Crime & Detective Archives – Page 2 of 5

Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen [ Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

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BOOK INFO

Title: Pay Dirt Road

Author: Samantha Jayne Allen

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 19, 2022

Genre: Private Detective

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Annie McIntyre has a love/hate relationship with Garnett, Texas.

Recently graduated from college and home waitressing, lacking not in ambition but certainly in direction, Annie is lured into the family business—a private investigation firm—by her supposed-to-be-retired grandfather, Leroy, despite the rest of the clan’s misgivings.

When a waitress at the café goes missing, Annie and Leroy begin an investigation that leads them down rural routes and haunted byways, to noxious-smelling oil fields and to the glowing neon of local honky-tonks. As Annie works to uncover the truth she finds herself identifying with the victim in increasing, unsettling ways, and realizes she must confront her own past—failed romances, a disturbing experience she’d rather forget, and the trick mirror of nostalgia itself—if she wants to survive this homecoming.

MY REVIEW

Annie McIntyre returns to her small hometown after college. She’s working as a waitress while figuring out what she wants to do with her life. One of the other waitresses goes missing, and Annie decides to investigate. She and her grandfather, a private investigator, work together to uncover what happened.

Pay Dirt Road is a slow-burning, atmospheric mystery. With strong character development and a haunting setting, this debut novel was an entertaining read. I look forward to more from this author.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sea Storm by Andrew Mayne [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Sea Storm

Author: Andrew Mayne

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: March 29, 2022

Genre: Crime Fiction

Series: Underwater Investigation Unit #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A distress call draws rescuers Sloan McPherson and the Underwater Investigation Unit to a cruise ship off the coast of Fort Lauderdale that’s sinking from a mysterious explosion. When it appears to be the work of an ecoterrorist and other ships are threatened, it becomes a race against time. More clues are discovered, and evidence is in danger of being washed away by a coming tropical storm. Sloan grows concerned that key details are being ignored, and a strange lack of urgency by authorities sets off alarms.

As the troubling questions compound, Sloan is determined to chase down every lead she has. Her persistence is getting her closer to the truth: that there’s something far more troubling at play than the official explanation. It’s also putting Sloan on a collision course with an enemy more powerful than she realizes, in a case so complex and deadly it may be impossible to prove. Now cracking the case is a matter of staying one step ahead of someone with every resource imaginable to bury Sloan and everything she knows.

MY REVIEW

Sea Storm is the third book in the Underwater Investigation Unit mystery series. In this installment, the Underwater Investigation Unit is called in when a cruise ship starts sinking after a mysterious explosion.

With an “underwater” unit, there are plenty of water related crimes to keep the team busy. The characters are likable, and this book furthers the development of these memorable characters. While Sea Storm can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend starting with the first book in the series.

Sea Storm is an exciting and intriguing mystery. Recommended for readers who enjoy a good police procedural with a twist.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Underwater Investigation Unit series:

The Girl Beneath the Sea
Black Coral
Sea Storm

Damaged Intentions by Mike Omer [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Damaged Intentions

Author: Mike Omer

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: March 20, 2022

Genre: Crime Fiction

Series: Abby Mullen #2

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

As a child, Abby Mullen escaped the insidious Wilcox cult when it literally went down in flames. Years later, she’s the NYPD’s best hostage negotiator and a mother. She thought the worst part of her life was behind her. Until now. Armed conspiracy theorists called the Watchers have attacked the local high school—and taken her daughter hostage.

With the delusional Watchers holding her child at gunpoint, the unflappable Abby might be at her breaking point. But the clock is ticking on her daughter’s life, and she has no choice but to negotiate with the paranoid group and discover their leader’s secret before it’s too late.

As Abby peels back the layers of mystery surrounding the Watchers, there’s always another puzzle underneath. And it seems to be leading back to the dark past she’s spent her whole life trying to forget.

MY REVIEW

Abby Mullen is a NYPD hostage negotiator. She’s also the mother of a teen daughter. Abby’s work and personal lives collide when a group of conspiracy theorists attack the high school, and Abby’s daughter is a hostage.

Damaged Intentions is the second book in the Abby Mullen thriller series. Abby has a dark past. She escaped a cult when she was younger, and she’s trying to keep that part of her life in the past. With Abby’s job, her daughter, and her past, a lot is happening in this novel, and it makes for a suspenseful story.

Damaged Intentions is a gripping read with complex characters. Recommended for fans of crime thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Abby Mullen series:

A Deadly Influence
Damaged Intentions

The Fields by Erin Young [Book Review]

Posted on May 31, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Fields

Author: Erin Young

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Publish Date: January 25, 2022

Genre: Police Procedural

Series: Riley Fisher #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Some things don’t stay buried.

