Darynda Jones has hit that sweet spot of comedy and intrigue with a story that hooked me from the get go. If you liked the Charlie Davidson series and are looking for something to fill the gap she left behind then Sunshine Vicram is just the woman.

Sunshine is a fantastic character with a sassy attitude, good instincts and a real love for her family that shines through her interactions with her daughter. As she starts her first day as the new Sheriff in Del Sol, all hell breaks loose and we get to follow along with the ups and downs, second guessing if you've figured it out, only to have another curve ball thrown in to the mix. This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way to the very last page and I can't wait to see where this series goes.

I discovered Darynda with her Grave Series, I loved that series.
I was thrilled to see her new series and the opportunity to read the ARC.
Thanks to the publisher.

Welcome to DelSol, New Mexico where locals call Psych Ward.
After 15 years, Sun is home, she wants justice for what happened to her when she was 17.
See the town through her eyes and her daughter's eyes
Live through them both working to solve a case.

I love the wits and wacky sayings as chapter headings.
...Skinny people are easier to kidnap, Stay safe, eat cake...

I am excited for this new series!!

I was so thrilled to be able to get my hands on a new book by Ms. Jones!! I couldn't wait to read what her imagination had come up with now.

In this new series we are introduced to Sunshine Vicram. She is the newly elected sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico even though she didn't run for the position! On her first day she finds out about the "bad luck muffins" and that throws the whole town into a tailspin. First there is a missing rooster, two teenagers are missing add to that the history Sunshine has with the town from her own kidnapping and her teenage daughter going to a new school. When Sunshine starts investigating she runs face to face with the hunky Levi.

You just gotta read this book and be in on the beginning of a great new series from this talented author!

Absolutely fantastic book! I’ve been a fan of author Darynda Jones for a while now, and when the Charley Davidson series ended, I admit it, I cried. I was a little unsure about this new series, but let me say this: it’s absolutely awesome and I really want to read the rest of the series when it comes out! Sunshine Vicram and her incredible daughter Auri are a serious dynamic duo who will turn the entire town of Del Sol, New Mexico, on its head. Or maybe back on it’s feet? Either way, it’s going to be a rollicking great time!

What a great book! I loved it from the beginning and am really loving Sunshine as a character lol. I got the authors humor in this just like I have in other works. I can honestly say I would love to read more of Sunshine's adventures soon.

Sunshine, the newly elected sheriff of Del Sol, moves back to her childhood hometown, determined to solve the mystery that has haunted her for years. She was kidnapped as a teen and held for ransom but can't remember details due to the drugs given to her. Now as sheriff, she has the tools to find out who did it.

Auri, her teenage daughter, wants to fit in at her new school but she's bullied from the beginning by mean girls. She does meet one girl who befriends her, but the girl vanishes. Auri wants to help her mom with the investigation but faces serious challenges. .

I loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. The relationship between Sunshine and her daughter is hilarious and touching at the same time. Sunshine's sassy, snarky, and really smart, all of which adds up to a wonderful first book in a new series. Can't wait for the next one!

First off this book is loooong. Like 400 pages long. But...you can't put it down. I stayed up half the night reading it. It's non-stop action, snarky humor and one major revelation after another.
Sunshine Vicram moves back into Del Sol with her 15 year old daughter Aurora after being elected the new sheriff thanks to her parents machinations. A girl gets abducted from her home on her first day a s a sheriff and all hell breaks lose. Add to it major drama at Auri's new school and some very big revelations about both their pasts...There's a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book but i have a feeling that Sunshine's first love Levi played a very significant role in how her life worked out. Can't wait for the next installment!

Darynda Jones has hit a home run right out of the gate (sorry for the mixed metaphors) with the first book, A Bad Day for Sunshine, in what promises to be a series to rival her wildly popular Charlie Davidson series. This author is masterful is creating stories that ensnare you from the onset of their telling. She is also a marvel at bringing to life on the written page alpha males who literally take your breath away...for Charlie Davidson it was Reyes Farrow, for Sunshine Vicram it’s Levi Ravinder.

