Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series is an old favorite. A Bad Day For Sunshine has a lot of similar qualities - a snarky, mystery solving heroine obsessed with coffee and southwestern food, charming secondary characters and a misunderstood anti-hero love interest. It also puts the main character through similarly horrific events.

One major difference is that this book gives Sunshine's teenaged daughter almost equal page time. Aurora has her own horrors and her own misunderstood anti-hero as she starts at her new high school. She also helps her mom solve her case since Aurora was friends with the missing girl. I liked Aurora's POV but it took me a little while to get used to.

I love the quirky small town shenanigans, like the old man chasing the rooster down Main Street, but I might have liked to have more of them. The story was kind of dark and heavy despite the snark. Admittedly, that might be due to the fact that I read it right after the first few books of the In Death series. That was a lot of cases that bring up the heroines' childhood trauma for one weekend!

I'm fascinated by Sunshine's world and excited to read more in the series. I'm pretty sure I have some stuff figured out that Sunshine doesn't know yet and can't wait to see if I'm right.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is a great start to Jones' new series featuring Sunshine Vicram. I always enjoyed Jones' Charley Davidson series, and I found that I really enjoyed this series as well. Sunshine and her daughter are moving back to Del Sol after Sunshine wins the election for the position of sheriff. Sunshine figures that cases should be easy to manage, but unfortunately she is proven wrong. When a teenage girl disappears, Sunshine is in a race to save the girl while also trying to keep memories of what happened to her as a youth at bay. Sunshine's first day on the job definitely doesn't go as expected, and she needs to solve this case before time runs out.

Jones does a great job at creating a new cast of characters as well as a new setting for this series. I do love that this series still combines humor with the mystery, intrigue, and suspense. Sunshine is very well developed, but the book still leaves more to be explored for future installments. I especially loved the cast of secondary characters that really added to the story. The book's story captures the reader's interest from the very beginning and never lets go. Full of twists and turns as well as plenty of page turning action and suspense, A Bad Day for Sunshine proved to be an entertaining read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful, entertaining mystery that proves hard to put down. I look forward to reading Sunshine's next adventure.

Received a copy of A Bad Day for Sunshine through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm so glad to see Darynda Jones back with this new series! Her books are undeniably funny, but they are also surprising and ingenious. She takes simple tropes and turns them on their heads. I love that she gives a view from different perspectives. I can't wait for more Sunshine!

What a fun, quick-paced first book in a new series! I enjoyed reading about Sunshine, her daughter, and their return to Sunshine's quirky home town of Del Sol, New Mexico. This should be a very interesting series to read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 1 in a new series.

I originally really liked Darynda Jones' previous series (it started to go a bit too off the rails for me after several books, but that's another blog post), so when I saw she had a new series coming out I decided to request it.

I'm glad I did. I liked Sunshine immediately. Her relationship with her daughter is fun, but still mostly realistic and they're both sharp, capable females. In fact, this book has numerous independent, tough, funny, sexy, smart females and I loved that.

The plot kept me entertained and laughing out loud, while waiting to see what would happen next. I can't wait for the next book (And I really want Sunny to take that *itch of a blackmailing mayor down! You know it's coming, she threatened Sunny's daughter!).

Darynda Jones has done it again!!

I have been a huge fan of Darynda’s writing since the early days of the Charley Davidson series, and was sad when it came to an end. I was very excited when I was told that a new series would be coming soon. The characters in this book are laugh out loud hilarious and are looking to live up to the Charley legacy! They were well developed and had great backstories, as was expected from Darynda’s previous writing. The mystery was great, twisty, and kept me guessing. There was plenty left to question, so I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment! This is definitely going to be an insta-buy!

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones was such a fun ride, and I am already impatiently waiting for the next book to this series!

Sunshine and her daughter Auri have got to be two of my favorite characters of all time. Their sass, strength, and humor were lovely, and I have never seen a more mature 14-year-old as Auri. They were both pretty badass, and I really liked that the book switched between both of their viewpoints. When reading from Auri's point of view it didn't even seem like she was a teenager (besides the high school stuff of course), and I love that because I don't really like it when I have to read from a naive or immature viewpoint. There is a tiny bit of steam, but overall nothing too detailed or intense.

