• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

Henry Whelp is a big bad wolf—or will be,someday. The only son of the infamous Red Riding Hood Killer, Henry is worried that he may be following in his father’s violent footsteps. He tries to distance himself from his past, and avoids the other teens at St. Remus Home for Wayward Youth, a detention centre in Dust City—a rundown, gritty metropolis known for its production of fairydust. But when Henry’s psychiatrist turns up dead, Henry finds himself on a trail of clues that may lead to proof of his father’s innocence—and the horrifying secret behind fairydust.

Robert Paul Weston is the author of several internationally award-winning books for children and young adults. His first novel, Zorgamazoo, won the Silver Birch Award, the Audie Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor. His second novel was the hard-boiled fairy tale Dust City, which was a Canadian Library Association Young Adult Honour Book and was shortlisted for both the Red Maple Award and the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. His recent novel, The Creature Department, is shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award.

Robert Paul Weston's profile page

“Dust City is the Grimm Fairy Tales as imagined by Guy Ritchie.” - Edmonton Journal

“Dust City has all the trappings of noir storytelling—except that its characters are wolves, foxes, and ravens, and the illicit drug eating away at the populace is an intoxicating form of fairy dust. It’s as if James Ellroy were one of the Brothers Grimm.” - Georgia Straight

“Weston deftly tucks his fairy-tale tropes into this thought-provoking mystery.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Clever use of iconic characters and fairytale symbols against a hardboiled backdrop contribute to Weston's distinctive and highly imaginative mise en scène.” - Publishers Weekly

“The clever setup and gutting of fairy-tale tropes will garner plenty of enthusiasm.” - Booklist

“This novel will appeal to both reluctant and voracious readers, whether they’re teens or adults, so go to your local bookstore or find it online. But whatever you do or however you find it, make sure you read Dust City!” - YA Bookshelf

“A highly original exploration of the dark side of fairy tales, Weston’s tale is smart and sophisticated.” - Canadian Library Association