History Literature / HappyValley

''Literature/HappyValley'' is an omnibus novel written by Creator/SugarRayDodge that splits into two {{story arc}}s. The first is ''Happy Valley'', the original 2006 novel. The second is a trilogy of novelettes called ''Scruffy's Revenge'', written from 2009 through 2010. The original novel is an AffectionateParody of life in UsefulNotes/{{Utah}} and UsefulNotes/MormonCinema, while ''Scruffy's Revenge'' takes a much darker, yet still humorous, tone.

* {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}: Sort of. The book is more about Utah than it is about Mormonism, but the two naturally go hand-in-hand. Both [[spoiler: Simon and Scruffy]] invoke [[spoiler: Nephi's killing of Laban]] to justify murder, but [[spoiler: Hal points out that this argument is invalid unless God commands you to kill.]]

Not to be confused with the just as dark, but not quite as funny, ''Series/HappyValley''.

''Literature/HappyValley'' is an omnibus novel written by Creator/SugarRayDodge that splits into two {{story arc}}s. The first is ''Happy Valley'', the original 2006 novel. The second is a trilogy of novelettes called ''Scruffy's Revenge'', written from 2009 through 2010. The original novel is an AffectionateParody of life in UsefulNotes/{{Utah}} and MormonCinema, while ''Scruffy's Revenge'' takes a much darker, yet still humorous, tone.

''Literature/HappyValley'' is an omnibus novel written by SugarRayDodge that splits into two {{story arc}}s. The first is ''Happy Valley'', the original 2006 novel. The second is a trilogy of novelettes called ''Scruffy's Revenge'', written from 2009 through 2010. The original novel is an AffectionateParody of life in UsefulNotes/{{Utah}} and MormonCinema, while ''Scruffy's Revenge'' takes a much darker, yet still humorous, tone.

''Literature/HappyValley'' is an omnibus novel written by SugarRayDodge that splits into two {{story arc}}s. The first is ''Happy Valley'', the original 2006 novel. The second is a trilogy of novelettes called ''Scruffy's Revenge'', written from 2009 through 2010. The original novel is an AffectionateParody of life in {{Utah}} and MormonCinema, while ''Scruffy's Revenge'' takes a much darker, yet still humorous, tone.

* AffablyEvil: Scruffy. See Also: CreepyDoll, DeadpanSnarker, and PerversePuppet.

* AnimalMotifs: Scruffy and Dr. Salamander.
* BigBadEnsemble: Penny's Mom, MRV, [[spoiler: OBB, Dr. Salamander and Scruffy.]]
* BlatantLies: [[spoiler: Dr. Salamander.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Scruffy's Revenge.
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: Every major villain dies by the last act of Scruffy's Revenge. Penny's Mom, MRV, OBB, and Dr. Salamander are all quite dead, with only Penny's Mom not dying at the hands of Alex and Scruffy. Scruffy's fate, however, is unknown.]]
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Alex breaks Hal's heart at the end of Happy Valley,]] however, [[spoiler: this is subverted with an EarnYourHappyEnding at the end of Scruffy's Revenge, after both Hal and Alex have become reformed-insane killers under the influence of Scruffy.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: MRV while attempting to recruit Hal.]]
* EvilIncarnate: Scruffy. See Also: SealedEvilInATeddyBear.
* GoodIsNotNice: Arguably Hal.
* GoshDangItToHeck: Penny and Simon.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Hal and Buddy.

* MoodWhiplash: Constantly.
* MoralGuardian: Penny's Mom in spades.
* PutOnABus: Gregor Smoot is the only significant character in Happy Valley to be neither seen or referenced in Scruffy's Revenge. However. At the end of Happy Valley [[spoiler: Gregor left Hal a voice message saying that he went to work for Senator Orrin Hatch,]]. But this claim has little credibility since it was strongly suggested that [[spoiler: Gregor suffered from pseudologia fantastica (aka compulsive lying.)]]

* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Max.]]

*** Act Seven: [[SherlockHolmes A Study In Scarlet]]