It starts with a body—a young woman found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture.

When Sergeant Riley Fisher, newly promoted to head of investigations for the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, arrives on the scene, an already horrific crime becomes personal when she discovers the victim was a childhood friend, connected to a dark past she thought she’d left behind.

The investigation grows complicated as more victims are found. Drawn deeper in, Riley soon discovers implications far beyond her Midwest town.

MY REVIEW

The Fields is a debut crime thriller. Riley Fisher heads the investigation in the murder of one of her childhood friends.

The Fields is a dark and gritty police procedural. Riley Fisher is an intriguing character. The mystery is complex and compelling. This is the first book in a new series, and I look forward to reading more.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Riley Fisher series:

The Fields

The Appeal by Janice Hallett [Book Review]

Posted on January 28, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Appeal

Author: Janice Hallett

Publisher: Atria

Publish Date: January 25, 2022

Genre: Crime Fiction

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their fellow castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.

But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy—nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material—emails, messages, letters—with a growing suspicion that a killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.

MY REVIEW

The Appeal is an epistolary novel told through emails, texts, and other written communications. I’ve read several books with this format, and usually end up enjoying them. A mystery written in this format allows the reader to attempt solving the crime as the story unfolds.

A local theater group rallies around a sick child in one of their families. Along with preparing for their next production, the group helps raise money for an experimental treatment for the child. Tensions and doubts arise, and then one of the theater group is found dead. As two lawyers sort through the correspondence between the players involved, they start to suspect a killer is on the loose.

The Appeal is a compelling and uniquely told murder mystery. A good read for fans of epistolary novels and armchair sleuths.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Books in The Appeal series:

The Appeal
The Christmas Appeal

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones [Book Review]

Posted on September 16, 2021January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: A Good Day for Chardonnay

Author: Darynda Jones

Publisher: St, Martin’s Press

Publish Date: July 27, 2021

Genre: Crime Fiction

Series: Sunshine Vicram #2

My Rating: 5/5

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

BOOK BLURB

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff—and even fuller-time coffee guzzler—Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunny’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

MY REVIEW

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second book in the Sunshine Vicram series. Sunshine is the sheriff in a small New Mexico town. Sunshine has her hands full in this one. For one, her daughter, Auri, is hunting a serial killer. Also, there is new evidence in the mystery of Sunshine’s kidnapping when she was younger.

This is the second book in the series, and I definitely recommend starting with the first book, A Bad Day for Sunshine. Both books are clever and exciting reads.

A Good Day for Chardonnay has a great cast of quirky characters, a desert town setting, a little romance, and a gripping mystery. A fantastic novel for fans of mystery thrillers with strong female protagonists and sarcastic humor.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Sunshine Vicram series:

A Bad Day for Sunshine
A Good Day for Chardonnay
A Hard Day for a Hangover

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs [Book Review]

Posted on September 14, 2021December 28, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Bone Code

Author: Kathy Reichs

Publisher: Scribner

Publish Date: July 6, 2021

Genre: Police Procedural

Series: Temperance Brennan #20

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

On the way to hurricane-ravaged Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, Tempe receives a call from the Charleston coroner. The storm has tossed ashore a medical waste container. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Tempe recognizes many of the details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she travels to Montreal to gather evidence.

Meanwhile, health authorities in South Carolina become increasingly alarmed as a human flesh-eating contagion spreads. So focused is Tempe on identifying the container victims that, initially, she doesn’t register how their murders and the pestilence may be related. But she does recognize one unsettling fact. Someone is protecting a dark secret—and willing to do anything to keep it hidden.

An absorbing look at the sinister uses to which genetics can be put, and featuring a cascade of ever-more-shocking revelations, The Bone Code is Temperance Brennan’s most astonishing case yet—one that gives new meaning to today’s headlines.

MY REVIEW

The Bone Code is the twentieth book in the Temperance Brennan series. Temperance is a forensic anthropologist who has worked on a variety of cases. While this could be read as a standalone novel, I recommend reading some of the earlier books first.

In The Bone Code, Temperance gets involved with a case in Charleston that reminds her of a cold case she worked years earlier in Quebec. Meanwhile, a virus outbreak in Charleston is causing panic. Temperance works to connect the two cases and uncover more than just a murderer.

This is a series that I’ve enjoyed over the years. There are a few books in this series that I haven’t read, but I plan to go back and read them soon. Temperance is intelligent and driven in her work. She makes for a strong and interesting protagonist.

