Happy Valley is an omnibus novel written by Sugar Ray Dodge that splits into two story arcs. 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 Affectionate Parody of life in Utah and Mormon Cinema, while Scruffy's Revenge takes a much darker, yet still humorous, tone.
Hal Harper is an independent filmmaker and Penny Garland is his beautiful, yet overbearing, über-Mormon fiancé. Max is her fat, dimwitted brother and Josey is her loyal minion. Penny’s Mom, who has a few screws loose, is convinced Hal isn’t good enough for her and will do anything to get between them. Simon Manners is a meddling returned missionary and Alexandra Lombardi is a redheaded distraction. Buddy Kennedy is an amoral businessman, MRV is a corrupt, jack-Mormon politician, and Scruffy is a deranged talking teddy bear with a passion for murder and cannibalism. Only in Happy Valley can these characters take you on a hilariously dark, yet touching journey that will teach you more about life in Utah than you ever thought possible.
Not to be confused with the just as dark (but not quite as funny) cop show Happy Valley.
This book contains examples of:
- Alliterative Name: Hal Harper
- Downer Ending: Alex breaks Hal's heart at the end of Happy Valley however, this is subverted with an Earn Your Happy Ending at the end of Scruffy's Revenge, after both Hal and Alex have become reformed-insane killers under the influence of Scruffy.
- Mind Screw: When Scruffy appears to Alex and the reader realizes that he is not a figment of Hal's imagination.
- Put on a Bus: Gregor Smoot is the only significant character in Happy Valley to be neither seen or referenced in Scruffy's Revenge. At the end of Happy Valley, 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 Gregor suffered from compulsive lying.
- Literary Allusion Title
- Happy Valley
- Act One: Far Away In The West (LDS Hymn 'Come, Come Ye Saints)
- Act Two: And It Came To Pass
- Act Three: Secret Combinations
- Act Four: The Darkness Deepens (Christian Hymn 'Abide With Me')
- Act Five: Small And Simple Things
- Act Six: The Lights Along The Shore (Christian Hymn Hymn 'Let The Lower Lights Be Burning')
- Scruffy's Revenge
- Act Seven: A Study In Scarlet
- Act Eight: Nothing Ever Ends
- Act Nine: I Want To Be Your Canary
- Happy Valley
