A Bad Day for Sunshine: A Novel

I like snark and sarcasm, I really do - or I thought I did until I had so much of it thrown at me that it started to get on my nerves. So, I suppose I should say that I appreciate some well-timed snark and sarcasm. What I found here is not that. When I first started reading, I was struck by the similarities between Sun and Auri and another mother-daughter duo from a beloved early 2000s television series. The difference is Lorelai and Rory were actually witty. The outcome here is that all that snark just translated into a wordy story of about 400 pages where very little happens. People walk around and talk a lot, but if there was much in the way of actual investigation, I missed it. Of course, I'll admit that I started skimming around the halfway mark due to the lack of anything to keep me engaged, so I could've missed it. The biggest issue with so much sarcastic dialogue that's meant to be funny is that it makes it really hard to take anything seriously - like the fact that Sun is supposed to be working on a missing person case - a missing teenage girl no less, and there is certainly nothing funny about that. A missing person, secrets in Sun's past, and even a kidnapped rooster should be plenty to propel a good story forward, but then we have the whole mess surrounding Sun's election to sheriff. I'm not sure why all that was necessary, but it's completely over the top and unnecessary. But then, that was just one more thing in a sea of things that rubbed me the wrong way. From what I've been hearing about this book, I'm pretty sure that I'm in the minority here, but it is what it is. For me, the book was scattered, and the most interesting thing about it was the rooster. There are unanswered questions that I'm assuming will be built upon in future books since this is the start of a series, but I didn't find anything in this one to convince me to read further books in this series.

***4 Stars*** I seriously wish this Del Sol, New Mexico was real, because I’d so be down for a road trip to visit it and meet all the unique people who inhabit the place. But, as that is not an option I will settle for practicing patience for the next book in the series to drop, because I’m hooked and need more ASAP! Sunshine was a lot of fun to get to know. She is sassy, sweet, observant and determined and truly cares about everyone in her life. As for the rest of the characters that inhabit this world, her daughter Auri was awesome! She is very much a teenager with her sass and insecurities, but there is a goodness to her that draws you in and I’m looking forward to getting to know her crew of friends a lot better. As for the adults, Sunshine’s parents were awesome, Quincy was a lot of fun ~ as were the rest of the crew at the sheriff’s department. Then there is Levi. I have my own take on the man, but he is definitely going to be a lot of fun to get to know. This isn’t my first time reading a book by this author, I did dive into the Charley Davidson series for a bit, though I haven’t completed the series, so I already knew I would enjoy the author’s style and voice, which I did very much. My only real issue was that there were parts that felt like they dragged a little, nothing that put me off reading the books or skimming to get to the next part, but enough that it was noticeable though not a surprise considering that this is a first in series and a lot of info was tossed our way. As for the kidnapping. I thought it was done well and I didn’t figure out the who or why until it was all revealed, so big thumbs up for that. And as for that ending? Well, I’m all in and cannot wait to see where the next book takes us! ~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

4.5 stars, A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones is a compelling mystery starring hilarious lead protagonist Sheriff Sunshine Vicram. Newly elected Sheriff Sunshine and her daughter Auri have recently returned to Del Sol . Now settled in, Sunshine is off to her first day at work and Auri is starting at her new school. Sunshine’s first case is the kidnapping of fourteen year old Sybil St. Aubin whose wealthy family owns a local winery. Sunshine and her best friend Chief Deputy Quincy Cooper begin their investigation which turns up disappointingly few leads. A report that Sybil was recently seen with local teenager Jimmy Ravinder seems promising especially after they learn he disappeared the same day that Sybil went missing. Sunshine and Quincy are working round the clock to locate the missing teen, but will they find her and Jimmy before it is too late? Sunshine is smart, sarcastic and haunted by her past. As a teenager, she was kidnapped and her case has never been solved. There are eerie similarities between her abduction and Sybil’s disappearance. Could the two cases possibly be linked? A Bad Day for Sunshine is a captivating mystery with a delightful cast of colorful characters. Sunshine and Auri are quite close and their text messages and conversations are laugh out loud funny. The storyline is well-executed and features a few interesting sub-plots. With a few twists and surprising turns, Darynda Jones keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the novel’s nail-biting conclusion. The Sunshine Vicram series is wonderfully unique and I am very much looking forward to the next installment.