When the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones was still being written (it ended with book 13) I would take the day off of work when her latest book came out, so I could read it that day. I did not savor it, I devoured it. Continually chuckling and falling deeper and deeper in love (in most cases friend love, although with Reyes, that’s a different story) with the characters. When the Charley Davidson series finished I was content with how it ended and looked forward to what Jones would come up with next.

And she did not disappoint!

If you’ve read the Charley Davidson books you will see some similarities. The chapters all begin with wacky things, but instead of sassy T-shirt sayings, you get crazy police recaps and wacky signs from the local restaurants. And there is a brief run in with Donnie, who was the bartender in the Charley Davidson series. This was a fun nod to that series, and I felt like a little gift left for the readers of Charley.

While characters using ASL (American Sign Language) played a part in the Charley Davidson books, in A Bad Day for Sunshine, Jones ramped up the use, which is fantastic. I love reading about people doing things I know little about. Jones’ oldest son was born deaf and she is a sign language interpreter in an educational setting, so she has first hand knowledge with ASL and it really shows in her writing.

And as for the story itself, it’s full of zany characters and hints of the strange, and perhaps supernatural, when it comes to what happens in the town. A member of her mom’s book club may be psychic and instead of telling the police when something is going to happen, she bakes them muffins. Feuds over a chicken, I mean a rooster, bring levity throughout the book. And Sunshine can’t seem to locate one of her deputies. Every time she asks about him, the only response is Who?, or that he’s out on patrol.

But A Bad Day for Sunshine isn’t all laughs. Jones also touches on some serious subjects, including suicide and adoption. I was tearing up on some of the chapters. So much emotion and hurt drifted off the page, once again showing what a great writer Jones is.

I recommend this book sooooo much! Especially if you enjoyed the Charley Davidson series. But if you’ve never read that series, read this book and then go back and check out Charley in the first book, First Grave on the Right. Readers of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich may also enjoy both Charley and Sunshine.

I have never read a Darynda Jones book before, but I sure am picking up more of her series in the future, you can bank on that!

I truly enjoyed meeting Sunshine Vicram and can't wait for the next book in the series! The book was light, when it needed to be and dark when you least expected it. The backstory was tragic, the future outcome heroic. Sunny's daughter, Auri was electric. The parallel outcomes in some of their coexisting stories could've been considered predictable, but were anything but that. Del Sol, Mexico is quirky with equally quirky mysteries and the townspeople are fitting for the area. I mean come on a Rooster named, Puff Daddy who does or doesn't bring two people together? Fun stuff abounds throughout the book. For instance each chapter heading is hilarious it starts the next part of the story out with a giggle and a warning.
“Two elderly sisters reported a man in the house across the street watching them for hours at a time. Deputies ID‘d the man as a cardboard cutout of Captain America. The sisters grew distraught when they found out he wasn‘t real and were transported to the Del Sol Urgent Care Center for observation.—Del Sol police blotter”

Read this book. You won't regret it. It might even put a skip in your step! Coming Soon to a Bookstore near you - April 7, 2020!

Thanks, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and meet Sunshine Vicram in A Bad Day for Sunshine in lieu of my honest review. What a great time it was!

** I was provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I've never read this author before, but I have heard of her other series. I love mysteries and thrillers and thought I'd give this new series a chance. You guys... DO IT!!!!

Jones absolutely nails the voice in this story. At first, i thought the character and writing to be a little verbose, but as I sunk deeper in the pages, I reveled in the funny and sarcastic wit of our main character and laughed out loud to many interactions she has with her daughter.

Sunshine (our lead) just became sheriff to a town she's tried to forget, the town she grew up, the town where bad memories were built and secrets were buried. How she was elected for sheriff is a question only her mother can answer, but won't. (Love her mother, btw) Sheriff Sunshine's first day on the job is a doozy as she's confronted with countless disasters. Luckily, Jones has built a hardy character to trust in and follow as she navigates her investigation and confronts her past.

The cast of characters leaps off the page and I cared about each one (the daughter is my FAVE).

The tension pulls you through the book and I didn't want to put it down. Jones knows how to pace a book and this book is exhibit one.

I liked the multiple story lines and the mysteries and the lead in to the rest of the series. I can't wait for the next one and will have no trouble remembering Sunshine and her crew until I can visit them again.

Well done!

This was fantastic! It had all the elements that I loved in the author's Charley Davidson series but with a new set of characters and a whole new world that I absolutely loved. I am so excited for this new series. I can already tell you this will be a series I will want to re-read often.

