This book was so freaking good! I never thought this author could outdo her Charlie Davidson series, but if it continues as this book did, she totally will! I loved every single thing about this story and I’m devastated that I have to wait so long for the next one.

Sunshine Vicram just won an election she never entered. However, it gives her a chance to return to her small hometown where her parents live, along with the opportunity to dig further into a very personal case that hasn’t been solved for fifteen years.

I absolutely loved Sun! She’s all kinds of fun and quirky and her sense of humor had me grinning as well as laughing out loud. While she’s tough, she’s not hardened and that’s exactly the type of heroine I can get behind. Her relationship with her daughter, Auri, is amazing. They are two peas in a pod - one pod being bigger than the other, obviously. They actually reminded me of my own relationship with my daughter, minus the bad-assery.


”Fine. Just remember, if you do have to cut a b--ch…”

“I know, I know.” Auri slid the strap of her backpack over her shoulder. “Don’t leave any DNA evidence at the crime scene.”

“Oh. Right. I was going to say don’t leave any witnesses alive, but that works, too.”


There is a slew of other wonderful characters as well that help build this deliciously quirky town. I fell instantly in love with them all. I want to live in Del Sol! I want friends who know how to make the perfect cup of coffee and keep makeup secrets from me. I want to see a rooster on the loose, twins that defy science, a book club that may or may not be more than they seem, and a bootlegger gone straight.

This has several mysteries and issues all running at the same time. They were beautifully laid out and intertwined into the story keeping the pace and action constantly moving. While the romance is a distant back seat, there is no lack of hot guys or even a potential hero. I’m sure I know what happened in the past (those things we haven’t learned yet) and how some of this is going to turn out. But even if someone flat out told me, I’d still want to read it because this book (which I know is a reflection of this series) is pure magic.

Do I dare say that I enjoyed this one MORE than Charlie Davidson? Well, I did spend thirteen books with CD so I’ll wait until I’ve spent just as much time with Sunshine, a feat in itself as I abhor series. Yeah, I loved this one that much. Bring it on Ms. Jones. I’m up for years worth of Sunshine Vicram, Auri, and dare I hope, Levi.

Sunshine has been elected sheriff in her hometown of Del Sol, NM, which is surprising since she didn’t even run for office; she and her teen daughter move back into the town where her parents still live. Sunshine has secrets, as do many residents of this small town and some of them are bound to come out. When a young girl goes missing, then a young boy, Sunshine and her staff go into action, aided by Levi, her onetime crush. If you’re amused by snarky dialogue, this book might be a good choice for you.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is (hopefully) the first in another action packed series by Darynda Jones. It is different than the Charley Davidson series, which I loved. In this book there isn't anything overtly paranormal, but Jones' sense of humor shines through. The female characters are strong women and there are some smart, handsome males that could become romantic interests. While a few mysteries are solved in this book, there is an older case that may run in the background of at least a few installments in the series. Although it didn't bother me, the way the viewpoints switch between Sheriff Sunshine Vicram and her daughter Auri might confuse some readers. The bottom line is that I am waiting anxiously for the next book in the series.
A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t even know where to begin!! This is my first book by Darynda Jones and I am hook!!

This book is a fast paced book that I read in one sitting. Sunshine Vicram has returned to her home town of Del Sol, New Mexico for the first time in fifteen years. She won the race for sheriff (which she didn’t know she was running for) and she and her teenage daughter, Auri, find themselves back in her hometown.

Sunny expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding her why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny. There is also the case of her longtime crush, Levi, who ends up being a huge help.

During all of this we find out the reason why Sunshine left and the mystery surrounding it all. I cannot wait to read the next book. Please don’t make me wait to long!!

I’m loving all the characters, the storyline and just all of it!!

I thought Charley Davidson was a funny and interesting female character to follow. Yet, I must confess that I didn’t finish the series and I'm not sure why except that sometimes life interferes with my reading. I do plan to go back to it at some point.

However, when I learned a new book by Darynda Jones was coming out, I was super excited about it. I've always liked her writing style. As luck would have it, I was given a complimentary copy by the publisher and I couldn't be happier.

I can’t say enough about how entertaining this book was. It has so many good one-liners. The right amount of fun, drama, and mystery to keep me entertained on a Saturday afternoon.

The plot:

Sunshine Vicram has not been home in fifteen years. She’s back with her fourteen-year-old daughter Auri. Currently, she’s living in a remodeled guesthouse behind her parent's (Cyrus and Elaine Freyr) home. She’s not clear how she got the job, but she’s the new sheriff the Del Sol county in New Mexico.

Her best friend Quincy is a deputy and her lost love Levi Ravinder lives here too. Levi has made his family business legit. His corn whiskey distillery is wold-famous.

