Review: A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Author: Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: April 2020

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, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff - thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her--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 this is reminding Sunshine 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.

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse?

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in a new series featuring Sheriff Sunshine Vicram. Sunshine is the new sheriff in town having won a race she doesn't remember entering.  She is on a mission to find out what happened when she was a teenager.  She has almost no memory of her missing days.  Things get interesting when a teen goes missing from the high school.  A girl who predicted her kidnapping. 

I had this one on my TBR for a while and I'm regretting waiting so long to read it.  I really enjoyed the book. The humor in the book reminded me of Stephanie Plum books (the early ones).  I laughed out loud so many times,  The mystery was engaging.  There are a couple of mysteries actually. The characters were interesting.  I loved Sunshine.  I loved her relationship with her best friend Quincy.  Their banter was hilarious.  My favorite, though, was her relationship with her daughter, Auri.  It was caring, fun and loving. I just loved how close they were and how honest and upfront Sunshine was with Auri.    

The book ends in kind of a cliffhanger.  There are a lot of questions still left unanswered, especially regarding Levi.  The next book comes out next year and I can't wait to read it.