Jack arrives in Toytown (after surreal encounter with a farmer who tries to kill him for meat), only to discover that it's full of toys are alive, and Humpty Dumpty has been murdered. Bill Winkie, the detective, has disappeared, and so Jack teams up with Bill's sidekick Ted to discover what's going on.

Rather like a cross between Shrek (bringing fairytale characters to life and giving them contemporary desires and personalities) and The Light Fantastic (i.e. not as funny as it thinks it is), I got through about an hour or so of this book before deciding I couldn't be bothered with it. It was just weak. I saw a review on Amazon which said it might appeal to 11 year-olds, and I think that's probably right; if you'd never read anything slightly subversive before, and never seen Shrek, then I can see how this might seem fresh and amusing, but I'm afraid it just bored me, and with a new John Sandford just arrived from the library it was no contest.

Gave up : 29-Oct-2005 (audiobook)