There are definitely serious parts to A Bad Day for Sunshine, and I found myself tearing up a few times. The mix of wit, sarcasm, mystery, and seriousness were completely on point in this novel and I absolutely loved Jones's writing style. The acknowledgements are at the front of the book and I knew after reading just those I would love the book itself and that is exactly what happened.

The mystery was solid and I didn't expect any of the twists, but most importantly, A Bad Day for Sunshine is laugh out loud funny and may be for you if you are looking for a quirky read with heart, sexual tension, suspense, and plenty of endearing moments. It was so different from most books I have read and I loved that about it.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first in what I am certain will become a series about Sunshine Vicram, newly-elected sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico. It’s her first day on the job and sure to be a doozy because a local woman brought a batch of muffins and everyone knows she only brings muffins on days that go to hell in a handbasket. And that exemplifies the tone of this series mystery, lighthearted hoodoo mixed with kidnapping, organized crime, rape, and murder.

Sunshine’s daughter’s Auri is nervous about her first day in a new school, especially when her only familiar face and friend Sybil seems to be absent. More than absent, she’s missing, presumed kidnapped, something she has predicted in her nightmares since childhood. She has been certain she will die before her fifteenth birthday which is just days away.

This makes a tough first case, because we soon learn Sunshine was kidnapped herself years ago, something she does not remember very well. And then there is Levi, a man who makes her weak in the knees and in the head. The first according to Sunshine, the second according to me.



I am torn by Bad Day for Sunshine. On the one hand, there are many interesting characters and the plot is not tired and worn by overuse. It is complex and something fresh. That’s good. But Sunshine is incredibly dense when it comes to Levi, incredibly dense. I mean, throw the book at the wall dense. There are some very obvious points that are never revealed in the book because Sunshine is as opaque as a brick wall. This frustrated me no end. I may read a second book and see if Sunshine wakes up, but if not, that will be it for me.

It’s a fun book in many ways, with ridiculous characters who will make you laugh. Meanwhile, the crimes are grim and so is Sunshine’s backstory. Then we learn Auri’s own life experience has led her to even contemplate suicide when just seven years old. So it’s grim and funny and Jones makes it work. which is a delicate balance. The only thing that is completely awry is the Sunshine-Levi relationship and it seems to be part of the old trope of relationships of hostility and attraction. Boring.

I received an e-galley of A Bad Day for Sunshine from the publisher through NetGalley

A Bad Day for Sunshine from St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Darynda Jones author site

I just recently started the Charley Davidson series – I’m on book 4 now – and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them, so when I saw this on netgalley I pounced on it. I honestly had no idea what it was about and I assumed it would also be paranormal lol. I’ve been behind on arcs with everything going on so I ended up starting it on the day it was published… and then it took me 2 weeks to read. Which sucks since I’ve flown through the Charley books I’ve read. I always want half stars but a book like this is when I really need them – this is a solid 3.5 stars. The first half was 2 or 3 stars, so slow, not grabbing me at all. The second half picked up, grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. The fact that it took me 2 weeks to get through the first half just sucks balls. But when it finally grabbed me I couldn’t put it down, so that’s definitely 4 stars.. ergo, 3.5 stars. I need half stars! Lol. But seriously. When I started this and was slogging through it, I thought for sure I wouldn’t continue the series, I would probably DNF this book… but I hate DNFing and I kept seeing amazing reviews so I pushed through and I’m so glad I did. The characters grew on me, so did the town. I teared up when you find out where that missing cop is. The story got interesting, the pacing picked up, the romance element becomes intriguing, I laughed out loud several times… Yeah the first half was slow, but the second half was really good, and I feel like the ‘mystery’ about who Auri’s father is SO obvious but I am SO HERE FOR IT. I need the second book asap. So, bottom line, not terribly impressed with the first half, but the second half was fabulous. Definitely recommend if you like her other books.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

After 15 years, Sunshine Vicram returns to her hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico which people refer to as the Psych Ward. Of course, Vicram is more surprised than the town Mayor Donna Lomas to discover she had won the election for town sheriff since she hadn’t run for the position. Her parents are delighted and seem to have rigged the election in her favor. Sun has always had a contentious relationship with her parents who pay no regard to letter of the law.