The Bone Code is sure to be enjoyed by fans of this series. For readers unfamiliar with Temperance, I recommend checking out this series if you like crime fiction.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Temperance Brennan series:

Déjà Dead
Death du Jour
Deadly Decisions
Fatal Voyage
Grave Secrets
Bare Bones
Monday Mourning
Cross Bones
Break No Bones
Bones to Ashes
Devil Bones
206 Bones
Spider Bones
Flash and Bones
Bones Are Forever
Bones of the Lost
Bones Never Lie
Speaking in Bones
A Conspiracy of Bones
The Bone Code
Cold, Cold Bones
The Bone Hacker
Fire and Bones

Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge [Book Review]

Posted on September 13, 2021January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Lie Beside Me

Author: Gytha Lodge

Publisher: Random House

Publish Date: June 22, 2021

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: DCI Jonah Sheens #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Louise wakes up. Her head aches, her mouth is dry, her memory is fuzzy—but she suspects she’s done something bad.

She rolls over toward her husband, Niall. The man who, until recently, made her feel loved.

But it’s not Niall lying beside her. In fact, she’s never seen this man before.

And he’s not breathing. . . .

As Louise desperately struggles to piece her memories back together, it’s clear to Jonah Sheens and his team that she is their prime suspect—though they soon find she’s not the only one with something to hide.

Did she do it? And, if not, can they catch the real killer before they strike again?

In this gripping novel, a young woman finds that trying to make sense of her life’s bad choices might prove the most dangerous reckoning there is.

MY REVIEW

A woman awakens to discover that the man beside her is not only not her husband, but he’s dead. Though she doesn’t remember what happened, she can’t believe she killed this man. When the police arrive, they find the body in the front yard. The woman is clearly keeping secrets and is a prime suspect.

Lie Beside Me is told using alternating points of view – the suspect, Louise, and the detective, Jonah. Louise is insecure and a struggling alcoholic. Jonah is trying to find a killer. The mystery is well paced and complex.

Lie Beside Me is the third book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, but it can be read as a standalone. I’ve read the previous two books (She Lies in Wait and Watching from the Dark), and think this series is getting better with each book.

Twisty and intriguing. Lie Beside Me is a straightforward police procedural. A great series for fans of British police procedurals.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the DCI Jonah Sheens series:

Black Coral by Andrew Mayne [Book Review]

Posted on May 30, 2021January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Black Coral

Author: Andrew Mayne

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: February 16, 2021

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Underwater Investigation Unit #2

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

For a police diver in Florida, solving a cold-case mystery brings a serial killer out of hiding in a deep, dark thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

Sloan McPherson and the Underwater Investigation Unit have discovered a van at the bottom of a murky Florida pond. Sealed inside the watery tomb are the bodies of four teenagers who disappeared thirty years ago after leaving a rock concert. To authorities, it looks like a tragic accident. To Sloan, it looks like murder. Every piece of evidence is starting to connect to a string of cold case vanishings throughout Florida. Clue by clue, Sloan navigates the warm, dark waters where natural predators feed, knowing that the most dangerous one is still above the surface—nesting and dormant.

But when a fresh young kill is found in the Everglades, Sloan fears that her investigation has reawakened a monster. How can she catch someone who’s a genius at hiding in plain sight? By acting as prey. The dangerous gambit is working—only too well. She’s being lured into a deception of the madman’s own design. Has Sloan set a trap for a serial killer? Or has he set one for her?

MY REVIEW

Black Coral is the second book in the mystery series Underwater Investigation Unit. I enjoyed the first book, The Girl Beneath the Sea, so I was looking forward to reading the latest addition to the series. This continues to be a great series. Black Coral can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting with the first book.

In Black Coral, the Underwater Investigation Unit is called to the scene of a van at the bottom of a pond. This discovery leads to a suspenseful hunt for a serial killer. A well written story with interesting characters. I especially enjoy Sloan, as she continues to be a strong and complex character.

Exciting and intriguing mystery. A great read for fans of crime thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Underwater Investigation Unit series:

The Girl Beneath the Sea
Black Coral
Sea Storm

The Other Mothers by M.M. Chouinard [Book Review]

Posted on February 13, 2021January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Other Mothers

Author: M.M. Chouinard

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: January 20, 2021

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Detective Jo Fournier #4

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

It’s a crisp spring morning when the small-town community around Briar Ridge Elementary School is shattered by devastating news. Bright and shy five-year-old Nicole has disappeared at recess.

Nicole’s mother, Gia, is lost in her grief. On the same day her baby girl vanished, Gia found out she was pregnant with the sister Nicole had begged for. Gia is also devastated that her best friend Karen was supervising the playground when Nicole was taken. And when Nicole’s body is discovered, Gia can’t help but ask: why didn’t Karen protect her little girl?

