Nowadays we are used to the concept of people with
different mental processes having particular talents. How
good would a person with Asperger's syndrome be at
detective work? In THE QUESTION OF THE FELONIOUS FRIEND -
which I must say doesn't sound like a good friend to have -
we meet Samuel Hoenig who has opened a version of a PI
practice. Samuel describes his life in first person, used
to over analyzing and grateful for his assistant Janet
Washburn's help at times. Today a caller seems to be even
further on the autism spectrum and he has questions he
would like answered, regarding a worker at a nearby store.
Tyler is confused as to whether Richard is his friend. They
played video games together once and Richard regularly
serves him in the store. Samuel just goes and asks Richard,
passes on a 'no' answer and thinks that is the end of the
matter. Until he is phoned with the news that Tyler is
thought to have shot Richard. Janet decides that she will
investigate the issue but as they get to the office, a man
is lying in wait. Just as in THE ROSIE PROJECT we
discover Samuel has taken a black belt in martial arts,
meaning he's not easy to hit.
Avenues of research include the convenience store, Swords
and Sorcery game groups, who meet on Skype, and Tyler's
social skills group. At the same time, Samuel is trying to
understand the fact that his helper Janet is getting
divorced. His logical and meticulous thought processes lead
him through the case and cut through confusion. He doesn't
know why people lie, but he knows that sometimes they do.
He also knows that there is a difference between a Facebook
friend and a true friend. Tyler, in a jail cell, is not
being helpful to his own interests. Seems like he needs a
friend as well as a question answered.
Those who enjoy a slower, thorough style of mystery will
enjoy THE QUESTION OF THE FELONIOUS FRIEND, which although
not a thriller has a tension-filled ending. This tale
allows us to meet some really interesting people. E.J.
Copperman is the author of the popular Haunted
Guesthouse
series, and the carefully crafted Asperger's Mysteries
series draws on that experience, combined with an unusual
narrator making his careful way through an ordinary, if
dangerous, world.
It’s been one year, two weeks, and three days since Samuel
Hoenig opened the doors of Questions Answered. The
personality traits of his Asperger’s Syndrome help him
maintain objectivity—a critical component of his business’s
continuing success.
But when Tyler Clayton, a young man who also has Asperger’s,
asks if a store clerk is truly his friend, Samuel, for the
first time, can’t bear to give an objective answer. It’s a
dicey situation that only gets worse when one of the key
players ends up dead. Resolving to do the right thing,
Samuel, with help from his associate Ms. Washburn, wades
into the murky waters of friendship, and the answer he finds
may be a revelation to himself most of all.
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