Those elements I mentioned is the snarky heroine, fun sidekicks and an incredibly intense hero. To me it's the perfect formula to an entertaining series. As fun and entertaining as this book was, it also had some pretty heavy material. I can admit that I cried a couple times. There are a few sad moments that really pulled on my heart. It's a well rounded book with everything it provides.

This author really knows how to build up the intensity for her couples. She seems to love that delayed satisfaction and normally I would say that I want it now, but I can't deny that it's worth the wait. The longer it takes for the couple to get together, the more the intensity builds. I think this couple will be another explosive relationship to look forward too.

If I thought it would do any good, I would beg for the next book to be published soon after A Bad Day for Sunshine. This doesn't end on a cliffhanger but you also know there is more to come and I can't wait!

Darynda Jones has a brand new series starring Sunshine Vicram, a former cop who is beginning her new job as the Del Sol, New Mexico sheriff (an election she somehow won even though she never entered the race). Add in a precocious daughter, interfering parents, an escaped convict, feuding neighbors, missing teens and more all on her first day, and Sunshine might be a tad overwhelmed. With a gorgeous not-quite-ex in the mix too, you are in for another Jones genre-bending work that's sure to make you laugh and cry.

No, this series is not for me. I absolutely loved the Charlie Davidson books, all thirteen of them with short stories added in from time to time. The thing about these two series is that one was obviously paranormal and one is not. You can get away with doing lots of things in unusual ways if your entire premise is based on a woman who is the Grim Reaper who guides souls to *pass over to the other side*. A Bad Day For Sunshine does not have that paranormal element so when Sunshine Vicram begins to use her position as Sheriff of this small New Mexico town in ways that are clearly not allowed in law enforcement the whole premise gets wonky and stays that way.

Too, too many eye rolls while I was reading. Too many times I had to tell Ms Jones that real law enforcement can't operate in the way she had this one operating. The great big hidden secret Sunshine could never let anybody, including her daughter, find out was blatantly obvious the first time I read about it. Check your common sense at the door if you decide to read this one. Maybe the next book will add in some paranormal elements but it's too late for me. So far the only character I haven't found a place for in "Sunshine" that was in "Grave" is Cookie. Otherwise, you don't even have to look too hard to see all the tie-ins that Ms Jones picked to stock the characters and location for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-galley of this book.

ARC ebook received from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I have read most of Darynda Jones' books. They're always a delight. She's most well known for her supernatural books, the First Grave on the Right series being probably the most popular.

I have a fondness for the weird meeting between small towns and the weird.

In "A Bad Day for Sunshine" we meet Sunshine "Sun" Vicram and her daughter Aurora or "Auri", as well as her parents and home town of Del Sol. There's a lot of mysteries in the history Sun has with Del Sol, starting with just how Sun was elected Sheriff. Her first day on the job? A bad one.

Cursed muffins, the mysterious Founding Daughters of Del Sol, her mother's book club, a missing rich girl's visions of being abducted and killed by her fifteenth birthday, a old flame coming back into her life, a missing convict, another missing child, a family of rogues, her mother's book club, a missing deputy, her daughter's new crush and best friend and very own very bad day, and a whole lot more in no particular order from a very particular small town.

Along the way are tears and laughter among clues and a hue of hope.

I am very much looking forward to more Del Sol days.

Sunshine and her daughter move back to her home town Del Sol.She is the new Sheriff. This story is a split narrative between her and her daughter.Sunshine works on a kidnapping case and it brings back memories.Lots of intrigue and small town doings and hot guys!
The book is somewhat slow but hang with it,well worth it!
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

Having loved the Charley Davidson series by the same author, I leapt on the chance to read this book. It exceeded even my very high expectations. As soon as I’d read a couple of sentences, my brain gave a sigh and relaxed. Darynda Jones is such a joy to read! It’s not just the brilliant story, it’s the way the language is used, the joy with which it’s written. Very few writers can do this - Gail Carriger, P. G. Wodehouse, Darynda Jones.

The story is, of course, excellent. Several mysteries to figure out, and plenty of excitement, without the excess stress that some stories have. The characters are all excellently written, the relationships are believable and fun. I felt immediately at home with Sun and Auri, and their joking around.

I love the little bits at the beginning of each chapter so much, they make me laugh. There’s really no downside to this book - apart from having to wait for the next one in the series! Highly recommended.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher via netgalley for the eArc.

This was extremely slow but very hilarious, witty, kind of dark but refreshing. Along with great set of lovable characters.

