams Family series, the familiar crosstalk is here but with more actual story and less feeling you've walked into an episode of The Archers in the East End. It was a cosy cup of tea of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to the Internet Archive for this gem.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.