Reviews

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

kelsey_may_23's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

missnatalieann's review against another edition

5.0

I need more Sunshine in my life! Both literally and in this book series! I listened to this on audio (it had my favorite narrator reading it, so how could I not?), this was very reminiscent of Darynda's Charlie Davidson series with less magic to it as well as a bit of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series (possibly because the outstanding Lorelei King reads that series as well). It was an intriguing story told through both Sunshine and her daughter Ari's perspectives. There were so many great characters that you fall in love with in the small town of Del Sol and there were mysteries and high-jinks galore! I can't wait to be brought back to Del Sol and hopefully learn even more about the people in this tiny town with big secrets.

marii_lasa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

bethmorvant's review

4.0

This was my first ‘cozy’ mystery and it will not be my last. I loved the humor that was thrown in throughout the book, and it was such a fun break to have crime going on and not be so dark. (Tho I am a sucker for dark thrillers and they will always be my go to.)

The only downfall is it did drag some and the teen in this one was written (or maybe it was the audio narrator) too young for her age. It is what it is tho, and I definitely will be picking up the next one

bookmarksandcaffeine's review

3.0

Idk it was like a serious book topic written unseriously. I couldn’t take the kidnapping, murder, assault seriously because none of the characters were serious? Something about the tone and the topic didn’t mesh for me. 

Kinda like Finlay Donovan in that sense …

brianne_k's review

3.0

*3/5*

bhookjunkhie's review

5.0

Tons of fun!! Can’t wait for more❤️

teresaalice's review

4.0

Although a little predictable, I really enjoyed the character development in this story and look forward to the next in this new series.

sarcastic_cat's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

booklovinmamas's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The second I started listening to A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones, I knew I was going to have a hard time doing anything else. Darynda’s storytelling hooked me right from the start, and Lorelei King’s narration brought the story and characters to life in my ears, making me believe I was there with the characters as everything unfolded. 

I’m a romance/fantasy reader most of the time, but there are times I crave a mystery/thriller that has me on the edge of my seat with the characters that are trying to solve cases. It also helps when the story has humor in it that has you laughing out loud and your husband giving you crazy eyes, wondering what can be so funny in a mystery book. A Bad Day for Sunshine was that book. If I had to stop listening to the book because I had to sleep, I was dreaming about it or thinking about it constantly. 

I needed to know if Sheriff Sunshine Vicram was going to find the kidnapper who kidnapped Sybil, who happened to be around the same age as her daughter. The girl who was abducted premonitioned her kidnapping for years in her dreams, but no one believed her until it eventually happened, and now that is the first case that Sheriff Sunshine Vicram has to solve on her first day on the job. Sunshine’s daughter, Auri, knows the girl and wants to help her mom find her, but unfortunately is dealing with her own issues at school, with kids bullying her due to her mother being the Sheriff of their small town. 

Poor Sunshine Vicram is having a busy few days at her new job as Sheriff, something she never signed up for, but she won during the election. I felt terrible for her, but she did have some fantastic deputies working for her, one of them being her best friend from school, who was assisting her in her new job. Sunshine isn’t only dealing with the kidnapping case but also having to figure out what happened to her when she was seventeen since she has no memory of her abduction. She only knows that it may involve the Ravinder family since they are part of an organized crime family.

I really enjoyed this book and wish I would have read it sooner. The mystery behind the case of the kidnapped girl and the whole dark past of the Ravinder family had me on the edge of my seat. The snarky humor that was in the book definitely kept me entertained, especially with how Sunshine handled things. I loved that her daughter had that same humor. 

There is an emotional part in the book that had me in tears, and it involved Sunshine’s daughter and what she found out about what happened to her mother years ago. I won’t go into it because it’s a spoiler. Just be prepared to have tissues on hand, just in case. 

There is a romantic subplot developing between Sunshine and her longtime crush, Levi Ravinder, but with his family’s dark past, she isn’t sure she can trust him. It’s obvious something is brewing between the two, and I need more of it. I also need answers to the truth of Sunshine’s abduction. I need more of this small town, Del Sol, New Mexico, and the characters, which means I’ll be borrowing the second book from my library. 

If you enjoy a mystery with comedy and a suspenseful storyline with a great cast of characters, then this book needs to be added to your TBR. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, and Bullying

Minor: Medical content