Mayor Lomas is tolerating Sunshine as the sheriff and primarily focused on discovering the identities of the infamous Dangerous Daughters. This is a group of women who have secretly “run” the town since it went bankrupt. Del Sol went from a mining town to a hippie commune in 1930. The positive aspect of moving home for Sun was being able to work with her childhood best friend, Quincy, who works for the Del Sol police department. Her parents, Cyrus and Elaine Freyr, had living quarters built for Sunshine and her 14 yo daughter Aurora on their property.

Only Quincy is aware of Sun’s additional intention for moving back which is to follow up on a traumatic event which led to her moving away to Albuquerque and then Santa Fe when she was 17 years old. Her past experiences helped shape her into a strong, feisty and sarcastic woman capable of running a police department. Her daughter, Aurora “Auri” is a capable, independent teen who has the same investigative instincts as her mother.

It seems the past and present collide for Sunshine when she sees Levi Ravinder with whom she had a crush on back in school. The family name was synonymous with crime and illegal business practices. Sun is pleased to learn that Levi has been legitimizing the family moonshine business into a thriving company, Dark River Shine.

Auri is having a difficult time adjusting to her new school and desperately tries to keep her troubles to herself. She admires her hard working single mother and never wants to be a burden on her. She makes an unlikely friend with Cruz De los Santos who appears to be an angry poetic kid. She admires his confidence and independence.

On Sunshine’s first day at the station, Ruby Moore sent muffins to police station, which always alarms the officers. They claim that strange things happen in their small town whenever she sends muffins. Much to Sun’s chagrin at superstitious gossip, her first day becomes more eventful than she ever imagined.

The novel unfolds a messy and confusing case involving a missing classmate of Auri. There are many moving pieces and accusations being thrown around. It’s up to Sunshine to weed through the lies and truths before times runs out in finding this missing girl.

Darynda Jones kicked off a fun new series set out west with A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE. Sunshine Vicram has returned to her childhood home of Del Sol, New Mexico a much stronger woman than when she left. For one thing, she’s the sheriff now. But she’s got her fourteen-year-old daughter, Auri, in tow, and these two women are sassy and charming, confident and capable. It’s a good thing, too, because Sunshine hits the ground running. Her first big case is the kidnapping of a fourteen-year-old girl, which proves especially stressful since Sunshine was kidnapped as a young girl, and this missing girl is the same age as her daughter. Help comes in the form of hot-ass US Marshall Levi Ravinder, reformed bad boy and former teenage crush. They’ve got chemistry out the wazoo but fight it hard. (This is another snap out of it moment.) Present are all of Jones’ hallmarks: full cast of wacky characters, quick and witty banter, cliffhangers (damnit), and strong, likeable women. It’s the perfect book for right now. If you loved Jones’ Charley Davidson series, or Charlaine Harris’ Midnight Texas series, Sunshine Vicram is the gal for you.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/april-romantic-suspense-must-reads/

I absolutely LOVED this book. Sunshine was easily a character that any of us could be a friend with. She was relatable (who doesn’t have doubts and fears as a parent?), fallible, sarcastic, snarky, with a retouch of sass. Her election win as sheriff is under question (especially when she didn’t run) and she and her daughter are looking to start a life back in her home town. With that return, comes a flood of emotions. Old loves, a best friend, memories best forgotten, and good ol’ town gossip. Should be easy to keep the order and peace... right?

In this new series from author Darynda Jones, Sunshine Vicram has been elected sheriff without even running in the small town of her childhood in New Mexico, and she and her daughter, have come home to take on the new job. But on her first day, she reconnects with friends and a few townspeople who aren't glad to see her, and there's a kidnapping of a teenage girl, a missing autistic boy, an escaped convict and a few other distracting side stories--a bit much for this reader, plus a lot of antagonistic renewed romance for an old, almost flame. This was a quick and fun book, and the characters were certainly entertaining if not entirely professional--the police department seemed a bit unprofessional and distracted in regards to searching for the kidnap victim. There's an old age mystery which involves the kidnapping of Sunshine Jones, and the author leaves the reader with a cliff hanger, and unsure of who actually was her abductor. I did enjoy the book enough to pick up the second in the series. 3-1/2 stars.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is a great start to a new series by Darynda Jones. Not just a mystery but underlying family drama and humor make this one a winner. Fast paced and easy to read I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story of Sheriff Sunshine Vicram's first few days on the job. Ii can't wait for the next installment.

I loved it! It's a great new series! I love the characters and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Sunshine Vicram has returned home to Del Sol, New Mexico with her teenage daughter as the newly elected sheriff. Her first day on the job ends up being more than she expected with a missing kid, a kidnapper on the loose, and a missing prized rooster named Puff Daddy. Also she is dealing with her old flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky U.S. Marshal.

This story is told from the POVs of Sunshine and her daughter Auri. I wasn’t expecting this but I actually enjoyed it. I loved the interaction between Sunshine and Auri. Sunshines parenting of Auri was great and I love that their motto is WWLSD, What would Lisbeth Salander do? Auri is a smart kid who is an amatuer slueth. I think she will definitely be following in her mother's footsteps.

There are touches of paranormal in this book, with premonitions and references to a girl who can see ghosts. I actually thought this book was a paranormal when I first requested it but that was because I didn’t read the blurb before requesting it. I love all the hints of paranormal.

This was a fun, entertaining read filled with unique characters. I cannot wait to read the next book and find out how Sunshine deals with the next case.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

DNF at 12%. This is just a case of not being the right reader for this book. It feels forced to me - like every moment has to be over the top. Even in this small portion of the book some jokes are feeling repetitive and/or cringey. I may have picked this up at the wrong time but it’s not working for me. Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I was a huge fan of the Charley Davidson series, and I was a little sad to see it come to an end, even after thirteen books. However, when I heard that Jones had a new book coming out, I couldn’t wait to see what she would come up with next.

I will say that there are some general similarities between Charley and Sunshine, but this new book certainly stands on its own two feet. Jones has a distinctive writing style, and you definitely see that shine through in Sunshine.

Sunshine Vicram returns to her hometown as the newly-elected sheriff (an election she won without even knowing she entered). Sunshine is also a single mother, so she and her daughter move into her parents’ guest house and try to adjust to life back in a small town. Their respective first days, at the high school and the station, are anything but boring, with the action starting right off the bat.

Like Charley, Sunshine is a kickass heroine with preternatural wisdom that comes in handy for solving cases and a snappy, sassy sarcasm that provides levity to the serious nature of the storyline. There’s an overall mystery that needs to be solved, tons of quirky characters are introduced, and Sunshine has some old demons that aren’t buried as deeply as she thought.

Jones weaves a suspenseful and multilayered tale with the added benefit of an elusive love interest, a precocious teen, and a loving family dynamic. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 25% of the story and the resolution of the case took me by surprise. Being unable to guess the outcome is how I judge a good mystery, and I wasn’t disappointed one bit.

I’m so happy to have a new world of unique characters from Jones to love and I can’t wait for my next hit of Sunshine!

Small town mystery. Sunshine is the new sheriff in her once hometown. Now she returns with her daughter Auri. There is a current mystery that is solved and an old mystery that involves Sunshine when she was in high school that looks to continue in the next book. The characters are where the story is at and I found all of them highly entertaining. Perfect read to pick up now!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is an absolutely brilliant start to a new series from Darynda Jones. Sunshine Vicram is a fabulous new leading lady and this eccentric small town crime thriller had me alternately terrified and laughing out loud.

Sunny is a badass crime fighter with a quick wit and a sharp sense of humour, but she also has a complicated past and more than one dark secret she’d rather keep hidden. Unfortunately, between the resentful mayor, her own meddling mother, and a daughter who has inherited Sunny’s enthusiasm for an investigation, there isn’t much room for secrets in Del Sol. I really love the mix of outrageous situations, gentle family drama, and a complicated blend of current and historic crime.

One thing I loved about the Charley Davidson books was Jones’ ability to write a good bad boy. Now, Levi might be completely human, but he is a delicious mix of danger with an attitude and possibly a touch of conscience. The story isn’t a traditional romance but the chemistry and banter between Sunny and Levi definitely makes for good reading.

While part of the investigation is tied up in this first book, the story actually leaves readers with more questions than answers. I loved this first book and I already can’t wait for the next one. I think I’m going to love this series.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in a new series and the first book I've read by this author. Sunshine Vicram returns with her teenage daughter, Auri, to the small town she grew up in to take up the position of sheriff.

There is a lot going on this in this town, some of it funny, some of it serious. A new friend of Auri's goes missing, presumed kidnapped. An escaped prisoner is believed to be somewhere in town, there are cursed muffins, neighbours fighting over a rooster, and the list goes on. But the biggest mystery relates to Sunshine's abduction when she was 17, which resulted in her pregnancy and how Levi, the guy she has been crazy in love with for years, is connected.

The story is told from the point of view of both Sunshine and Auri. I loved the way this was done. There were times when there were parallels between what mother and daughter were going through. Sunshine and Auri totally rock. They are smart, sassy, brave, and they are my new book heroes. Sunshine and Levi's interactions were sublime. It is clear that things between them are going to develop over this series and I really can't wait to see it. Auri is also experiencing young love and Cruz, the object of her affections, is the kind of guy every young girl would want.

I loved everything about this story. The mysteries, the crazy characters, the complicated relationships, the romance. It all worked perfectly together. I hope the wait for the next book in the series is not too far away because I'm dying to find out what happens next.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 stars of absolute fabulousness – would award many more if I could!

There is only one thing wrong with this book... it ended 🙁. I could have just read and read and read – and have little doubt that once the series is complete, I will take great pleasure in doing exactly that! I adored the Charley Davidson series, so didn't even read the blurb before knowing I would love it too. It is completely different, but the same brilliant style of writing of somehow including us in the story, and the wonderful mix of fanciful and all too real. I both laughed and shed tears. I had to stop and shut off my Kindle for a second or two more than once, as I just knew what came next wasn't going to be good. Add in Levi... and well, what else does a reader need?

Sunshine and her daughter Auri (Aurora) are undoubtedly the stars of the book – and even though we see them as being close from the very beginning, when Auri admits to something deep between them, do expect to need plenty of tissues. I love that both of them have really important and meaningful relationships with a wide variety of people. And do expect to meet lots of them and get to understand how this is a book which may centre on Sunshine, but is much broader in its plots than just her.

I realise that I am possibly not doing a great job of describing this book, but to be fair, it is just one of those books which is full of so much goodness, that is difficult to know where to start and how to avoid giving something away. It is undoubtedly a mystery story, indeed multiple mysteries assail us. It is a story of second chances, as Sunshine has returned to live in her childhood town – elected unwittingly as the new sheriff – although she has been back for holidays, and Auri has spent summers there with her grandparents and making friends. Sunshine is now going to be able to work with her long-time best friend, Quincy, and has to keep seeing her biggest crush, Levi, and time hasn't changed that. I love that thread running through the story, although it has some dark undertones.

There are undercurrents of mafia, of a group of women who direct the town, of a muffin baker who foresees trouble, of a whacky, but wealthy book club, an escapologist rooster, school politics, and even legal moonshine gin!

I am so looking forward to the next book in the series being available, as I have the biggest book hangover... As you may have guessed from my somewhat disjointed review, my recommendation is READ, READ, READ!


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
I loved the Charley Davidson series, I honestly loved it. I had doubts about A Bad Day for Sunshine. I should never have doubted Darynda Jones and will not make that mistake again! I assumed Sunshine Vicram would be a carbon copy of Charley, how wrong I was. They have similarities in that they are both strong women who feel deeply, but never give up even when the world is against them, but that's about it.

Sunshine Vicram finds herself in a peculiar position as the elected sheriff of a town she doesn't reside in. Yes, it's her hometown but she left many years ago. She joins her best friend on the police force in Del Sol, NM and it's definitely NOT a quiet, peaceful town. Crazy, quirky, eccentric? YES, but also endearing.

While the town is a little hectic in and of itself, there is a lot going on for poor Sunshine to solve. Meaning there were no slow moments in the read. I never wanted to put this down. I needed to figure out each and every moment but especially the Levi dynamic. Levi, Sunshine's high school crush, is the epitome of alpha male. He's strong, he's capable, and he's mouth-watering attractive.

I loved the mystery, I seriously love Levi, and I am all about Sunshine's brand of sass. Add to that her daughter the super sleuth, Auri, and this never boring town of Del Sol, and I am ready to roll with this series to the end. I will mention that while the mystery is solved, I ended this book with more questions (and these ones NEED answers, like yesterday) than I started with or even developed throughout!

Overall, this was a strong four-star read and I am excited to see what's next.