Someone knows what happened in school that day and is keeping the truth secret. Gia’s been hiding a part of herself for years and it’s eating her apart. And Karen is definitely lying—but what is more important than finding the killer of her best friend’s daughter?

As Gia and Karen struggle with their guilt, a teacher at Briar Ridge dies in what looks like a tragic accident. But with two deaths in such a short time, one of the parents is lying. In this school, where soccer moms flock to the gates with cookies for teachers, someone is willing to kill to keep a secret. The only question is who.

MY REVIEW

The Other Mothers is the latest book in the Detective Jo Fournier series by M.M. Chouinard. In this novel, Jo’s investigation involves a local elementary school. A child goes missing at recess, and is later found dead. Of course, Jo is determined to find who killed the child.

This is a fantastic crime series. I love mystery series with strong female characters. Jo is smart, dedicated, and tough, but she’s also got flaws, making her relatable. Her personal story is interwoven into the mystery story, making for a more enjoyable novel. In fact, all of the characters are well developed and interesting.

This is the fourth novel in the series, and I recommend reading this series in order. However, The Other Mothers can be read as a standalone novel.

The Other Mothers is a complex and intriguing mystery. With a compelling story and entertaining twists, this novel is sure to thrill fans of crime fiction.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Detective Jo Fournier series:

The Dancing Girls
Taken to the Grave
Her Daughter’s Cry
The Other Mothers
Her Silent Prayer
What They Saw
Little Lost Dolls
Angels in the Snow

Bending the Paw by Diane Kelly [Book Review]

Posted on October 28, 2020January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Bending the Paw

Author: Diane Kelly

Publisher: St. Martin

Publish Date: October 27, 2020

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Paw Enforcement #9

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Make way for the long paw of the law as police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit investigate a baffling new mystery in Bending the Paw, by Diane Kelly.

A MURDER WITHOUT A BODY IS LIKE A DOG WITHOUT A BONE

A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner’s husband is gone, seemingly without a trace—and so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime?

Meanwhile, it’s hailing cats and dogs all over Fort Worth, and roofing contractors have descended on the city in droves. With plenty of damage and continuing storms, work delays are building up like so much runoff, but Megan is suspicious that one roofer may be a scam artist. Determined to leash every lawbreaker she and her K-9 partner find, Megan is building a case for prosecution, all while Brigit has her nose to the ground for a murderer…

MY REVIEW

Bending the Paw is the ninth book in the Paw Enforcement series by Diane Kelly. Officer Megan and her K-9 partner Brigit investigate a possible murder. The crime scene contains more blood than a person could survive losing, but there is no body.

Told using multiple points of view, including Megan and Brigit. Megan is likable, hardworking, and quick witted. Brigit is a delightful dog with amusing viewpoints.

Bending the Paw is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. That said, I recommend reading the books in order to better understand the characters. Reviews for book 6 (Enforcing the Paw) and book 8 (Paw of the Jungle) can be found on this blog. I’ve read all of the books in the series, and it’s a enjoyable lighter mystery series.

A fun mystery. An enjoyable addition to the series. Humorous, cozy, and entertaining.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Paw Enforcement Series:

Paw Enforcement
Paw and Order
Laying Down the Paw
Against the Paw
Above the Paw
Enforcing the Paw
The Long Paw of the Law
Paw of the Jungle
Bending the Paw

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones [Book Review]

Posted on April 8, 2020January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: A Bad Day for Sunshine

Author: Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: April 7, 2020

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Sunshine Vicram #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

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 Marshal. 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?

MY REVIEW

Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff in Del Sol, New Mexico. She’s returned to her hometown as the new sheriff, in a campaign her parents orchestrated, without her knowledge. Sunshine won though, and her first day on the job is a doozy. A teenage girl goes missing, and everyone is curious about why Sunshine left her hometown so suddenly years earlier.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in a new series by Darynda Jones. I’ve enjoyed Jones’s Charley Davidson series, so I was excited to see she had a new book available. Happy to report that this was a funny, clever, and exciting read.

A lot of the novel is setting up the characters, and each one is well developed and interesting. Sunshine and her daughter, Aurora, move to Del Sol for Sunshine’s new job as sheriff. Sunshine is working with her best friend from childhood, Quincy. He’s now a deputy and helps keep Sunshine informed about what’s happening. Another character in Sunshine’s life is Levi Ravinder, an old crush, and the son of the local crime family. Aurora is a teenager and starts school at the local high school.

As for the mystery, Sunshine and her deputies look for a missing girl. They also have a few other things happening in town, so the sheriff’s office stays busy. While a lot is happening in Sunshine’s professional life, her personal life is a mystery too.

Fantastic start to a new series. A fun cast of characters, a small desert town full of quirky locals, and an exciting mystery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.