There are no complacencies at any point in the story...there were twists and turns, red herrings, secondary characters who muddied the waters to give the story the perfect lead in to throw out complete, “What the heck? Wow!” moments. Just when you think you know where the story is headed...it does a 180 and goes in an unexpected, yet intriguing/captivating direction.

I for one cannot wait for the next installment in Sunshine’s series...if the author’s plan is to keep you turning the pages at a rapid pace (which she’d done for me with each of her previous books, and now including this one) and then have you anxiously awaiting the continuation of the story with each new installment release, then I’m settling in for the long haul. I so enjoyed every step of Charlie Daniel’s journey of discovery...and anticipate it’ll be the same for Sunshine as she peels back the layers of the mystery of her abduction.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram of Del Sol, NM is a personality to be reckoned with.. She is elected sheriff without agreeing to run, returns to the small town where she grew up and takes on the job. Sunny knows the town inside and out, its quirks and its characters.. The town itself might be considered a character. When a teenage girl disappears, Sunny leads the investigation that bears many similarities to an incident in her own past. The story chronicles her first days as sheriff and her daughter’s first days at a new high school. Frequently the twain do meet as the case unfolds. The tone of the book reminds me of the Stephanie Plum novels. A little bit silly but with a protagonist that carries it off. There’s a mysterious and hot love interest, though in the end it feels like she may be the only one who doesn't have a good idea about what really happened between her and the hot guy in the past.. The book ends with the police case resolved but Sunny’s personal life to be continued. I enjoyed A Bad Day for Sunshine and look forward to the next Sunny book. Can’t really recommend it as a great, just kind of a fun lark with serious human elements.

First book I've read from author and most definitely won't be the last. Sun was my favorite! And really the whole town! I could live there and love it! The Book Babes, everyone needs those ladies! Auri was the sweetest and such a brave girl. I read book in one setting, just could not put down.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for eARC

Darynda Jones gives us another snarky, kick butt heroine. Sunshine and Auri, her daughter are the main characters and we get to see the story unfold through both of their points of view. Both characters have strong development and the flow and pace of the story is perfect. If you liked her other books, you will love this one. It is familiar without being a copycat. This one packs some heat, but not enough for your kindle or nook to catch on fire.

Sunshine Vicram and I could be friends. Actually I could be friends with the entire town of Del Sol. Jones gives us a town filled with fun, zany characters that make the story even more amusing and bizarre. We get enough mystery and suspense to make this a great first book. It is a full story but it leaves us with enough of a cliffhanger that I personally can't wait for the next book.

I felt conflicted about this story because I wasn't sure what it wanted to be. There were a lot of elements that felt directly portalled over from the Charley Davidson series, and while I love that series, I wanted something different here. Also, Sunshine's reasons for coming back - in investigate this terrible thing that had happened to her, seemed at odds with the light-hearted tone and also took a while to get going. In addition, I thought not knowing if Levi was her saviour or her abductor, should have led her to question whether her daughter should have a relationship with him, since if he'd abducted her (which I don't believe - I think he's her father but consensually) that means he was SUnshine's rapist. So elements felt discordant.

Even though this was the wrong version it was an awesome book. I loved it and can’t wait for the next one. Darynda Jones came through again with a fantastic story, great characters, another series to look forward to.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was outside of the genre I usually associate with author Darynda Jones- that of horror. It has action, suspense, a mystery to solve. It has interesting and entertaining characters. The characters show depth and the way they interact is funny, natural, and holds your attention. Even the more minor characters lend a hand to more fully realize the atmosphere of the story. I hope to see more of the “Sunshine” series.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE (Book 1 of the Sunshine Vicram Series) by Darynda Jones in exchange for an honest review. We meet Sunshine and her daughter Auri on their first day of work and school in Del Sol, New Mexico. Del Sol’s a quirky little town that Sun thought was forever in her past, but she returned after she was unexpectedly elected to be the new sheriff; the unexpected part comes from the fact she never entered the race or ran for the position. When a muffin basket of doom is delivered to the sheriff’s office, Sun’s new employees let her know they signal that the office is in for a bumpy few days. The first day of doom begins when a distraught mother crashes into the sheriff’s office to report her daughter missing and probably kidnapped. Sun’s past as a kidnapping victim adds to her determination to find the teen and return her safe. Levi Ravinder, the man Sun’s been unrequitedly crushing on since infancy, becomes a part of the kidnapping investigation and, perhaps, a part of other investigations and troubles that crop up during the following days of doom. Meanwhile, Auri faces off with high school bullies and helps search for the missing teen.