Sunshine (the Protagonist) has survived a horrible incident when she was younger, and she is determined to stand strong no matter what comes her way. She's raising her daughter to be a strong independent girl as well. (Sometimes easier said than done.) The pair have a unique relationship and are closer than many mothers and daughters. Along with the crimes that take place, there is also some personal mysteries surrounding the duo, and couple of the other small town residents.

Such a great story. I love the characters and the setting in New Mexico. I can't wait to see what happens with Sun, Levi and the rest of them in what I hope are many more books in this series.

I wish I could have liked this book. I found it slow and tedious reading. I needed it to grab me as her other books have in the past. I love the way Darynda's writing flows but this one did not.

I was a big fan of this author’s Charley Davidson series which was straight-up urban fantasy. Now she’s begun a new one featuring *gasp* humans. Yep, not a demon, ghoul or God in sight. Turns out she can also write entertaining mysteries featuring normal people. Wait….I may be using that term loosely.

Del Sol, New Mexico has always attracted the artistic, odd & eccentric. It’s the type of close knit community where everyone’s on a first name basis, even with the resident flasher (that would be Doug). It can be hard to keep a secret. But there’s one in particular that Sunshine (Sunny) Vicram would love to uncover.

Sunny grew up here but left after a horrible event that changed her life. Now she’s back with 14 year old daughter Auri in tow. She just got elected as the new sheriff which is great. But also a little confusing as she never applied for the job. Huh…probably best to just go with it.

Her first day reunites her with childhood BF Quincy, now her deputy & he brings her up to speed on current cases. Just the usual….they need to convince Doug to take a day off & someone has kidnapped Puff Daddy, a much loved rooster.

Meanwhile, Auri is trying to survive the hazing ritual that comes with being the new girl at school. A pack of mean girls have her in their sights. Then things go from bad to worse when the one friend she made during the summer disappears.

So much for easing into the job. Sunny & her team have a serious case to crack. And before it’s over, she’ll discover some startling information about the event that made her leave town.

I’ll come clean & admit the first couple of chapters had me worried. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Jones’ writing is her snarky sense of humour but initially I found it laid on a bit thick. If every second line is a zinger, it can be hard to find the story. Fortunately, this soon settled down so I could appreciate the witty dialogue & truly funny situations that are interspersed with more dramatic scenes.

From then on it became an entertaining & fast paced read. We learn Sunny’s history & the lingering effects of what she endured. The search for the teenager triggers memories of a time when she was another missing girl. But on the upside, her return also gives her a chance to reconnect with her parents, neighbours, Quincy & one Levi Ravinder. Oh, didn’t I mentioned him? He’s a handsome, enigmatic guy who once knew Sunny well (is it hot in here? feels hot in here *fans face*). All I’ll say is I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how that develops.

The crimes, high school drama & appearance of dangerous muffins ensures you’ll keep turning the pages but it’s the characters that hold it all together. Quincy in particular is a hoot & I loved the relationship between Sunny & Auri. You have to appreciate a mother who counsels her daughter to think “WWLSD” when faced with a tough situation. These people may have their quirks but there is genuine warmth between them & a sense they’ll always have each other’s back. There are a couple of running gags that pop up at the strangest times that always made me laugh.

I really enjoyed this & happily, the ending makes it clear there is much more to come. While waiting for book #2, please join me in sending our thoughts & prayers to Puff Daddy.

I'm a massive fan of Darynda Jones's Charley Davidson series, so I was beyond thrilled to start a new series. While I'd categorize Charley's stories as Urban Fiction, I'd put this series (so far) more into a straight mystery genre.

Sunshine and her teenage daughter, Auri, move back to Sunshine's home town of Del Sol, New Mexico, where she has just been elected sheriff. And in the very few days that this book takes place, there are several investigations in play, including the search for two missing teens, an escaped felon, a kidnapper on the loose, a stolen rooster, and a cold case.

Unlike Charley's books, <i>A Bad Day</i> splits the narrative between Sunshine and Auri. Auri's plot was one of the only areas where I had any difficulties with the story. The kids were maybe a little too perfect, the bullies were maybe a little too evil, and the student response to the bullies was maybe a little too big. That being said, I love Auri and Cruz and Sybil and Jimmy and can't wait to see more of them.

The only other difficulty I had with the book is more a product of being the first book in a series. There were a LOT of people to keep track of, including Sunshine's family and friends, Auri's classmates and teachers, townies, the police officers, the Ravinder clan, plus outside law enforcement agents. I'm sure after my 3rd or 4th reading it'll all be clearer, but there are a lot of people to keep track of.

