A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones
Series: Sunshine Vicram #1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Date Read: April 10, 2020
Length: 400 pages
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
★★★★☆
From New York Times bestseller Darynda Jones comes the first book in a fun detective mystery series!
Police chief Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a killer on the loose.
Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Before FBI agents and US Marshalls descended on her town, Sunshine Vicram’s biggest crime wave on record involved an elderly flasher named Doug. But now, both the established citizens of Del Sol and the new, rich elite are questioning Sunshine’s skills as an officer of the law. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Rex, and Sunshine has her hands full.Enter a sexy FBI agent and a sultry US Marshal, both of whom find Sunshine an eleven on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy police chief is quickly in over her head. But can their attention erase the feelings she still has for her childhood crush, the dark and elusive Levant Ravinder? If she were to judge by the one scalding kiss they shared as teenagers, the answer to that would be no. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice murderous miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said small towns were drama-free.
I really enjoyed this book! I have been wanting to read Darynda Jones’s work for a very long time but just haven’t fit it into my reading schedule yet for one reason or another. As soon as I saw this book, I knew that this would be one that I would have to read. I really like the fact that this is the start of a brand new series and that is a very different premise than the books in her popular series. This story hooked me from the beginning and entertained me until the final page.
Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff in town. She’s not really sure how that happened since she didn’t even know she was running but that is something that her parents will need to explain. She has moved back home with her daughter, Auri, and hopes to ease herself into her new position but that is not meant to be. Before she knows what is going on, she must lead a search to find a couple of missing teenagers and deal with a few other cases hitting her small town.
I found this to be a rather exciting story. There were several different mysteries that Sunshine had to deal with and I liked how she was able to juggle the workload. I really liked the characters and appreciated getting to know about their past slowly as the story progressed. I was delighted to not only follow Sunshine on her adventures but to also get the opportunity to see things from her daughter’s point of view. I really liked that the characters in this story had a wonderful sense of humor. I thought that the added humor helped to offset some of the more serious moments.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I found this to be a wonderful start to a very promising series. I fell in love with the characters and was captivated by the rather complex mystery. I look forward to reading future installments in this series.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan – St. Martin’s Press via Edelweiss.
About the AuthorNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author DARYNDA JONES won a Golden Heart and a RITA for her manuscript First Grave on the Right. A born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.
Oh yes I really want to read this one!
poor Sunshine, bet she's over surprises now
The humor is classic for this author. This series is different without the pnr aspects. I enjoyed it too. Fantastic review, Carole!
Anne – Books of My Heart
i read this one too and totally agree with your verdict
sherry @ fundinmental
I'm glad to hear you liked it so much. I haven't read it but it does sound good.
I am wondering about this one since I do like her style
Wasn't this fun? I can't wait for book two.
This sounds so fun and like a nice distraction for right now! I'll definitely have to look for a copy.
Interesting! This sounds like something I'd really enjoy, so I'm going to hop over to GR and add it to my TBR! I like that the main character is dealing with multiple mysteries, too. I feel like it will definitely keep her on her toes while she solves whatever big, main thing she has going on (the kidnapping, I'm assuming). Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I also love that she's the sheriff without even trying! Haha.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? ??
Also, not KIDNAPPING, but KILLER. Geez. I need caffeine. 😉
Fantastic review! Also, this book is everywhere in the blogosphere!
This sounds like a great start to a series! And I had to laugh that she's the sheriff without even trying. LOL
It's always fun to find a new series to enjoy. I hope the next book also delivers for you.
I've read a lot of her Charley Davidson series, but haven't finished it yet. She does always make me laugh. I think I'll request this one through the library. I think Lorelei King narrates her stuff, so I'll go the audio route. Love her!
Definitely sounds like a much-needed distraction from everything going on. Great rveiew!
Great review Carole. I enjoyed having Sunshine's daughter POV, I think it added a lot to the mother daughter relationship. I'm very much looking forward to reading book two.