The answer to Who Killed the Fonz? comes as James Boice brilliantly ties together the threads of this novel. Noir, sit-com, character study, and meditation on the distance from youth to adulthood weave together in a well-paced story. Set in the early 1980’s, Richard Cunningham returns to Milwaukee to mourn his lost friend. Readers are treated to vignettes from classic episodes, nostalgically enjoying touches from our own forty-odd year affair with Happy Days, while marveling at Boice’s ability to evoke those simple feelings and at the same time deepen the meaning of those times with the adult perspectives of Richard. Richard struggles to reconnect with old friends, and to find a place—even a temporary place—in a town he knows but no longer really understands. Old foes and new friends steadily draw Richard to a stunning revelation, as Boice shows you the threads of his Very Special Episode noir-style tapestry. He picks them up, fiddles with them a bit, makes you understand their importance, and puts them down. He shows the reader everything, and keeps the solution behind a beautiful screen of compelling plot and fascinating character until the very last second.
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