If you loved Charley, you'll definitely love sassy Sheriff Sunshine. There's a lot less paranormal in Del Sol, though there is some present - a few characters show some kind of prescient abilities - and there are very clear ties to Charley's Albuquerque, so there may be more to come. That said, if you like Urban Fantasies, this book has a similar feel to the structure and tone of the genre, and is also a good choice for someone who likes mysteries that are edgier than cozies, but lighter than hard-boiled detective novels.

Happy to have a new mystery series by Jones. Great thriller elements blended with good characterization, some humor, angst and a forward moving plot. Some parts feel a bit out of sync but overall I like where the series is going as well as the main protagonist, Sunshine and her daughter, Auri.

I requested this book because the blurb intrigued me. I had no idea how much I would love this tale.
Incredibly complex characters and a quirky sense of humor will take this to the top of sales charts. The story line involves a town of eccentric characters and a bit of paranormal. I could not put it down and finished it in one day. I have told more than a few people too keep an eye out for it's release.
Sunshine Vicram returns to Del Sol, New Mexico as the newly elected sheriff, even if she hadn't run for the office. She agreed to come home to try to solve a mystery from her past, and her daughter Aurora's paternity.
When Aurora's classmate Sybil disappears, she gets flashbacks to her own abduction, but not enough to give her the answers she seeks.
Sunshine deals with quirky cases as she searches for Sybil, taking it seriously when others hadn't. Aurora deals with high school angst and a spiteful cow of classmate. Both ladies are desperate to bring Sybil home...and work hard for that goal.
Friends and love interests for both woman had the spice to an already intriguing tale.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

This is the perfect start to a brand new series by Darynda Jones! I can see why her previous series is so popular with readers. She writes with perfection and has a way of sucking her readers in from the very beginning! I can't wait to see what she brings us next.

That was absolutely amazing. I devoured this book in less than a day, it's riveting!

The characters are hilarious without being too much. I really liked how they were presented and their stories were told

PD: I absolutely need the next one ASAP

Sunshine Vicram has returned to her hometown with her freshman daughter, Auri, in tow. Despite having tried to run as far away as possible (about 30 minutes), she's back and she has somehow become sheriff of Del Sol without even knowing she was running. (How do you win an election you didn't put your name in for?)

On the plus side, she's living in her parents' backyard in an "apartment" they'd had built just for her and her daughter (as if they KNEW she would win that election she didn't enter) and she's got her forever BFF as her deputy.

She also starts her first day with a flasher, a rooster-napper, a car through the window of the sheriff's office building, a kidnapping, and a run-in with the guy she has crushed on since she they were kids.

She'll take on the kidnapping as the easiest of the things to deal with.

At the same time, Auri is at her first day of high school in a new town and she's starting on a bad foot since just a few days prior, her mom's BFF deputy raided the completely secret but known by everyone high school party and confiscated the beer (for himself). Now Auri is suspecting of being a narc and the student body pretty universally hates her. Except for Cruz. He is difficult to read, but doesn't seem to be anti-Auri.

Now both mom and daughter must pool their resources to figure out why someone would take another freshman who looks a lot like Auri and how to stop that freshman's prophetic dreams of dying before her 15th birthday from coming true.

Final thoughts: I LOVE Darynda Jones and all of her snark. There are some very Charley-ish moments here (and a reference, so we're in Charley-land!), but the vibe between mother and daughter brings on a different feel. Plus we get swoons for multiple ages now so RL moms can start sharing this with their older teen daughters. Some of the plot points are obvious and future stories can also be predicted, but Jones weaves a complicated web for all of her characters and this is really a joy to read. The only negative that I had was with the formatting of the Kindle ARC since the two ladies trade off points of view for the story and it sometimes isn't immediately obvious that we've switched with the formatting as it currently appears.

Rating: 4.5/5

A Bad Day for Sunshine definitely lives up to my expectations for a Darynda Jones story. Sunshine Vicram is smart, strong, and sassy, with enough of a shadow on her past to snag you and make you want to know her story. She’s got a heart of gold, but that’s also her one weakness: she cares a lot, especially for her family. And, whether or not she wants to admit it, the entire town of Del Sol, New Mexico, is her family.
The quirky characters, the not-quite-quaint setting, the cursed pastries, and the plot so filled with twists and flips you’d think you were watching gymnastics blend beautifully to make this a terrific read. I’d highly recommend you grab a copy. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until it releases in April, so preorder it now!
**Note: If you’re reading this for the super steamy scenes you tend to find in the Charley Davidson series, you’ll probably be disappointed. A Bad Day for Sunshine definitely focused more on the mystery, the suspense, the sass and the snark…which is exactly why I enjoyed it so much. Not that it doesn’t have some lust-filled tension, just not quite so much as you may be expecting. 😉
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