Multiple things are happening simultaneously:

*A young girl, a classmate of Auri's, Sybil St. Aubin has been abducted. Levi’s nephew, Jimmy has disappeared at the same time.

*A man, Ramses Rojas has escaped prison.

*A neighbor's dispute between Mrs. Sorenson and Mr. Madrid about a rooster named P. Diddy.

*Sunshine is trying to remember the details of her own abduction. When she was 17, she was taken and held captive. She had a traumatic brain injury with a month in a coma and with a sequela of retrograde amnesia. Although, lately she has been having some glimpses of her time as a prisoner.

Soon thereafter, her town will have U.S. Marshal Vincent Deleon and Special Agent Carter Fields helping with the investigations. Both are nice to look at. Although, Sunshine's heart belongs to Levi.

As if this was not enough for Sunshine, she also has to deal with Donna, the Major. She wants to know who the Dangerous Daughters are. The Dangerous Daughters are thought to be a myth but maybe they're real.

If you like Darynda Jones' prior work, you're going to love this one. I was dying to get to the second book in this series right away. I have a desperate need to learn more about Levi and the secrets he keeps.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darynda Jones is back with a hilarious new series about a small town sheriff with a troubled past and the antics that go on in a crazy small town in New Mexico. Sunshine Vicram is voted in as sheriff after her well meaning, but meddling parents nominate her. Moving back home proves to be very stressful for Sunshine and her teenage daughter Auri. While Sun is busying dealing with a town falling apart around her, a kidnapping, and a sexy crush from her past, Auri is struggling to fit in at high school after the school heart throb takes a special and protective interest in her. And, they live in an apartment above Sunshine's parents' garage. Nice and close.

Darynda Jones does an excellent job writing about relationships of all kinds. Sun and Auri have an incredible relationship and their conversations kept me giggling from beginning to end. It was fun to watch Sunshine be a fierce Mama Bear and Auri wants nothing more than to be the perfect daughter for her mother. Friendship, family, co-workers, they're all written as though every single person is the most loyal and fierce friend. Sunshine knows her family and friends would move heaven and earth for her and she would do the same for them. The banter between the police officers was also an absolute delight.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is so fast paced and full of action. In the midst of a kidnapping investigation, there is also a mysterious connection between muffins and mayhem. Not to mention some shenanigans going on at the high school and the mystery of the missing deputy. I appreciate how relatable all the characters are. You can feel how exhausted and stressed they are but they have to keep moving forward and be there for the people who are counting on them.

There is a lot going on in the background for this book. It's very much a first book in a series and Jones has laid the groundwork for some really interesting follow-up novels. There's a hot and steamy crush from the past, the mystery behind Sunshine's own kidnapping, the real reason that Sunshine left town all those years ago, and most importantly-who is Auri's father. I'm hooked and I can't wait for the next books to come out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

What a fun read! Non-stop snappy dialog, lots of great quirky characters, a very tiny bit of (maybe) paranormal, one cute little mystery (rooster on the loose!), one serious mystery (that we see resolved), and another mystery that it appears will be the basis for an ongoing series. We definitely could use more Sunshine in our lives.

Darynda Jones has introduced a light hearted new series featuring newly elected Sheriff Sunshine Vicram. After moving away from her home town, Del Sol in New Mexico, single mother Sunshine is back with her fourteen year old daughter Auri. Her first day on the job throws her straight in at the deep end with the abduction of a teenage girl. It looks like she may have to call in her old teenage crush, a sizzling hot tracker by the name of Levi Ravinder, someone she has been trying to avoid since returning. US marshals have also arrived to hunt for an escaped prisoner reported in the area and a rooster called Puff Daddy has been reported stolen. Meanwhile her daughter is having a really bad day at her new school.

This novel was a lot of fun. It lacks the paranormal element of the author's much loved Charley Davidson series but with a feisty, sassy Sheriff, a touch of quirky humour and sparks of sexual tension flying between Sunshine and Levi is bound to become a favourite series.

This is a fun & quirky read set in a quirky town with quirky town folks. If you liked the author's Char]ey Davidson series you won't be disappointed with the 1st of what I hope is many more books in the series. When Sunshine is elected sheriff of her hometown in an election she didn't even enter, and moves home the weirdness begins and doesn't end. This is a mystery within a mystery with a lot more thrown in for an entertaining & fast-paced read..

This is the first book in a brand new series featuring Sunshine Vicram - the newly-elected sheriffof Del Sol, New Mexico. It is amazing how she won, especially seeing as how she never ran in the first place. But there she is, Sunshine and her daughter Auri ready to take on whatever comes her way. Even if that is Puff Daddy the rooster, a kidnapper, or a missing boy in a snow storm.
I am a big fan of this author's other books so I was excited to give this one a read, and I was not disappointed. Sunshine and Auri were both delightful. Sunshine's favorite saying for Auri to remember whenever she got in a hairy situation was "WWLSD" (What would Lisbeth Salander do?). There were so many funny parts & that combined with a great mystery made it an excellent read. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Book Info
Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: April 7th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
Original Title A Bad Day for Sunshine
ISBN 1250149444 (ISBN13: 9781250149442)
Edition Language English
Series Sunshine Vicram #1
Other Editions (4)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB
New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram series!

