Dust City by Robert Paul Weston is a cross between Bill Willingham’s Fables and Jasper Fforde’s Jack Spratt series. Weston decided to set his mystery in the fairy tale universe and it adds an edge to the series. But it’s not nearly as good as it’s competition. Possibly I’m judging harshly since it’s a YA title, but it’s not as good as I hoped it would be. What’s it about?

Henry Whelp is the son of the Big Bad Wolf, who is serving time for what he did to the girl and her grandmother. He’s in a juvenile detention center due to a rock thrown into a windshield that almost killed someone. His best friend is Jack, of the beanstalk fame, who steals some letters which turn out to be letters to Henry from his father. After Jack escapes (via a beanstalk), Henry’s psychiatrist is killed (or suicide) and Henry decides to escape as well. After meeting his father, and being given a mission, Henry sets out to prove that the fairies of yore are not gone and something is funny with the magic dust that the local pharmaceutical company is marketing.

Other characters in the book include a love interest she-wolf Fiona, who’s brother is probably Henry’s worst enemy, a juvenile helper named Cindy Rella (get it) and a Detective White, who grew up tough due to living with seven miners (get it). Fairy tales, magic and anthropomorphic animals litter the landscape of the mystery. The setting is interesting, the characters are good, but the mystery just plain sucks. The ending is a deus ex machina ending with everyone ending up happily ever after.

The mystery isn’t well drawn and the ending just makes it worse. There is a good book in here somewhere, but this isn’t it. Unless you really like mediocre mysteries, go read Jasper Fforde or Bill Willingham. Their mysteries fit much better into their fairy tale universes. Not recommended.