CAUTION: DO NOT expect this to be a reboot or a continuation of the Charlie Davidson series. So far, there’s nothing supernatural in the book (besides the muffins of doom). Also, though Sun has an offbeat sense of humor, she’s not even close to being the utterly ridiculous character that Charlie was. So, if you are a fan of Darynda Jones and won’t be disappointed that this is an entirely new series, please proceed.

That being said, this was a great start to a completely new series! I liked the characters and the plotline. Though some of the future plot surprises may only surprise the book’s characters, I really look forward to the next book. I recommend this book to fans of mysteries featuring kidnappings, law enforcement, quirky and/or damaged characters, offbeat humor, literary hot guys, and mysterious origin stories.

What did Jones do, put several story lines, a ton of characters, a variety of genres and more into a blender and let it whip? There's way, way too much going on here and none of the most important bits in a new series get enough attention. There were also a lot of similarities to her previous (Charley Davidson) series. If it's going to be a new series, let's try something different. That said, I'm sure many fans of the first series won't mind more.

Besides the fact that was too much of everything, it jumped all over the place. The transitioning (despite someone else's review) was awful. One line we're with Sunshine in the middle of something then BAM! we're with Aurora. There was constant whiplash shifting. I would have to back track a few lines sometimes to figure out what happened.

Sunshine acting like she was almost in heat reminded me of the later Charley books and it turned me off there as it did here. Yes, a 32 or 33 year old woman is going to look at men and evaluate them, but there was too much of it.

The characters and setting have a lot of potential, but I think the author needs to calm it down and develop this new world in a more focused fashion and give them time to develop and slowly add more facets as the stories unroll.

The sad thing is that the "signs" that start off the chapters (aka the t-shirt sloagans in the Charley davidson series) are the best part of the book.

Definitely willing to give book 2 a shot, but hope the story development improves.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A new series by the author of another series I liked very much: the Grave series.

Introducing a spunky new character with an equally spunky daughter, set in the beautiful state of New Mexico this first entry gets off to a wonderful start. You will enjoy the residents of this small town and as you learn more about them you will eagerly look forward to their next adventures.

The mystery is not bad either. It will capture your attention and the ending, well you have to wait for the next installment.

Make a note of this one!

A very interesting story about a newly elected Sheriff of a small town in New Mexico. Sunshine, her nickname, is a single mother with one teeage daughter. She has returned to her home town and has a secret that she keeps from her daughter and friends. The tale is told primarily by these two individuals as multiple events occur and the plot thickens. As the action occurs will secrets be revealed and justice served or will there be a subsequent novel to wrap up any loose ends? I know I am looking forward to another novel but I am rather the curious sort who hates to leave anything unsolved. So readers I will leave it up to you to reach your own conclusion as to whether the story has concluded or not? The overall story line was excellent with a few red herrings thrown in to keep the amateur detectives on their toes.

I have rated this book 4.5 stars and look forward to what I hope will be another story about Sunshine and her daughter.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Loved this book! I was already a fan because of the Charlie Davidson books. But this novel really cemented my love for Darynda Jones! Quirky and lovable characters, witty banter, steamy love interest, interesting plot line with some twists and turns-this book has it all. I can’t wait for more in this series!

I’ve read other books by this author and this is so different.
I enjoyed the story, it kept me guessing to the end. Loved all the characters and will look forward to next one in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy.