This is book 1 in the Sunshine Vicram series. Sunshine is the sheriff of a small town where she grew up. She expects the biggest crime wave to be a local flasher. Unfortunately, that is not what she encounters. There is a missing girl and a kidnapper on the loose. This all reminds her of why she left in the first place. The one bright spot is her old flame, can he help her solve the crime, or will he have to save her life?

A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE - Darynda Jones

#1 in the Sunshine Vicram detective series

GOOD SERIES - FAVORITE AUTHOR - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - We first meet Sunshine on her first day on the job as sheriff of her small home town. We're not sure how, but apparently her parents engineered her election to overcome the current sheriff, much to his dismay. Immediately Sun is pulled into a couple of serious cases and becomes totally embroiled back into the town and its people, but not without some fallout. At the same time we follow Auri, her daughter, as she tries to navigate her new school.

Writing - 4 stars - Jones is a very familiar author because of her Charley Davidson paranormal series. I recognized some favorite sayings and formats, but this only enhanced the book for me. There were a few moments when I felt Jones went overboard with the wisecracks (as she did with the first Charley Davidson book). But then she settled down, and the second half of the book was exciting and enjoyable.

Characters - 4 stars - Sunshine is a wisecracking but serious detective-turned-sheriff who cares deeply about her home town. She has some solid roots there, but there's also a mysterious secret that haunts her. She has a terrific relationship with her teenaged daughter Auri, and I loved watching them interact. Auri is a chip off the old block and provided much amusement and angst. Levi is the mysterious possible hero of the story, but we really don't learn a lot about him. I have hopes that his character will develop as the series progresses. Best friend and deputy Quincy, the other deputies, as well as Sun's parents, added another layer of fun and interest.

Title - 4.5 stars - Very clever play on words to capture the sense of the book while using the main character's name.

Cover - 4.5 stars - Great cover that definitely draws the eye. The colors are vibrant, but without too many distractions that would make it too busy.

Overall - 4 stars - As with the Charley Davidson series, I felt that Jones tried a bit too hard with the jokes in this first-in-series book, although it did settle down and certainly gave a sense of the main character and her interactions with those around her. In any case, I love the characters, especially Sunshine, and found the story fairly easy to follow and enjoyable to read. There was plenty of action, and the gradual reveal of Sunshine's mystery definitely kept my interest. Auri is a great secondary character, with a large personality and story of her own, but told from the teenager point of view. This added an unique outlook and added points to my enjoyment of the book. I also liked the format of having a funny excerpt from the police blotter at the beginning of each chapter, although I didn't really feel that it added any information about what to expect. All in all, this is a solid beginning to what appears will be another favorite series.

If you're a fan of Darynda Jones Charley Davidson series and you're missing the quick witted, coffee addicted crew, then A Bad Day for Sunshine will be right up your alley! (There's even a line or two referencing everyone's favorite Grim Reaper if you look closer about halfway through the book.)

Sunshine is back at her former hometown of Del Sol and she's a little confused and a little anxious. Anxious because this was the place where, as a teen, she was kidnapped and held for ransom for days in a crime that was never solved. The event messed with her memory and resulted in a month long coma and a daughter. She's confused because, somehow, she was elected as the town sheriff even though she never but in her name for the job and she was nowhere near the town during the election process.

Throw in some fun officers, a weird interaction with a family full of frenemies, and a daughter with some severe anxiety and a detective streak of her own and you've got an interesting cast of characters.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is funny and full of twists and turns though I'm hoping the over arching mystery of Sunshine's kidnapping is resolved sooner rather than later.

I really liked this first story in the Sunshine Vicram series. Sunshine is a great character, and I love her banter with her fellow police officers in the precinct. And I love how she figured out who the culprit was (and wasn't). I will definitely read book #2.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I requested this book on a whim and I am so glad that I did! This book was a page turning mystery that I didn't expect to enjoy near as much as I did! The mystery in this book kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn't want it to end. I have never read something like this and I can't wait to read the sequel when it is released so I can continue in this endeavor. The characters were very well written and like I said before the plot was amazing because you never knew what to expect next. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Darynda Jones gives us a rollicking mystery A Bad Day for Sunshine; Sunshine Vicram has been elected sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico and she has a daughter, Auri, who can fall into trouble swiftly and a missing girl who has to be found. There is a sexy old flame, Levi, and lots of weird and wonderful town characters. Read and enjoy.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the start of new beginnings, being the first in Darynda Jones' Sunshine Vicram series. Personally, I'm hoping this series goes on for quite some time. This is a series that merges the vibes of a cozy mystery with the darker tones of a thriller, with delightful results.

When Sunshine moved away from a small town somewhere in New Mexico, she thought she'd never come back. She was wrong. Now she's returning home to be the town's new sheriff – after winning an election, she didn't participate in. Parents can't live with them, can't live without them.

Now Sunny is going to have to get up to date in the town's drama and fast. It's the only way to keep the peace and hopefully keep herself out of trouble in the process. However, a series of mysteries will suddenly become (almost) all the distractions needed.

"Great, thanks," she said, neither grateful nor thankful."

A Bad Day for Sunshine is by far the most hilarious and entertaining thriller/cozy novel I've read in a long time. It was such a delight, especially as Darynda Jones' humor leaked out through Sunny's character. Fans of the author are sure to like this new series.

There's a lot going on in this novel, and that means there's plenty to keep readers occupied. Sunshine's life is...well, chaotic is too mild of a word in this instance. Her life is all over the place, what with meddling parents, an active teenager, a dramatic town, and a sheriff's department to monitor. Not to mention her history and drama, of which there is plenty.

I loved every minute of this drama-filled thriller. I'm so very thankful that I get to head right into A Good Day for Chardonnay next (the bright side of being behind on a series!).

I'd recommend this series to anyone that needs a good laugh, though I warn you that you'll be getting more than that. The drama and tension are real, and when it all blends together, it creates a unique and memorable package. One worth reading!

I love the Charley Davidson series, so I looked forward to this new series from Darynda Jones. Happily I found it to have the same great mix of quirky characters, interesting locale, engaging mystery, and perhaps best of all, more of Jones' snarky humor. It doesn't have the paranormal element that Charley has - at times I wondered if there might be hints of some of that to come, but that might be subconscious expectations coloring my reading. At any rate - this start to the series stands up quite nicely on its own. I like Sunshine a lot - a woman who's a great single mom to her exceptionally bright daughter, Auri. She's also a good cop who suddenly finds herself elected sheriff thanks (apparently) to some help from her parents. When a new friend of Auri's turns up missing on Sunshine's first day of work, it brings up memories of a terrifying and traumatic incident from Sunshine's own childhood.
All in all, very enjoyable and I look forward to reading Sunshine's next adventure. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

3 Stars! I've read the whole Darynda Jones Charley Davidson series and was obsessed with how good it was. I was so excited to see that she was writing a new series. A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in this new series. It has all the things we come to expect and love from a Darynda book. It's funny, engaging, sweet, and keeps you on your toes for the ride. The book started a little slow for me but by the middle of the book I was buckled in for the ride.

Okay. I went back to give this book another try. Couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t get into the characters or plot. I was really hoping I could enjoy this book as it intrigued me greatly.

This is definitely not a genre I read a lot, but I'm glad I gave this a shot! It's hilarious, it's different, it has a great cast of quirky characters, and I'm so glad I know about it so I can recommend it. It's a great vacation read, light, a good mystery, a hot guy, what's not to love??

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my review!

This book was absolutely hilarious but also leaves you on the edge of your seat at the same time. Darynda Jones gives her characters the driest wit and sarcasm that you can't help but laugh even when it's supposed to be serious. I loved all of the relationships in this book and how they came together perfectly to help out each other. The book ended on a total cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the second in the series. If you're looking for a great book that has tons of comedy and crime, this book is definitely for you.

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones is the first book in the new thrilling romantic suspense Sunshine Vicram series. Darynda Jones is best known for her Charley Davidson paranormal fantasy series which I’ve heard great things about and have wanted to read but haven’t gotten around to yet. This being the beginning of something new seemed like a perfect time to try out her writing for myself.

Years ago Sunshine Vicram had left her small town of Del Sol, New Mexico with no real plans of returning after a traumatic experience she kept quiet. Now that she has returned though her sneaky parents somehow got her name on the ballots to be elected the next Sheriff of the town.

As much as Sunshine didn’t want the job she still wants to do a good job of it now that she has the title. With a small town Sunshine never expected to be solving any big crimes until she finds out a teenage girl is missing so Sunshine is determined to find the kidnapper before it’s too late.

This was a fabulous opening to the new Sunshine Vicram series. With a couple of hunky men surrounding the lead this seemed to lean towards romantic suspense but quite honestly it blurs the genres quite a bit. Part crime thriller, romance and just downright humourous I really enjoyed this opened and fully expect to have this series grow on me with each new installment.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I’m usually a big fan of Darynda Jones, but I just couldn’t get into this one. I tried but was not able to finish.

This is a cute start to a new rom-com mystery series from Darynda Jones. Sunshine Vicram has won the election to become sheriff of her home town of Del Sol, NM, even though she didn't actually enter the race for the office herself. (Thanks, mom and dad!) Her parents have built an apartment behind their home for Sunshine and her 14-year-old daughter Aurora to live. Such a cozy arrangement could have its good and bad points, right?

Her first day on the job is definitely a bad day for Sunshine, as a vehicle strikes the sheriff's office, narrowly missing Sunshine but covering her in broken glass. The practically incoherent driver blubbers that her daughter Sybil is missing and they are running out of time to find her. It seems the girl has had dreams that she would be kidnapped and killed on her 15th birthday but her family never believed her.

Meanwhile, Auri is having her own 'bad day' at her new high school. She doesn't feel exactly welcomed because half the students think she's a narc after a kegger was raided. But she had gotten to know Sybil at the party and wants to help her mom investigate her new friend's disappearance.

Complicating their lives, both mother and daughter have romance on their minds. Sunshine is attracted to both a US Marshall and FBI agent who show up at her office but she hasn't gotten over a childhood crush on hometown hottie Levi Ravinger, who seems to actively despise her. Auri is attracted to a handsome young poet in her classes who seems aloof but kind. She is thrilled when they are partnered on a classroom assignment--her chance to get to know him better.

Sunshine and Auri have a strong, loving relationship but the young mother has been keeping secrets from her daughter. It seems that something life-changing happened to Sunshine as a teen and there has been a conspiracy of silence about just what happened. Part of Sunshine's agenda in returning to her hometown is to find answers for herself.

Interesting relationships back up the actual police work that drives this story. I enjoyed the plot, setting and characters and look forward to reading book two in this series: A Good Day for Chardonnay.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I apologize for the delay in getting it read. The pandemic really played havoc with my reading but I'm trying very hard to catch up.

I didn't really gel with this book. It wasn't bad - it just wasn't great. I would suggest that you read this book of you're really bored and have nothing else to read.

What a fun book! Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff in her small New Mexico town, and she's not really sure how that happened. The election might have been rigged (by her parents), and her office is filled with colorful characters -- some of whom she's known all her life. When a car plows into the front of the sheriff's office, a teenage girl disappears, an escaped convict is on the loose, and someone may have stolen a chicken, and family secrets are about to be revealed all in the same day -- that's a bad day for Sunshine.

Part mystery, part small town politics, part family secrets, part hilarious story of small town life, this is a great opening salvo for a new series. I could not put it down! There were twists and turns everywhere and the characters are all quirky, funny, sexy, and real. Sometimes it gets a bit confusing since there are SO many storylines running parallel, but it just makes for non-stop action that kept me on my toes. I'm looking forward to book #2 in the series.

Darynda Jones has done it again! I loved this book, the characters, the fast pace, all of it! I can't wait for the next installment!

Bad day for Sunshine is the first book in a new series by Darynda Jones. In typical Darynda Jones style, this book has a copious amount of humor, intrigue, suspense and just enough romantic tension to have you begging for more. Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico. She moves back home with her teenage daughter Auri. Her best friend Quincy is her deputy who also provides comic relief. Much to her chagrin, she runs into Levi Ravinder, the love of her life in town. Levi is working hard to make his family’s whiskey business legit. Within a short amount of time, Sunshine is dealing with Auri’s friend Sybil’s abduction, outside agencies coming in to investigate the abduction, an escaped convict, stolen rooster and the Dangerous Daughters. While all of this is going on, Sunshine is also dealing with flashbacks/memories of her own abduction at 17.
I couldn’t put this book down. The characters in this book are fantastic. I laughed out loud when a certain familiar bartender asked Sunshine if she also saw dead people like his last employer. While not giving anything away, we do get some closure for the events in Del Sol but we are left with questions not answered. I can’t wait for the next book.

Darynda Jones is back! Author of the hilarious Charley Davidson series. I loved Sunshine and cannot wait for the next book A Good Day for Chardonnay!