Sheriff 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 kidnapper 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? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

My Thoughts
After almost fifteen years Sunshine Blaze Vicram returns to the town she grew up in as its newly elected sheriff.

The town she’d abandoned all those years ago.

The little village of Del Sol, New Mexico, a place where secrets abound and unexplainable occurrences happen with regularity.

With her 14-year-old daughter Auri in tow the two move from their home in Albuquerque New Mexico into parents Cyrus and Elaine Freyr's custom built apartment/guest house situated mere feet from the excited grandparents back door.

To say Sun had misgivings about the move would be an understatement of epic proportions but for her own reasons it was a necessary evil, a way to close the chapter in her past that still haunts her present.

That and of course to keep her daughter safe.

First day for both of these ladies proves to be a trial, between the town Mayor gunning for Sunshine and the ”mean girls” at Del Sol High School giving Auri grief neither Vicram feel particularly welcomed.

As the story progresses both mother and daughter find their way through the political BS that comes knocking.

The plot points that intersect bring together past and present events in a way that I approved of and liked to see carried to their natural conclusion. At least to a certain extent anyway.

For the majority of this book we of course get the character and world building expected of first in a series, what we also get is the trademark "spins” this author has become known for.

Albeit the snarky humor is more subdued because of the nature that the plots points consist of, it is still there in bits and pieces that show up in unexpected places.

Especially when it comes to certain revelations about her mother’s youthful indiscretions that are revealed to Auri here and there.

I am hooked of course as expected to be, the characters in this piece are worth getting to know and care about as well as follow forward when more of series is released.

Especially with the way this ended and left a whole lot unexplored and unanswered for me, which am excited about because what comes next for Sun should prove to be very interesting.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I LOVE A Bad Day For Sunshine. Darynda Jones does an awesome job of this mystery thriller, keeping you in suspense and trying to figure out who kidnapped this young girl. It keeps you on your toes wanting more till the very end. Sunshine is a lovely character as she also has a mystery about her that your trying to figure out. She keeps her secrets as well as she can but coming home seems to have them slowly coming back to haunt her whether she wants it or not.

Auri is a character as well, she is a wonderful girl. Her band of friends trying to help Sun figure out where her friend is, and who took her is fun. Her friends are also an interesting band of people as well. Which I think fits Auri with all of the things she's been through and her own quirky sense.

The story is well written and flows very nicely. You're never bored of what is going on or wondering when the book is going to tend. It has enough action and build up to keep you wanting more without being too overbearing. I think anyone looking for a good mystery book is going to enjoy this book and I can't wait for the next book with sunshine!

What a fun read! I can't wait for the next book in this series. If you were a fan of the "Gilmore Girls", you will love this book. Sunshine and Auri's relationship and their banter make them very relatable. The alternating view points give the story depth. The quirkiness of the small town of Del Sol and its residents add lightness to the story, which has some heavy moments. This novel hits all the right notes, so this is sure to be a popular series.

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones 4 stars

This new series from Darynda Jones featuring Sheriff Sunshine Vicram is a engaging read. After reading Charley Davidson for many years, I was eagerly awaiting the next book from Darynda Jones featuring a brand new character. I won't say the book was totally engrossing; as a first book in a new series it has to provide a lot of background and build a foundation for world building which made the book a little sluggish for me. But I will say the pluses outweighed the minuses - (1) wonderful, competent heroine - Sunny; (2) mysterious, brooding gorgeous bad boy - Levi; (3) a mysterious group that may or may not exist; (4) hints of the paranormal; (5) a wonderful sassy teenage daughter - Auri; (5) several other teenage boys - Cruz and Jimmy and (6) a manhunt and a missing girl. What made the book nostalgic for me was the captions at the beginning of each chapter - this was very reminiscent of the Charley Davidson series. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Thank yo Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me read and review A Bad Day For Sunshine. Darynda Jones’ new sheriff in town, Sunshine Vicram, may bring to mind a slightly more wholesome Stephanie Plum. Yet like Evanovich, Jones’ writing and dialogue is witty and succinct. Looking forward to the next day for Sunshine, good, bad or otherwise!

"A Bad Day for Sunshine" is an interesting small town mystery. It was a bit predictable but not as much as I thought it would be.

Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff in the little town of Del Sol, New Mexico. Rather a surprise for her as she didn’t run in the election, didn’t participate in the debates, and had little interest in returning to the town she grew up in – but here we are. With a new apartment for she and her daughter Auri, that just happens to have been built by her parents, a new school for Auri, the same ‘bad characters’ in the Ravinder clan and the never-ending saga surrounding the rooster Puff Daddy, his owner and next door neighbor, things certainly aren’t quiet when she arrives to ‘take charge’. Fortunately her best friend Quincy is also a deputy, and a breath of calm in what is quickly a very tumultuous series of circumstances.

Unlike Charley, Sunshine is simply a human doing the best she can to keep things safe for Auri, the town orderly, and manage her own worries that her ‘secrets’ will come out – a secondary mystery that winds through everything that is to follow. Sarcastic, loving, with a great sense of the absurd (fortunately as absurdities abound, as do friends) she and Auri have a great relationship, and use knock-knock jokes, references to the heroine of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Sunshine’s history in town combined with her determination to do well, and the well-meaning (she hopes) management from her mother and her friends in their “book club”. But with a delivery of “disaster muffins’ to the station, things are soon busier than one could expect – on two fronts. Auri has, from the instant she appeared at the school, been a target of a ‘mean girl’ that is enhanced by her being noticed by the ‘it boy’ in school, and the fact that the ‘super-secret’ New Year’s eve party (that has been an institution for years) was interrupted when Quincy and other deputies arrived, removed the keg and sent everyone on their way, leaving whispers about Auri’s ‘narcing them out”. But, not long after this party, a girl that befriended Auri disappears and a fugitive that escaped from a prison transport is also reportedly in the area. If a missing 14 year old with a premonition of her own murder before she reaches her 15th birthday (in 3 days), the US Marshalls in searching their fugitive, one of her mother’s friends acting ‘strangely’, and the sudden but not unexpected sighting of Sunny’s first (and hardest) crush in Levi Ravinder, now proprietor of a legal and very successful distillery there’s plenty happening and we are simply along for the ride.

Those familiar with Jones’ storytelling will find the progression familiar: we meet Sunshine, Auri and Quincy as fully-complete characters and they give us bits of past, current and hopes as the story moves on. With her past history and a mystery surrounding her ‘escaping’ the town, and then discovering that Auri has a whole series of her own secrets, then another teen disappears, and just happens to be Levi’s nephew and son of Sunny’s archnemesis Hayley, as well as the repeated sightings of supposedly kidnapped rooster Puff Daddy, constantly being followed by his “kidnapper”, covered in bandages and looking more harried each time – things have to center on finding the teenaged girl, with help from unexpected sources, more information / memories returning to Sunny about her own last years in Del Sol, a flirtation with not one, but two of the visiting law enforcement officers and Auri’s own new romance and secrets being unearthed – there is a TON to unpack, plenty of ways you THINK that Jones has led you in, and a cliffhanger that arrives just as new questions pop up after answers have arrived. This is, what I’ve come to see, is Classic Darynda Jones: laugh out loud moments, snappy dialogue, clever twists always adding in emotion and true camaraderie, as well as the family secrets that are unearthed, new struggles to come and plenty to love. If you, like me, were missing something to just take you away and leave you with a smile, lots of questions, plenty of possibilities and a need for more- this is your book.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at < a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aF7/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Darynda knows her way around characters and dialphue that not only draws you in, but grabs you and gets you reading the book from cover to cover in one sitting if at all possible! Sunshine is an older character with typical childcare and parent issues, making her not only relatable, but a fun character to read. Add in a case that doesn't seem to be following traditional roles, and a trying to win over everyone, and avoid her childhood crush, and you have a very enjoyable chick lit mystery, that will leave you begging fo rmore books in the serties! Don't miss this new book!

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press, Darynda Jones and NetGalley for permitting me an ARC in exchange for my candid review of the book.

What a fun romp of a book.....that is if you can call a book about a kidnapper/ murderer a romp.
The character Sunshine Vicram reminds me a bit of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. Sunshine was mysteriously elected Sheriff of a small town in New Mexico (she doesn't remember running for the office) . She moves back to the town and together with her daughtet , lives in an apartment that was built in the back yard of her parents home.

She ends up on the front side of a major case---looking for a 15 year old girl that has disappeared. And, oh yeah, the girl knew that she was going to be kidnapped since having a vision when she was 7.

The story (and the town) has a set of rag-tag quirky characters, most of which have secrets. And lots of hot men.... and Sunshine is dreaming of all of them......almost all of the time.

It is a quick, fun read for those who like steamy whodunits with a cast of characters. I am looking forward to reading more about Sunshine,

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones is the first book in the Vicram Series. This is the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last. Ms. Jones wrote a wonderful, entertaining, make you laugh out loud story which drew me right in, making me forget everything else and did not let me go until I turned the last page. This is one of those books once you start you can’t put it down. The story was very well written the characters witty and well developed. If you have the winter blues or are just having a bad day pick up this hilarious book. This was a very quick and fun read. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series.